Two facilitators and IREX staff recently conducted a workshop in the turbulent city of Tripoli where tension between Sunnis and Alawites erupted in violence that killed 16 people a few days before the workshop took place. Despite the unstable security situation, the workshop attracted over 40 Sunni and Alawite youth, successfully bringing together members of opposing groups. The event was part of the IREX-administered Youth Civil Society and Leadership Program (YCSL) [7] funded by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor of the US Department of State.
During the workshop, Raghda Allouche, one of YCSL’s facilitators and a Middle East Partnership Initiative alumna, introduced the project’s goals and objectives and gave a presentation on leadership. YCSL facilitator and lawyer from Jabel Mohsen Hassan Hassan, spoke to workshop participants about good governance and the ability of civil society to pressure government institutions to increase their transparency. Hassan remarked, “They [government agencies] have to know that they are accountable to young people since [youth] are the country’s future.”
Local youth, residents of Bab el Tabani, Jabel Mohsen, and Tripoli, as well as representatives of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and Caritas International, actively participated in the workshop, and asked the facilitators and IREX staff about the program’s small grants, the impact of the program thus far, and youth’s ability to positively influence society and create change.
IREX’s ability to bridge sectarian divides in one of the most violent communities of Lebanon caught the attention of local and national media, who praised the program for uniting groups around critical issues. Three Lebanese national newspapers published articles that highlighted the contrast between the country’s tenuous security situation and young people who are implementing projects to better their communities.
In August 2008 alone, YCSL facilitators conducted workshops in seven regions across Lebanon that brought together individuals from various confessional and sectarian backgrounds. The facilitators, who underwent intensive training in advocacy and leadership skills, as well as thematic issues related to anti-corruption and transparency, have been holding community meetings to introduce the program and recruit youth leaders to take part in YCSL’s activities. Simultaneously, the facilitators have been training local youth leaders in identifying projects that will increase good governance and accountability in their communities.
Through initiatives such as the regional workshops with local stakeholders, YCSL is empowering youth in Lebanon to create sustainable mechanisms to monitor local government and advocate for improved governance.
