Hate something, change something (with apologies to that Honda ad)

Thank you AK for the invitation to post this. This is nothing more than a cry from the heart.

On Tuesday afternoon, as the country began its plunge into the depths of depression, my CEO walked into my office. I knew what was coming. Ours is one of the few remaining multinational companies whose Middle East and North Africa headquarters, against commercial realities and pressure from global management, remains stubbornly based in Beirut, an aberration I thought was just about to be corrected. I waited for the Dubai blow. I was wrong. “We stay in Beirut”, he stated instead. There was a hint of a question, and somehow I heard myself reply: “we stay in Beirut”. Then we laughed. Boy, did we laugh. We laughed like schoolchildren who have just seen a far-fetched prank come off. We laughed like Robert De Niro laughed as he played Russian roulette in The Deer Hunter. We laughed like the idiots we knew we were.

Today we’re no longer laughing. Because now, that insane switch that controls Lebanon’s mood has been at work again and that potent mixture of euphoria and amnesia has been swallowed in one shot. We’re unapologetically drunk. Indeed I am as I write this.

When I left Lebanon during the Civil War, driven out by a collision between fresh-faced journalistic ideals and militia threats to my life, I left with a sense of disgust. A few years later, that disgust slowly metamorphosed into a latent desire to justify my absence from my country, a justification fueled by every possible  pragmatic reason one can think of. These reasons don’t differ much from those that have been exposed, ad nauseam, in the comments section of this blog. In fact I too have ranted against that collection of flaws that somehow contrive to make Lebanon what it is, more than any blog can handle. The corruption, the one-upmanship, the communities that dictate where love should be found, the families that strangle the rebel in every child until he or she is a child no more, the cronyism, the quality of the asphalt, damn it. You name it, I have ranted against it.

But rants do not nations make. The Jewish Lobby doesn't waste time sniggering about Hamas' lack of a long-term plan. The mullahs that hijacked the real Iranian revolution did not spend their time ranting against un-Islamic practices. Neither did the glorified thugs, camouflaged as they were in their divine resistance slogans, before they seized Beirut. In fact, I doubt very much that Steve Jobs had been bitching about the gargantuan power of the music industry when he was setting out to dismantle it with iTunes and iPods. Ranting, moaning and hand wringing is in my book the most fake-elegant antiseptic handwash for lazy intellectuals and the educated wastes as a whole. It is the real obstacle to progress, disguised as it is in the cloak of pseudo-knowledgeable analyses while being nothing more than a barricade of defeatism, manned by people who believe that history repeats itself rather than strive to avoid it doing so.

A lifelong card-carrying member of the live-it-to-the-max brigade, child of the who-knows-what-tomorrow-may-bring-so-lets-fuck-tonight generation of civil war epicurists, I may be one of the Beiruti liberal bourgeois former expats who believe that you shouldn’t have to do today what you can postpone until tomorrow. But I do not live in an ivory tower. Today, I genuinely feel that, as I happily soak in the now-traditional post-worry atmosphere that only Beirut can conjure up, we should raise our glasses not just to our resilient spirit, but to what we can do.

The Lebanese diaspora – and that includes many of you people – is one of the largest in the world. Some 11 million, I think. It may not compare in size and weight to the Jewish wordwide lobby, but damn it, it’s one hell of a body. What if, like our Jewish brethren (yes, and no apologies for that) we drew a plan? What if the thinking fraction of those millions turned rant and exodus apologies into action points, into suggestions at least, into idea kernels that can grow into the oaks they can be?  “All our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death”, said the Bard. Can we look forward rather than let our past experiences and learnings blight our possibilities? Today, several embryonic, forward-looking movements are trying to break through the Lebanese feudal media blanket. We, you guys abroad, and those of us with courage and conviction here should fuel them rather than drive them to despondency and flight. This blog is – and forgive me AK if I’m abusing – a perfect platform for a start. Ghassan Karam outlined once some points in what some saw as a naïve proposal for a better Lebanon. Well, hail naivete, I say. More, please. Lets turn this into a forum for what can be rather than an easy deconstruction of what we all know is. Regardless of what you may think of parliamentary elections in Lebanon, they do sometimes spring surprises. Hell, the 2000 law was supposed to thwart Hariri. Look what happened instead. We have just about enough time to make the 2009 elections a turning point. Not with some miraculous touch of a magic wand, of course not. But by planting a seed. Or at least by handing over a watering can to those who believe that there is a garden of hope out there, not just the pointless, self-serving disgust I was once guilty of. What say you?

