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Photos by Katrin Pakizer

The Heinrich Böll Foundation, associated with the German Green Party, is a legally autonomous and intellectually open political foundation. Our foremost task is civic education in Germany and abroad with the aim of promoting informed democratic opinion, socio-political commitment and mutual understanding.

Culture & Dialogue

Event

International Archives Day

- May 19, 2013 - Under the patronage of the UNESCO Beirut Office, The Modern Heritage Observatory invites you to celebrate the International Archives day for the first time in Lebanon on Sunday June 9, 2013. more»

Article

Saving the Arida and the Union Building

- May 16, 2013 - What does it mean that the Union Building — one of city’s most prominent, if not the most prominent, modernist landmarks — is currently under threat of demolition? What does it mean that this vulgar investment culture also threatens the nearby Arida building? Anyone who has heard of the architectural pioneers responsible for these two buildings, will understand all too well how disastrous things have become.

 

Mazen Haidar more»
picture from modernheritageobservatory.org

Exhibition

Modern Design and Architecture in the Arab World: the Beginnings of a Project

- May 13, 2013 - Date and Time: Monday May 13th 2013 from 6 to 9 pm 
Place: Villa Salem (Otium) - Clemenceau, Beirut

In its first exhibition, “Modern Design and Architecture in the Arab World: the Beginnings of a Project,” the Arab Center for Architecture (ACA) showcases local modernity and the design work of its pioneering architects. A selection of drawings, documents, photographs and models from ACA’s archives and private collections highlight the work of a generation of architects who lived and practiced in Lebanon and thus shaped the Modern Heritage of the country. more

Statehood & Participation

Article

A Long Prepared Loss of Human Capital

May 9, 2013 - How was the relation between the educational institutions and the Baath regime and what is the current situation after two years of the Syrian revolution’s breakout?

Maher Masoud more»

Article

What is this “higher interest” that prevents a mother passing her nationality to her children?

- When the nationality Law was drawn up in the 1920s the women’s movement was fighting to eradicate illiteracy among women; today, the universities throng with excellent female students of whom Lebanon is proud. Why then bury our heads in the sands of the past and claim that “the higher interests of the state” bar them from one of the basic rights of citizenship? By Joumana Moufarrege and Fadi Karam - First published in Arabic on the website of the Annahar newspaper on April 14, 2013 more»

Paper

A decade of regional feminist activism

- In the early 2000, the Collective for Research and Training on Development – Action, CRTD.A, and its network of feminist allies in the Arab region identified the denial of Arab women’s right to nationality to be a resilient form of state driven discrimination against women. How this reality changed during the last decade and what are the needed actions? CRTD.A more»

Conflict & Intl. Politics

EU flag in the Guinness Book of Records 14.04.2009 By European Parliament on Flickr

Policy Paper

What Can the European Union Do in Syria?

May 2, 2013 -

As a follow-up to the closed workshop "The responsibility to protect in Syria - What can the European Union do?" organized by the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung European Union and Dutch peace organization IKV Pax Christi on 5th of December 2012, this joint policy paper focuses on what could be done by the EU in Syria. Read the full paper (PDF: 11 Pages, 274 KB) here

 

Bente Scheller, Haid Haid and Jan Jaap Oosterzee

Analysis

Towards reparation of relations: Lebanon, Syria

- May 3, 2013 - The article is focusing on the Syrian- Lebanese relations before and after the revolution, and what could be done to overcome the stereotypical and racist behaviour towards the Syrian people. Haid Haid more»

Blog

A Counter-Atlas for Syria

- May 2, 2013 - By Bente Scheller - First published in German on Heinrich Von Arabien Blog on April 12th, 2013 - Whilst many current publications are occupied with the question of possession of arms in civil populations in the US as well as in Syria, most results show that, nevertheless, the two countries are not mistaken for one another. Here, the view prevails that Syria is not “America’s … problem.” more»

Environmental Justice

Paper

Public Space in Beirut:

February 27, 2013 - How to approach a city like Beirut? By its history, its economic meaning, its art scene, its people? On the search for a city’s identity, many of its facets are revealed in certain places, namely the city’s public spaces. Christine F.G. Kollmar more»

Interview

What A “Small Baby” Can Do

- February 7, 2013 - Dr. Ali Darwish explains in an interview how an environmental NGO in Lebanon can make a difference. This year, hbs celebrates 10 years of cooperation with Green Line. Interview with Dr. Ali Darwish conducted by Christine F.G. Kollmar more»

Article

No City Without Public Space

- February 7, 2013 - Guerrilla Picnicking: How hbs partner organization Nahnoo fights for Lebanese citizens' accesss to public green space. more»
Important Notice!
Heinrich Boll Middle East and North Africa Office, Beirut does not offer scholarships. Please send your applications to the HBS foundation website
Perspectives #3: Syria's Revolution - Society, Power, Ideology
Latest Issue
Perspectives #4 November 2012 - Qatar: aspirations and realties
Dossier: Seasons of Change
Climate, Energy and Resource Politics in the MENA Region

In the midst of turbulent times in the Middle East and North Africa, the State of Qatar is hosting the 18th Conference of the Parties (COP 18) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Doha from November 26 to December 7, 2012. This trilingual webdossier presents analysis and perspectives from a wide range of international and regional experts on how climate change, resource and energy politics relate to political and social change. more»
cartoons and minarets banner picture Dossier Syria's Revolution
Most Read Articles
Interview with Dr. Ali Khalifa Al Kuwari, author of “The People Want Reform… In Qatar, Too”
In the summer of 2012, The People Want Reform… In Qatar, Too was published in Beirut. The book which includes 11 contributions from different Qatari writers and academics was coordinated and edited by Dr. Ali Khalifa Al Kuwari, an academic researcher, writer and thinker. The following is an interview conducted with Dr. Al Kuwari on the background of compiling the book and the demands for reform in Qatar. Interview was conducted by Jenan Amin in October 2012 more»
The Syrian Shabiha and Their State

Yassin al-Haj Saleh, dissects the functioning, motivations, funding and ideology of the Syrian 'shabiha', from their appearance in the 1970s until their reemmergence during the revolution. Saleh shows their central role in maintaining a regime in power that has long lost touch with people’s interests, morality and reality.

By Yassin al-Haj Salih more»
The Syrian Revolution and the Role of Turkey
Turkey is one of the states that is most affected by the Arab revolutions of 2011. Thrown into confusion by the Libyan revolution, the Turkish government then found itself confronted by a popular uprising in Syria. First adopting the role of advisor to its neighbor, its failure to make the Syrian regime enact political reforms conducive to gradual democratic change, soon saw Turkey declare its open support for the Syrian people and their demands. By Bakr Sidki more»
Recommended Links

KAYANI is an independent media project designed and implemented by Syrian activists. It aims at contributing to the creation of a new Syrian civil society through establishing an independent platform for young voices of Syria who use audio-visual media to express their point of views. The main concern of the project is to portray the human-interest stories behind the Syrian uprising through artistic means.

Visit KAYANI's website here
Watch the project's short documentaries "A Tribute to Mehsal Temo" and "Yabroud declares Assad toppled" here

Dawlaty is an initiative launched by young Syrian activists and aiming at promoting the participation and engagement in the state building process in Syria through the development of creative tools like animation films, brochures, posters, graffiti... all materials developed use the Syrian dialect to expand the scope of the project's reach. more   
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