News and Events

After three years, during which the Union Coordination Committee (UCC) struggled to push for the demands of teachers and employees using all legal means, the issue of adjusting the salary scale remains unresolved with no prospects for a happy ending, at least in the foreseeable future. Since the beginning of the movement, this key trade union issue developed in complexity and was taken hostage by local political bickering exacerbated by the current sharp divisions in Lebanon.

CRTD.A organized a two days Leading to Choices Leadership workshop for the benefit of eight young women and men whose mothers are members in the Nationality Campaign. The training is planned in two phases. The first phase was concluded on the 26th and 27th of August and sought to build the youth capacity on leadership skills, communication, creating a vision, designing a campaign and setting up an action plan. The training used the WLP “Yes, I can” manual developed by the Women Learning Partnership.

The Lebanese University is in tatters and its future endangered due to its endemic problems and the fact that the ailing Lebanese state has failed its duty to protect and develop its only public university. This is further exacerbated by the competition created by private universities which continue to proliferate and expand both geographically and in the diversity of specialties on offer aided by confessional and political support and protected by a strong and effective “civil” lobby that is capable to influence state decisions.

The Israeli war on Gaza Strip has now entered its 14th day while Palestinian death toll has now reached 511 victims. The Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees released yesterday an appeal to stop the Israeli aggression on Gaza, and calling on the international community to break the silence on this humanitarian disaster.
To read the full text of the appeal, please click on the following link: Appeal from Palestinian Agricultural Relief Committees

The Collective for Research and Training on Development Action convened on June 18 and 19th the Core Group Meeting of civil society and women organizations partners in the sustainable economic opportunities regional project. The regional meeting was attended by 11 organisations from Egypt, Morocco, Yemen, Libya, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon, which reviewed and discussed the current situation of women in the Arab region since 2011 and how to push the work of their organisations forward at the level of strengthening women's economic rights.

The latest naturalisation decree signed by former President Michel Sleiman during the last week of his mandate and which gifted 640 individuals with Lebanese nationality was received with much criticism by all concerned. My Nationality is a Right for me and my Family campaign organised a sit-in to protest this action on June 25th after addressing an open letter to the ex-President on May 22th indicating its refusal of this action and noting that the decision has contradicted all the arguments put forward in the past by politicians to block any reform of the nationality law namely fear of Palestinians naturalisation and the confessional demographic balance.

In response to Assabil invitation, the “Nationality Campaign” (My Nationality is a right for me and my family) organised a screening of its documentary “Kuluna Lel Watan” (All for the Nation) at the Municipal Public Library of Geitawi. Rmeyl, on 26 June 2014.
The screening was followed by a discussion with the Nationality campaign representative Karima Chebbo.

My Nationality is a Right for me and my Family Campaign organized a symbolic sit-in yesterday at the Ryad Solh Plaza with the participation of some 300 Lebanese women married to non-nationals and their families who came from all parts of Lebanon to protest the last minuite action of former President Michel Suleyman who granted Lebanese nationality to some 700 nationals right before his end of his mandate. Women considered that this irresponsible action was dictated by confessional considerations. Slogans cited during the sit in included: “Our rights are not to be purchased or sold”.

Some 10 participants involved in the Nationality Campaign and from Popular Aid for Relief and Development (PARD), took part in this two-day workshop on Leadership communication and political participation, which was held on June 18 and 19. The training aimed at strengthening their leadership, communication and advocacy skills in order to further scale up their role within the Campaign as well as enable them to play a leadership role vis-à-vis other women.

Some 10 participants involved in the Nationality Campaign and from Popular Aid for Relief and Development (PARD), took part in this two-day workshop on Leadership communication and political participation, which was held on June 18 and 19. The training aimed at strengthening their leadership, communication and advocacy skills in order to further scale up their role within the Campaign as well as enable them to play a leadership role vis-à-vis other women.