I was heartbroken to read the news of car bomb in Achrafieh this afternoon, killing eight and injuring far more. The site of the bombing, Sassine Square, was home to a memorial for former President Bachir Gemayel, assassinated at that spot in 1982. I cannot believe this community has yet another event to mourn. Some … Continue reading Devastation in Achrafieh
Tag: Beirut
“You’re So Brave”
I often have conversations with my family about what I’m doing in school and get the idea from them that they think what I'm accomplishing is “exceptional” in some way. I always have a rough time seeing this. I mean, I am daily surrounded by people doing the exact same things as me, often far … Continue reading “You’re So Brave”
Youth, Sports, Politics, and Society in Lebanon – Simon Abi Ramia
On June 29, the LSF met with Simon Abi Ramia, President of Youth & Sports Committee of the parliament of Lebanon. Our discussion was widespread, focusing on sports and youth (of course) but also on politics, religion, and society within Lebanon. His insight touched upon many of the national and regional issues currently in play … Continue reading Youth, Sports, Politics, and Society in Lebanon – Simon Abi Ramia
Day 10+ (July 2-3) – Princesses, LAU, Shatilla, Le Péché, Flight
For those of you still following my trip blog, I do apologize for the delay. there is just such a finality to writing this post, and I honestly haven't wanted to deal with it. While my post-fellowship plan includes extensive blogging of my trip research, this is really the last "Today we did X" kind … Continue reading Day 10+ (July 2-3) – Princesses, LAU, Shatilla, Le Péché, Flight
Day 6 (June 28) – US Embassy, ATCL, Bill Corcoran and ANERA, and Music Hall
Thursday was truly a special day. Our schedule got mixed up a bit, so we all got to sleep in (yay!) before heading to the La Artisanat, an area of Beirut with lots of locally made products. I picked up presents for my husband and his sister and mom there. Afterward, we drove out to … Continue reading Day 6 (June 28) – US Embassy, ATCL, Bill Corcoran and ANERA, and Music Hall
Day 5 (June 27) – Al Majmoua, AUB, Youth Shadow Government
Day 5 was another one of our more substantive days. In the morning, we met Youssef Fawaz, the Executive Director of Al Majmoua, an NGO based out of Lebanon that helps individuals with their microfinancing needs. I was not really all that aware of microfinancing prior to this meeting, the idea of giving people small … Continue reading Day 5 (June 27) – Al Majmoua, AUB, Youth Shadow Government
Day 3 (June 25) – Meetings with Social Activists and Economic and Business Leaders
The last two days have been packed with meetings and short trips out into different districts of Beirut. I haven't taken many photos, as we have primarily been doing Q&As with local leaders, but I'm sure some will surface from the group in the next couple days. On Monday, we began our week meeting with … Continue reading Day 3 (June 25) – Meetings with Social Activists and Economic and Business Leaders
Day 2 (June 24) – Beirut and Locations North and East
So I'm a little behind, mostly due to needing sleep. Jet lag hit me finally sometime yesterday, and I was just wiped. Our second day was mostly sight-seeing, with a trip north out of the city, paralleling the Mediterranean for quite a while before turning east over the mountains. Our trip through the mountains was … Continue reading Day 2 (June 24) – Beirut and Locations North and East
Day 1 (June 23) – Beirut
This picture is really why I'm already loving this country. Pictured above are the Malakite Catholic church and the mosque built by Hariri. The small building between them, touching walls is the home of the Malakite priests. Beirut really has everything. For instance, we had coffee here: Yeah, we were in a hurry. We saw so … Continue reading Day 1 (June 23) – Beirut
Holly A. Jordan 