Comments

[danny]

Naja,

A very poignant cry from the heart that reflects most of our thoughts and aspirations.

A heartfelt thank you.

Cheers

[Jeha]

Yalla,

Naja, fekra jhannamieh! I'm in.

Any campaign needs information, and we can take care of much of it;

I am a numbers guy, so we could prepare a tracking scorecard for each Lebanese MP, the current ones, and the ones running for elections. We can have a framework ready by end of August, and this would allow us to specify the data that we need to feed in the algorithm... It'll be so much fun to "grade" those worthies.

We could also provide background information for white papers on various issues. You name it, We have it, or We can find it.

We can have it all on a website, but presentation/website wise has to be done by someone else... But we know engines.

... Anything else?

[ghassan karam]

The short answer to your suggestion cannot be but an unqualified resounding yes. Yes to set up an effort whereby participants will be deliberate and analytical will be at least informative and might even be productive.
I am reminded of that great quote by Keynes "Ideas...both when they are right and when they are wrong are more powerful than commonly understood. Indeed the world is ruled by nothing else. Practical men who believe themselves to be exempt from intellectual influences , are usually the slaves of some defunct (thinker)."

Only yesterday I posted a few lines on Ms Levant , a blog devoted to the serious exchange of ideas, and the response of MM was to suggest that we start exactly what you have suggested. Let me , based on personal experience, warn those who might decide to carry this challenge forward that you have to condition yourself to accept less than an overwhelming support for your ideas. Around 8-9 months ago I had basically the same idea and I acted on it. ( I am revealing this for the first time, only two people know about this effort) I commissioned an outfit to design an internet banner and I paid for it to run for over two months. The banner carried the simple message "Jumblatt for President" and once one clicks on it then an essay about Secularism appears an asks the reader to participate in that exercise. The campaign ran for over 8 weeks but less than 45 people left comments and very few if any were serious. I am not relating this story to discourage anyone from going ahead but I think that you must be realistic in your expectations.
Allow me to add another cautionary note. Emotionalism, unrealistic expectations and fantasies are no substitutes for solid analysis,and the ability to make sensible judgements. A popular expression explains this the best, no matter how hard you wish it pigs don't fly. To create a democracy on anything less than solid grounds will be an exercise in futility.

[Bad Vilbel]

A very poignant piece, Naja.

And as usual, I must find myself agreeing with Ghassan's comment (specially the last bit).

Oddly enough, only yesterday, was I contemplating some sort of effort along the lines of what's being suggested here.

In the end it's all about education, education, education (the solid foundation that Ghassan speaks of, that is a pre-requisite for anything sound).

[Jeha]

Ghassan,

I still think a scorecard can have an impact, and it could be fun... We can focus mostly on bread and butter issues, and some objective criteria related to basic freedoms.

... It takes a first step

[ghassan karam]

Jeha,
I happen to agree with you that a score card and an indepebdent arbiter can be very effective. It might take some time for the idea to catch on but I think that eventually it can very very effective. I have found out that people in Lebanon do not note the contradictions that their pols advocate because their is no such thing as an honest independent media.Independent media have ,in my mind, the most important function in a democracy; they are not beholden to any of the parties. If I had it my way then I would even prevent political parties from owning their own media outlets because that would be the easiest way to corrupt a democracy. Sen , a noble laureate, and I agree with him thinks that the most important orerequisite for a democracy is an independent and vigorous press. In a sense I have started something similar to this a few days ago, I have cut and pasted 3-4 quotes to show how is it that each group has a completely different understanding of Doha but above all Doha, the 1960 election law and the last crisis have made confessionalism acceptable. Demayel and others seem to judge things not on how they affect Lebanon but how they impact their immeduate clan.If we can influence but one person then the effort would have been worth while. Let me again be candid with you, the primary reason that I have decided to go on posting these articles on Yalibnan is due to the fact that based on comments from readers all over the world the ideas seem to connect. That is powerful because it validates their ideas and then all of a sudden they are empowered to defend them. So sure we have to give it a try, we have no choice but to fight the good fight and accept whatever the outcome turns out to be.

