| Posted: May 24 2010,04:40 |
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Postal address of organization/institution
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Beirut, Gemayzeh, 55 Youssef Al-Hani Street, Rizk Bldg, 1st Floor, P.O. Box 17 5227 - Gemayzeh
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E-mail address of organization/institution
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info@houkoukmadania.org
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Website address of organization/institution
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www.houkoukmadania.org (under construction)
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Telephone of organization/institution
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+ 961 1 445 333 +961 3 111 445 Fax: +961 1 445 333
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PRIORITIES: All of the organization's domains of culture of peace activity |
EDUCATION FOR PEACE
HUMAN RIGHTS
WOMEN'S EQUALITY
DEMOCRATIC PARTICIPATION
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TOP PRIORITY: The organization's most important culture of peace activity |
HUMAN RIGHTS
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PARTNERSHIPS AND NETWORKS: What
partnerships and networks does your organization participate in, thus
strengthening the global movement for a culture of peace? |
Networks:
on the Arab level, we have many friends and we are in different groups,
as well as, we have found an Arab Group "Non-Violent Arabs".
On
the international level, we are members in "MAN - Mouvement pour une
Alternative Non-violente" and in the "World Coalition Against The Death
Penalty"...
LACR partnership with local partners is achieved
through two segments: Train and support others, and organize campaigns
with others.
Regional and International: we have created a
partnership with many Arab and international Organizations working on
human rights, non-violence, education, etc.
Many international
organizations have been in solidarity with our programs and support
them financially, such as IKV/PAX Christi Netherlands, the European
Union, the Heinrich Boll Foundation, OXFAM Quebec, AECI – Spain,
INTERSOS Italy…
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ACTIONS: What activities have
been undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence during the ten years of the Decade? If you already made a
report in 2005, your information from 2005 will be included in the 2010
report.
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The
Lebanese Association for Civil Rights (LACR) is an active association
involved in disseminating non-violence, non-sectarianism, human rights
and democracy values and constructive alternatives, through education,
awareness, training as well as defending social, economic, political
and ecological causes non-violently.
LACR was founded back in
August 2003 by Dr Walid SLAYBI and Dr Ogarit YOUNAN who are pioneers
and initiators in tackling human and civil rights in Lebanon. With the
establishment of LACR, they have institutionalized the 25-year
experience and projects; they turned the projects into institutions
which achieved the continuity and the stability of the work.
Since
1983, at the stage of war and violent shifts in Lebanon and the region,
they set off a realistic dream to build a project that presents a new
idea, which its rooted choices and its cumulative achievements affect a
structural change in the lives of individuals and society... The
“non-violence and people’s rights” project, it was a hard day to day
work, idea, writing and training on the ground and through initiatives,
proposing alternatives, establishing groups and civic campaigns,
supporting groups and individuals... A work that entered in the society
a renewed intellectual and human force, briefed in 4 NO: No to
Violence, No to Sectarianism, No to Economic Injustice, No to Hegemony;
and 4 YES: Yes to Non-Violence, Yes to Non-Sectarianism, Yes to
Justice, Yes to Self Sovereignty.
We look at LACR as being a civil movement with national and regional projects and impact.
LACR is known for its innovative grassroots action aiming to change mentalities, attitudes, laws and … from bottom up.
Across
Lebanon, since 1983 to date, thousands of youth, women, children,
students, teachers, NGOs, workers, political activists, journalists,
etc. have been trained through LACR co-founders work.
Three Complementary Initiatives
The
founders of LACR are currently working on institutionalizing and
empowering 3 fundamental pioneer projects in Lebanon and for the region
with hundreds of activities inside each: “AUNOHR” – “BILAD” – “CHAML”.
+++++ AUNOHR: Academic University for Non-Violence and Human Rights in the Arab World (AUNOHR): (e-mail: university@houkoukmadania.org)
AUNOHR,
which is the first of its kind in the region, is an academy for
specialization, a local independent non sectarian institution, that
provides specialized certificates of Masters Degree, and graduates
yearly based on increasing plan tens and hundreds of non-violent
professionals from different Arab countries. It:
* Institutionalizes pioneer curricula to teach non-violence, human rights and non-sectarianism in schools and universities,
* And launches “a network of non-violent schools and universities”,
* Prepares non-violent experts for associations, training centers, media, law and civil campaigns,
* Institutionalizes for insistent of high future effect professions and social roles,
* Offers various and highly required labor market for thousands of individuals,
*Curriculums. Medium for dialogues. International library. Publications and Translations.
An institution and a productive one for
educational and academic materials to introduce to schools and
universities on non-violence, human rights, sectarianism, humane civic
education, educational theatre, mediation… in different Arab countries…
Medium for intellectual dialogue, that will
institutionalize and host within it individuals with unique knowledge
and experience, Arab and international…
Non-Violent comprehensive library, the first in the region, that
collects the Arabic and international production and heritage on
non-violence, civil education, training, non-sectarianism and human
rights.
