Resources

تقرير بحثي | أيلول 2015
 هل لهم من مأوى؟ بحث في مجال توفير مآو مؤقتة للاجئين السوريين في لبنان من إعداد  ناصر ياسين, طارق عسيران, ريما الراسي, و مروى البستاني 

This Conflict Analysis Digest is composed of: I. Current conflict trends 1- Overview of mapped conflict incidents in Lebanon, with the villages where most incidents are mapped for each classification. (Between 1 July 2014 and 28 June 2015) 2- Mapped air strikes/ armed conflicts and violations classified as Syrian Border Conflicts. (Between 1 July 2014 and 28 June 2015) 3- Overview of mapped conflict incidents in the Matn. II. Brief thematic report Politics of security, discourses of fear and economic fatigue: the conflict dynamics in al-Matn Abstract: This short report provides an...

This Conflict Analysis Digest is composed of: I.Current conflict trends - p.5 II.Brief thematic report - p.11 Spatial Fragmentation and rise in poverty: the conflict context in Saida Abstract: This short report provides a contextual and analytical summary of the conflict in the region of Saida, south of Lebanon, with a focus on spatial struggles and poverty growth. It describes the main conflict actors and how they have historically contributed to the shaping of conflictual dynamics in Saida from the fifties until today. Findings highlight that while most observers and media attention are...

GVC and YAB have implemented a pilot initiative in 6 public schools in order to provide directors, teachers, special educators and social workers with technical tools and expertise to encourage the inclusion of children with special needs. Almost 60 children have been included in regular classes all along the implementation (2012-2015). At the same time, the project involved parents and communities where the 6 schools are located to raise culture of diversity and respect and to enhance participation of children with special needs at all levels of social and cultural life.

LET THE KIDS DO IT A lot has been said and printed about the role that is expected to be performed by YOUTH in the governance process, and here I am thinking generally of University undergraduates.  However, I do not recall reading any serious and studied proposals on the subject. It is as though, some of our esteemed dinosaur leaders consider the idea so “farfetched “that, for them, it is not really worth considering. They ask: “Do you seriously think that “kids” can tell us what to do or not do? The answers would be: First, these “kids”, as you call them, can come up with some fresh ideas...

Digital Citizen is a biweekly review of news, policy, and research on human rights and technology in the Arab World.  It is a collaborative reporting effort by Global Voices Advocacy, Access, EFF, and Social Media Exchange. Get the latest edition of Digital Citizen on the web.

Working Paper | April 2015
Social Justice and the Arab Uprisings by Amaney A. Jamal and Michael Robbins
As the Arab Spring proceeded, massive changes swept across the region. Long-standing stability gave rise to ongoing chaos in some countries, most notably Syria and Libya, but also to a significant extent in Tunisia and Egypt. Meanwhile, Islamist parties won free and fair elections in Egypt and Tunisia and were allowed to come to power. These and other changes greatly altered the political landscape across the region. The importance of these changes cannot be overstated. Yet, amidst talk of a...

Research Report | April 2015
In this paper, we analyze the susceptibility of agricultural outputs to future climate change in Lebanon, and the extent to which it propagates to the economic system as a whole. We use a methodological framework in which physical and economic models are integrated for assessing the higher-order economic impacts of projected climate changes. By using this integrated modeling approach, we are able to quantify the broader economic impacts in the country by considering not only the temporal dimension but also the regional disaggregation of the results. Our estimates...

The adapted version of the Global "Program P" manual provides concrete strategies and activities to engage men in active positive fatherhood, from their partner’s pregnancies through their children’s early years. It identifies best practices on engaging men in maternal and child health, care-giving, and preventing violence against women and children on basis of equality and non-violence.

Working Paper | March 2015
Sustainable Transportation and Mega Sporting Events in Arab Countries: the Case of Qatar by Robert Wittkuhn and Danyel Reiche
​Qatar has successfully developed into a hub for mega sporting events; the most prestigious of them will be the FIFA World Cup in 2022. Qatar promotes it as the “first completely carbon-neutral” and “most compact” World Cup. Such statements emphasize a very small impact of transport on the event’s carbon footprint; but they also raise questions about the understanding and applicability of carbon neutrality. As motive for hosting mega events...

Working Paper | February 2015
Commuters’ Behavior towards Upgraded Bus Services in Greater Beirut: Role of Itinerary and Implications for Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Social Welfare and Transport Policy by Ali Chalak, Hani Al-Naghi, Alexandra Irani, and Maya Abou-Zeid
Climate change is one of the most critical environmental challenges facing the world today. The transportation sector alone contributes to 22% of carbon emissions, of which 80% are contributed by road transportation. In this paper, we investigate the potential greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction and social welfare gains...

Working Paper | February 2015
Economic Impacts of Adopting a Sustainable Transport System in Beirut by Mazen Omran, Johnny Ojeil, and Youssef Fawaz
​The work carried out in this paper demonstrates the economic benefit of a sustainable transport system. It compared a scenario with and without such system, and calculated loss time as a result of being held up in congestion during key peak hours mainly due to relying entirely on the private car. The work demonstrates that in addition to reducing congestion levels a sustainable transport system will generate benefits related to travel time...