[Min Canada]

I am in guys. I will devote every minute that I can towards this goal. AK has my address. Let's start organizing.

[ankhfnkhonsu]

I must say that I am not Lebanese and further, that my real consciousness of Lebanon only began in 2005. Since that time I have been following several Lebanese bloggers and I have say that you are a most fascinating, passionate and intellectual group.

In North America we take for granted what you so urgently and desperately desire and it makes me, as an outsider really evaluate the value of democracy.

Your idea, is of course a very potent one and my only comment, would be that: it is hard enough to organize such a venture and the demands of time are great, so to take a page from the "Lobby", and hizbo, my respectful suggestion would be to organize fundraising in the diaspora. Money raised for such a worthy endeavor will enhance its possibilities for success.

[Sydney2008]

dear all,

...i used to check the lebanese news on a daily basis...but since i found this blog i am checking it first thing in the morning...it is so rich in ideas, passion and sense of belonging to lost identities...Writings of min canada and shankleesh are so funny and makes me smile everytime i remember how they expressed very serious issues...
I think the first thing is to find a way to make this blog more popular and accessible...

[whywesteppin]

Naja, thanks for the great post. If there's anyone I'd want leading the country, it's the people of this blog.

Just to throw some ideas out there (albeit similar to ones already suggested), I would like to see us focus on a few basic ideas, such as a vote for the diaspora, a commitment to freedom of the press, etc. We could try to see which candidates in 2009 support these ideas and we could organize some campaign for them (maybe via contributions from those 11 million in the diaspora).

I hope this conversation continues and grows into something substantial that brings a positive change to Lebanon. There's no reason it can't be done.

[Marillionlb]

Thank you Naja for saying out loud what most of Lebanese think. Many bloggers have been for at least three years trying to make a difference, but never got organized (I even called for many of us to meet more than once). I would just like to point out one thing and that if the foundation is to be solid, the emphasis should be put on education.
Just like you Naja, I decided to leave for security reason and came back to stay for good and one day rest my bones.
Many are trying to do something maybe it will be an idea to get in touch and coordinate efforts. (http://chroniquesbeyrouthines.20minutes-blogs.fr/)
(http://initiativeliban.skyrock.com/)

[abu yussif]

ak, you've inspired me to read the 'protocols' again.

[R]

Ok, sold.

If we are serious about this then we need to get organized as a first step. I suggest some type of timeline. For example, here is one possible proto-plan:

1- Since the idea initiated on this blog, AK should setup a sister blog/site to this one completely dedicated to this discussion.
2- Once the site is setup, we dedicate a certain amount of time, for example two weeks to a month (or whatever we see fit), just to CLEARLY define a set of objectives and a STRATEGY to achieve these objectives.
3- Once that is accomplished, we launch an internet campaign on all participating blogs, posting links to the "campaign website".... Simultaneously, we try to spread the word and the message and we try to get our own circle of friends and acquaintances excited and involved. The reason is that for this to work, I think we need to build some type of minimal critical mass so that what we plan translates to something on the ground.
4- We capitalize on the fact that we have people both abroad and based in Lebanon to launch a fund-raising campaign to fund a media campaign. Roughly something along the line of "ba3id ma ntakhabton 7asibon" and "2abil ma tintikhibon, talebon" or whatever sounds attractive, relevant and serves the goals we agree on.
5- For example, one very simple thing we can aim for is to try to organize for a series of roaming university lectures to be given by appropriate people with the objective of promoting a culture that holds politicians accountable to their constituents for their promises and failures, etc...

These are just very rough, unedited ideas that can and should be improved on. But like I said, if we are serious about this, then we need to start defining objectives, then planning, then fundraising, then executing, then failing then starting again and failing better.

