Catherine Merdy - French Photographer

Exhibition of "2" @ Zico House in Sanayah

abstract: Visiting artist's exhibition offers glimpse of urban rhythms of life in Paris, while her newer photos capture a mood of uncertainty in Lebanon. -dailystar

Through April 5, 2005

For more information, call +961 3 801688.

For more samples of Catherine's work go to:
Catherine Merdy Photography Samples

you gotta love those tourists... :D

Easter tourists flock to Sidon despite terror

by Mohammed Zaatari
Wednesday, March 30, 2005

SIDON: Foreign tourists spent the Easter holidays vacationing in South Lebanon and visited the city of Sidon, despite the unstable security situation of the country. The visitors toured, during the weekend, the southern cities of Lebanon and visited Sidon's maritime fortress.

Michel Joie said that he came with three other French citizens to spend their holiday in Lebanon.

Joie told The Daily Star that he did not feel that insecurity in the country would affect him or his family personally.

However, he said that he was very touched by the emotions the Lebanese showed following assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. He added that he was "saddened by the former premier's death," describing it as a tragedy.

Alessandra Maggarani, an Italian tourist, said that she was on her first visit to Lebanon.

"It is a beautiful country, the meeting point of the world's civilizations," she said.

Many tourists were seen visiting the streets of old Sidon and its ancient souks.

Rene O' Kist, an English tourist, said he came to Lebanon to see the country's beautiful landscapes and to spend the Easter holiday here.

Ibrahim Mawzi, a tourist guide in Sidon, told The Daily Star that around 700 tourists from around the world visited Sidon during the last week alone, adding that most of them described Lebanon as a beautiful country and its citizens as lovely and hospitable.

Mawzi said that most tourists failed to be cowed by recent bombings or the unstable environment currently prevailing in the country. -dailystar

Tuesday, January 25 - 2005 at 07:14
Air pollution and environmental damage to coastlines and natural resources in Lebanon are costing the country around $565 million a year, up to 4 per cent of GDP, according to a recent report by the World Bank. Severe degradation in the past 30 years is due mainly to uncontrolled construction, the report said. Lebanon had the highest cost of coastal degradation among six Arab countries surveyed, the second highest cost in terms of water pollution. - ameinfo

-finkployd

Ma tkaffiya bi Canada, Kaffiya bi Lebnen: MP3 clip [3MB]

source - eve

Watchdog blames industries for pollution
Friday, March 25, 2005

Two months after white foam was spotted on the surface of the sea off the Tabarja coast in Kesrouan, and after hauls of dead fish where retrieved from the area, the source of the water pollution is still unknown.

However, tests conducted by the environmental watchdog Environment On-line have proved that the foaming was not the result of cooking oil dumped into the sea by restaurants along the coast, as was previously announced by the Environment Ministry's emergency committee based on analysis run on samples of sea water at the American University of Beirut's laboratories.

The ministry claimed last month that "the results of the tests and analysis show that the material consists of used cooking oil from restaurants, and therefore nontoxic or detrimental to humans or marine life."

Informed sources said the samples could have been switched before their arrival to AUB's laboratories, or could have been incorrectly collected.

Additional samples were sent to the laboratories of the Industrial Research Institute, but their results have yet to be disclosed.

According to the sources, the ministry was unable to receive the analysis report for the second set of tests due to an outstanding bill estimated at $500 - the result of a lack of funds allocated by the Environment Ministry for this purpose.

Information made available to Environment On-line showed that the pollution was due to an industrial engine oil spill by industrial machines and not restaurant fryers.

Lebanese industries randomly dump thousands of tons of used oils in the Mediterranean every year.

Tabarja's sewage is collected from the septic tanks by cisterns before being dumped into the sea without processing.

But the municipality allowed cistern owners to dump other cargos in the sea in exchange for free transport services of the Tabarja sewage.

Apparently, the "other cargos" had been industrial engine oils collected from industries at high costs and dumped in the sea without monitoring.

An Environment On-line official said: "We refuse to believe that two months after the incident, the source of the toxic oils and the names of the polluting industries have not been revealed yet."

"We refuse to believe that the Environment Ministry did not receive the results of the analysis after two months because it failed to settle the bill," the official added.

Environment On-line is a hotline for environmental complaints by citizens. - daily star

If you have something to report, call:
Environmental Hotline Number 01 210 510

-finkployd

Bloggers worldwide have been discussing the difference between sectarianism and secularism, communism and capitalism, etc...
The most prevalent discussion through the Kafa Revolution has been whether we would be able to overcome our sectarianism to overcome our divisions.
This I argue against. Let us remain sectarian, let us be capitalist and communist, let the secular mingle with the everyone else, because it's the name calling that's going to ruffle our feathers.
We should not aspire to change who we are, for that cannot be achieved in one generation, even two.
Rather let us aspire to understand our differences, and in doing so, we might realize that as different as we may be, we still have a solid common core - as we witnessed on Feb 28.
The million man march was not, as many would argue, a coming together against a common front [syria]. The million Lebanese came together because on the 14th of Feb our foundations were shaken to the surface, where we altogether witnessed that our very way of life was at stake, be it a capitalist, secularist, communist, feminist, sexist, sectarianist way of life.
This way of life that had Lebanon at its core was at stake.
Nowhere in the world can you witness a people living together, so different yet so close.
Our country is what facilitates this, being at the center of the ancient world, a crossing point for all cultures.
If we do not see ourselves as Lebanese first.
If we do not drop the ists and isms.
Then we have a good chance of losing our country.
Our identity of a people unique through their diversity.
That is what we're fighting for: To remain different.
We should not have to lose our colors to live in peace.
That is not peace, that is a one sided revolt.

-finkployd