Position: Communications and media consultant (part-time)
Start Date: July 1st, 2015
Duration: 8 months
A communications and media consultant with creative edge and a core interest in working on gender and sexuality (focus on sexual and reproductive health), is sought for a part time position.
What is the A project?
The A project is a Beirut-based organization seeking agency, alternatives and autonomy in sexuality, sexual health, and gender. The project looks to address people living in Lebanon, young and not so young, through various programs. The project aims to work on sexuality, while looking at but not limiting the discussion to disease-prevention and violence, but also through a political, critical, yet affirmative and sex-positive framework.
Main Duties
This is an excellent opportunity for an energetic and dynamic individual. Applicants will need great interpersonal skills and the ability to work well with individuals of diverse backgrounds and community organizations.
Applicants need not be experts in sexuality, gender, and/or health but preference goes to those who have experience in these domains. The position requires a range of skills and responsibilities, including but not limited to:
Main Duties
Develop communication strategies for offline and online channels (website articles, feature stories, blogs, infographics, interviews, annual report, brochures; videos/ animations are a plus).
Produce and design, or give suggestions on the design of attractive brochures, pamphlets, and other publicity tools that are in line with theAproject’s politics.
Produce relevant, creative, and engaging communication material for various online channels in English and Arabic.
Launch and manage social media platforms (Twitter/Facebook):
Develop a communication strategy for each platform;
Prepare the contents (video and image production);
Community management and monitoring.
Assist with other communication tasks, as needed.
Criteria
A degree in communications, marketing, media and public relations, journalism, or other related fields.
Demonstrated interest in human rights and social justice issues
Knowledge in providing communication support for non-governmental organizations
Ability to use social media tools and blogging for advocacy.
Excellent writing, editing, interpersonal, and oral communication skills (in English and Arabic).
Knowledge and prior use of Microsoft Office, photoshop, and illustrator.
Basic research and analytic skills
Result driven, able to meet targets and deadlines
Capacity to plan, prioritize and deliver tasks on time
Openness to change and ability to receive/integrate feedback
Self-starter and organized
Able to multitask and balance multiple responsibilities
An interest in working within the field of sexuality and gender
Professional blogging experience a plus
Experience in communication consulting a plus
Circumstances
Part time: 10 days per month for a period of 8 months
Priority will be given to women and gender non-conforming persons
———————
Please state if you have worked on or have any specific discomforts in working on any of the following topics: premarital sex, sexual violence, STIs and HIV, people living with HIV, unwanted pregnancies, abortion, sexual orientation, transgenderism, sex work, sexual pleasure, or contraception.
This position doesn’t require knowledge on the above topics.
If qualified and interested please send a cover letter, CV, and the name and contact information of one reference tomashroualef@gmail.com with the subject heading: Media Consultant
Oui, le Liban est une grande boutique ou tous vos droits peuvent être achetés et vendus.
La corruption régnE, et le maitre mot “ikramiyeh” “rachweh” = les tips!
La flash mob organisée la semaine dernière par Sakker el Dekkeneh a vendu dans les routes de Beyrouth tous genres de papiers administratifs importants “permis de conduire”, baccalauréat, brevet, permis de port d’armes, même des parties des trottoirs publics et des plages publiques ont été mis en vente!!
oui j’ai participe a la Flash Mob, oui j’ai été heureuse des réactions de plusieurs personnes qui m’ont dit: non nous on n’aime pas la corruption.
En espérant avoir plus de pareils citoyens,
c’est leur et Notre rôle de fermer la Boutique et les boutiques Libanaises.
I went with the Faith and Light Community to watch the movie Ghadi. The movie is a social comedy, which won many awards.
the pictures are nice, the colors, the comedy part describing the Lebanese customs and behavior in a village all those things are funny.
But What I disliked, Big time Disliked is how the movie is not related at All to Ghadi!!
Who is Ghadi? In the movie Ghadi is a child that has a mental handicap. The movie is entitled Ghadi, but for me, the child Doesn’t appear in the movie at all!!! Even on the billboards , the ads of the movie are not related to Ghadi, but picture the dad and the mum on a bicycle! why?
We didn’t meet Ghadi in this Movie!!!
we met he father Leba (Alias Georges Khabbaz) and his ideas and plot to make a story related to an “angel”.
Ghadi the handicapped boy, is pictured in this movie as an “angel” but even this we didn’t see!
he never mingled with the people of the “mshakkal” village he is supposed to live with!
the movie show us a small boy always sitting ALONE!! always sitting in his boxers and “flanella” ,
always alone! and just socializing with his father, mother and sisters!!
a Handicapped person can socialize, can communicate, sorry let me correct it, the only interaction I have noticed in this movie that is supposed to turn around a handicapped boy, was when he smiled and tried to make his neighbor Takla smile while mimicking his daddy.
a special case, can socialize, and can communicate, shouldn’t always be featured sitting on a balcony alone, just looking at people from behind bars,
again, I loved the visuals and the actors who played and showed us the Lebanese ways of living in a village,(sex worker, butcher, hairdresser….) but and again, I disliked the message behind the story of the angel , and I was furious when I didn’t see ghady (the small boy that is a special case) having Any kind of communication, or any role, or any socialization in this movie!!
in Faith and Light we don’t see the special cases as special anymore, even the worse handicap is seen as “normal” and we try to make everybody participate in our activities. the aim of FL, for example is to help people to go out from the home circle, to let people KNOW, Mingle, and discuss with special cases!! discussion and communication, even listening are a way to know special cases better!!
I didn’t like how ghadi never get down from his home, stayed sitting on the window, always played alone, never mingled with other fellows from the village, ghadi was pictured and stereotyped even more as a special case, as a different case, and as an abnormal case!
The trailer of Ghadi, a film by Amin Dora, a social comedy written by and starring Georges Khabbaz giving you a closer insight about a special kid and the struggles of his humble family. Expect strange phenomena to affect the behavior and beliefs of their little Lebanese town’s population.”
I am angry and truly disappointed by the movie created by Beirut Marathon Association for the #women race on 26 of may, those who talked at the beginning are sexist!!! and what they said is DISCRIMINATING against women!!!!! I refuse totally to be a part of such an initiative!
People should understand that verbal abuse is Refused, that stereotyping women as incompetent is refused!! Stereotyping women as unable to drive is not Funny, this is discriminating!!!
we want people to RESPECT women and the causes the women movement in Lebanon is supporting! such as the nationality cause, the criminalization of violence , the criminalization of sexual , and verbal harassment, the respect for our bodies, and our brains , the causes the women movement in Lebanon is supporting are so important, and not funny, e political participation of women is a must, respect of women bodies is a double must, respect of women intelligence and participation even in a race is a triple must! what I keep in mind after watching less than 1 minute of this movie is sexism, stereotyping, and discrimination against Lebanese women!!!
Rita Chemaly
I am truly sad that they mixed important issues with such “maskhara” as we say in Lebanon.
In Egypt, Female protestors are being Humiliated, assaulted, terrified, by what is called ” sexual terrorism “. Women of Egypt and Women all over the world decided to take a stand against those humiliating acts, and violent physically, morally and psychological terrible actions perpetrated during the protests.
for you dears the letter sent to all passionate and great activists around the world.
below is also the list of all the facebook events created by countries…. Rita Chemaly Lebanon
Dear friends and passionate people Tomorrow, there is a call for a Global protest to denounce all forms of sexual violence on Egyptian women, we all know the escalation of harassment and assaults is getting out on control and this is one way to show rejection to it. Its the 1st worldwide protest in over 20 cities and capitals to support Egyptian women, something to make us proud and to show huge solidarity. I would love and appreciate your support here as well, attend the national stand in Cairo tomorrow https://www.facebook.com/events/484039768310109 If you are out of Cairo, check the list of participating cities and join, spread and share with your connections Tweet with the hashtags of the stand #GlobalProtestFe12 or #SexualTerrorism #Egypt If you are a blogger, plz write your thoughts and share them either on my email or arabwomenuprise@gmail.com If you are a photographer or a designer, give us new ideas for banners, share posters and flyers that can be used worldwide If you are a journalist, share 🙂 All efforts mean a lot to all of us love,
وقفة عالمية ضدّ الإرهاب الجنسي الذي يُمارس على المتظاهرات المصريّات/
Global Protest Against Sexual Terrorism Practiced on Egyptian Female Protestors
نحن، مواطنات ومواطنون من جنسيّات العالم كلّه، نرفض أن نشاهد في صمت تفشّي ظاهرة الإرهاب الجنسي المُمارس على المتظاهرات المصريّات. نريد أن نظهر دعمنا وتضامننا وتقديرنا للمعتدَى عليهنّ اللواتي يدفعن من لحمهنّ الحيّ ثمن مشاركتهنّ في الثورة المصريّة المستمرّة. كما ونريد أن نحيّي جهود المتطوعين/ات الذين/اللواتي يخاطرون/ن بحياتهم/هن لتأمين ميدان التحرير.
