Why Civil Society Is Important to Democracy, Reason #68,000

When Lebanon took to the polls on June 7 of this year, the elections were hailed as free and fair and transparent, all qualities necessary for legitimacy. But there was one group who was denied the right to vote. Josie Ensor writes:

There are approximately 68,000 Lebanese voters registered as disabled with the Ministry of Social Affairs, but with most polling stations held in buildings unsuitable for wheelchairs many could not reach the polling booths.

In countries like the United States, civil society organizations advocating for the disabled, such as the American Association of People with Disabilities, have managed to eliminate many of the obstacles that disabled people once faced. While many people go to the polls, cast their votes, and return home, satisfied that they have made their contributions to the democratic process, there are so many things that can make a seemingly good election go bad. Having a polling station on the second floor of a building without an elevator, while it may go unnoticed to an able-bodied person, is effectively a denial of the right to vote to some people. And denying any person the right to vote makes for an unfair election.

A civil society organization called Lebanese Physically Handicapped Union wants to change that situation in Lebanon.

LPHU is a non-profit organization of people with physical disabilities that has been working on disability issues since 1981. This grassroots organization is national in scope and includes community branches in six areas of Lebanon (Beirut, Byblos, Bar Elias, Mashgara, Nabatieh and Saida). LPHU is a national, non-sectarian organization and involves people from different religious groups and with various forms of physical disability...There are two main fields of work of the organization: advocacy to raise awareness of the rights of people with disabilities in order to ensure their integration and raise equalization of opportunities; and community based development projects including physical rehabilitation, inclusive education and vocational rehabilitation.

LPHU is actively involved in the elections process and conducted a study of accessibility during the recent elections. The results were astounding:

Lebanese Physically Handicapped Union, sponsored by the International Foundation for Election Systems, conducted a study of the 1,741 polling stations in Lebanon and assessed them according to the ministry’s six accessibility criteria. The results revealed that only six polling stations – less that half of 1% - out of 1,741 satisfied all the accessibility criteria.

Next step: using the results of the study to implement laws requiring access for all voters.

Spotlight Organization: Youth Association for Social Awareness

Welcome to the inaugural edition of our weekly Spotlight series in which we profile Lebanese civil society organizations and spread awareness about their activities and events. Our first profile goes to Youth Association for Social Awareness, an organization dedicated to educating youth about road safety.


DL: What are the biggest safety concerns in Lebanon today? How is YASA addressing these concerns?

YASA: The biggest safety concern is the growing number of deaths due to road traffic crashes. Year after year this number is still increasing and with no immediate intervention it is expected to continue increasing to more alarming figures.

YASA is working on various aspects to help address this issue. YASA is lobbying for better laws, better enforcement, better road safety standards and more. We are also working on educating the upcoming generation on safety issues.

DL: YASA has many traffic safety programs for very young children. Why is it important to educate children about traffic safety years before they will drive?

YASA: “Safety starts with an attitude” - for this reason it is essential to expose and educate young children on safety issues and specifically road/traffic safety issues to help bring up a generation more aware of traffic safety issues. Moreover by doing interventions for young children, YASA would be able to enter many more homes through the children than any other way.

YASA believes that exposing children to road safety issues from their early years will impact them greatly when they reach the age of getting their driving license. It will also influence the parents through the children.

DL: Why is it important to try and entertain children while educating them? How does this help promote the messages of safety and accident prevention?

YASA: All YASA interventions for children focus on education through entertainment since this is known to help engrave the safety messages in the minds of the young kids. Mixing safety education with entertainment is the best way to successfully deliver the message to children and make them memorize it and transfer it to the parents as well.

DL: Are Lebanese traffic laws still outdated? In areas where the law is not outdated, is it well implemented?

YASA: The Lebanese traffic law dates back to the 60s and has very weak implementation. The problem with implementation is that it is seasonal and not continuous.

DL: Is it difficult to address more sensitive safety issues such as alcohol abuse, or child neglect and/or abuse? How can youth organizations begin to raise dialogue about these social taboos?

YASA: When YASA started raising the issue of Road Safety, the issue was never addressed by anyone in Lebanon except us. Even the news did not cover traffic crashes and deaths and the reason behind this is that people did not feel the level of its burden. It took a lot of work to make people start seeing the problem and its consequences. We believe that when there is a will there is a way to address and follow up on a concern or issue. Other sensitive issues such as alcohol abuse and child neglect and abuse have started to surface from the taboo side but still needs a lot of work and perseverance. We cannot neglect the issue that in some communities alcohol is forbidden but there is great need to address the issue of abuse to help the problem come to the surface and be handled properly rather than staying a taboo and spreading quietly among people.

