As part of the “Youth Solidarity to Promote a Culture of Tolerance” project implemented by the Lebanese Organization for Studies and Training (LOST) in cooperation with the Dutch Embassy in Lebanon, LOST organized an open recreational day in which hundreds of participants met in the courtyard of the Community Farm in Baalbeck.
Hundreds of young men and women from Baalbeck-Hermel districts attended, representing the regions they came from and worked at, and bringing with them a culture of tolerance, cooperation, creativity, and acceptance of the other. These four titles that were present in this awareness-raising activity were previously identified by the youth during a whole year of trainings within the project.
The ceremony first started with the networking and integration between young people with different orientations, ideas, and regions, after which LOST’s founder, Dr. Rami Al-Lakkis spoke to the youth stating, “our project starts with every one of you, because you are the ones who contribute to the building of society. Our organization was founded by us when we were youth your age, and here we are today, one of the largest organizations in Lebanon”.
He added, “your responsibility should not end with the end of the project, if every one of you transmits these values and ideas to his surroundings, we can then improve our society, but if you keep it for yourself, there will be no change in the reality that we seek to improve”.
For her part, the representative of the Dutch Embassy in Lebanon, Lana Voinov, expressed how happy she was to be present with so many young people and said, “what you are doing today with your presence together is a message to your communities that you believe in tolerance and acceptance of the other, and that with cooperation and creativity you are able to participate in building your community”. She added, ”you are a model for all young Lebanese who dream of a developed country based on the values of peace and tolerance”. Vojnov praised LOST for demonstrating strength and creativity in addressing the problems of conflict and violence among young people.
The open day continued with an environmental lecture on “Sorting from Source” competitions, vivid drawings, and an environmental exhibition in which handcrafted products were presented with recycled materials. Then, the youth held a Baalbecki wedding to revive the heritage of Baalbeck, which is rich in customs and beautiful rituals, represented by tolerance, acceptance of the other, acquaintance, and creativity.
At the end of the ceremony, Dr. Lakkis and Voinov received commemorative shields from the youth participating in the project, a stone sculpture symbolizing tolerance.