لذلك قرّرنا أن نتجمّع يوم الثلاثاء القادم، الموافق 12 فبراير/شباط 2013 في تمام الساعة السادسة مساءً بالتوقيت المحلّي لأماكن إقامتنا، أمام السفارة/القنصلية المصريّة في دولنا.
>>>>>>><<<<<<<<
لنرفع أصواتَنا عاليًا:
ونحمّل الحزب الحاكم في مصر مسؤولية عدم اتخاذ تدابير صارمة تمنع عصابات البلطجيّة من مهاجمة وتعرية واغتصاب وإيذاء وقتل المتظاهرات والمتظاهرين السلميّين
ونحمّل الشرطة المصريّة مسؤولية عدم توفير الحماية الضرورية للمواطنات المصريّات من التحرّش الجنسي، وتورّط أفرادها في جرائم التحرش/الاعتداء الجنسي
ونوجّه اللوم إلى الحكومات المصريّة المتعاقبة لتغاضيها عن جرائم التحرّش/الاعتداء الجنسي عبر عدم إقرارها لقوانين صارمة تعاقب بشدّة المتحرّشين والمتورطين في أي شكل من أشكال العنف الجنسي.
نطالب بإقرار وتطبيق قانون صارم ضد التحرّش/الاعتداء الجنسي بجميع أشكاله
ونُدين تقبّل المجتمع المصري لظاهرة التحرّش الجنسي، والعنف والاغتصاب، وإلقائه اللّوم على المعتدَى عليها عِِوضًا عن المعتدي
ونستنكر غياب الأخلاقية والمهنيّة عن عمل الإعلام لتركيزه على التفاصيل الحياتيّة والشخصية للمعتدَى عليها عِوضًا عن التركيز على الفعل الجُرمي
ونناشد كل المجموعات الثوريّة، والأحزاب السياسيّة، ومنظمات المجتمع المدني والأفراد لفضح هذه الممارسات والتحرّك الفوري في مواجهة الاعتداءات الجنسيّة المنظمة والتي تهدف إلى تشويه صورة ميدان التحرير وإرهاب المتظاهرات والمتظاهرين، بالإضافة إلى الوقوف بوجه ظاهرة التحرّش الجنسي التي تستهدف فتيات وسيدات مصر بشكل يومي في شوارع بلدهن.
مقاومة الإذلال والعنف الجنسي هي أولى الأولويات في سعينا نحو الحرية والكرامة
نحيّي كل بطلة وبطل في هذه الثورة المصريّة المستمرّة
أنتم تعلموننا الشجاعة الثبات والتصميم
ملاحظة هامة: ارتفعت قائمة الدول المتضامنة حول العالم، تجدون في الأسفل قائمة بجميع الوقفات التي يتم تنظيمها في المدن المختلفة وصولًا ليوم الثلاثاء 12 فبراير 2013
We, citizens of all nationalities all around the world, will not watch in silence the spreading epidemic of sexual terrorism. We want to show our support, solidarity and admiration for the assaulted who paid the price of the ongoing Egyptian revolution with their own flesh, and to the heroic volunteers who are risking their lives for a safe Tahrir.
Therefore on Tuesday February 12, 2013, at 6:00 pm local time, we will gather in front of the Egyptian embassy in our city/country, and people all over the world will do this.
>>>>>>><<<<<<<<
LET US RAISE OUR VOICES BECAUSE:
– We hold responsible the Ruling Party for not taking strict measures to prevent organized thugs attacking, stripping, raping, injuring and killing peaceful protesters;
– We hold responsible the Egyptian police and governmental institutions for not offering the necessary protection and safety to female Egyptian citizens. Not only that, but the police itself practices the crime of sexual harassment/assault;
– We blame the past and present Egyptian governments for condoning the crime of sexual harassment/assault by not issuing any strict law that clearly provides legal consequences to sexual harassers or those that indulge in sexual violence. We demand the enforcement of a strict law against sexual harassment in all its forms.
– We condemn the social acceptability of sexual harassment, violence and rape by the Egyptian society, which puts the blame on the assaulted instead of the aggressor;
– We hold accountable irresponsible media for focusing on personal, intimate and sensationalist details of the assaulted, instead of denouncing the criminal act;
– We urge every revolutionary group, political party or individual to speak up and take IMMEDIATE action against both the sexual attacks committed by organized mobs aiming to tarnish the image of Tahrir and terrorize the protestors, and the sexual harassment targeting Egyptian women and girls on a daily basis in the streets of their own country. Fighting sexual humiliation and aggression should be a TOP PRIORITY in the noble strive for freedom and dignity;
– We salute every hero and heroine of the ongoing Egyptian revolution! You teach us courage, perseverance and determination.
Sexual terrorism is a technique recently used extensively by organized mobs in Egypt aiming to injure, undermine, humiliate and scare female protesters in Tahrir Square, during the ongoing Egyptian revolution.
Let’s describe one of the scenarios, a true story from one of the assaulted women: she finds herself suddenly separated from her friends and encircled by 100, 200, 300 men. They tear off her clothes with knives that injure her body, they twist her neck and pull her hair to forcibly kiss her, hundreds of hands are touching her body as she is being collectively manually raped with fingers thrusted into her genitals. The attack can last for 1 or 2 hours, during which the woman is dragged by the horde from one place to another, across the floor through mud and sewage. The persons who try to help her get equally attacked: males get choked with clothing or threatened with knives, females get encircled to undergo the same horror.
Not only that, but when the victim finally manages to escape, most places refuse to offer her shelter.. because up till now, in the eyes of society, SHE is the one held responsible of the suffered crime, not the agressor. In the eyes of society, SHE is considered to be the symbol of shame, not those who try to silence her. Sexual harassment/assault/violence has become more and more socially acceptable in Egyptian society over the past 10-15 years that today we have come to witness the most horrific aspect of it, practiced as a political tool of oppression. In fact, this is not the first time sexual harassment was used as a tool to silence female protestors: as early ‘Black Wednesday’ in May 2005, authorities during a protest used sexual harassment to disperse female protesters opposing constitutional changes that would grant former president Mubarak greater presidential powers. While security personnel and police largely endorsed the harassment, and stood passively by, the attacks on protesters were recorded, condemned, and widely circulated in media.
In the face of the latest atrocities in Tahrir Square, a group of initiatives were created such as Operation Anti-Sexual Harassment / Assault – a collaborative effort between several initiatives working on sexual harassment in Egypt as well as independent volunteers – and Tahrir Body-Guard, where young Egyptians have organized and trained themselves to combat the sexual assaults on the ground. They also provide follows-up to women and girls who have suffered the attacks. These groups have succeeded in saving several of the assaulted women, despite the fact that they get attacked themselves during the operations. The number of their volunteers is growing and their efforts are tireless.
On January 25th, 2013, on the second anniversary of the Egyptian revolution, the number of cases reported to Operation Anti-Sexual Harassment / Assault (OpAntiSH) were 19 cases in 1 day, not including the unreported ones.
But again to reaffirm, although Tahrir Square is seeing an extreme unimaginable form of sexual violence against women, sexual harassment has become an epidemic in Egypt that affects the lives of Egyptian women on a daily basis. 83% of Egyptian women surveyed by the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights in 2008 admitted to being sexually harassed, 50% of those on a daily basis. Disturbingly, HarassMap has received a number of reports from young victims – both on its reporting system and anecdotally from volunteers. School girls and boys too often encounter harassing teachers, classmates, doctors, taxi drivers and even family members who make sexual advances, grope, masturbate in front of them, and even sexually assault them. More critically, the average bystander witnessing sexual harassment does not necessarily interfere to stop harassment, the way they would in the case of an act of theft, or a street fight. In fact, they may even blame the harassed/assaulted for being the reason for sexual harassment, and even sympathize with the harasser. However no real efforts were made by previous or present governments to enforce real legal consequences on harassers that would put an end to this epidemic, hence HarassMap’s mission of ending the social acceptability of sexual harassment as an approach to address it.
As OpAntiSH stated in a recent video: “We will not stay silent. We will not be broken. We will not be ashamed.”
Till now around these are the events that are being organized in different cities and locations around the world (keep coming back to check the updates)
On Friday, a General Assembly for Lebanese Women Married to non-nationals ( french, american, syrian, canadian, egyptian, palestinian, Spanish, Italian, Chinese….) gathered at the YWCA in Ain El Mreisseh.
The aim of the gathering was to recall the activities, protests, and actions of the Nationality Campaign in Lebanon, and to discuss future actions for 2013.
During the meeting Lebanese women who participated to trainings about leadership and communication, organised by WLP and CRTDA were given “diplomas” by the organisations.
