Ehmej opens forest center

Rain poured from the sky onto the perilous mountain roads as the car climbed higher and higher into a Lebanon new to me. The main road to the village of Ehmej was unpaved and under construction and very, very narrow with no barrier between the crumbling edge of the road and the steep drop off to the valley below. Even the beauty of the vineyard-lined mountains could not prevent me from closing my eyes. But it was all worth it.

The road led to the opening of the Ehmej Forest Center. This new center will increase the Ehmej municipality’s capacity and will focus on the protection, conservation, and growth of the forests in Ehmej and the surrounding area as well as provide a community gathering place. There are 12 hiking trails which connect Ehmej to the Lebanon Mountain Trail and other natural places of interest. The center will serve as a focal point for ecotourism in the area. It will hold 30 beds and host a full kitchen for group activities.

The opening ceremony was held in Ehmej before the group headed out to see the forest center. Among the speakers at the ceremony were the Mayor of Ehmej and Nada Zaarour, President of the Association for Forests, Development, and Conservation. Ambassador Michelle Sison represented the United States, who provided the funding for the center through the Department of Defense Humanitarian Assistance Program.

Ecotourism is a rapidly growing industry in Lebanon and a great way to bring economic development to areas outside of Beirut, areas which have not seen the level of prosperity enjoyed by many in the capital city. Indeed, some parts of Lebanon are like a whole other country, where poverty and illiteracy reign the lives of the people like other third world countries. Educated and prosperous Beirutis tend to overlook the fact that not all of Lebanon shares their good fortune.

But maybe they can in the near future. Ecotourism generates income into small communities – visitors spend money in local businesses like hotels and restaurants, as well as buy locally made handicrafts and other products.

In addition to the economic benefits, the center will help to create a culture of environmental appreciation by educating youth about environmental problems and solutions that are good for all of Lebanon. And who knows? A little wilderness without the distractions of daily living can go a long way in bringing folks a peaceful state of mind...

Job vacancy

KAFA (enough) Violence and Exploitation

Job Opening:
Assistant Project Coordinator


Within the frame of the project entitled “Protecting Adolescents from Gender based Violence through the Promotion of their Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights in Yemen, Lebanon and OPT”* implemented by KAFA (enough) Violence and Exploitation in partnership with Save the Children Sweden , KAFA is seeking to employ an assistant project coordinator to work in this initiative.

Main Responsibilities include:
o Assist in the KAP survey on SRHR: facilitate in the process of data collection;
o Aid and participate in field visits to beneficiaries, stakeholders, areas of interest within the context of the current project;
o Aid in the planning, organizing, monitoring and documentation of the workshops;
o Logistical support for workshops, awareness sessions, events within the context of the current project;
o Responsible for documenting and aid in the monitoring and the evaluation for all meetings, activities of the current project. This includes, but is not limited to: report writing, photographing, collecting and organizing resources (soft and hard copies), communicating with stakeholders, etc.
o Assist project coordinator in any activities related to the project.

Required qualifications:
o University degree in social sciences or related field;
o Excellent writing and communication skills in Arabic and English;
French is a plus;
o Experience working on long and Mid-term projects;
o Background in or adequate knowledge of issues concerning: gender, child sexual abuse, reproductive and sexual health and rights. Knowledge in research methodology and M&E is a plus;
o Team-work skills.

The position is offered on a full time basis starting immediately.

Interested candidates should send a CV and a motivation letter to ghida.anani@kafa.org.lb & maria.semaan@kafa.org.lb specifying “Assistant project coordinator vacancy” in the subject line by April 8, 2010 latest.

* This project is funded by the European Commission

The Middle East could learn something from the Irish

Once upon a time in the greenest land you'll ever see, a boy of 16 became a slave. He dwelled in this land for six years before escaping and returning to his homeland, but something called him back.

