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Posted by finkployd in
Photo
Thursday, August 16. 2007
So there I was, minding my own business in Baalbek (a quick stopover during a daylong road trip), when I'm approached by this bushy haired girl in red:
Girl in Red: Monsieur, mamnou3 el tosweer.
Fink: Leish?
Girl in Red: 3am min sawwir di3aye confidentiel.
Fink: 3anjad?
Girl in Red: Eh, mamnou3 el tesweer.
Fink: Oooof, leish ista2jarto Baalbek lal nhar?
Girl in Red: Non monsieur, bas hon 3am nsawwir, fa mamnou3 inta tekhoud souwar.
Fink: Yalla, natrik, jebeele el darakeh.
Girl in Red: Non monsieur, bas kirmele ma tsawwir.
Fink: Eh ok, kirmelik rah sawwir, hayda public space wou rah ydal public space.
tags: lebanese, dabke, advertisement, baalbek, bekaa, beirut, lebanon, photography, picture, dancing
-finkployd- the Media in Baalbek
Posted by finkployd in
Info
Saturday, August 11. 2007
Studio Beirut's 'Public Space?' Workshop starts next week. (www.StudioBeirut.org)
Below is the introduction provided in the Official Programme of the Workshop.
Stay tuned for day-by-day coverage of The 'Public Space?' Workshop on Blogging Beirut.
Lebanon is one of those places in the world where everyday reality is stipulated by history colliding with geography. The whole country is a reservoir of minorities (religious and ethnic) coexisting in one of today’s most bitter spaces of conflict i.e. the Middle East. Years of war followed by years of occupation have led to a situation where the country functions in a very peculiar way: The citizen-state relationship is loose to a point where the economy, the juridical status, the urban status, the ecological status, the social status and the political discourse are all in shambles causing a series of malfunctions in various activities and aspects of life. Public space in Lebanon is to a great extent at the heart of this crisis. Beirut, a city with a rich history of dialogue, had mythical public spaces such as Martyr’s square (a transportation hub and a major trading and meeting place) in the old central district and a fast growing pedestrian culture in newly developed districts like Hamra in the early seventies. The 1975 war annihilated most of these spaces and turned most public squares and sidewalk into sniper corridors and brutally violent spaces. The war aftermath continued to shut off and prevent the creation and the use of public spaces. These spaces were deemed uncontrollable because they could serve as platforms for reconciliation and national dialogue that could have possibly lead to the rejection of foreign control. People’s reacted by looking elsewhere for a minimum of breathing space. This lead to the spontaneous development of underdesigned public spaces like the sea-side corniche in Ain El Mreisseh and the Joseph Khoury’s Marina in Dbayeh. Those spaces were and still are compensating for the lack of organized and centralized public space although they suffer a severe handicap in their lack of proximity and of centrality. Given that the need for public space is not only recreational, the Ain El Mreisseh corniche and the Marina suffer from remote geographical situations which makes them mostly accessible by cars and inhibits them becoming centralized platforms for the now critical dialogue after the newly emerged situation that followed the 2005 spring uprising. The 2005 mass demonstrations temporarily reclaimed the role of central public space and lead to a political earthquake locally. This new dynamic came to an abrupt end as soon as there was no longer a common physical platform for interaction. This was a brief interlude in thirty years of downward spiral but the movement itself is no longer sustainable without the necessary tools, of which a highly important one is public space. Is public space is a matter of urban locations where people can park their cars, stroll along the seaside and get the occasional cup of coffee or is it a space where “significant events” like economical, social and political discussions may occur? Space itself being a problem along Lebanon’s costal strip (one of the world’s most densely populated areas), we set the old railway tracks and stations along the coastline as possible focal points for our coring and exploration in hopes it might lead to new conclusions about local public spaces. This workshop’s aim is both analyzing the status of public space in Lebanon, as it exists, and outlining and projecting future needs by creating the potential to intervene where necessary.
Studio Beirut: 'Public Space?' Workshop --- PDF Link
tags: studio beirut, public space, urban planning, architecture, lebanon, lebanese, workshop, international, august 2007, discussion, dialogue, programme, pdf, introduction, pearl foundation, architectural academy in rotterdam, amsterdam center for conflict studies, university of amsterdam, gemmayze, beirut, blogging beirut's summer of 2007, full coverage on blogging beirut
-finkployd- Studio Beirut on Blogging Beirut
Posted by finkployd in
Info
Tuesday, August 7. 2007
high res
Third Annual Summer School for
Conflict Prevention and Transformation
August 17 - 26, 2007
Ramliyeh, Aley - Mount Lebanon
CLICK HERE >>>>>> for APPLICATION
Description of the Summer School
The program focuses on practical skills and techniques conveyed through an interactive methodology including role plays, case studies, simulations, field visits and innovative learning methods such as mainly theater-based learning. In particular, students will be offered training sessions in interpersonal and intergroup conflict transformation. Local practices of conflict transformation and reconciliation will also be creatively explored. The school will include the following skills packages:
- Interpersonal and Intergroup Conflict Transformation Skills, including problem solving, conflict analysis, communication skills and negotiation;
- Theater & Creative Conflict Resolution;
- Multi-Party Mediation in International Relations.
And the following lectures and lessons:
- An Introduction to Peacekeeping Operations;
- The Role of International Organizations and Civil Society in Conflict Transformation;
- Environmental Consensus Building;
- Religion & Conflict Resolution; and much more.
The above list is by no means exhaustive and will also contain training in a variety of sub-themes and topics.
Intended outcomes of the Summer School
1) Provide younger generations with effective skills in conflict transformation;
2) Introduce young Lebanese to the field of peacebuilding and prepare constructive agents for future societal roles; and
3) Support the creation of a generation of motivated young people in order to facilitate initiatives towards dialogue and reconciliation in the country.
When and Where?
The Summer School will be held in the Mediterranean Forest Development and Conservation Center of Lebanon (MFDCL), from August 17 till August 26, 2007. Accommodation, meals and appropriate extra-curricular activities will be provided free of charge for accepted finalists. Students are encouraged to bring with them their own ideas and proposals for entertainment (such as music, theater, etc.)
(Please see the map for specific location information ).
Eligibility
Qualified university students, having completed at least two (preferably three) years of relevant university education, are eligible to apply to the Summer School. During the selection process, priority will be given to students with demonstrated abilities to utilize these skills and knowledge in the future, with special attention paid to their social activities within civil society organizations or other forms of volunteering.
Application Process
Individuals may apply by completing the application form. The deadline for submitting applications is August 10th, 2007. Accepted applicants will be notified no later than August 14th, 2006. Decision on applications will be undertaken by the organizers and short-listed candidates will be interviewed. There is no registration fee for the Summer School.
tags: undp, lau, lebanon, beirut, aley, summer school, conflict prevention, conflict transformation, august 2007, mediterranean forest development and conservation center, mount lebanon, lebanese, application, deadline
-finkployd- Conflict Prevention Education on Blogging Beirut
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