They participated to the training to be able to form a lobby to push forward their right to transmit their citizenship to their children and husbands.
during the ceremony many media representatives were present : LBCI, New TV, Future TV, as well as the presence of a lot of newspapers journalist ( el Diyar, el Moustakbal, ….)
The Women were given also goodies bags… the bag contained : deliciously chocolate wrapped, with a sticker for the car, and the New Nationality Calendar for 2013.
I participate to each year General Assembly, and I feel bad when I see all those women suffering from not being able to share their passport with their children. I am suffering when I see that those women cannot see their children hospitalized or go to school in Lebanese public schools, or in Lebanese free schools. A women told me that this is a Shia ( a muslim sect in Lebanon her children were accepted in a free school by the nuns, but they were not able to stay there because….they are not considered nationals!! Lebanese!! 😦
I hope that lebanon will ratify the CEDAW completely without reservations!
I hope that my cousins will be able to come to lebanon without a visa because their father is a french diplomat, I hope that my cousin will be able to stay here and work as a lawyer even if he is lebanese and canadian…..
those are my Wishes for 2013…. Long LIVE THE TABBOULEH AND THE LEBANESE MUMs anD gRAND mOTHERS!
In Lebanon, a white March has been organised by independent activists .
The aim of it, to bring back the political sphere on the daily matters of Lebanese: electricity, inflation, prices…. and was mainly organised to commemorate the men, women and children who have been killed by the violent “events” that happened in the country.
I am sick of walking and chanting and asking for a third voice to be more clear and to voice out in pratical initiatives.
Polarisation in the local sphere of people is at its extreme.
Elections are coming soon in Lebanon, and we can’t see any new leader emerging: where are the women? the educated men? and the expatriates?
in each list it is a must to represent every body!
the parliament will need to vote and amend laws!
bon… I will go back to reading the papers and pray for a miracle …
“ACT for the Disappeared” Campaign “Enough Waiting We Want to Know” highlights the ongoing impact of the issue of the disappeared on thousands of people in Lebanon.
The campaign includes TV spots, billboards, and a media campaign on social networks. ACT with us and join the campaign fb.com/act4thedisappeared !!
All the available links were accessible during the preparation process
Please accept our apologies if your subscribe / unsubscribe needs are not being met to your satisfaction, as errors will inevitably occur
Opinions and views expressed in this GAD E-Brief relate to their respective authors and do not necessarily reflect those of CRTD.A
Information presented in this GAD E-Brief is considered public information and may be distributed or copied. Use of appropriate credit is requested. While CRTD.A makes every effort to provide accurate and complete information, various data such as contacts, weblinks, dates, etc. may change.
CRTD.A provides no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability or completeness of the data and information harvested from other public sources.
Some of the information in this GAD E-Brief may contain references to information created and maintained by other organizations. Please note that CRTD.A does not control and cannot guarantee the timeliness, or accuracy of these outside materials
NGOs in Lebanon: Abusing Their Workers in the Name of Human Rights
“Ability to work under stress, alone or in a team, and the ability to multitask.” These are some of the conditions repeated in most job ads for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Lebanon. “Under stress” and “multitasking” might not seem like the kind of expressions that call for closer examination, yet they often tacitly spell worker exploitation.
With a fragile Lebanese economy, many qualified young people look for work in the fastest “growing” sector in Lebanon and that is the NGO sector. Most of these people are forced to accept adverse working conditions under the pretext of working for the public good and supporting important humanitarian causes! Labor rights are seen as nothing but a minute detail that distracts from fundamental goals like “poverty reduction,” “the empowerment of women,” “good governance,” “conflict resolution and the dialogue of civilizations” as well as other such concepts shoved down people’s throats by funders.
Organizations in Lebanon are not new, they were one of the foundations of sectarian pastoral institutions shortly before Lebanon’s independence and the withdrawal of foreign forces in 1946. They also flourished during the war to compensate for the breakdown of the state. But after 1990, and with the rise of structural economic policies globally accompanied by the gradual withdrawal of the welfare state, civil organizations proliferated dramatically. Funds from international donors started pouring in to address the social repercussions of structural changes that occurred in state institutions.The number of associations registered, according to the Law of Associations, reached 5,623 in 2007. If we exclude from this figure political parties, clubs, scouts and family ties in addition to fictitious or inactive associations then the number would range between 1,200 to 1,500 organizations, according to the 2010 civil society organizations directory.
Open Job Opportunities
Civil society organizations’ fields of activity have varied over the past few years and so have the approaches they take, ranging from charity to services and development. Funding increased and the donors multiplied. This created new job opportunities that are rarely found in the public and private sectors especially for medium-qualified and highly-qualified young people.
For example, the number of job vacancies on the website Lebanon Support (a civil society portal) sometimes reaches about 800 positions, according to the executive director Bassem Chit.
The civil organizations sector brought with it new kinds of professions that are not recognized in the public and private sectors, including human rights trainer, facilitator and advocacy officer. Some Lebanese universities have started to provide disciplines for these jobs to respond to market demand.
As with the private sector, this sector has witnessed a decline in labor earnings… though hidden in its “non-profit” cloak.
It is hard to count the number of employees in these organizations because only a small percentage of them have work contracts that are registered with social security. And even if they have contracts, they often work for short periods of time (depending on the length of the projects), and herein lies the problem. The civil society organizations sector is characterized by an absolute lack of job security and stability.
Chit said that while donors used to operate based on programs which lasted longer and needed a medium-term strategy, the current trend is to fund short-term projects and rely on contractors to cut labor cost.
Maya (not her real name) has ten years experience in civil society organizations, during which she moved between seven different organizations (the longest period she spent at one organization was a year and a half). Throughout those years she only received social security benefits for two years, therefore she was deprived of a large chunk of end of service indemnity. She admits that she has recurring anxiety about funding running out or the project ending. She remembers an incident that happened when she used to work for an organization concerned with women’s rights on a program addressing women’s economic rights, including social security. She says that she felt embarrassed working on this campaign: “How did we have the nerve to work for women’s social security at a time when the organization consisted mostly of women who lacked social security?”
Zeina (not her real name) has worked at many organizations since 2003. She believes that the basic offense lies in the manipulation of concepts and values which legitimizes many violations at work. She explains: “One can not ask for a raise or adhere to certain working hours or calculate overtime… because one’s work is divided between the job and volunteering.”
She says that at one of her jobs she was signing papers stating that her monthly salary was $900 while in reality she was receiving $700. When she complained about it the executive director justified it by saying that the association takes from employees’ salaries to pay for office expenses that were not taken into consideration by the funder in the budget.
Zeina’s case apparently is not unique. Based on the interviews we conducted, the problem is a common one in these organizations even if the excuses differ. Walid (not his real name), for example, has been working for a year at an association concerned with women’s rights. He says that part of his salary was deducted to pay social security contributions in full, including the employer’s contribution!
Zeina says that the problem she experienced most at work was the large number of tasks she was assigned that went beyond the scope of her “job,” under the pretext that part of the work is volunteer-based.
Farah remembers her first work experience in an organization concerned with refugee issues. When she asked her director about working hours, the director responded firmly: “There are no work hours here, we’re all volunteers.” Farah said she couldn’t stay for a long time in this organization as “employees” were on average putting in about 12 hours work a day in addition to working weekends, which was the normal trend. Of course there is no overtime pay because “the funder pays based on the tasks performed, not the hours of work,” says Maya.
The violations do not stop there, according to the editor of the Lebanese Observatory for the rights of Workers and Employees, Ahmad al-Dirani. He says that in addition to the problem of not having contracts and workers being deprived of social security and set work hours, most organizations do not have a mechanism for wage increases and most workers did not get the wage increase that was passed recently.Furthermore, under the pretext of being secular, some civil society organizations do not commit to all the official religious holidays and do not give vacations. In the last organization where Zeina worked, which was concerned with legal and human rights issues, she was allowed eight days of vacation annually instead of 15 – a clear violation of labor law.
Despite the human rights approach adopted by most civil society organizations, you find a lot of discriminatory practices between employees, whether in hiring or employment conditions. “We have the foreigner complex,” says Maya with a bitter smile. She says that during her work she came across many cases of discrimination between the “locals” and the foreigners. “With the same job description and indentical tasks and qualifications required, there was a $300 difference in wages between a French employee and myself, even though she did not know Arabic.”
Al-Dirani believes that the working conditions of civic association employees are still a lot worse, even though they enjoy job stability due to the flow of funds from religious and sectarian institutions.
Jinan is a nurse at a medical clinic that belongs to a religious organization. She has been working for five years for minimum wage, she has no work contract and does not receive social security benefits or health insurance and not even her yearly vacation.
Samia is in no better a situation. She’s been working for six years in an organization that belongs to a prominent political personality and there too “working hours depend on the work that needs to be done.” She indicates also that she does not have social security or private insurance.
