Hayya Bina

Hayya Bina is a Lebanese civic initiative dedicated to offering a platform for moderate, liberal and independent voices, committed to resisting the culture of fear and intolerance.  Our aim is to restore hope and opportunity to those currently underrepresented in Lebanese society through broadening networks, developing grassroots advocacy programs, providing capacity building and coaching, and building coalitions of diverse activists. Born out of the turmoil of the 2005 parliamentary elections, our first campaign highlighted the right of citizens to participate in political life on the basis of civic values rather than sectarian belonging - a principle which continues to guide our work. Today, Hayya Bina implements Teach Women English, which provides rural adult women with English language scholarships, Clerics Without Borders, a multi-confessional network of clerics supporting conflict resolution, Hayya Bina Youth Forums, supporting at-risk youth in hard-to-access regions. In addition, Hayya Bina produces timely research and analysis related to politics, activism and violence in Lebanon.