It was the fifth century. That green land would come to be known as Ireland. That boy became a priest and converted the pagan island into Catholicism, which eventually made him a saint (though he has never formally been canonized by a pope.)

In the late twelfth century, the pope, an Englishman, was upset that the Irish Catholic Church would not fully integrate into the Roman Catholic Church, so he supported the sending of Norman/English troops into Ireland. (The reality was he was angry because the Irish wouldn't send soldiers on the Crusades.) Under Norman/English occupation, Ireland became a feudal state. A few centuries later saw the Protestant Reformation, which set off a wave off brutality and murder against Catholics in England and 130 years of religious war across much of Europe. Irish Catholics became subjected to all sorts of discrimination under the Norman/English Protestant rule, including being barred from sitting in parliament.

That was not the worst thing to happen to them.

In 1740, the first failure of the potato crop, which was the staple food of Irish Catholics due to their oppressed, impoverished conditions and the prohibition against them owning pasture land, wiped out 400,000 Irish. One hundred years later, the Great Famine wiped out a million Irish, and another million emigrated, mostly to America. However, there was plenty of food besides potatoes at this time, but much of it was exported by wealthy English businessmen and the British government. As the Irish patriot John Mitchell said,

"The Almighty, indeed, sent the potato blight, but the English created the Famine."

About the same time, Irish nationalism was on the rise. By the turn of the century, there were two armed militias. In 1916, there was an unsuccessful revolution. By 1921, the British, having been exhausted by World War I, gave Ireland its independence. Well, three-fourths of its independence, thus setting off nearly eight decades of conflict.

But you know what? They stopped fighting. It was a quiet Easter Sunday in 1998. I walked the empty streets of Belfast on that day, wondering if at last, peace would come to the troubled island. It's been twelve years since that peace treaty was signed and there's no sign of conflict coming back.

It took courage on both sides to bring peace. War and hatred are the activities of cowards. After 800 years of British rule, Ireland made peace with their oppressors, even though they didn't get all they wanted. It's called compromise, the bravest of ideas.

It's time for some courage in the Middle East.

___

By the way, for all the Lebanese who've asked me, the reason St. Patrick's Day is important to so many people is because it was the day when all of the emigrants who had left their beloved Ireland to never see it again could get together and celebrate their Irish heritage. It's why Paddy's Day in Boston and Chicago and New York is a bigger deal than it is in Dublin (although these days, it's a big commercial day in Dublin.) Today, it is celebrated worldwide by the 80 million people of Irish descent. And you thought the Lebanese diaspora was large...

Lebanon: Is Real Reform Possible?

If you can't make it to this event, you can watch it by webcast here.

The Middle East Program of the Woodrow Wilson Center
and the Safadi Foundation USA


Present


Lebanon: Is Real Reform Possible?


with


MOHAMMAD A. SAFADI
Minister of Economy and Trade and Member of Parliament, Republic of Lebanon


Domestic reforms are critical to ensuring Lebanon’s long-term independence and sovereignty. Will the Lebanese government be able to strengthen the institutional framework that is required to expand economic opportunity and break down the clientelist structure of the Lebanese state? Minister Safadi will address the current situation on the ground and outline specific steps to move the reform process forward.



Wednesday, March 10, 2010
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
6th Floor Flom Auditorium
Woodrow Wilson Center

_____________________________________________________________
Please RSVP to mep@wilsoncenter.org or fax 202-691-4184

Name and Title:

Affiliation:

E-mail:

Seating is limited. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
A photo ID is required for entry.

The Woodrow Wilson Center is located in the Ronald Reagan Building (Federal Triangle stop on Blue/Orange Line). Public parking is available underneath the Reagan Building; however we recommend metro or taxi. www.wilsoncenter.org/directions

Event Roundup

Safadi Foundation USA and Project on Middle East Democracy held an event entitled "The Role of New Media in Promoting Reform in the Middle East: The Case of Lebanon" last Friday. You can read about the event on POMED's blog here.