Volunteering… or Cheap Labor?
Most of these violations take place under the guise of volunteering. The United Nations Volunteer Program defines volunteer work as “contributions that individuals make as non-profit, non-wage… action for the well-being of their neighbours, and society at large.”
If we step away from the idealism of this definition and we look at the dynamics of work and relationships between people inside organizations it becomes clear that volunteering has become in many cases synonymous with cheap labor.
The way money is dealt with in these NGOs is made evident in the examples that Walid cited about his work in this field. He saw how money is generously spent on hotels and taxis, so he did not have the audacity to convince target populations, most of them from poor and marginalized areas, to volunteer.
Who’s the Boss?
Labor relations in this field are no doubt ambiguous. The identity of the worker is lost between volunteering and working and the role of the employer is not clearly defined and is lost between the board of directors, the executive director and the funder.
If legally the employer is the administrative body then actual power is likely to lie in the hands of the executive director who is hired by an organization to be in charge of personnel management and to perform daily tasks. That is, the executive director is the decision-maker when it come to the terms and working conditions of the rest of the employees.
For Zeina, the executive director is the boss, meaning he is the person with whom she negotiates for her labor rights while “the role of the administrative body in this respect is often marginal.”
Walid points out that despite the direct daily relationship with his executive director, the funder bears a huge responsibility whether directly or indirectly in terms of determining working conditions.
Based on her experience in dealing with donors, Zeina stressed that in the best case scenario, some funders force management to sign model contracts (that include tasks, duration of contract and salary) but without determining the hours of work, social security, end of service indemnity and mechanisms for complaints.Maya is sure that most funders do not observe the working conditions at the organizations they deal with and even if they notice violations at work, they turn a blind eye.
It appears then that work relationships are three-pronged and consist of the employee, management and funder. The last party might seem absent but has a lot of influence. If exploitation of workers in the private sector involves reducing their share of added value for the benefit of increasing the corporation’s capital and the investors’ profits, exploitation in civil society organizations consists of reducing labor costs (wages and social security) to invest in projects and activities in order to compete with other organizations and attract more funding.
The ambiguity of labor relationships and the resulting “invisible” exploitation are not the only obstacles to organizing this sector and defending the rights of its workers. The problem also lies in the workers’ way of thinking and the logic of their work that relies on dialogue to “resolve conflicts” and the “we all benefit and no one loses” mentality regardless of who has the authority and the capital.
The question therefore remains, are employees of NGOs who are used to legalizing conflict and diluting it able to engage in a battle to defend their labor rights?
This article is an edited translation from the Arabic Edition.
Le nouveau Special de Septembre est en vente dans les librairies avec dans ce numéro, un dossier spécial sur l’homosexualité au Liban, par Rita Chemaly. Un sujet qui reste dans l’attente d’une décriminalisation et d’une acceptation dans un pays ou les normes patriarcales et religieuses priment.
“Si dans ses poèmes Abou el Nouwas célèbre l’homosexualité, dans la réalité, le sujet au Liban reste un tabou, pire le sujet est criminalisé par les lois pénales, et religieuses. A la lumière des lois et pratiques en vigueur, les homosexuels au Liban comme dans les pays arabes sont stigmatisés par les communautés religieuses, les groups de pairs, leur collègues au travail, les medias et surtout leur famille. D’ailleurs le mot arabe « chazz » « déviant » très longtemps utilisé par les medias, souligne la discrimination à laquelle font face les homosexuels dans la société.
Sur le plan des lois, au Liban, le Code Pénal libanais datant de 1943, stipule dans son article 534 que “les relations sexuelles contre nature sont punies d’emprisonnement pour une durée entre un mois et un an, et d’une amende entre 200 000 et un million de livres libanaises”. Dans les textes l’homophobie au Liban est pénalisée et surtout criminalisée, dans la pratique sociale, même parmi les étudiants, l’homophobie fait rage ;….”
Le célèbre ouvrage « Bareed Mista3jil », « Courrier urgent » préparé pendant 3 ans par MEEM, une organisation qui apporte son soutien aux lesbiennes et transsexuelles du Liban.
Une manifestation de soutien a eu lieu le samedi 11 août 2012 devant le palais de la Justice. Une centaine de jeunes activistes, se sont virulemment opposés aux tests de virginités encore appliqués dans certains cas sur des femmes, et contre les tests annaux.
SHARE Beirut is a weekend-long public, free and non-commercial hybrid event blending an Internet culture and technology related daytime conference with dynamic cutting-edge music festival by night. It will bring together hundreds of passionate people, forward-thinkers, cultural creatives, activists and artists from Lebanon as all around the world for talks and parties in 72 hours of powerful gathering to share ideas, knowledge and creativity.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT?
It’s about understanding and celebrating Internet culture and all the aspects of open, decentralized and accessible forms of communication, exchange and creation. It’s about empowerment of individuals and networking of like-minded people. It’s about setting the values and new standards that will prevent any kind of oppression, censorship and surveillance for future generations. It’s about understanding alternative economic, cultural and educational models. It’s about Internet ecology and struggles to protect Internet as open and free territory for all of us. It’s about energizing sub-cultural groups and praising diversity that these cultures are bringing. It’s about promoting open access to software, hardware, information, knowledge, science, government, design and almost everything else that can be open. It’s about sharing. It’s about how to do it yourself. But mostly, it’s about cats doing flips, birds flying over the moon and robots making biiips.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN?
During the 3 days of the conference Beirut will become the world’s epicenter in exchanging progressive ideas and knowledge on Internet culture, society, technology, music and new media. The lectures and talks will be given by leading international stars in these fields, world-class bloggers and artists who will educate the audience on new forms of activism and approaches in using advanced technologies and the latest tools to create, influence and affect. Discussions will delve deep into the underground of the Internet subcultures and explore groups that fight for digital and human rights, free information flow and access, improving transparency, and protecting the privacy of fellow peers and residents. The event will be accompanied by an intensive music program, which will be simultaneously organized in several well-selected clubs and alternative venues in Beirut. Contributors and visitors who obtain one of 1500 unique free wristbands will get access to both day and night events where many local, regional and international artists will perform for audiences who will share vibes and energy to celebrate the Internet as open and free territory for all.
WHEN WILL IT TAKE PLACE?
From 5th to 7th of October (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) 2012.
Get ready and don’t plan anything else for this weekend. 🙂
Yes. Even though the main venue is huge and several clubs are on board, capacity is limited, so it is important that you register for the event. Around 1500 unique wristbands will give access to over 80 talks, exhibitions, concerts and DJ sets, so we encourage you to register as quickly as you can. Moreover, we encourage you to contribute and help us make this event even better.
WHERE WILL IT TAKE PLACE?
Main conference venue is Solea V in Beirut – a dazzling and very hip venue promising to host large events, dripping with atmosphere. The center boasts a huge skylight, and an indoor tree under high ceilings. Night program venues, clubs and program are soon to be announced, so be sure to subscribe to the newsletter.
Location: Jisr el Wati, next to Jaguar Dealership Sin El-Fil Capacity: 1500 people
IF YOU ARE A COMPANY OR FOUNDATION
We are not looking for sponsors, we are trying to find partners who will share our vision of creating social and cultural impact on society. Check our presentation (pdf) and contact us
IF YOU ARE A GOVERNMENT INSTITUTION
Issues and topics that we are addressing are important for every system and society. Freedom of speech, ecology of media, internet neutrality, privacy and transparency should be on the list of priorities of any responsible government. Check our presentation (pdf) and contact us
IF YOU ARE AN ACTIVIST Contact us. We will try to help as much as we can in your activities. We can create this event together, give you opportunity to spend 3 days with an international expert in your field of work, give you a space and time to present yourself or even try to fundraise for your activities.
IF YOU ARE ARTIST, MUSICIAN, BLOGGER, NEW MEDIA MAKER Do something together with us. We will organize a lot of collaborative activities before, during and after Share Beirut: remixing, crowd-designing, filmmaking, street art and interventions, flash mobs.
Here you can check some of our previous activities:
L’article de Rita Chemaly a lire dans le Special en vente dans les Librairies, sur les causes sociales et le droit des femmes au Garden Show et Spring festival de Beyrouth
Beyrouth – Ces derniers jours, la ville de Tripoli, au nord du Liban, a été le théâtre d’affrontements fortement médiatisés entre divers groupes politiques et sectaires. Pourtant, tandis qu’une petite minorité se bat, la majorité des citoyens libanais s’opposent à la violence – à la fois sur le web et sur le terrain.
Peu après le début des affrontements, les militants de la société civile libanaise ont condamné, sur Facebook, Twitter et leurs blogs, la propagation de la violence. Leurs appels à l’unité nationale et au désarmement dans la ville ont circulé en un temps record sur internet. Forts de ce soutien public, les militants ont créé de nouvelles pages de médias sociaux – dont beaucoup ont rassemblé plus d’un millier de membres.
