Yes she can: LOST Empowers Women Politically

As a part of Women’s Rights Academy funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Lebanon, The Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training organized a seminar entitled:“Women’s Participation in political life”. The workshop was delivered at LOST- Ein center by Ms. Manar Zaiter,a lawyer and social activist on October 4th, 2012; more than 160 women attended.

Ms. Zaiter defined “Woman” as an individual equal to “man” and has the same political and social rights. So that, women have to participate in the political life in Lebanon and should play an active role in the policy- making process of their communities and country. The seminar was followed by a long and interesting debate and finally all participants were invited to a cocktail.

LOST organizes such activities on a regular basis at its premises. Such activities aim at empowering and building women capacity towards a more equitable community.

Human Rights: Reality and Challenges

As part of the Academy of Women’s rights funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of Netherlands in Lebanon , LOST organized a seminar entitled: “ the evolution of human rights’ concept worldwide” delivered by Dr. Abbas Chamas at LOST-Baalbeck center on September 16th, 2012.

Dr. Abbas Chamas mentioned that human rights represent a turning point in the dignity of human being and his/ her personal liberties. He insisted on the rights of women worldwide to participate in the decision- making process of their communities at all levels.After a long discussion among the audience, all participants were invited to a cocktail at Baytna restaurant.

LOST organizes such activities on a regular basis at its premises. Such activities aim at raising the awareness of Lebanese citizens especially the Lebanese women on their rights at all levels in an attempt to enhance their sense of citizenship and engage them in the public affairs of their communities.

More than teaching: LOST at Bashaer School for a TDC

The Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training has kicked off the Teacher Development Course (TDC) at Al-Bashaer school. More than 35 English teachers are attending the course. TDC starts Saturday the 10th of November 2012 and it will last for one academic year.

Mr. Asem Shreif, the English teacher trainer at LOST helps teachers to develop and improve their skills in how to manage a classroom, how to prepare and deliver lessons to a range of classes and age groups, and how to encourage students to communicate with each other using the skills they have acquired.

TDC is designed to build the capacity of teachers and improve the communication skills of students in public and private schools in Bekaa region by offering a package of modern methods in teaching and enriching teachers’ background of the most updated methodologies and skills.

Get Connected: A new project with PACE

In addition to the tens of projects conducted by LOST since 2005, a new project will be added to the list of success. “Get Connected” funded by PACE , will be implemented over an eleven - month period in Baalbeck, Ein, Beit Shema and Hermel starting in November  2012 and ending in July 2013.

As the Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training  is one of the most prominent independent CSOs in the region, with wide grassroots reach through four centers, LOST will build on its prior experience  to implement the project in four communities in an attempt to empower youth and civic activists to use social media for advocacy, enable local CSOs to make more strategic use of multiple media platforms to advance their causes, foster networking among independent civic actors working on issues of common interest, and promote citizen journalism to widen the space for independent dialogue.

It is noteworthy that LOST has managed multiple donor- funded programs, including several initiatives in community transformation, youth leadership, and civic engagement in collaboration with a variety of community- based organizations active in the region.

TDC الدراسات والتدريب تطلق دورات بناء قدرات المعلمين لاستاذة اللغة الانكليزية

اطلق المركز اللبناني لتعليم اللغة الانكليزية والكومبيوتر (LCEC) في الجمعية اللبنانية للدراسات والتدريب دورات بناء قدرات المعلمين(TDC) بالتعاون مع جمعية المبرات الخيرية – ثانوية البشائر، حيث سيخضع35 مدرسا من مدرسي اللغة الانكليزية في الثانوية لدورة (TDC)خلال العام الدراسي 2012-2013.

يقوم الاستاذ عاصم شريف بمساعدة المعلمين على تطوير وتحسين مهاراتهم في كيفية إدارة الصف، وكيفية إعداد وتقديم الدروس لمجموعة من المستويات والفئات العمرية المختلفة، وكيفية تشجيع الطلاب على التواصل مع بعضهم البعض باستخدام المهارات التي اكتسبوها.

تم تصميم برنامج (TDC) لبناء قدرات المعلمين من اجل تحسين مهارات الاتصال لدى الطلاب في المدارس الرسمية والخاصة في منطقة البقاع وذلك من خلال استخدام الطرق الحديثة في التدريس التي تعتمد افضل الوسائل والتقنيات العلمية الغربية.

Shedding Light on Stateless People in Baalbeck- Hermel region

The Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training - LOST drafted recently a legal study about statelessness in Baalbeck- Hermel region.

Funded by the World Bank, this study includes an overview about the numbers of stateless people in the region. 950 cases were counted in less than one month through several meetings held with the region’s mokhtars and field visits in the different cities and villages of Baalbeck- Hermel.
This thorough study gives away the reasons of having unregistered births in Lebanon starting with poverty and nescience and ending with bureaucracy.

Moreover, the study deals with the serious and critical social effects of this problem since stateless people are deprived of their civil rights (Education, Medical care…), personal and political rights (marriage, travel, election…).

“So, Stateless people don’t have clear present nor clear future. They don’t legally exist” as Salah Zaiter said, the director of training at LOST.

This legal study determines in details all the legal mechanisms and procedures to follow in order to argue this problem out. Actions should be done to make this group of people registered and giving them social, economic, political and civil rights through clear legal steps and in the necessary competent courts.

More than vocational education! Job opportunities

The Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training inaugurated the Electronics and Commercial Arts Center “ECC” in an opening ceremony in Baalbeck in the presence of a large audience of political, academic and social figures.