Publishing house under the title
“non-violence” for the first time in the Arab world, to enrich the
production in the Arabic language with publications, new educational
tools, films...
AUNOHR is an educational
academic institution, and at the same time, it is an association
concerned in developing the concepts, culture, public policies, and
civil society positions, with respect to all what is related to
violence, sectarianism and human rights violations.
Majors of the University: 9 Fields for Specialization
The
Culture & Philosophy of Non-Violence – Culture and Philosophy of
Non-Violent Education – Positive Management of Conflicts, Non-Violent
Mediation – Educational and Social Non-Violent Theatre – Education of
Non-Racism and Non-Sectarianism – Social Training: Philosophy &
Active Methods – Strategies of Civil Campaign & Lobbying – Culture
and Legal Instruments of Human Rights – Philosophy of Justice.
Creation
of 100 “Pedagogic Houses”: First of its kind in Lebanon and in the
Region, it aims at the institutionalization of the education on
non-violence, non-sectarianism and democracy through establishing a
kind of “informal schools” in 100 villages and cities overall Lebanon.
+++++ BILAD: is a summary of the Arabic phrase
In
a country which has suffered from more than 170 years of sectarian
conflicts, in a country where sectarianism and violence are deep rooted
in pedagogic and political life, in a country emerging from a 15
years-civil war (1975) and still suffering from political and sectarian
crisis that is causing violence and strengthened the
institutionalization of sectarianism and the “dividing walls,” the
institutionalization of education on non-violence, non-sectarianism and
democracy, becomes a “more than urgent project”.
Both violence
& sectarianism are based on one common principle: Canceling the
Different Other… To counter violence and sectarianism, it is not enough
to change the constitution or remove political sectarianism or change
electoral laws or even civil personal codes. These are necessary
changes but they are the upper shelter to a weak foundation that may
fall any minute if we don’t change the psychological and social
infrastructure and the mentalities. That is why we have to go to the
roots, to the sources of the problems i.e. to education, to the
behavior and daily attitudes especially with children, youth,
educators, women & civil society activists.
Through setting
up a network of 100 “Pedagogic Houses,” “BILAD” aims at the
institutionalization of a national network of deep-seated “houses,”
scattered all over the villages and cities of Lebanon which will act to
consecrate these alternatives in the heart of people’s daily life and
their social policies, as well as to foster openness and dialogue
between different social and communal groups. Each “house,” seated
among neighborhood houses close to people, will be in a way, a “school
for Life” which materializes “physically” these ideals & concrete
methods and “popularize” them. This network will also serve as a
non-violent “model” for our partners in the region and link with our
common project that is creating a Youth Regional Arabic Non-violent
Gathering.
We have already established 8 initiatives for
“houses” in 8 different regions: 2 in the South, 2 in the North, 3 in
Mount-Lebanon and 1 in the Bekaa. Three of them which are able now to
continue the step and experience, will be turned into “model” –
permanent institutions.
+++++ CHAML is the English spelling for the Arabic term
It
is a youth national gathering, women and men, which act as a new youth
civil power in the Lebanese society and through it on regional level by
creating many Arabic “CHAML” in Palestine, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Jordan,
etc.
“CHAML” gathering, which brings together young people from
all over Lebanon, is ready to act as a “conscience” of the society by
reflecting and defending 5 main values and principles mentioned in
CHAML’ Chart: No to violence / No to Sectarianism & Racism / Yes to
Justice & Equality / Yes to self Independence & Sovereignty /
Yes to Democracy & People Participation.
CHAML was
registered in 2007 as an independent association, its first members are
young Lebanese citizens, men and women, who have been deeply trained
during 2 years with LACR on non-sectarianism and non-violence and on
the democratic participation in society, and who are aware of their
rights, want to defend them, and have viable alternatives to apply.
Arab CHAML
The
Lebanese CHAML will be the base of Arab and Regional CHAML that was
launched in 2008 through LACR support to tens of individuals and civil
organizations trained deeply with us on Non-violence since 2004.
+++++ Regional Training on Non-Violence
It
is a continuous process toward forming a new Arab non-violent force. It
started in 2004 and ended in 2009 by the establishment of AUNOHR.
+++++ Non-Violent Mothers for Civil Peace: the oath expresses the nature of the movement:
We, non-violent mothers
Vow to our children
We will not allow them to kill
We will not allow them to be killed
We will not allow them to fight each other
They are all our children
We, non-violent mothers
Vow to our children
Vow and pledge
We will not raise them on violence
We will not raise them on sectarianism
We will not allow raising them on violence and sectarianism
We, non-violent mothers
Vow to our children
We will not allow them to kill
We will not allow them to be killed
We will not allow them to fight each other
They are all our children
+++++ Struggling Against Death Penalty
It
is a continuous struggle by Dr. Walid SLAYBI and Dr. Ogarit YOUNAN to
abolish death penalty in Lebanon, it started in 1997 and is till going
on till today.