Ces citoyens libanais ordinaires se battent pour montrer qu’ils rejettent la violence, qu’ils s’organisent pour y mettre un terme et, enfin, qu’ils refusent de se taire.
Le groupe Facebook ”Tripoli sans armes!” a adressé l’appel suivant aux autorités locales et nationales: ”… Nous, citoyens, condamnons la prolifération des armes dans les quartiers et les rues de notre ville de Tripoli. Nous implorons l’Etat et les autorités politiques, exécutives, militaires ainsi que celles qui sont chargées de la sécurité de prendre les mesures nécessaires pour débarrasser cette ville des armes qui y circulent. Oui à une Tripoli sans armes!”.
Suite à cet appel, de nombreuses personnes clés ont déclaré la grève dans toute la ville pour protester contre la violence qui a coûté la vie à plusieurs personnes et elles ont organisé une manifestation en face des bâtiments de l’administration publique pour sensibiliser les gens à leur cause.
Les manifestants ont agité des drapeaux libanais, chanté l’hymne national et exigé une réponse immédiate aux problèmes, considérés comme interdépendants, de pauvreté et d’insécurité endémiques dans cette ville. Ils ont engagé l’Etat à rehausser la sécurité et ils ont réaffirmé la nécessité de désarmer les milices de rues. La manifestation non-violente a rassemblé le président du Conseil municipal, les membres du Parlement de la région ainsi que les chefs de tous les groupes confessionnels et d’autres membres de la société civile. Leur message était clair: Le Liban doit revenir à la règle de droit et garantir la sécurité de tous dans tout le pays.
Compte tenu des affrontements interconfessionnels qui divisent Tripoli et craignant que le pays tout entier ne se tourne une fois de plus vers la violence, d’autres militants de la société civile ont réagi rapidement par le biais de nombreuses initiatives, cette fois à Beyrouth. Sur le web, les jeunes ont exprimé leur patriotisme avec des images qu’ils ont créées en réponse à la situation accompagnées des légendes suivantes: ”Ni sunnites ni chiites, pas plus que chrétiens ou druzes mais Libanais!’.’
”Notre union est notre salut” était l’autre slogan affiché par les militants sur les marches du Musée national de Beyrouth où étaient placées des chaises blanches portant les noms des victimes des récents actes de violence, des chaises sans nom avec des drapeaux libanais et une grande pancarte sur laquelle étaient inscrits les mots suivants: ”ça suffit!”. Tout réclame le retour à la paix.
En outre, les universitaires ont formé des groupes en ligne pour dire non à la guerre au Liban. ”Third Voice for Lebanon’ (La Troisième voix pour le Liban) est un exemple type de groupe de réflexion non-partisan, non-confessionnel et apolitique, qui s’est créé sur la toile à l’initiative de ses membres hommes et femmes et qui a consacré des textes et documents précis pour dénoncer l’appauvrissement de certaines régions du Liban, le clientélisme rampant, l’enrôlement et l’endoctrinement d’enfants dans des milices et groupes extrémistes financés par les politiciens. Ce groupe organise des manifestations au Liban et à l’étranger pour dire non à la violence et oui à la paix.
La société civile libanaise invite l’Etat à agir avec fermeté contre la violence et la circulation des armes dans les zones défavorisées en instaurant la sécurité et en soutenant le développement durable afin d’aider à mettre fin à la pauvreté qui entraîne la violence. Les obstacles auxquels le Liban se trouve confronté sont bien réels. Toutefois, ces actions collectives entreprises par une société civile libanaise diversifiée, aux multiples facettes, montrent qu’il y a de l’espoir.
###
* Rita Chemaly est écrivain et chercheur en sciences sociales et politiques. Elle est l’auteur du livre Printemps 2005 au Liban, entre Mythe et Réalité. Elle a obtenu le prix Samir Kassir pour la Liberté de la Presse en 2007 et blogue sur http://www.ritachemaly.wordpress.com. Article écrit pour le Service de Presse de Common Ground (CGNews).
Source: Service de Presse de Common Ground (CGNews), 29 juin 2012, http://www.commongroundnews.org. Reproduction autorisée.
Beirut – In recent days, the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli has been the site of highly publicised clashes between diverse political and sectarian groups. However while this small minority battles, the majority of Lebanese citizens are standing up against violence – both online and on the ground.
Soon after the clashes began, Lebanese civil society activists condemned the spread of violence through Facebook, Twitter and blogs. Their calls for national unity and to disarm the city circulated online in record time. Building on this public support, activists created new social media pages – many of which gathered over a thousand members.
These ordinary Lebanese citizens are standing up to show that they reject violence, that they are organising to stop it and that, ultimately, they refuse to be silent.
The Facebook group “Tripoli without weapons!” posted an appeal to local and national authorities that read, “. . . We are citizens who condemn the proliferation of weapons in the neighbourhoods and streets of our city Tripoli. We implore the state and all political, executive, security and military authorities to take whatever steps necessary to rid Tripoli of the weapons circulating through it. Yes to a weapon-free Tripoli! “.
Following this appeal, many key individuals declared a city-wide strike to protest the violence that had claimed several lives, and held a demonstration in front of Tripoli’s public administration offices to raise awareness of their cause.
Demonstrators waved Lebanese flags, sang the national anthem and demanded an immediate response to the city’s problems of rampant poverty and a lack of security, which are seen as interrelated. They called on the state to provide better security and reiterated the need for street militias to disarm. The non-violent protest brought together the President of the Municipal Council, members of parliament from the region, as well as leaders from all faith groups and other members of civil society. Their message was clear: Lebanon needs to return to the rule of law and provide security for all, throughout the country.
With the sectarian strife dividing Tripoli, and fearing that the country as a whole is heading once more towards violence, other civil society activists responded quickly through multiple initiatives, this time in Beirut. Online, youth showed their patriotism with pictures they created in response to the situation, with captions that read: “Neither Sunni nor Shiite, nor Christian, nor Druze, but Lebanese.”
“Our union is our salvation” was another slogan activists displayed on the steps of the National Museum in Beirut, where white chairs with the names of victims of the recent violence, unnamed chairs with Lebanese flags, and a large sign reading “That’s enough!” all begged for a return to peace.
In addition, scholars formed online groups to say no to war in Lebanon. The Third Voice for Lebanon is one example of a non-partisan, non-denominational and apolitical grassroots online group which publishes and circulates texts that protest violence and cronyism, as well as the recruitment and the indoctrination of children into militias and extremist groups. It uses peaceful demonstrations in Lebanon and overseas to say no to violence and yes to peace.
Lebanese civil society is calling upon the state to take firm action against violence and the circulation of weapons in poor areas by establishing security and supporting sustainable development that can help end the poverty that drives violence. The hurdles Lebanon faces now are very real. But these collective actions by Lebanon’s diverse, multifaceted civil society demonstrate hope.
###
* Rita Chemaly is a writer and researcher in social and political science and author of the book Spring 2005 in Lebanon, between Myth and Reality. She won the Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of the Press in 2007 and blogs at www.ritachemaly.wordpress.com. This article was written for the Common Ground News Service (CGNews).
Source: Common Ground News Service (CGNews), 26 June 2012, http://www.commongroundnews.org/article.php?id=31597&lan=en&sp=0
Dans l’austérité des casernes de police, après qu’on leur a intimé l’ordre de se déshabiller puis de se pencher en avant ou de s’accroupir, ils sont contraints de soumettre leurs parties anales à l’examen d’un médecin pour déterminer leur orientation sexuelle. Ils ? Des individus suspectés d’homosexualité, punie par la loi au Liban, pourtant jugé plus tolérant que d’autres pays arabes.
Cette pratique humiliante, connue dans les milieux homosexuels mais ignorée du grand public, vient d’être dénoncée par plusieurs associations libanaises. “Nous avons brisé le silence”, dit Nizar Saghieh, avocat engagé dans de nombreux combats de la société civile et fondateur de l’ONG L’Agenda juridique, à l’origine de la conférence organisée fin mai à Beyrouth sur ces “examens de la honte”.
Tout est parti, raconte l’avocat, du calvaire de trois jeunes hommes interpellés en avril près du domicile beyrouthin d’un leader politique libanais. Espions, comploteurs, militants politiques ? Rien de cela, révèle l’interrogatoire. L’affaire aurait dû s’arrêter là. Seulement, l’un des suspects est jugé efféminé par les forces de sécurité. Les trois camarades sont donc conduits à un autre poste de police de la capitale, spécialisé dans les affaires de moeurs, et soumis à un test anal pour déterminer leur homosexualité – après une nuit en garde à vue. “Ces jeunes hommes n’avaient rien fait de suspect, ce qui souligne le caractère aberrant de cette méthode”, note M. Saghieh.
