Protests against the government in Lebanon are continuing, despite the army moving to reopen key roads.
While Lebanon has recently experienced similar massive “street explosions” against the ruling class (such as in 2015), the 2019 ‘October Revolution’ marks an important turning point in the history of contentious politics in the post-civil war era.
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Injustice and lack of democratic accountability have deep roots in Lebanon. But there is hope as organizations working together on issues of discrimination and inequality are able to perceive problems intersectionally and support each other.
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, Nadine Labaki's Capernaum ("Chaos") tells the story of Zain (Zain al Rafeea), a Lebanese boy who sues his parents for the "crime" of giving him life. Full review.
The poignant drama, “Capernaum,” follows a boy who runs away and winds up roaming the slums of Beirut shouldering a distressing responsibility. At its premiere at Cannes in May, the film received a 15-minute standing ovation.
On September 17, the New York Review of Books published excerpts from the secret Israeli Kahan Commission investigation into the massacre of more than a thousand Palestinian civilians in Lebanon’s Sabra and Shatila refugee camp 36 years ago.
The way to war, which will surely prove to be the road to hell, seems open with a Third Gulf War looming on humanity’s horizon. Once again, Iran is the enemy. Again, as in 2003, a president is surrounded by bellicose advisers intent on just such a war and looking for the right excuse to launch it.
In the USA privatization practices contribute to increased water bills and jeopardize water quality, endangering one of residents' most basic needs. We can gain some perspective on the consequences of water privatization by looking to a glaring overseas example: In Lebanon, mismanagement of infrastructure has provided ample opportunity for privatization to proliferate. In both cases, the pursuit of privatization comes from cash-strapped places prioritizing cost-cutting over resource conservation and quality.
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