DL: What is YASA’s role in disaster relief?

YASA: YASA works hard on injury prevention so our work is focused on the stage before the incident, however we saw the need to address the incident itself so we worked on the disaster management aspect too. We aim in our work to help the disaster response teams unit efforts and practice before they are faced by real situations.

DL: What are YASA’s strategies in making its awareness campaigns successful? Have conferences, seminars, and TV ads had a statistically measurable impact on accidents and injuries on the road?

YASA: YASA works on various ways to optimize the campaigns’ impact. All through the years we have organized and participated in conferences and seminars. YASA has also produced various safety spots and documentaries that were broadcast on local and regional TV stations, and were also viewed in conferences and seminars. All these were done to help promote a safer behavior and help reduce the burden of injuries due to traffic crashes. It is evident that campaigns alone do not work, and when we want to address the issue of Road Safety we need to address what we know as 6Es: Education, Engineering, Emergency, Enforcement, Evaluation and Encouragement. (More details on the 6Es can be found at www.yasa.org.)

Education is the part that is done with the students and in seminars, lectures and various interventions.

Engineering is the reflection of the safety on the roads from signing, lining, lighting to safety in road work zones and more.

Enforcement is the strict and continuous law enforcement and the updating of existing laws to meet the changes in the road and vehicles.

Emergency is the preparedness of the emergency teams to respond to an emergency situation and how to handle it in timely manner.

Evaluation is the step where you need to stop and assess what has been done and what should be done.

Encouragement is asking people to ask what the people in charge have done and if they worked to reduce the burden they should be acknowledged and if not they should be accounted for.

Safadi Foundation USA thanks YASA for taking the time to answer our questions. Please visit YASA's website to learn more about the organization and discover ways you can help youth understand road safety issues.

Lebanon's Civil Society Active in Environmental Issues

And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair. - Khalil Gibran

From the ancient cedars of Shouf to the blue honey of the Mediterranean, traditional rural villages to the sprawling metropolis of Beirut, and the majesty of Mount Lebanon to the luscious Beqaa Valley, Lebanon faces enormous environmental challenges. These problems - which range from desertification and water shortages to threats to marine life and to the towering cedars themselves - transcend ethnicity and creed, wealth and poverty, gender and age. They are common to all and can be ignored by none. Fortunately, Lebanon is taking notice.

With a plethora of civil society groups recently formed to protect Lebanon's slice of the planet, Lebanon has perhaps the most active environmental movement in the Middle East and can lead the way in promoting green policies throughout the region. Not only are international groups like Greenpeace and GAIA active in the country, but grassroots Lebanese organizations like Beeatoona, Green Line, Development for People and Nature Association, and IndyACT have begun to have an impact on dialogue about the environment in Lebanon.

But there is much work to do, and the government should work in cooperation with CSOs and municipalities so that all of Lebanon can participate in the process. The government has already developed several national plans to combat environmental degradation in Lebanon. The National Reforestation Plan (2001), National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (1998), and National Action Program to Combat Desertification (2003) have all been drafted and implemented to some degree. The Ministry of Environment also hosted a program with the University of Balamand entitled Strengthening Environmental Legislation Development and Application System (SELDAS).

The SELDAS program ran from March 2003 to September 2005, which culminated with the publication of a book (available in Arabic from the Ministry’s website.) The purpose of the program was to build institutional capacities to develop and apply environmental laws and to promote environmental awareness. The project developed a methodology for analyzing environmental legislation and was designed to reform the process of drafting environmental laws. Part of the project included seminars in which civil society organizations and municipalities were invited to give feedback to the Ministry.

The extent to which these plans will be adhered or the impact of the SELDAS program on environmental legislation reform remain to be seen. It is up to civil society organizations across Lebanon to continue to push for reform and to follow up on existing plans and programs. With organizations such as those listed above, Lebanon has an excellent chance to combat environmental degradation and promote a sustainable future for all.

Friday Roundup

Thanks to everyone who found our blog this week - next week we have some good stuff planned, so make sure to check back frequently!

Developing Lebanon aims to create a comprehensive list of all civil society organizations in Lebanon - if you work for or know of an organization that has a website not on our list, please email us or leave a comment with the link.

We are also developing a comprehensive list of blogs in and about Lebanon. If you have or know of an active blog that we do not have on our blogroll, please email us or leave a comment with the link.

On to this week's roundup:

Become a Facebook fan of Developing Lebanon!

The first Lebanese Tweetup!

Reform, reform, reform! Experts discuss reform areas in Daily Star.

The Role of Faith Based Orgs in Influencing & Shaping Social Policies in Lebanon. Event held by CRDTA.