D’autant que les tests, qui ne peuvent en théorie être effectués que sur autorisation du procureur, n’ont aucune valeur scientifique. “Les médecins légistes reconnaissent que la forme de l’anus ne constitue pas une preuve déterminante ni suffisante [d’homosexualité]. Selon eux, seule la présence de sperme dans ces parties peut prouver l’acte [sexuel] ; or cela suppose une pénétration non protégée. Dans les faits, les médecins se contentent de prendre des photos de l’anus, ce qui rend leur expertise d’une incertitude totale, tout en constituant une atteinte aussi inutile qu’immorale”, poursuit l’avocat.
Alors, pourquoi maintenir ces tests si, outre leur caractère dégradant, ils n’ont aucune valeur ? “Il y a quelque chose de pervers, une jouissance malsaine à soumettre de présumés homosexuels à de tels examens”, estime Alexandre Paulikevitch, artiste et activiste de la société civile. Selon lui, les efforts pour dénoncer les pratiques qui ont cours dans les casernes de police doivent “aller plus loin. D’autres techniques d’humiliation sont utilisées pour briser les homosexuels, au-delà des tests anaux”.
On cherche à avilir, mais aussi à intimider : c’est l’accusation portée par les différentes associations qui ont pris part à la conférence sur les “examens de la honte”. Pour Human Rights Watch, qui a documenté des sévices similaires infligés en Egypte après des arrestations massives dans une boîte de nuit gay en 2001, les tests anaux équivalent à des “actes de torture”. M. Saghieh met en cause les pressions exercées : “La police veut donner l’impression qu’elle a les moyens de savoir. L’expertise du médecin sert principalement à intimider le suspect et à l’amener à avouer, en faisant valoir que, si l’homosexualité est découverte lors de l’examen, la sanction encourue sera plus sévère.”
Pour L’Agenda juridique, la campagne de mobilisation ne s’arrête pas là. Fin juin, c’est sur les tests de virginité que l’ONG veut porter la lumière. Leurs principales victimes ? Les femmes soupçonnées de prostitution. Ils sont aussi réalisés lors de plaintes, quand un homme est accusé d’avoir eu une relation sexuelle avec une jeune femme non mariée, “la plupart du temps à l’initiative de la famille de celle-ci, pour lancer une poursuite en cas de promesse de mariage non tenue, explique Nizar Saghieh. Dans les deux cas, tests de virginité ou tests pour déterminer l’homosexualité, il y a une grave atteinte à l’intimité et à l’intégrité physique de la personne et… aucune preuve”.
Si l’homophobie reste répandue au Liban, les révélations sur les “examens de la honte” ont suscité de nombreuses réactions d’indignation, notamment sur les réseaux sociaux. Les autorités, elles, sont restées silencieuses. Le tollé provoqué permettra-t-il d’ouvrir le débat sur la validité de l’article 534 relatif à l’homosexualité, qui punit les “relations sexuelles contre nature” ? “Il serait temps, considère Alexandre Paulikevitch. Les autres pays de la région font la révolution, et nous, au Liban, nous restons à discuter du maintien en vigueur de l’article 534.”
Inviter près de 1400 amis, messagers de la joie, à Lourdes, n’est pas de tout repos. Lorsqu’avec Michel nous avons accepté cette mission nous ne nous rendions pas compte de l’ampleur de la tâche. Et puis jeudi ce n’était que sourires, il y avait Jean-Paul, Christian, Sabine, Francis, Anne-Sophie, Edouard, Kévin et sa maman, Pierre sans maman, Juliette… Et bien d’autres.
Lorsque nous sommes montés sur le podium pour la cérémonie d’accueil, devant nous il y avait un bouquet de 1400 fleurs, des vertes arrivant de France Centre, des blanches venant des îles de la Province Arc En Ciel, des rouges pleines de vie arrivant de la Province Ila Trinity au Liban, des jaunes lumineuses de Corée de la Province Lumière d’Orient, et plus de 640 fleurs bleues de la Province de France Entre 2 mers. Toutes ces fleurs c’étaient nos amis. Qu’ils étaient beaux !
Le vendredi matin nous étions au lavement des pieds, j’ai vu des larmes couler sur les joues de jeunes gens à la vue de la faiblesse d’un membre de leur famille. Il y eu aussi des petits miracles, comme des jeunes autistes se laissant laver les pieds pour la première fois par une personne étrangère.
Le chemin de croix du vendredi après-midi m’a bouleversé. Michel et moi ne savions pas ce que cela donnerai en confiant à 14 communautés les stations du chemin de croix. Chaque communauté a rendu la profondeur de la passion de notre Seigneur, nous nous sentions sur le chemin du Golgotha.
Samedi après-midi, celui que nous attendions tous, Jean Vanier, est venu nous donner un temps de parole et nous a fait réfléchir à comment être messager de la joie dans nos communautés, nos paroisses et nos familles en quelques sorte dans la société.
Samedi une grande fête nous attendait. Il y eu des scénettes, des chants. Lorsque Gérard notre Monsieur loyal apparaissait sur scène les rires fusaient. Il nous a animés cette soirée dans la peau de plusieurs personnages. Et il a tellement d’idées que nous avons eu droit à un lancé de ballons géants, puis d’avions sur lesquels nous avions écrit nos coordonnées. Tout cela entre coupé de chants et de danses folkloriques de chaque province des îles, du Liban et de Corée. Le clou de la veillée fut l’énorme gâteau d’anniversaire tiré par la communauté de l’Arche. Merci Gérard, ce fut fabuleux !
Dimanche nous étions tous à la messe internationale. Jean Vanier est intervenu à la fin de celle-ci pour parler à tous les pèlerins de ce jour.
Puis nous avons fait notre cérémonie d’envoi. Comme il est difficile de se quitter après un si bon moment ensemble. Nos 1400 « petites fleurs » étaient devant nous, les blanches, les vertes, les rouges, les jaunes et les bleues. Nous avons tous crié : « A ce pèlerinage j’y étais !!! ».
Je viens de rentrer de L’ESCWA, oui, je participais comme “marraine “au Forum What if Women…organisé par L’Association des Guides Du Liban, avec la cooperation de l’UNODC ( l’Agence / office des Nations unies contre la Drogue et le Crime;
Les projets presentes par les branches JEM ( les Jeunes En Marche) qui ont 17 ans et plus, m’ont tellement fait plaisir!! les jeunes filles ont bien travaille leurs recherches, grand bravo!
jai adoré l’équipe de Saint Joseph Aintoura, et les supers idées qu’elles ont eues pour présenter la cause de la nationalité: un cèdre avec des femmes qui le tamponnait, des t-shirts, un micro trottoir, des nouvelles des manifs, Un cadre pour la prise des photos dans une carte d’identité non libanaise, bon travail!
aussi, l’équipe dont j’étais la “marraine “( comme je n’ai pas de soeur, il m’est difficile d’être la marraine de quelqu’un, donc la proposition de Reem, élève de Nazareth m’a fait super plaisir 🙂
bref, hier soir, Reem m’a montre le travail de son équipe, un film de ouff, sur la violence contre les femmes au foyer; le film explique les différents genre de violences ( morale, verbale, physique et économique), montre les obstacles qui existent au Liban et le manque de lois protégeant les femmes des violences exercées sur elles, et enfin, le film présente le projet de loi qui est en cours d’étude au Parlement!! les jeunes de l’équipe JEM ne se sont pas arrêtées la, elles ont présente aussi les solutions!!! oui a des femmes policières, oui a des centres/ refuges ouiii a l’éveil contre le viol conjugal…. finalement un grand ouiiiii a ce projet bravo les filles!! la pluie ne vous a pas arrêtées lors de la manifestation, le projet ne s’arrêterait pas devant les obstacles, les femmes libanaises sont obstinées!
un autre projet m’a beaucoup plus, c’est le projet what if women were priceless in Lebanon, éveillant les gens contre le trafic des femmes!!! bravo pour le film, les images et vos idées sont fortes!
Aussi un projet sur les femmes et leur image, oh la la la la…. l’image et les prix et loans/crédits bancaires offerts aux femmes pour changer leur image! bon projet aussi!
les équipes qui ont eu de bons échos avec le jury compose des marraines , et de l’ex ministre Mme Mona Ofeish, et des responsables des guides, sont les jeunes filles et le sport, les femmes et leur image, la violence, et la nationalité!
dans l’espoir de voir ses jeunes qui ont présente de bons projets travailler encore pour faire de tous ces projets des réalités,
Quelques jours après le suicide d’Alem Dechasa-Desisa, une employée de maison éthiopienne agressée à Beyrouth puis internée dans un hôpital psychiatrique, huit organisations de la société civile libanaise ont publié un communiqué dénonçant le laxisme des autorités libanaises en matière de respect des droits de l’homme en général et des travailleuses étrangères en particulier.