While many people voiced their opposition to
capital punishment, it is only until 1997 that an efficient National
Campaign was carried out, upon the initiative of the 2 Non-violent
activists Dr. Ogarit YOUNAN & Dr. Walid SLAYBI, who coordinated the
activities of the Campaign from 1997 – 2004 with a coordination
committee composed of 5 associations.
3 Turning points – dates:
1997:
Walid SLAYBI signs his book “Death Penalty Kills” (co-authoring with
Ogarit YOUNAN), for former Prime Minister Dr. Salim HOSS, at the
International and Arab Book Fair – December 1997. The book, which
encompasses a scientific research, statistics, history, stories since
independence, alternatives to the death penalty, etc. formed an
important intellectual and sociological asset as a starting point for a
National Campaign against death penalty in Lebanon. The book was among
the best sellers within its category at the Book Fair.
1998: The
Campaign started “on the ground” at dawn at 4:00 a.m., the 19th of May
1998, near to the gallows where two young men were executed in public
in Tabarja square (Kesrwan). A silent demonstration, wearing black and
holding a black & white banner with a slogan from SLAYBI book: “We
declare the mourning on the victims of the crime & the victims of
the execution.” This action has moved things in favor of the abolition.
2001: The first Result was the abolition of the “killer must be
killed” law, no 302/94 by the parliament. The First Lebanese Civil
Force in favor of the Abolition was also formed and announced in this
year: 58 civil organizations & parties and tens of young
volunteers, judges, lawyers, intellectuals, journalists and religious…
The number of the Lebanese abolitionist Groups, NGOs & individuals
was growing.
Perspectives: A perceptible beginning of change in
the public opinion. Even though 3 persons were executed on January
2004, the tendency is more & more in favor of an official
moratorium. A first draft law was presented (2004) to the Parliament by
7 deputies, encouraged by the Campaign. July 2006: A new draft law was
presented by the National Campaign and signed by 7 deputies. 2008: the
Minister of Justice proposed a draft law to the government to abolish
death penalty. 2009 - 2010: different activities were implemented
to revive the struggle against death penalty.
First students of AUNOHR
Non-violent Mothers logo
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PROGRESS: Has your organization
seen progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain
of action and in your constituency during the second half of the
Decade? |
We
have crowned the 10 years of working on non-violence by
institutionalizing first of its kind university in Lebanon and the
region, a university dedicated to non-violence and human rights in the
service of the human being and society in Lebanon and the Arab world.
Throughout
our work in Lebanon and the region (Syria, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq and
Egypt) within these 10 years and before (through the work of the
founders of LACR) we had sensed change in the target people, in
children, in youth, in women, in communities… An “Arab Non-Violent
Group” was established in the region… A youth active group is
campaigning and struggling for the culture of non-violence and
non-sectarianism in Lebanon… "Life long" Non-violent non-sectarian
houses were found in different Lebanese regions... A "life long"
university for non-violence is founded and is institutionalizing
pioneer curricula to teach non-violence, human rights and
non-sectarianism; and is institutionalizing a network of non-violent
schools and universities…
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OBSTACLES: Has your organization faced any obstacles to implementing the culture of peace and nonviolence? If so, what were they?
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Within
our march of disseminating non-violence we had faced obstacles, mainly
(1) the situation of the country that we live in; the country suffers
from sectarianism and continuous political conflicts that affects the
security status, especially within the past years and mainly from 2005,
Lebanon suffered from war, from internal and political conflicts. (2)
The financial support: most of the time, we are exerting a huge
voluntary work, while such march needs a good financial support to
continue. (3) And in general, the increasing of violence and
fundamentalism worldwide that is affecting Lebanon and the region.
DESPITE all this, we didn't stop and we didn't give up, in fact
we had made great achievements.
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PLANS: What new engagements are
planned by your organization in the short, medium and long term to
promote a culture of peace and nonviolence? |
We
will be continuing what we have started because the projects are
pioneer institutionalizing projects that will have their effects on the
long term in behaviors and attitudes of the target people. The
university will continue hosting students every year; BILAD houses will
work to cover the whole Lebanese regions; CHAML will continue to be the
conscience and a tool in the hands of the youth; the Non-violent
mothers will go on to reach as much mothers as possible; and the
struggle against death penalty will be increased to reach the abolition
of the penalty in Lebanon.
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GLOBAL MOVEMENT: How do you think the culture of peace and nonviolence could be strengthened and supported at the world level??
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