Association for Forests, Development, and Conservation undertaking project in Andkit-Akkar.

Share your environmental info on AFDC's recently launched website for learning about the environment.

RT: @patrickgaley Protesters from Union of Democratic Youth staged sit-down protest in front of Lebanese Parliament as Speaker announced.

Open intro meeting for RootSpace's OpenSesame Consultancy (June 29, 7:30pm).

Lebanese Autism Society honors those who helped LAS over the years.

Red Cross survey highlights impact of world's armed conflicts on civilians.

Corruption at the driving school? This student just says no to bribery!

Baroud Supports Lebanese Mother's Nationality Case.

Football for peace. Lots of Lebanese organizations are doing this, too. Developing Lebanon will do a piece on this in the future.

Arab World Social Innovators on BBC World Service Radio.

Civil Campaign for Electoral Reform invites you to join the call for electoral reform in Lebanon.

مشروع تعليم مبادىء القيادة السليمة لطلاب مدرسة المعهد الانطوني بعبدا link

Survey of civil society and government officials concludes Lebanon unprepared for disasters.

Can one store spark renewal of a neighborhood?

Lebanese NGO Al-Kafaat to double capacity of Village to encourage disabled and disadvantaged to reintegrate into society.

Friday Roundup is a weekly blog post in which Safadi Foundation USA publishes a roundup of civil society's activities for the week. The goal is to spread the word about these activities and help civil society organizations learn from each other's experiences.

Twynicism - Young Lebanese and the Politics of Change

As the world watches events unfolding in Iran through social media due to government crackdown on traditional means of communication, we are coming to understand the impact new technology like Twitter and Facebook can have on world events. While not having as much direct impact on elections in Lebanon, these new media tools did play a role in the dialogue leading up to the elections.

One of the prevalent sentiments about the Lebanese election campaigns can be summed up by a Twitter persona who goes by @fulla_. Fulla, as you may know, is the Muslim version of Barbie, an abaya-clad, hijab covered plastic toy. Fulla claimed to be running for a parliamentary seat, but true to the spirit of the competitive elections, she had been slandered by her opponents, who alleged they had a compromising video tape of her, a claim she categorically denied.

Such is the cynicism of young Lebanese. This is a generation who grew up post-Ta'if, a generation raised in cyberspace, where borders don't exist and governments often can't keep up with those who want change. So they use new media to express their cynicism, this new generation who won't accept the status quo of bickering and fighting and deadlock and death.

Fulla crafted a parody of the Lebanese political process in 140 character installments. Other Lebanese Twitterers wrote:

@kheleil: Anyone voted Donald Duck?

@habibh: Probably only dude on a billboard who is not running for elections. [with photo of Marlboro man billboard]

The cynicism spills into the blogsphere as well. Maya Zankoul is an online cartoonist who recently mocked the use of scantily clad women in political advertising, political phone harassment, and odd campaign slogans. Qifa Nabki created a Lebanese election bracket in the style of an NCAA tournament bracket. For a Better Lebanon went Monty Python and the cynicism is evident even as he "gloats" over a victory for the "lesser of two evils."

Individuals are not the only ones to use sarcasm and satire in their political discourse. Youth for Tolerance, a non-profit organization that works with people aged 16-22 on issues of conflict resolution, created two online games, one in which a player "whacks a politician" and the other in which a player must whitewash sheep before they climb aboard a March 14 or March 8 bus, their colors matching the various sectoral hues.

But with cynicism comes hope. According to an article in The Daily Star, the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) said that of more than 2500 election observers, over half were university students. Likewise, Lebanese Transparency Association (LTA) said 80% of their election observers were university students. Young Lebanese want real democracy with transparency, accountability, and competitive races rather than assigned seats in parliament. Their involvement in the democratic process is a sign that there is a political will to move on from the old divisions and hatreds, and political will is the main ingredient in any recipe for change.

Fulla claimed she won her seat, saying, "Change, here it comes." When asked by a follower what she meant by change, she replied:

Sectarian system into the dustbin of history, plant flowers all over, exile warlords to Cedar Island, promote plastic arts. Requests?

Follow SafadiUSA on Twitter.

Marg bar dictatorships

The cries rose up into the political sky spiced with dark clouds and sunshine. The uncertainty was there - would it rain? Would there be freedom? Their slogans were foreign, yet familiar, though they were wracked with anger and there was a chilling wrath to them that was not quite comfortable. Marg bar Khameneyi. Marg bar dictator. Death to Khameneyi. Death to the dictator.

