“In a contemporary world where Beirut is thought of as the Paris of the Middle East - it is time to look local and make Lebanon, the Lebanon of the world.”
— Sarah El-Abd, The Phoenix Daily Editor-in-Chief
إزدواجية الثورة اللبنانية: ما بين التغير السياسي وتحرر التفكير الإيديولوجي المحدود
ليان مسلّم
إنفجار الفساد في مرفأ بيروت: تهريب، تهجير، وحقيقة شبه مستحيلة
ليان مسلّم
بطالة وفقر وموت في المناطق الأشدّ فقرًا: اللبنانيون يرَون في الهجرة خلاصهم الوحيد
ليان مسلّم
Nation Station: For The People by The People - What’s next?
Albert Geokgeuzian, Staff Writer
Last time we discussed the story of Nation Station; this time, we’ll discuss a potential Nation Station restaurant, and if you thought Nation Station only helped beneficiaries with food, think again. Nation Station has had a medical clinic that focuses on people’s health. What the clinic has done has been outstanding, only outclassed by what they intend to do in the future.
The Role of the Lebanese Diaspora Today: Local citizens pleading for help, now more than ever
Maria Wehbe, Featured Writer
When thinking of Lebanon, one does not simply think of those residing within the country’s borders: so many Lebanese expatriates live all over the globe, accounting to over 16 million, although Lebanon’s population is around 6 million; a very big contrast to say the least. Although some people are fortunate enough to have the choice of leaving, this isn’t the case for everyone. Being Lebanese today has never been tougher, given the extreme lack of resources and the dependency on international aid: they aren’t able to provide food nor medication for their families, nor can they fill up their cars with gas in order to go to work given the shortage of fuel, and the list goes on. This is why it is vital for the Lebanese diaspora to come in aid to the country today more than ever: they can change their co-patriots’ outcome in more ways than one and can make way for improvement and prosperity. However, there’s only so much they can do and in the long run, their help and aid might not secure the country with the future it is looking for.
AUBe Vaccinated - Travailler ensemble pour un retour en toute sécurité sur le campus
John Sakr, rédacteur
Après presque un an et demi de vie universitaire en ligne, l'Université américaine de Beyrouth vaccine tous les membres de sa communauté dans l'espoir de retourner sur le campus et de reprendre les activités hors ligne au prochain semestre d'automne. Cette machine à vacciner les membres de l'université est assez efficace, mais l'est-elle suffisamment ?
AUBe Vaccinated - Working together for a safe return to campus
John Sakr, Contributor
After almost a year and a half of university life being conducted online, the American University of Beirut is vaccinating all its community members in hopes of returning to campus and resuming offline activities in the upcoming fall semester. This self-running machine of university members vaccinating others is quite efficient, but is it efficient enough?
Thérapies de conversion au Liban: la face cachée - Les tortures que subissent certains LGBT+ au Liban et l’action que LebMASH déploie pour les contrer
Hestia Akiki, Rédactrice
Ce n’est un secret pour personne : la communauté LGBT+ du Liban rencontre de nombreuses difficultés au quotidien, et comme toutes celles de par le globe, elle doit faire face à un fardeau supplémentaire : les thérapies de conversions. Basée sur la conception erronée que l’homosexualité est une maladie et qu’elle peut être guérie, elle constitue une véritable torture pour ses victimes. C’est ce que décrète en 1992 l’Organisation mondiale de la santé et en 2013, la société libanaise de psychiatrie et l’association libanaise de psychologie. Cependant, malgré ces deux condamnations on observe toujours au Liban, comme dans d’autres pays, ces manœuvres. Dans le but d’achever ce supplice absurde au Liban, une ONG, LebMASH, décide d’intervenir.
« Complètement réservé » - Les oasis libanaises florissants dans un contexte de crises superposées
John Sakr, rédacteur
Alors que le Liban vit l'une de ses périodes les plus sombres depuis des décennies, avec des pénuries de carburant, des coupures de courant et l'indisponibilité de médicaments basiques et nécessaires, on pourrait penser que le pays est destiné à un effondrement complet. Alors que l'on s'attend à ce que l'économie s'éteigne lentement et que la nation méditerranéenne perde tout ce qui a fait sa renommée, les affaires sont - étonnamment - plus florissantes que jamais.
“Fully Booked” - Lebanese Oases booming amidst overlapping crises
John Sakr, Contributor
As Lebanon dwells into one of its darkest times in decades, with fuel shortages, power cuts, and the unavailability of basic and necessary medicine, one would think that the country is destined for complete collapse. While the economy is expected to slowly die, and the Mediterranean nation to lose all it once was notorious for, business is – surprisingly – booming like never before.
الفن تذكرة سفر-من أرض الحرب واللجوء إلى فسحة أمان وفرح
بشرى مرعي
Nation Station: By the People For The People - How a group of millennials helped create an organization unlike any other
By Albert Geokgeuzian, Staff Writer
If I told you that there is an entity that is helping create jobs, feed, educate, and heal their community, you’d probably think it’s the local government, unless you’re in Lebanon, in which case you wouldn’t think that. But in an old, abandoned gas station in Geitawi, right between Hospital Roum and Hospital Geitawi, an organization has sprung up that is basically doing the work of the government.
