Lebanon
Workers at CRS' partner agency Arcenciel make custom-made chairs for people with disabilities. Photo by David Snyder for CRS
Lebanon has substantial economic strengths but is marked by dramatic inequalities and deep sectarian rivalries that are the source of recurring political instability. In 1990, the country's fifteen-year civil war ended with an agreement for power-sharing governing arrangements based on religious affiliation. The multi-religious character of Lebanese society and the role of Christians in all aspects of the country's life make Lebanon culturally unique in the Arab world. Commenting on the long but often troubled history of coexistence among the country's Christians, Sunni and Shia Muslims and Druzes, Pope John Paul II said, "Lebanon is more than a country. Lebanon is a message!" During this time of historic change in the Arab world, Catholic Relief Services is working with the Lebanese Church and other partners to promote civic engagement in order to strengthen the county's fragile inter-religious peace and coexistence.
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Stats
| Population: | 4,143,101 (July 2011 est.) |
| Size: | 4,015 sq. mi.; about 3/4 the size of Connecticut |
| People Served: | 7,875 |
History
Throughout Lebanon's long civil war, under very difficult circumstances Catholic Relief Services provided humanitarian assistance and reconstructed war-damaged infrastructure on a non-sectarian basis. CRS' regional office for Europe and the Middle East was relocated to Beirut in 2004. We re-established a Lebanon country program office during the 2006 conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, assisting more than 250,000 war-displaced people. Following the ceasefire, CRS invested more than $15 million to rebuild livelihoods, public buildings and community infrastructure. Since then, CRS has focused on strengthening our Lebanese partner organizations, empowering youth as active citizens, promoting good governance at the local level, and piloting new ways for Lebanese communities to identify rising sectarian tensions and act early to prevent them from escalating to violence.
Partners
Started as a university peace group in 1986, Permanent Peace Movement became the first non-governmental organization to be registered at the end of the Lebanese civil war. Since then, they have gone on to develop expertise and networks—in Lebanon, the Middle East and globally—in a range of issues to promote peace. In particular, the group has led efforts to address the problems of small arms and child soldiers. Permanent Peace Movement is also known for its training on conflict transformation. The organization has trained thousands of youth and university students, teachers, nongovernmental activists and others in topics such as peacebuilding, conflict resolution, communication, democracy and human rights. Catholic Relief Services and Permanent Peace Movement are currently implementing a project, funded by the United States Institute of Peace entitled "Conflict Resolution Through Community-Level Case Studies." By comparing different communities' experiences, this research project identifies key factors in political and sectarian violence in the Lebanese context.