A force was present in the park where Lincoln once took his walks on nights when he was plagued with insomnia. Something was tugging at the soul, something unnamed and fierce. While I wanted to show my solidarity with those seeking justice, I could not share in their thirst for death, for what will another death accomplish except more anger, more resentment, more death? It is not up to human beings to choose a person's death, no matter how repulsive his actions towards others. Why marg bar anyone? There is no justice in killing, there is no truth, no beauty. There is only more evil.

Of course I understand the significance, this Death to phrase, left over from the revolution that put this government system in place. It was "Death to America" that rang out then, a response to the fact that America had once killed democracy and installed a brutal dictator for oil and paranoia about Communism.

I thought it interesting that hippies and CATO folks alike were at the rally. Some people met up at Dupont Circle and walked down to the White House.

There is a real revolutionary feeling here, something I had only imagined before. I can only pray for the people of Iran, that they get their freedom, that they get their justice, that after centuries of being oppressed, they finally get their country back. This is not our fight, America. Let us lend our moral support and give them what they may ask for, but no interference. (I'm looking at you, neocons.) They have been dominated by foreigners for too long. They have discovered their voice now, and they are using it. Don't make it about you.

There are some slogans the whole world can shout together, however. Marg bar oppression. Marg bar injustice. Long live freedom.

Feel free to spread these photos and to repost at will.

MLK lives on

"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

The tweets come in, tweeters from all over saying unimportant and important things. One links me to an article about the jerseys a baseball team is wearing. Another points me to a video in which a woman dies in her father's arms, the victim of a brutal regime. I see the paradox between the sacred and the profane, the lively and the mundane, freedom and tyranny. The irony of celebrating the Civil Rights Movement at a baseball game while a nation spills its blood for civil rights of its own is not lost on me.

This baseball game bombards us with media coverage while the struggling nation across oceans and deserts suffers from a government-imposed media blackouts. Tonight we'll see morons behind homeplate on cell phones and waving like happy idiots while a dictatorship has cut off nearly all phone services.

Yet, the celebration in Cincinnati is not profane. It is warranted, overdue, appropriate. A gross injustice has been overcome in America, a hideous chapter of history that seems almost unreal to those of us who grew up in the post-Civil Rights Movement generation. Perhaps in thirty-five years, Iranians, too can celebrate at a football game their own liberation from the iron fist of oppression. Perhaps they can wear the same jerseys as those brave Iranian players wore when they dared to don green wristbands in their game against South Korea. God grant them that gift.

And so today while we celebrate progress and freedom in America, we must not forget the grave injustice that still exists throughout the world, that a nation takes to the streets in peaceful protest while its government murders its citizens, that we must never, ever give up in the struggle for civil rights, for human rights, for liberty and justice for the whole world.
___

Friday Roundup

Developing Lebanon has officially launched! Check back daily for news and information about civil society and development in Lebanon.

Gemayze is holding its annual Exposition of Art.

HireLebanese is holding 2009 Job Fair in Beirut in October.

Lebanese bloggers react to Iran crisis.

Arab Human Rights Fund calls for proposals from Arab civil society organizations.

London School of Economics held "Lebanese Elections and Middle Eastern Democracy" last week. Full audio.

Lebanon's Parliamentary Elections: Anticipating Opportunities and Challenges - USIP working paper.

Maw2af.org and Maya's Amalgam on LBC news.

Lebanese civil society expectations: Will parliament & government really work for social reform?

Middle East Institute hosted "The 2009 Lebanon Elections: Outcomes and Implications."

Naam Lil Hiwar "Comedy in Lebanon: Catering to public taste or provoking critical thinking?"

"This is Mona": Twitter social epidemic during Lebanon election.

Lebanon’s Reformed Electoral Law - is the cup really “half full”?

BASSMA holding fundraiser "Sparkling Summer Night" at Sky Bar in Biel July 6. Profits benefit deprived families in Lebanon.

Simple risk analysis for climate change

The problem with this argument is that it uses logic, something the deniers are not capable of.

Many Lebanese are migrants, too

It's Migrant Week here at Developing Lebanon in honor of Friday's International Migrant Day. Today I'm going to write a bit about Lebanese migration.

It's funny to me that so many Arab-Americans turn out to be Lebanese, understandable, of course, because of the war and all. Still, I find it funny (funny strange, not funny ha ha) whenever I meet an American who proudly claims Lebanese as his ethnic heritage, as it seems, so...profound? In my mind, the diaspora is symbolic of the sectarian strife the homeland has faced. Then I look around and see not only the Lebanese-Americans, but all of the prominent Lebanese-Americans, like US Secretary of Transportation Roy Lahood, whom President Sleiman is meeting with on his visit this week. I'm sure the meeting isn't to discuss planes, trains, and automobiles.