[VOR]

Naja,

I have always held the belief that the lebanese of the diaspora if they came together could make a huge difference in turning things around in Lebanon. This is a great start and I am excited that you stepped up to bring this great idea forward. Let's put all of our efforts together and make this vision a reality!

[Linda]

In total agreement with all of the above... Since you are still at the stage of throwing ideas, what I gather is that you will have a sis blog with facts and assessements on potential candidates? We could use a "how to" manual in terms of how we can vote. Can we even vote from here (i.e. overseas - not in Libnan) without a "bitaka intikhabya"? I have a hundred more question so now is the time to choose a POC (point of contact) and an inspiring leader/founder/manager who can keep it up. Baby steps work best. And please do not let this energy die when the next post comes along.

[EV]

I think this is a great idea. Just to gather a mass of intellectuals who can read, write and think comprehensively is a tremendous asset for our country and serious competition for those useless and gutless leaders that pretend to govern Lebanon.

The idea of a sister blog is great and eventually we would need to meet face to face to cement our relationships. I would suggest at a later date a conference that could be videotaped and disseminated to our "constituencies".

[Qifa Nabki]

Great piece, Naja.

Part of the trouble is that so many of the Lebanese diaspora organizations are unsavory: highly sectarian, disorganized, out of touch with contemporary on-the-ground realities in Lebanon.

What is needed is a respectable movement, non-sectarian, professional, informational, and highly organized.

[Amir in Tel Aviv]

Yes. The diaspora could make the difference.

Look at the Jewish project "birth-right-Israel".
Every Jewish guy/girl between the ages 18-26 is entitled to a 10 days trip to Israel (FREE=OF=CHARGE).

Just pack your suitcase and go. Hopefully, you'll fall in love with us, and you want to stay and become an Israeli citizen. Take a look:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birthright_Israel

http://www.birthrightisrael.com/
.

[danny]

Guys and Gals,

I hope this will be the start of something that we can build on in Lebanon. Most of us are spread around the world…Having Naja in Beirut is a great plus. I am certain we can put together a data base of like minded people and come forth with ‘doable” ideas. Rome was not built in a day!
My two cents worth as a topic to discuss and implement…

One idea that I think should be a starter is that of Lebanese legislature having a few seats reserved for the Diaspora (Diaspora MPs). Italy implemented that in their last election. We should try to copy from Jewish Congress as well as Italians. The upcoming year the Boutros Law will be discussed by the parliament…No better time than now to try to integrate these ideas as a possible reform for the next election…

[Min Canada]

Can we compile a list of email addresses, fax numbers, snail mail addresses to:

Politicians
Political Parties
Labor and other non-profit organizations
Media

As soon as we are organized we need to blast everyone that we are watching, ready and will be a factor.

Our first acts should be positive ones and ones that impower the people. I can't wait to start working together on this.

[Vulcan]

I'm not an intellectual or as sophisticated as most of the fine comrades here but if you guys need Cuban Cigars and AK47s for this project let me know..

Viva la revolution

[Sydney2008]

Ok guys...sounds good.
Practically speaking, don't you think that we have to work from within an established political movement and then inject this spirit of reform?
1-The Cedar Revolution is a good start...regardless of the 14th March performance.
2-What about contacting or at least connecting with already established lebanese organizations in the diaspora? I know of a relatively strong lobby in the USA
3-We have to be so clear about our political ideals. It is not good to be with no taste or color. In other words we need some common denominators or the so called "thawabet"

[ghassan karam]

EV
I am not singling you out but I sure do hope that those who might eventually get involved in this effort , if and when it takes off, do not think of themselves as cone heads. That ia a sure kiss of death as far as I am concerned.
My other observation regards the "us" vs "them". That is another no no as far as I am concerned. What is this junk about the diaspora teaching the backward people backhome how to think and act? If any such effort is to have any effect it would have to be a message from within the community and a message about universal essential values. So please curb your enthusiasm, hunker down and be thoughtful. I like the rough outline as presented by R.

[Min Canada]

To hell with the political parties. We need to be above them. We need to be a more agile and less ristricted. The last thing you want is to be pegged as belonging to a party or a Ta2ifa. Cedars that's all. We should be fair to everyone and hard on everyone.

