55 Youssef Al-Hani street, Rizk Bldg., 1st floor, Gemmayze
Beirut
Lebanon
- Heritage
The Lebanese Association for Civil Rights (LACR) is an active association involved in disseminating non-violence, non-sectarianism, human rights and democracy values and constructive alternatives, through education, awareness, training as well as defending social, economic, political and ecological causes non-violently. LACR was founded back in August 2003 by Dr Walid Slaybi and Dr Ogarit Younan who are pioneers and initiators in tackling human and civil rights in Lebanon. With the establishment of LACR, they have institutionalized the 20-year experience and projects; they turned the projects into institutions which achieved the continuity and the stability of the work. We look at LACR as being a civil movement with national and regional projects and impact. LACR is known for their innovative grassroots action aiming to change mentalities, attitudes, laws and … from bottom up. Across Lebanon, since 1983 to date, thousands of youth, women, children, students, teachers, NGOs, workers, political activists, journalists, etc. have been trained through LACR co-founders work.
Three complementary Initiatives LACR is currently working on institutionalizing 3 fundamental projects in Lebanon and for the region with hundreds of activities inside each: “AUNV” “BILAD” “CHAML” “AUNV” The Arab University for Non-Violence (AUNV), which is the first of its kind in the region, is a universal college of a one year academic professional program that secures professionals and specialists in non-violence and human rights culture and non-religious discrimination. The university will be a professional institution linked to the social causes with the objective of achieving change on the social and political level. It will work on the empowerment of the societies through empowerment of the individuals who will work in schools, universities, associations, political campaigns, etc. At the same time, the university will be linked to the work market. The university will secure an intensive program of educational credits with a diploma of Masters Degree. It will graduate about 100 students yearly from Lebanon and the Arab countries, with university diploma accredited locally and internationally. “BILAD” Creation of 100 “Pedagogic Houses”: First of its kind in Lebanon and in the Region, it aims at the institutionalization of the education on non-violence, non-sectarianism and democracy through establishing a kind of “informal schools” in 100 villages and cities overall Lebanon. BILAD is a summary of the Arabic phrase "بيوت اللاعنف اللاطائفية الديمقراطية" that means “Non-violent Non-sectarian Democratic Houses.” The word also means “country” "بلاد" and that is why we choose it to indicate building the country from the bottom up. We have already established 8 initiatives for “houses” in 8 different regions: 3 in the South, 2 in the North, 2 in Mount-Lebanon and 1 in the Bekaa. Three of them, which are the most successful and effective, will be turned into “model” – permanent institutions. “CHAML” Foundation of a National YOUTH Gathering based on non-violent, non-sectarian and justice values under the name of CHAML, hundreds & thousands of youth, men and women from different regions. CHAML is the English spelling for the Arabic term “شَمْل” meaning “gathering” in the Arabic culture and familial tradition. Its Arabic initials were also developed to mean “"شباب مواطنون لبنانيون لاطائفيون لاعنفيون which means “Non-violent Non-sectarian Young Lebanese Citizens”. CHAML was registered in 2007 as an independent association, its first members are young Lebanese citizens, men and women, who have been deeply trained during 2 years with LACR on non-sectarianism and non-violence and on the democratic participation in society, and who are aware of their rights, want to defend them, and have viable alternatives to apply. Arab CHAML The Lebanese CHAML will be the base of Arab and Regional CHAML that was launched in 2008 through LACR support to tens of individuals and civil organizations trained deeply with us on Non-violence since 2004.