« Les autorités libanaises devraient agir sans tarder pour réformer des règles restrictives en matière d’octroi de visas et adopter une loi sur le travail domestique afin de faire cesser les sévices fréquemment infligés aux travailleuses domestiques migrantes au Liban, qui entraînent parfois leur mort », peut-on lire dans ce communiqué publié aujourd’hui, et signé par Human Rights Watch, le Centre d’aide aux migrants de Caritas-Liban, « KAFA (“assez”) de violence et d’exploitation », le Mouvement contre le racisme, Amel Association International, Insan, le Conseil danois d’aide aux réfugiés et Nasawiya.
Alem avait été la malheureuse « vedette » d’une vidéo diffusée le 8 mars par la chaîne télévisée LBCI. Une vidéo filmée le 24 février par un passant inconnu, dans laquelle on voit un agent recruteur brutaliser Alem Dechasa-Desisa devant le consulat d’Éthiopie à Badaro, en banlieue de Beyrouth. « Malgré les protestations de l’Éthiopienne, l’agent et un autre homme la font monter de force dans une voiture. L’homme qui brutalisait la jeune femme a été ensuite identifié comme étant Ali Mahfouz, frère du responsable de l’agence de recrutement qui avait fait venir Alem Dechasa-Desisa au Liban. Ali Mahfouz a accepté de parler à la télévision et a affirmé que l’agence de son frère s’était efforcée de rapatrier la domestique éthiopienne car elle souffrait de troubles mentaux », rappellent les organisations dans leur communiqué.
« La police est arrivée sur place peu après, alors que la voiture s’y trouvait toujours, et a emmené Alem Dechasa-Desisa vers un centre de détention. À la demande de Caritas-Liban, qui dispose d’une antenne dans ce centre de détention, les policiers l’ont transférée deux jours plus tard dans un établissement médical mais n’ont pas arrêté les hommes qui l’avaient brutalisée. Alem Dechasa-Desisa s’est suicidée à l’hôpital psychiatrique du Couvent de la Croix, le 14 mars au matin », rappelle encore le communiqué.
Suite à cette tragique affaire, le président Michel Sleiman a réclamé l’ouverture d’une enquête pour élucider les circonstances de l’incident et traduire les responsables devant la justice. Quant aux ministres de la Justice et du Travail, Chakib Cortbaoui et Sélim Jreissati, ils ont assuré suivre l’affaire sur le plan judiciaire.
« Les autorités libanaises ont ouvert une enquête parce qu’elles se sont trouvées sous le projecteur des médias », estime Nadim Houry, directeur adjoint de la division Moyen-Orient et Afrique du Nord à Human Rights Watch. Pour M. Houry, le gouvernement devrait révéler au public le résultat de l’enquête. Et d’ajouter : « Le gouvernement libanais devrait adopter des mesures de protection qui se font attendre depuis longtemps, afin de mettre fin aux mauvais traitements généralisés des travailleuses domestiques et de réduire le nombre d’incidents mortels qu’elles subissent dans ce pays. »
Environ 200 000 migrants, dont la plupart sont originaires du Sri Lanka, d’Éthiopie, des Philippines et du Népal, sont actuellement employés de maison au Liban, majoritairement des femmes. Ces employées de maison sont exclues du droit du travail et soumises à des règles d’immigration restrictives basées sur le parrainage individuel par l’employeur, ce qui les expose au risque d’être indûment exploitées et rend difficile pour elles de quitter un employeur abusif. Le taux élevé de mauvais traitements a amené plusieurs pays, dont l’Éthiopie et les Philippines, à interdire à leurs ressortissantes d’aller travailler au Liban.
Pour Nadim Houry, « l’absence d’une protection juridique des droits des travailleuses domestiques au Liban, ainsi que les politiques restrictives en matière de visas, contribuent à leur isolement, aux mauvais traitements qu’elles subissent, à leur endettement et à leur incapacité à échapper aux abus ». La réforme du système de parrainage devrait figurer parmi les priorités du gouvernement appelé par M. Houry à adopter une nouvelle loi sur le travail domestique qui soit « conforme aux critères internationaux ».
Smex publient un guide pour utiliser savamment les plateformes des reseaux sociaux, telles que les pages de Facebook;
a vous leur annonce, et en lien leur guide:
Rita Chemaly
This week, we’re proudly announcing the release of our new Arabic-language guide Creating Facebook Pages with Impact (Arabic): A Guide for Arab Civil Society Organizations. The 72-page guide walks NGO communications teams through nine major steps in developing a strategy for your Facebook Page, such as selecting administrators, setting goals, and using Insights to monitor your progress. The guide also includes examples of successful Arab-world Pages and is illustrated with screenshots to help you navigate the numerous Facebook Page features, including the most recent changes.
You can download the PDF from the Scribd link above or request a print version (you will be responsible for shipping costs if mailed outside Lebanon).
Please note: At the moment, the guide is available only in Arabic. We’re seeking funding to complete the layout and possibly printing for the English version. If you or your organization can help, please get in touch with mohamad[at]smex[dot]org.
نفخر هذا الأسبوع بالإعلان عن إصدار دليلنا الجديد باللغة العربية، تحت عنوان إنشاء صفحات فيسبوك ذات تأثير: دليل لمنظمات المجتمع المدني العربي. هذا الدليل الموّلف من ٧٢ صفحة، يقوم بإرشاد فرق التواصل في المنظمات الغير حكومية من خلال تسعة خطوات رئيسية ليقوم بالمساعدة على بلورة إستراتيجية لصفحة الفيسبوك خاصتك، مثل كيفية إختيار المديرين، وضع الأهداف، وإستعمال الرؤى لمراقبة تقدّمك. كما يشمل الدليل أمثلة عن صفحات الفيسبوك الناجحة في العالم العربي ويتخلّله شرح مفصّل بالصور لمساعدتك على التنقّل بين ميزات صفحة الفيسبوك العديدة، بما فيها أحدث التغييرات.
يمكنك تنزيل نسخة على شكل PDF من خلال رابط Scribd الموجود في الأعلى أو يمكنك حجز نسخة مطبوعة (سوف تكون مسؤولاً عن تكاليف الشحن إذا تم إرسالها إلى خارج لبنان).
ملاحظة: الدليل متوفّر حالياً باللغة العربية فقط. ونحن نسعى للحصول على تمويل لإكمال النموذج وربما طبعه باللغة الإنكليزية. إذا كانت منظمتكم تستطيع المساعدة، من فضلكم تواصلوا معنا على mohamad[at]smex[dot]org
La transmission de la nationalité par les mères libanaises a leur famille, un cadeau volé par le gouvernement? dans l’attente des promesses, les femmes gardent l’espoir de voir un projet de loi juste et équitable bientôt prendre jour!
To achieve the goal that persons with disabilities participate fully in society and enjoy equal rights and opportunities, Disability Rights Fund announces the 2012 “Implementing Our Rights” grant cycle which consists of two grant rounds.
The Disability Rights Fund (DRF) seeks to strengthen the participation of Disabled Persons’ Organizations (DPOs) in the advancement of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) at country level in the Global South, Middle East, and Eastern Europe/former Soviet Union.
The 2012 “Implementing Our Rights” grant cycle consists of two grantmaking rounds:
The first grantmaking round, consisting of a Letter of Interest (LoI) process for DPOs in India (States of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Kerala, Orissa, Tamil Nadu or the National Capital of Delhi only) and Ukraine and a Request for Proposals (RFP) process for DPOs in Indonesia, Lebanon, and Mexico is described in more detail below. The deadline for the RFP is March 15, 2012.
The second grantmaking round, directed at DPOs in Bangladesh, PICs, Ghana, Uganda, Nicaragua and Peru, and consisting of both a LoI and RFP process, will be publicized in mid-2012.
Explanation of the Request for Proposals process follows.
Request for Proposals (for applicants from Indonesia, Lebanon and Mexico and successful LoI applicants from India and Ukraine)
Applicants can apply as:
Single organizations or partnerships for Small Grants OR
National DPO-led coalitions for National Coalition Grants
Single organizations or partnerships can apply for 12-month grants ranging from USD 5,000 to 20,000 to:
Increase DPO skill in addressing the CRPD by
Building more inclusive organizations or partnerships; and/or
Internal capacity building; and
Rights-based advocacy and monitoring through:
Increasing DPO participation in decision-making processes regarding the CRPD at state or local levels; and/or
Directly addressing implementation of CRPD Articles.