The first thing we need to do is draw a list of what we want. What we are looking for. What Thawabit as Sydney says we want to stand for. The more encompassing these are, the more we will be able to stand as the "Gardians of the revolution" so to speak. Time to shuffle the cards and see if we can win a few political figures from all sides to stand by the Cedar Revolution. Siyada, 3ilmaniyya, Hurriya! How many politicians will vow to work for these and gain our support? We should have a logo to stamp on this inspected and approved.

[Sydney2008]

"guardians of teh Revolution" sounds a good name for what people on this site are trying to launch

I have reservations on "ILMANYAA"...the Cedar Revolution was able to cross confessionalism that is a good thing...and that is what we need...at least for now

[Min Canada]

Ghassan I was writing my response as you were writing yours. I totsally agree with you.

[Jeha]

I like "Guardians of the Revolution", but wouldn't "Lebanese Resistance" be more subversive? As for Cuban Cigars and AK47's, Companeros, I would suggest we pass. Bring in a few Nargiles "mazbouta" and the Arak...

[Min Canada]

Sydney, I am not sure I understand what you mean. Nevertheless let's throw ideas in now and then we will agree as a group what we reduce them to. Let's not start taking ideas out until we have a few dozen in first.

[Sydney2008]

Min Canada,

It is just that i am not comfortable about the idea of secularism in the presence of a demographic imbalance in favor of the shiaa ad the inability of the diaspora to vote and correct this anomaly

[Min Canada]

For those of us outside the country, I would suggest that we can essentially take over the World Council of the Cedar Revolution. This site has 16 members and has been active for some time. If we were to recruit more members we could democratically influance its direction (mostly it is not bad at all) but it is not as active as it should be.

[Sydney2008]

Min canada
I agree with your approach...

[Min Canada]

Sydney, I think we will disagree on the issue of 3ilmaniyya. The demographics will only get worse and unless we can shift the focus from a sectarian one to a secular one we will not win the "Lebanese" in the sects you are afraid of.

I am not afraid of the Shiaa. I embrace all the Lebanese who believe in Siyada, 3ilmaniyya and 7urriya.

If you believe that the Gov of Lebanon should have control of all its territory and control of its policies internally and externally and should be the only entity in Lebanon with the decision to wage war, then you are my comrade.

If you believe that the Lebanese people deserve to rise to the level of their ambitions and capabilities regardless of the religion they were born into, that the worth of a man/woman is their actions and their sacrifice to the cause of the country, then you are my comrade.

If you believe that freedom is the birth right of all man. That we deserve freedom of thought and press and religion and congrugation. That we should put no value above that, then you are my comrade.

Last but not least, the law. We should be a nation that does not deal with the law as a convenience but as a code by which we ALL sink or swin. The law and the judiciary should rise above all. If you believe in that I believe in you.

And I could care less if you are a Shiaa or a Sunni or a Druze or a Maronite, or a Orthodox or a Catholic or a Protistant or a Jew or a Budist or an athiest! Are you Lebanese? Do you believe and will you act by the tenits above. That's all that matters.

[AK]

Naja, great post man.

I think we need to start a campaign to allow expats to vote, or at least allocate seats in parliament for us. How else will they hear our voice? I do fear that this might require another round of talks in a foreign capital. The agreement, sadly, outsourced the democratic process and set a nasty precedent.

Having said that, I am willing to start a second blog if you guys think it's needed. We don't have to start big. Small steps. This blog is for current events, the other could be more focused on the (re)building of the nation. It could include what Jeha proposed, as well as articles and features by writers, academics and laymen with visions. Just thinking out loud here...

