Youth and Peace: alternative voices in Lebanon

Announcing the publication of my latest book chapter: "Youth and Peace: Alternative Voices in Lebanon", in The Metamorphosis of War. Plaw, Avery (Ed.) Rodopi, Amsterdam/New York, NY, 2012, XVIII, 257 pp.

Abstract: In the last few decades,

 Lebanon has witnessed several armed conflicts, piling new war memories onto old, reviving old wounds and shattering the 

dreams of reconstruction and stability. In this context of multilayered social and political crises and conflicted identities, the role of Lebanese civil society, Diaspora and transnational civil society in spreading courage and hope despite constraining conditions, and in working towards breaking the cycle of War by building a culture of Peace is of the utmost importance. This chapter presents a summary of recent research conducted on five organizations (including youth groups and a collection of forty Lebanese individuals between 25 and 40 years old). In their work and output, these groups and individuals illustrate the necessity of testifying to personal war experiences, learning the lessons of history, sharing the mourning, breaking the cycle of hatred and revenge, connecting divisions and embracing a common humanity. In doing so, they run against the grain of the political class and large parts of Lebanese society, forming a cross-sectarian ‘counterculture.’

For more information: http://www.rodopi.nl/nt.asp