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Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Writing my history of the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990)


Chapter Three

    War was far from us, we were in Jounieh, killing was very far...down in Beirut Center...22 Km away!
Two worlds apart.

    My daily life was still the same, if it wasn't for this ugly voice on the radio. I kept going to untie Badiaa's house behind the shop, play, eat, nap, and get lots of cuddles, stories and laughs. And when I wasn't behind the shop, fun followed me home. I was the only child in the building, and somehow, the center of attraction. Met a lot of love and care. I had no brothers and sisters, no dad, but a lot of love from neighbors, friends, teachers, nuns at school and strangers. I was in a warm nest. Mom was considered a stranger to take care of, but I was one of them! After all, I was born here, and was growing up a little every day.

    Mom kept her snack for a while. Then one day, she came home and we never stepped into our shop again.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Writing my history of the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990)

Chapter two

Names and titles interlude

    "War" wasn't a common word in the early years of Lebanese wars. It was sometimes called "Ahdess" or "events", sometimes, ""Harb El Aswaq" or "war of the markets", referring to Beirut Down Town battles. In fact, many years of bloodshed later, Lebanese war never carried one name, it has location names, or goal titles, such as:

"Maareq Tal El Zaatar" (battles of Tal El Zaatar Palestinian camp),
"Harb El Jabal" (mountain war between Druzes and Christians),
"82" (year 1982 Israeli siege and bombing of Beirut),
"Hisar Zahlé" (Zahlé siege between Christians and Syrians),
"Damour" (Damour massacre),
"Harb El miyyet Yom" (100 days war),
"Sabra w Chatila" (Sabra and Shatila Palestinian camps massacre),
"Harb Al Tahrir" (liberation war, between Lebanese Christian fraction of the army against Syrian troops),
 "Harb Al Ilghaa" (abolition war),
"Harb Tawhid Al Boundouqiyya" (uniting the guns war),
and these last two names are for the same inter-christian war, but named differently by each side.

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Writing my history of the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990)

After attending the "Healing Wounds of History" conference (11-13 Nov 2011) in LAU campus Byblos, organized by LAU and The Center for Lebanese Studies, and after I discovered the importance of communicating and sharing our deep trans-generational wounds if we want to learn something from the past, I decided to start blogging my own memories of the Lebanese war like many people who attended this transforming conference, trying to heal the wounds I thought are way behind...
The NAY group from Healing Wounds of History November 2011 conference-LAU




Chapter one


1975- I was four years old. My mom had a snack restaurant near the military barrack of Sarba, Keserwan province. I have the nicest memories at the back of the snack, and in the main hall. Still remember the Jukebox, and the wonderful music it had on the LPs inside.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Empathic Education(from "Empathic Civilization" by Jeremy Rifkin)

    If babies are rarely disciplined in their first year of living, they start being regularly afterward-approximately every 11 minute, between the age of twelve and fifteen months.
Two thirds of parent-infant interactions are disciplinary events where parents try changing kids attitudes against their will. Between the age of two and ten years, parents try to change their kids attitude approximately every 6 to 9 minutes: two wills are at war.

    Introducing a moral  sense into the experience of the child isn't easy.

    The key of transforming natural empathic impulses into mature empathic reaction, is the way we discipline the child.

    It is clear that afflicting a corporal punishment in response to a social transgression will have an opposite effect. Sanction will turn the young human away from future empathy. The best way to bring his/her potential mature empathy to light is to induce it:

Friday, October 7, 2011

"The more we sweat in peace, the less we bleed in war"

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

Monday, July 11, 2011

My daily bread...

This is something I have to share...Love this Chinese saying:

-"Do not bring down the bridge behind your opponent if you want him to withdraw."

When in conflict, your opponent is trying to come forward with his ideas or position. If you destroy his dignity, his respect, his esteem, he will have no other choice but moving forward, towards you, and he'll try to destroy you in return...

So when in conflict, remember to leave a small path for the other to withdraw on... And remember that we see the world from our personal point of view, and that doesn't necessarily mean we're the only ones to be right, and have the truth.
Leave a space for your opponent to withdraw, but leave this space, or path, especially for you, in case you were wrong...