[ghassan karam]

The following is a modest effort to keep those interested thinking about the issues, In my judgement all what is required is to establish clearly what is meant by modernity and democracy. That ain't rocket science folks. Hundreds of millions live this without even thinking about it , it is ordinary and taken for granted. The challenge is to move our society in that direction. We have to be clear from the bigining, this will not be an easy matter, our peope have a strong tradition of paying allegiance to the zaim and to the sect rather than to states, laws and ideas. Many people in the village that I come from think that corruption is nothing to be ashamed off. They still think that Camille Chamoun was fine because he shared his take (Akal wa tama'ah). Another aspect to keep in mind is that the college grads , the professionals , the well travelled are your circle but that slice does not represent more than 10 % of the Lebanese population. Our average years of schooling is around 4.5 years only. That will classify you as illeterate in any of the developed countries. With that brief introduction out of the way, I suggest, only as a starting point the following:

1. Non Confessionalism/ Secularism

2. Franchise to allas of 18 yearsold, expand it to allow some of the Lebanese overseas to vote but above all remove all obstacles that make the right to vote difficult to apply Ex the need to cast a ballot in the place of birth although that might be 100 km away.

3. State has monopoly on violence

4. Independent qualified judiciary

5. Independent free and responsible media outlets ( prohibit political party fromowning any public media outlet)

6. Bill of rights ( so that minority would not fear a tyranny by the majority)

7. Majoritarianism ( no opposition is to force itself on the majority)

8. Clear by laws that will assure the Chamber of Deputies to keep its doors opened at all times. The Speaker has to be constrained.Constitutional Council among otherinstitutions are to be kept fully functional all the time.

9. Responsible citizenship. (Ultimately Gov't is a reflection of who we are)

In regard to the above I especially l;ike a phrase that has become popular in Lebanon: "We vote but we don't elect". Democracy cannot florish except when the participants vote and elect.

[Min Canada]

Ya AK ya Abou'l Kil. I can help. My hard drive died a couple of weeks ago and I am on an inferior laptop now, but soon this will change. I can help with web-building as well as anything else that you need.

I can also bring some resources to bare on this. I am not a rich man, but in North America there are many organizations that support and fund democracy and will help us organize and build with resources and methodology. We are not alone.

Let's start. There is a lot to do before we can call on others for help. We have to clarify our focus and goals and build a message that we can take out to the world. Those with experties will then help us fine tune the message and will guide us to the resources we need to make it effective.

Here in Canada, we have our constitution, but we also have our charter of rights and freedoms and this overrides the constitution. I suggest that we need to build that.

I also suggest that we need to give srious thought to changing our system in Lebanon to include a senate that is religiously representative and guarantees that no religious group can be trounced, but then change the house into a secular entity. But I digress. We can continue this conversation on the new blog/site.

[bad vilbel]

I haven't really put my thoughts together for this, so a more elaborate post will ensue, but suffice to say I'm on board this project 100%.

I do want to say that one of the key challenges any such endeavor will encounter is exposure. I look at these blogs we all frequent, and it appears the audience is fairly small. Obviously we will have to find ways to get the message out to a much (MUCH) bigger audience both within and outside Lebanon.

It's probably worth spending some time and effort thinking up ways to get the message out, all the while crafting the message in question.

I think it goes without saying that the overall vision should include secularism (and I don't like that this idea has barely germinated, and we already have one or two comments about Shia demographics in here). One has to remember that almost all of our problems in Lebanon stem from sectarianism, and that any vision we offer will be seen through the lens of a sectarian audience (including the expat vote idea, which will be viewed in Lebanon as a "Christian" idea). So it is going to be very important to frame anything we have within a secular framework. Secular, modern, and sovereign, those are the 3 words that strike me as at the very top of the list.

[Min Canada]

BV,

Totally agree with you: Secular, Sovreign, modern and free. But please we have to super magnify the rule of law.

Exposure is not that hard. If we can get our act together and build a declaration of nation, we can get it published and advertised in many places. The cost is not that high to advertise in Lebanon and we will - I pormise you - get non-governmental backing abroad.

If we create a document that is forward looking and inspiring to the people. One that builds hope and courage and pride, we can build momentum and drive politicians to sign it. A new Mithaaq built on forward looking youth. Rejecting the failed traditions.

Many will fight us and if we allow ourselves to slip into sectarian and party tracks they will label us and we will fail. We have to rise above it all. La M14 wala M8 wala ballooot. Killon under the microscope and he who signs and pledges to enshrine the mithaaq is endorced anyone who doesn't, I don't care how big he is, is not on our side.