LEBridge – Highlight Lebanese Talent, Bridge the Gap Prevalent
By Gaelle Nohra, Contributor
The Lebanese perfect storm is increasingly framing Lebanon as the impossible land of opportunities and highlighting its embedded deficiencies pertaining to the growth and recognition of Lebanese talent. LEBridge, a Lebanese non-profit organization, was initiated with the aim of re-asserting the ever-presence of this talent.
International community's reaction after August 4: Rehabilitating universities impacted by the port blast
Albert Geokgeuzian Staff Writer and Cherly Abou Chabke, Featured Writer
The Beirut Port explosion damaged more than 200 schools, 32 universities, and 20 TVET centers, and therefore resulted in diminishing or excluding access to education for over 85,000 children and youth all over the country. The Lebanese University (LU), Saint Joseph University (USJ), and American University of Beirut (AUB) that were affected by the damages receive support from the international community as part of the “Li-Beirut” initiative. On June 10th, 2021, UNESCO held a press conference to announce the launch of its partnership with the Lebanese University (LU), Saint Joseph University (USJ), and American University of Beirut (AUB) with the support of the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE). The aim is to rehabilitate university buildings damaged by the port explosion on August 4th, 2020. This project is implemented in partnership with the Education Above All Foundation, with the help of the Qatar Fund for Development, and is part of UNESCO’s “Li Beirut” initiative.
Quds Rise: entre rêve et réalité - Le lancement de la première voiture électrique au Liban
Hestia Akiki, Rédactrice
Alors que le Liban sombre de plus en plus dans des crises multiples, un homme d’affaires palestinien né à Beyrouth décide de lancer la première voiture électrique libanaise. Dans l’un des pays ayant le pire réseau d’électricité au monde, le défi semble de taille. Saura-t-elle s’élever en dépit de tous les obstacles ?
From record-highs to record-lows: The current state of Tourism in Lebanon
By Maria Wehbe, Featured Writer
Lebanon, once known as the Paris of the Middle East, is facing difficulties upholding this title, given the turmoil and chaos it is currently facing: from the economic crisis, to the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, to the hyperinflation, and to put the cherry on top, the devastating 4th of August Beirut Port Explosion. Most sectors have been affected as a result of the accumulation of all of these events, and one that took one of the biggest hits was the tourism sector. Thus, Lebanon has to depend on its own people in order for the sector to prosper – this is a chance for us to discover our country even more and what it truly has to offer.
Promotion 2021 : le défi des lycéens - Le témoignage de lycéens face à la crise
Hestia Akiki, rédactrice
La terminale, le baccalauréat, puis l’université, dernier virage avant d'aborder sa vie d'adulte: projets, espoirs et rêves déferlent alors à perte de vue … Pourtant, pour les jeunes Libanais, l'utopie semble déjà loin. Pandémie, enseignement à distance, crise économique, universités financièrement inaccessibles, explosion en pleine face balayant leurs écoles et idéaux, et enfin décisions ministérielles n'ont fait qu'alourdir le fardeau de leur dernière année scolaire. Quelles sont les difficultés qu’ils rencontrent? Nous sommes partis à la rencontre de cinq d’entre eux pour mieux comprendre leur situation.
Lebanese Adolescents’ Mental Health: A Stroll in a Landmine of Crises
By Sarah Helmy, Visiting Contributor and Fadi Salahedin, Contributor
University students and adolescents in Lebanon have been through it all: an economic crisis that has led to the massive devaluation of the Lira, a social and political uprising, a massive explosion that has hit the heart of Beirut, and, the cherry on top, the ongoing COVID pandemic. This article tackles the colossal toll of all of these factors on Lebanese’ youth collective mental health, while including testimonies of students who have had it and are beyond tired and drained. We will also be interviewing Be Brave Beirut, a relatively new grassroots initiative, that has already managed to lift huge weights off the community in Lebanon’s shoulders by offering free psychosocial services and mental support!
La recherche au Liban; mais où sont donc les femmes?
Edward Sfeir, rédacteur
Le 11 février, à l’occasion de la journée mondiale de la femme dans la science et la recherche, la Professeure associée Zeina Hobaika Khoury, chef du département des Sciences de la Vie et de la Terre – Biochimie à la Faculté des Sciences (FS) de l’Université Saint Joseph de Beyrouth (USJ), accorde une entrevue à The Phoenix Daily pour faire découvrir son parcours dans la recherche et la situation actuelle de ce monde qui la fascine au Liban. Une opportunité pour célébrer, ce 8 mars 2021, la journée mondiale de la femme.
Quand les jeunes se mobilisent : «سوى منوصل»
Hestia Akiki, Rédactrice
«بحصة بتسند خابية» ( un simple geste peut aboutir à d'énormes changements), tel est le slogan de la campagne «سوى منوصل» (ensemble on y arrive) qui a pour but de soutenir les familles libanaises défavorisées. Menée par trois étudiants de la Faculté des Sciences de l'Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth, elle n'était qu'un simple projet universitaire. Malgré les obstacles rencontrés, ces jeunes se projettent déjà.