National DPO-led Coalitions can apply for the first year of 24-month grants ranging from 30,000 to 50,000 (60,000 to 100,000 over 24 months) to develop a national platform to work on:
Ratification of the CRPD and/or the Optional Protocol (where not ratified)
Passage of specific legislation to accord with the CRPD
Production of a parallel/alternative report to be submitted to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Production of a report to be submitted to other UN human rights monitoring mechanisms such as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) of the Human Rights Council or to other Committees of Experts from other human rights treaties
DRF supports projects that demonstrate a clear ability and commitment to contribute to the advancement of the human rights of persons with disabilities. Grants provide one- or two-year, project-specific support. Cross-disability and other partnerships in-country are strongly encouraged, as are projects which address particularly marginalized sectors of the disability community.
نرى أنفسنا كمجموعة نسوية جزء لا يتجزأ من كل حراك مدني ومستقل عن أطراف السلطة، خاصة وإن حمل هذا الحراك شعارات نراها من مبادئنا الأساسية والتي نناضل من أجلها كالمساواة، العلمانية والعدالة الاجتماعية. لقد آن الأوان لكي نتحرك كمواطنين ومواطنات، وكعاملين وعاملات حرمنا لسنوات طوال من أبسط حقوقنا الاقتصادية والاجتماعية والسياسية. على الرغم من ذلك، لطالما كان لدينا كامل الإدراك أن السلطة الذكورية مترسخة بالنظام الطائفي الذي يغذيها فنتعرض لاضطهاد مزدوج على الأصعدة السياسية الاجتماعية والاقتصادية لأننا أولاً نساء، وثانيًا لأننا رعايا لا مواطنات، ولأننا عاملات نُحرم من أبسط حقوقنا الاقتصادية. ولأن النظام الطائفي الذكوري يسخر نفسه لأصحاب المال، يقصينا من مواقع القرار، فيمنع بالتالي أن يكون لدينا المقدرة على التصرف بمواردنا ويحرمنا الأمن والأمان داخل المنزل وخارجه. لذلك كما اتخذنا الشارع في 14 كانون الثاني لنرفض الاغتصاب الذي يشرعه ويسهله النظام الذي نعيش في ظله، سننزل إلى الشارع لندعو إلى نظام يحمينا كنساء، كمواطنات وكعاملات. ولنا أن نتذكر في هذا المجال أن لا عدالة ممكنة لنا كنساء خاصة، من دون قوانين مدنية موحدة لجميع المواطنين وعدالة اجتماعية تضمن لنا خدمات صحية، وأجور عادلة وضرائب عادلة وغيره. نريد كمواطنات أولا وكنساء ثانياً أن نرى التغيير في بنية هذا النظام لصالح قوانين مدنية موحدة للجميع من أحوال شخصية إلى زواج وانتخاب وغيره. نريد أن يكون لنا حقوق متساوية للرجل في مختلف الميادين، في الأسرة والمجتمع، في السياسة وسوق العمل. وأخيراً نريد أن نضم صوتنا إلى أصوات النساء العربيات من المحيط إلى الخليج لنهتف سويا “حرية” و”عدالة اجتماعية”. لنستعيد الشوارع في ذكرى الصرخة الأولى ضد النظام الطائفي التي انطلقت السنة الماضية من أجل المساواة، العلمانية والعدالة الاجتماعية. لننضم إلى التحرك يوم 26 شباط 2012 عند الساعة 3:00 من بعد الظهر انطلاقا من الدورة وصولا إلى شركة الكهرباءنرى أنفسنا كمجموعة نسوية جزء لا يتجزأ من كل حراك مدني ومستقل عن أطراف السلطة، خاصة وإن حمل هذا الحراك شعارات نراها من مبادئنا الأساسية والتي نناضل من أجلها كالمساواة، العلمانية والعدالة الاجتماعية. لقد آن الأوان لكي نتحرك كمواطنين ومواطنات، وكعاملين وعاملات حرمنا لسنوات طوال من أبسط حقوقنا الاقتصادية والاجتماعية والسياسية. على الرغم من ذلك، لطالما كان لدينا كامل الإدراك أن السلطة الذكورية مترسخة بالنظام الطائفي الذي يغذيها فنتعرض لاضطهاد مزدوج على الأصعدة السياسية الاجتماعية والاقتصادية لأننا أولاً نساء، وثانيًا لأننا رعايا لا مواطنات، ولأننا عاملات نُحرم من أبسط حقوقنا الاقتصادية. ولأن النظام الطائفي الذكوري يسخر نفسه لأصحاب المال، يقصينا من مواقع القرار، فيمنع بالتالي أن يكون لدينا المقدرة على التصرف بمواردنا ويحرمنا الأمن والأمان داخل المنزل وخارجه. لذلك كما اتخذنا الشارع في 14 كانون الثاني لنرفض الاغتصاب الذي يشرعه ويسهله النظام الذي نعيش في ظله، سننزل إلى الشارع لندعو إلى نظام يحمينا كنساء، كمواطنات وكعاملات. ولنا أن نتذكر في هذا المجال أن لا عدالة ممكنة لنا كنساء خاصة، من دون قوانين مدنية موحدة لجميع المواطنين وعدالة اجتماعية تضمن لنا خدمات صحية، وأجور عادلة وضرائب عادلة وغيره. نريد كمواطنات أولا وكنساء ثانياً أن نرى التغيير في بنية هذا النظام لصالح قوانين مدنية موحدة للجميع من أحوال شخصية إلى زواج وانتخاب وغيره. نريد أن يكون لنا حقوق متساوية للرجل في مختلف الميادين، في الأسرة والمجتمع، في السياسة وسوق العمل. وأخيراً نريد أن نضم صوتنا إلى أصوات النساء العربيات من المحيط إلى الخليج لنهتف سويا “حرية” و”عدالة اجتماعية”. لنستعيد الشوارع في ذكرى الصرخة الأولى ضد النظام الطائفي التي انطلقت السنة الماضية من أجل المساواة، العلمانية والعدالة الاجتماعية. لننضم إلى التحرك يوم 26 شباط 2012 عند الساعة 3:00 من بعد الظهر انطلاقا من الدورة وصولا إلى شركة الكهرباء
“The life of a man consists not in seeing visions and in dreaming dreams, but in active charity and in willing service” “Faith and Light” is organised on a human scale by groups called communities, comprising in equal shares persons with an intellectual disability, their… families and friends, especially young persons. Community members meet regularly for gatherings of friendship, sharing, prayer and celebration. Faith and Light numbers presently 1648 communities organized in 50 provinces located on five continents, in 79 countries and of 38 different languages. Two thirds of the countries where Faith and Light is present suffer from great economic difficulties or political instability. Members of Faith and Light communities come from different Christian traditions, (catholic, protestants, anglican and orthodox…) without distinction of age, culture or income. This Dinner is organized to collect money from buying tickets for dinner (100,000 l.l. per card) and donations provided in the event. These dnations will sponsor the international Pilgrimage that will be held in LEBANON at the end of August. Visit the international link as follows to know more: http://www.faithandlight.org/rubriques/haut/agenda and check: Pilgrimage of the province “ILA Trinity” you can contribute in other ways by direct funding. “Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance.”
أربعون سنة مرت على تلقفنا هذه الدعوة ، بهذه المناسبة تقيم جماعات إيمان و نور إحتفالات يوبيلية على مدى سنتين لنشر روحانية هذه الجماعات و رسالتها التي تدعو إلى احترام الأشخاص الذين يحملون إعاقة عقلية و بناء علاقات أخوية ضمن جماعات رعائية منتشرة على كافة الأراضي اللبنانية. منذ سنة 1971 تعمل إيمان و نور لإعطاء أخوتنا الأكثر ضعفاً مكانتهم و دورهم الفاعل في قلب الكنيسة و تنمية حياتهم الروحية و الإجتماعية.
من ضمن هذه الإحتفالات تنظم جماعات إيمان و نور- مقاطعة “إلى الثالوث” حجّ ديني ومخيم لثمانمائة شخص الى مناطق دير الأحمر – رأس بعلبك من 30 آب الى2 أيلول 2012 بشفاعة سيدة بشوات و سيدة رأس بعلبك.
وبهدف تأمين تكاليف النشاط ، ندعوكم للمشاركة في حفل عشاء ساهر في صالة
” جاد – فندق الريجنسي بالاس – آدما ” ، الجمعة بتاريخ 17 شباط 2012
نتمنى حضوركم فنتشارك سوياً في تحقيق أهداف هذا المشروع لتكون ثماره غنية في المنطقة ، بنعمة الله.
– يمكنم أيضاً المشاركة من خلال تقديم جوائز تومبولا ، أو مساعدات مادية مباشرة ، أو المساعدة في تأمين جزء من إحتياجات هذا اللقاء والمذكورة في المنشورات المرفقة.
لتأكيد المشاركة نرجو الاتصال بالرقم : 76981717
أو إرسال e-mail على : foietlumiere40ans@hotmail.com
.png){kind=icon}
Ritachemaly's Blog 