[maverick]

There are enough Lebanese expats around the world that will support this movement, you just need to reach them and unite them. Out of 11 million, lets say half will agree, thats more then the population of lebanon. With a creative marketing campaign, you can also have Famous Lebanese figures in on all this.
Heck, if this carries momentum, we can finally seperate the church and state....lol
Good luck, and i hope this does crystallize,Im from Sydney and will do all i that i can to reach out to the Lebanese community.
Otherwise, lets keep ourselves entertained by recycled rhetoric in our warm little blogsite.
:)

[Helen]

I am in, but I think you need a panel of independent reviewers before posting the assembled information.
A comment on Ghassan's latest points; why don't you make it simple for a start, for example two points: reforms and environment?
As a name, it could be something like 'recreating the cedar revolution'. we were all involved in the cedar revolution and the problem was not us but the leaders who took it from us and stood on the podium without asking us.

[Sydney2008]

Dear all,

In my book, people who beleive in the 8th of March ideals are traitors of Lebanon whether aounists, Hizbo, Amal, or Druze and the like.(the group of shoukran syria)
Unless they change their gear and repent for causing too much emotional and financial grief for Lebanon and for nurturing assassination, they won't have my respect. I am not going to compromise the truth and mix white with balck and put both movements on the same level...And i found it very ungrateful to put all 14th March leaders in the same basket...they sacrified their own lifes and had to go through humiliation, media attacks and so on. I am not going to be ungrateful to the 14th of March people who defied the traitors of Lebanon by demonstarting and resisting the evil of terrorism represented by Iran,syria and HIZb &co. A new diaspora movement that does not acknowledge the achievemnt of this movement will not be as effective as it should be ...They alraedy sow the seeds of a free lebanon, and "we" should take the "baton" from that point...it is ok to review, criticize and move forward...but it is so risky to go bitter on what people of Lebanon has already achieved...
For the first time in the history of Lebanon we have a grass root movement such as the 14th of March movement or cedar revolution that successfully crossed all confessions ...i don't care if "we" are stigmatized as long as we are standing by the truth...AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE...

[Roch]

To Jeha, Ghassan, AK, and the rest...
Guardians of the Revolution" or "Lebanese Resistance"...
Count me in!
Some of you know me personaly and you have my emails.
will try to recruit others...

[ghassan karam]

Get realistic!!! What eleven million and getting the support of half of them? Stop dreaming. I very much doubt that these figures are anything approaching reality. But even if they are how does you propose to reach all of them and have 5.5 million offer you their support? Do you want to do that through a sister blog for B2B? And you want to do all of this within a year?

Let me repeat this one more time and then I will never say it again: Getting the support of those that live overseas is not the issue , making a slight difference in Lebanon is.

[Jeha]

Ghassan has a point,

We cannot focus on "volume" and, in any case, we are a naturally factious bunch.... Better play the "guerilla" card; focus on high-visibility stuff.

In this, I note an absence of realistic and objective background information, so this is what I would focus on in the first place; the scorecard.

[maverick]

It is a war of ideas more then anything,and with any war of idea, there is a battle over hearts and minds. A united Lebanese diaspora over simple issues that make a viable state is not out of reach, okay maybe 5-6 million was exaggerated, i was caught in romantic fervor, but its not about numbers, a strong united force pushing its message across and give hope to the Lebanese who are pro-state, and make those on the opposing camp requestion their stances, and future outlook on Lebanon,thats all....it would help dramatically.
Reaching out is not as hard as you might think, there are many Lebanese abroad who already share our views, but feel alone in their stances, because nobody voices their concerns.Take for example here in Sydney, There is no united Lebanese Lobby, and most Lebanese attend their proposed political party who stink of rhetoric and repeat the lines of the Zaim back in Lebanon followed by offcourse, the dabke and whisky.
There are campaigns in Lebanon who were successful in getting their message across, for a little while until they became obsolete..the "khalas" campaign, the "11th March" campaign, " I Love Life" campaign...because they only managed to oppose the status Quo, but never worked in achieving solutions or reform..perhaps, lack of inspiration, perhaps, the Lebanese political/social jungle never allowed them to take off,properly.....but as in the Lebanese diasporas case, there are no real setbacks,and we can make a difference if we put our heads together.
GK, your points are simple and are realistic tenets of any viable state. No sophistication or intellect needed, just movement and inspiration.

