The Alliance for Lebanon
The Mission
Lebanon faces social, political, and economic turmoil so severe as to threaten its very identity and foundations. To navigate the crisis, a group of prominent Lebanese civic actors, in partnership with the Salem Initiative, aims to reclaim the keys to resilience in any society: tolerance, openness, and connectivity.
The newly formed Alliance for Lebanon commits to the following:
Objectives
Strengthening the Rule of Law and Equality Among Citizens
To fight corruption, consolidate sovereignty, and reform state institutions, the country must enshrine the principle that all its citizens are equal under the law. This “culture of lawfulness” approach supports the state’s prerogative to enact policies and reach decisions, in war and in peace; the people’s freedom to form ideas, express them, and wage civic action for positive change; and the country’s appeal as a destination for tourism and investment.
Fostering Lebanese National Reconciliation
Between the legacy of the civil war and enduring cultures of sectarian chauvinism and extremism, Lebanon’s people must reconcile amongst each other in order to make peace with the world around them. Doing so requires a deeper understanding of the country’s multiconfessional past and acknowledgment and respect for the living legacy of its lost communities.
Restoring Inside-Outside Connectivity
The only country in the world with a majority of its citizens residing beyond its borders, Lebanon can and must draw strength from its vast diaspora. Doing so means fostering the conditions that attract emigres and their offspring to reengage with the motherland: a culture of tolerance transcending barriers of ethnicity and sect and freedom of movement and global engagement without restriction.
Projects
To advance these goals, the Alliance will undertake the following projects:
Legislative and Political Action
Through coordinated effort among Lebanese within the country and the diaspora, the Alliance will challenge bad laws and hold the state accountable for selective prosecution. This effort includes a campaign to address the so-called “anti-normalization laws,” which serve some political factions as a tool against opponents and drive a wedge between the country and its many emigres in the Gulf and West.
Through international partnership with local schools and teachers, the Alliance will foster curricula that revive historical memory of the country’s diverse communities and traditions of tolerance.
Education for Tolerance
Civil Engagement Across Boundaries of Identity
The principle that diversity brings strength takes hold as citizens of diverse backgrounds work together to solve shared problems. The Alliance will foster joint social action across boundaries of identity to promote civil reform.
Co-Founders
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Nadim Koteich
A leading pan-Arab TV personality, satirist and commentator Nadim Koteich hosts the program "Tonight with Nadim" on Sky News Arabia.
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Hanin Ghaddar
A renowned expert on Lebanese affairs, Hanin Ghaddar is a Senior Fellow at The Washington Institute and advisor to the Center for Peace Communications.
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Majd Harb
A Beirut-based attorney and legal activist, Harb works through Lebanese courts to champion human rights and sue armed non-state actors.