Build bridges, don't bring them down.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Discours de remise de diplômes Melkart 2011


Excellence, Chers Directeurs,
Chers professeurs, Chers parents et amis,
Chers diplômés,
Puisque nous sommes entre adultes, ce soir, laissez-moi vous dire un secret. En grandissant, nous perdons quatre atouts, pour notre grand malheur.
- Le premier atout perdu, est tout simplement la bonne façon de respirer, et elle se perd dès l’âge de 3 ans. Si vous ne me croyez pas, observez un bébé respirer : il se remplit d’air jusqu’au ventre, il prend son temps. Et cela emmène le renouvellement à chaque cellule de son corps.

Monday, June 20, 2011

I love me!

Very pretentious title you may say. But this is not about being selfish, egocentric and narcissus. It is about a simple dosed fact one should know in order to love the world. Start your day by looking at your reflect in the mirror for few seconds and say: I'm looking good today, or, I'm looking happy today, or, I'm looking tired today...whatever the feeling may be, look at it, accept it, and if it's not a positive one, once you see it, you'll improve it.
Love what you are, you are exceptional, you are one of a kind. There's only one you in this world, enjoy this wonderful fact.
Love the work you do, give credit to yourself, you deserve it.
Love the effort you make everyday to work things out, you deserve it.
Love the health you have, you are lucky!
Love the voice you have, it is a precious tool to use positively.
Love your eyes, your ears, your mouth, love your hands your legs, and see how much you need them and how much they help you in silence.
Love yourself. It's simple, give yourself what you deserve: respect.
When you do so, you'll love the people around you, you'll give them credit, you'll respect them more.
When you do so, you'll be positive, outgoing, optimistic, gentle, respectful...

So come on, say it: I love me! I'm unique, and I'm loving it!

Saturday, June 18, 2011

12 obstacles of communication

Communication is an active and sensitive procedure. We take it for granted. IT ISN'T. Have a look on the 12 obstacles of communication below, and you'll be amazed how often we use these obstacles when communicating...especially with kids.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

New government for a country of men

    Congratulations!
We finally have a government! "We"?, sorry, I mean, THEY have a new government. Because it seems we do not exist.

    It took very clever people called politicians (creatures claiming to know better what's best for you and me), five months of bargain, of shouting on TVs what's good or wrong, what's best to "serve" the country, five months of doing live maths 10+1+2+6+3+2+2...Sounds simple to a foreign eye. Not when you know the fraction hiding behind each number.
    Anyway, to cut a long story short, we spent 5 months watching a live circus featuring the wildest shows from all parties (no exception).
    Now we have a government. Some people are happy, some started to take the dust of their prepared opposition speeches, and they are quick. Not very creative though.

     Not surprising, this new government is a macho one, no women allowed, no women abroad, no women good enough to suit their standards...
     We, women, do not exist here in Lebanon. We are an illusion, an optical illusion, we are pictures in magazines, on the streets, we are images on TVs and voices on radio. That's it.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Visite au Caire de l’après révolution. Voyage au coeur du changement



    Un nouveau jour se lève sur le pays du Nil. Un vent nouveau balaie le sable et les âmes assouppies pendant des décenies, et souffle vie dans les murs et les pavés.
 A ceux qui croient avoir visité l’Egypte, ce nouveau pays vous dit: venez voir la gloire de ce peuple pour en tomber inéluctablement amoureux.

    Mars 2011, deux mois jour pour jour depuis le début de la révolution du 25 janvier. Ce n’est pas ma première visite au pays, mais une visite remise plusieurs fois vu la situation qui a prit le monde par surprise. Après des semaines passées scotchée comme vous devant ma télé, je décide enfin de prendre cet avion pour mes rendez-vous de travail et pour revoir mes amis devenus des incollables de la Place Tahrir.

Three major gifts we loose with time and experience


After working in media and communication for years, I came to discover that surprisingly we loose three major gifts while growing up. This loss affects our way of dealing with conflicts or daily situations in our lives drastically.
-Until the age of three, we breathe in a healthy way: we fill our lungs and our stomach with air, then we exhale it (try to watch a baby breathing). At the age of three, we loose this gift. We start filling our lungs only, the reason is not clear to me yet. But society, stress and fear have a lot to do. What difference does it make?