[Sydney2008]

Maverick

Do you think we can do anything in Sydney without first collaborating with existing political parties?(I don't belong to any so far)

[danny]

Ghassan you are right. Let's concentrate on getting this off the ground with realistic goals not far fetched schemes (with all due respect to everyone's enthusiastic input). I’ve had the privilege of reading your thoughts through the past year or so...
Our focus should be systematic and focus on making a difference in Lebanon. Thus our efforts should be coordinated with like minded Lebanese in Lebanon. After all (sorry to all who get offended), it is their country before ours. Most of us only go back as tourists, they live there! Also, my suggestion would be if we get the project off the ground; I'm sure many of us who are involved in the communities we live in, the process of connecting with them would be easier...

Let's not get over excited with notions that are not functional and practical. The hook up with like minded centres will be a start as well. Let's not recreate the wheel...

Most important, physical presence in Lebanon is of utmost importance. That's why I reassert the idea of Diaspora MPs (even as non voting in critical matters..."as not to give the feudal lords excuses about sectarian imbalances...") should be discussed when analysis of The Boutros law commences in the parliament...The Italian model would work for Lebanese as well!

As for Sydney...Open your mind. Let’s not call blocks of people traitors PLEASE People have different onions! We should be all inclusive and NON SECTARIAN...Sometimes it befuddles me that most of us who live in the West have neighbors and associates of different races, creeds and religions...and we cohabitate perfectly. However; as soon as Lebanon's issue comes up we become tribal!!!

This has to be expunged from our thinking process ONCE and FOR ALL!!

[Min Canada]

Folks I am with Ghassan on many issues.
We need to activite INTERNAL support. The external support is always good and welcome but it is the INTERNAL one that will get things going.

Forget the political parties. Sydney, I can see we will disagree on many things. You have to get out of your small angle and look broader at ALL of Lebanon. You are still in the mind set of us and them and if you approach it from that angle, guess what, it will be us and them and nothing will change.

This is a corrective measure for the Cedar Revolution. Meaning that it went astray. So no. While I stand behind M14 in my political views, I will not support an effort by the Guardians of the Revolution that pits M14 against M8. I want to win them all. I want to subjugate all the parties to this new declaration. ALL of them should be below the will of the people. I would even go as far as saying we should invite a few open minded and intellegent M8 supporters to join us. If we can't convince them and build a document with them, we will not win the hearts and minds of their supporters.

And Sydney: Collaborating with existing political parties meas that they will take your initiative and run with it themselves. No thanks.

AK, I lost your emails. Can you email me again please? Can you share my email with Ghassan? Thank you.

[naja]

Good God, is this how revolutions are started? I never expected such an enthusiastic response. Thank you all for this newfound injection of hope and ambition for the homeland, and for resolutely moving the arguments forward rather than go round in circles over whether Doha was the right thing or not. To tell you the truth, practically all the proposals here carry possibilities, although in varying degrees of realism and implementability. I would hate it to stop here, as it would have been just as sterile and pointless as the anguished debate over the merits or otherwise of our politicians' recent performance.

I do agree with Ghassan (boy, this is beginning to sound like a broken record) that we need to frame any future activity within realistic goals and, indeed, our own available time. Jeha, I believe the scorecards are frankly an excellent initiative, and one upon which much can be built within a site that aims at "reforming Lebanon". Pressure for expats representation in the parliament is rightly needed, too, as well as learning from the Jewish diaspora. There is already a growing movement for expat votes and I believe we should lend it support.

Whatever we do, however, should absolutely not come from a partisan perspective, but from a will to promote proper democracy in the country.

Once again, much thanks for your response, folks. And AK, thanks, well, for everything.

[Min Canada]

Mabrouk everyone. It seems there is still hope in Lebanon. We have 9 NINE count them NINE members of parlament who stand on the principles of upholding the constitution.

Oh and Mabrouk to everyone, we have an unconstitutional president...again.

[aboujahl]

just beautiful! it prompts one to go silent, i hope not for ever; thank you!