Working Paper | February 2015
Getting to Campus: Sustainable Public Transportation and Relocating the American University in Cairo by Richard Tutwiler, Hagar Eldidi, Yumna Kassim, and Andrew Petrovich
​Cairo is one of the most congested cities in the world, and public transportation is one of its greatest challenges. Government strategies to alleviate congestion have stressed horizontal expansion into the surrounding desert areas and the construction of more and ever larger motorways. This paper uses the experience of the American University in Cairo, which physically relocated in 2008 from...

Working Paper | February 2015
Harnessing Motorists' Potential Demand for Hybrid-Electric Vehicles in Lebanon: Policy Options, CO2 Emissions Reduction and Welfare Gains by Alexandra Irani and Ali Chalak
Public concern over deteriorating air quality and the associated local and global impacts has grown significantly in the past decade. Air quality degradation is linked first and foremost to the transportation sector in the Arab region with about 90% of total emissions of carbon monoxide resulting from transportation activities. In Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, current levels of ozone and smog...

Working Paper | February 2015
Sustainable Transportation in the Arab World: International Benchmarking on Sustainable Transport Policies and their Impacts by Issam Kaysi and Farid Chaaban
​The world’s transport sector still suffers from unsustainable trends that lead to increased levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There have been efforts, in the Arab world, as well as the rest of the world, to tackle the issue. Work done in the US and Europe exceeds that of the Arab world, and their efforts have been successful, and have thus succeeded in reducing GHG emissions. In the Arab world, most...

يسعى هذا التقرير إلى تقديم لمحة عامة عن الجهات الفاعلة الحالية في مجال قضايا الجندر وتدخلاتها في لبنان. كما يسعى إلى تسليط الضوء على العلاقة المعقدة بين المنظمات التي تعنى بشؤون المرأة في لبنان والجهات الممِّولة لها. ومن الأهمية بمكان في هذا الإطار الإجابة على الأسئلة التالية: إلى أي مدى تساهم توجهات التمويل في تحديد ملامح تصميم المشاريع على المستوى المحلي؟ وهل أن المشاريع القصيرة الأمد والمتحورة حول توفير الخدمات تساهم في تنقية التغيير الإجتماعي الذي يمكن لهذه المنظمات إحداثه؟ أتاحت لنا البيانات التي تم جمعها من خلال مسح قام به مركز دعم لبنان في ٢٠١٥ إمكانية بلورة لمحة عامة عن...

ترتّب المواطنة على الفرد/ المواطن مجموعة من الحقوق والواجبات التي تطبّق على الجميع، دون أي تمييز قائم على الاختلافات في القومية أو الجنس أو الجهة أو الموقع الاجتماعي أو الدين… وتحدد المواطنة شكل العلاقات التي يقيمها المواطن مع الدولة، والمجتمع، والفضاء المشترك. وفي هذا الجانب الأخير من العلاقات، تبرز أهمية التنمية المستدامة كقضية مواطنية بامتياز. في هذا الكتيب، تحاول الباحثة الإحاطة بمفهوم التنمية المستدامة، وبعلاقته مع المواطنة، وتفصّل العديد من القضايا البيئية الهامة، ثم تبيّن لنا ما يجب علينا، كمواطنين، فعله حيالها، لنحقق مواطنيتنا، من خلال التزامنا بالحق في البيئة السليمة للجميع....

ما الحرية؟ كيف يتم تعريفها في أصولها الفلسفية وكيف نفهمها في ظل الواقع المأساوي التي تعيشه بلادنا؟ هذا هو السؤال الأساسي الذي يحاول هذا الكتيب الإجابة عنه من خلال استعراض مفهوم الكلمة في الفلسفة والسياسة والدين، ومقابلتها من ثمّ مع الواقع السوري. يطرح الباحث في هذا الكتاب عددا من الأسئلة الكبيرة حول الحرية، ثم يقودنا في رحلة بين المقولات النظرية والمعطيات الواقعية، ليس لوضع إجابات على الأسئلة وإنما “لفتح طاقات المعنى والكلام الحر.. في الحرية”. الحرية، تأليف: ماهر مسعود.

ينتمي مفهوم المجتمع المدني إلى تلك المجموعة من المفاهيم التي كلما زاد حضورها في حياة الناس زاد عليهم غموضها، ما يحوّلها إلى أيقونة يحتشد الناس انتصارا لها وينبرون للدفاع عنها، خاصة في بلدان الاستبداد حيث يُحاصر المجتمع المدني ويُضَيّق عليه الخناق حتى يكاد يختنق ويتلاشى. والواقع أن لمفهوم المجتمع المدني دلالات متغيرة بتغيّر الأوضاع التي تمر بها الدولة والمجتمع. كذا هو الحال في منتقطنا حيث تختلف دلالة المجتمع المدني إبان بداية أحداث العنف اختلافا جذريا عما كانت عليه قبلها وكذلك عما آلت إليه الأوضاع اليوم. لكن يبقى وجود مجتمع مدني حر وفاعل شرطا أساسيا لتحقيق الديمقراطية المنشودة، ولا يبدو هذا...

The conflict in Syria is forging new forms of territorial control, and a political economy that is not unlike the patronage system that was previously fostered by the ruling Ba’ath party.