“More than vocational education! Job opportunities” said Dr. Ramy Lakkis, the founder of LOST. This is the essential feature that distinguishes “ECC” from other vocational institutions. “ECC” provides career guidance and job opportunities to its students in collaboration with Forsa, a local NGO.

“ECC” provides the following technical degrees “BP-BT-TS”, and it offers a wide range of majors such as IT management, nursing, Business administration, management information system, Construction and public works.

Furthermore, “ECC” offers a variety of courses and certificates in Languages (English& French), hairdressing & make-up, first aids, flowers’ arrangement, engineering & architectural drawing, photography, executive secretary, head accountant, computer and general accountant.

Social and Economic Rights of youth in Baalbeck-Hermel

In preparation of the “Youth Economic & Social Rights” campaign which has been made possible through in collaboration with Action-Aid, The Lebanese Organization of Studies and Training (LOST) hosted the representatives of the  many local NGOs on August 27, 2012 in its headquarter in Baalbeck.

NGO representatives discussed the shared action plan of the campaign and the several avenues to cross in achieving the main objective.

“Youth Economic & Social Rights” campaign is designed to advocate one of the youth essential social and economic rights since the youth in Baalbeck- Hermel are “deprived” of many rights.  This project will be executed in Baalbeck- Hermel region and will last for 3 years.

الجمعية اللبنانية للدراسات اختتمت "أكاديمية الشباب السابعة"

 إختتمت الجمعية اللبنانية للدراسات والتدريب بالتعاون مع مكتب المبادرات المحلية في لبنان، "أكاديمية الشباب السابعة" في حفل اقامته في قاعة تموز في بعلبك، في حضور فاعليات المنطقة البلدية والتربوية والاجتماعية والإعلامية وأهالي الطلاب.

بعد النشيد الوطني، ألقى عريف الاحتفال حسين يزبك كلمة رأى فيها ان "الجمعية اللبنانية للدراسات والتدريب تعتبر أن الفرد بقدراته ومكنوناته الداخلية قادر على تحقيق الإنجازات، كيف إذا كان هذا الإنسان من عنصر الشباب الذي يختزن بداخله العنفوان والقوة والنشاط والاجتهاد، لذا رأت الجمعية أن من واجبها أن تعمل على تطوير إمكاناته وصقلها لتنمية ثقافته والاستفادة مما في داخله من إيجابيات وذكاء لخدمة مجتمعه وبيئته لتتبوأ وتصنف من أهم المناطق على مستوى لبنان والعالم".

ثم ألقى وليد الرفاعي كلمة الجمعية فاعتبر ان "أكاديمية الشباب هي فرصة لتفسح امام شبابنا مساحة من الحرية الواعية والمسؤولة ولتسمح لهم بالمشاركة بفعالية ضمن محيطهم الاقرب وفي مجتمعهم، وان الشباب كانوا خلال هذه الاكاديمية يشاركون بورش عمل مدنية حول مواضيع مختلفة كالمواطنية، المشاركة المدنية، حقوق الانسان، التسامح، حل النزاعات الداخلية بالطرق السلمية، آليات واسس العمل البلدي ، تحليل الاحتياجات، الحوكمة والتطوع".

وأشار الرفاعي إلى ان الطلاب بعدما شاركوا في ورش العمل قاموا بتنفيذ أنشطة مدنية تتلاءم مع كل عنوان من العناوين التي تعرفوا اليها، ومن هذه الأنشطة المشاركة في سباق بيروت ماراتون والاحتفال بعيد الاستقلال وإقامة معرض في اليوم العالمي لحقوق الانسان والمساهمة في تجميل وتجديد حدائق عامة في دورس، مبنى كلية العلوم ، حديقة النبي عثمان العامة ، حديقة مستديرة بدنايل ، حديقة ثانوية الهرمل النموذجية وتنظيم سباق بعلبك 2012 تحت شعار" بمشاركتكم الصورة أحلى.

وختم معتبرا "أن التنمية البشرية المستدامة لا تتحقق إلا عبر التمكين والربط بين كافة العناصر التنموية وهي:البلديات والهيئات الحكومية ومؤسسات المجتمع المدني والوكالات والجهات المانحة".

وفي ختام الاحتفال، كرمت الجمعية اللبنانية للدراسات والتدريب مدراء المدارس المشاركة في الاكاديمية وأساتذة الرياضة الذي ساهموا في انجاح سباق بعلبك - الهرمل، كما تم تسليم الشهادات لطلاب الاكاديمية.

LOST Celebrates the Conclusion of the “Academy of Youth 7”

“The Academy of Youth 7” has successfully concluded its project with a festivity celebrating the success of its program at Tammouz Hall- Baalbeck on June 28, 2012 in the presence of several political, social and academic figures.

After the Lebanese Anthem, Mr. Hussein Yazbeck from LOST opened the program with a keynote address recognizing the achievement of youth in the program and highlighting the activities of LOST in Baalbeck- Hermel region.

Following the keynote address, Mr. Walid Rifai from LOST delivered a speech in which he affirmed that such kind of projects aims at providing youth with civic and IT education and training in order to allow them to advocate issues of concern for their community and to prove themselves capable of participating in the development of their region.

“Students of the Academy benefit from several training and workshops on  Conflict Resolution, Civic Participation, Citizenship and Peace in addition to English and social media courses” added Mr. Rifai.

The event ended by distributing certificates to the Academy participants in addition to certificates of appreciation distributed to the schools’ principals participating in the event.