The first documented Lebanese to come to America was Antonios Bishallany. He left Lebanon after his family disowned him. Apparently he got into trouble for becoming a Protestant and was sent on his not so merry way by the Maronites. Two years after arriving in New York, he died of what sounds like consumption.

I don't know how many Lebanese emigrated to Aermcia during those fifteen long years, as estimates vary and many returned to the land of the cedars when it became clear the nightmare was over. Yet I do know that most have assimilated into Aemrican culture with ease, though they have never severed ties with the Motherland.

They aren't much different than the Irish in that regard. In fact, there are a lot of similarities. I'll write more on that later during Migrant Week.

Twitter Mania in Lebanon!

From Women in Technology, a look at NGOs with Twitter accounts:

NGOs and non-profit initiatives from Lebanon or with programs in Lebanon.

@witlebanon: Women in Technology

@witmena: Women in Technology - Middle East and North Africa.

@smexbeirut: Social Media Exchange

@indyact: The League of Independent Activists

@lebfunraising : non-profit initiative project by Lebanese bloggers.

@leblaique : marching for a secular state in Lebanon.

@unicef_lebanon: only couple of updates.

@livelebanon: network connecting lebanese living abroad with local communities.

@lebelections: Lade Lebanon - not very active, not sure if it is official twitter account.

@wblebanon: World Vision

@alzlebanon : Alzheimer - Lebanon. No Updates!

@beirutmarathon: Beirut Marathon Association.

@safelebanon: Business continuity and safe lebanon disaster recovery mitigation and prevention

@safadiusa : based in Washington, but "dedicated to Lebanon's human development"

If you know of any other Lebanese NGOs or non-profit initiatives, feel free to post them in the comments.

Evan's Corner: Conflict and Religion in US Foreign Policy: A New Way?

Conflict and Religion in US Foreign Policy: A New Way?

Center for Strategic and International Studies

The Center for Strategic and International Studies hosted a discussion examining the role of religion is US foreign policy. The guests included Nadia Bilbassy-Charters, senior US correspondent for the Middle East Broadcasting Center, Prof. Shaun Casey, associate professor of Christian Ethics at Wesley Theological Seminary, Ambassador Sudjadan Parnohadiningrat of the Republic of Indonesia, and Mr. Amir Ramadan, Charge d’Affairs for the Egyptian Embassy in Washington.

Before getting down to more specific policy discussions, the panelists addressed President Obama’s speech in Cairo. Mr. Ramadan pointed out that although the speech was widely reported to be addressing the “Muslim world,” it was really a “political” speech. Ambassador Sudjadan agreed vigorously, noting that Indonesians felt the speech was not addressed to them. The ambassador explained that the millions of Muslims in south Asia thought that the president’s speech was about Middle Eastern politics, and not the faith of Islam. The ambassador went on to say that Indonesians are hopeful that Obama will speak to south Asian Muslims more directly in future speeches.

The panelists all stressed that Islam was not the center of the president’s Cairo speech, and also should not be the central preoccupation of US foreign policy. Mr. Ramadan argued that religious themes have no place in policy, and that is why his own Egyptian government has banned religious political parties. The speech was really about key political issues, such as the reconstruction of Iraq, and a resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Mr. Ramadan stressed that pragmatic solutions to these political issues must be the goal of US foreign policy.

Professor Casey did not entirely agree that religion should be absent from government. Casey said that the government needs more staff devoted to understanding the role of “lived religion” around the world. Casey explained that the counter insurgency strategy being employed in Iraq calls for an advanced knowledge of Islam as it is practiced. So much of counter insurgency is a battle for hearts and minds, and the US military does not have the human resources to interpret and interact with religious life in Iraq. Casey went further suggesting that the proselytizing, evangelical approach of some of the army chaplains was extremely counterproductive. Casey advised that the US military train a core of servicemen in “world religions” to better understand and contextualize the spiritual traditions of foreign nations.

The ultimate consensus of the panel was that US foreign policy going forward needs to address the individual political realities of each Middle Eastern country. Ambassador Sudjadan and Mr. Ramadan illustrate that that two predominantly Muslim nations can have completely different domestic and international concerns. In some cases, such as in Iraq or Afghanistan, a greater understanding of country specific religious practices can be informative. However, these national religious traditions must never be misinterpreted as representative of all Muslims, and politics, not religion, must inform policy.

Images from around the US in support of Iran freedom

Austin and New York City

How to set up a proxy server for Iranians

06/15/2009 05:13 pm by Austin

If you’re using Windows, it’s pretty straight forward to setup a proxy and help give access to those in Iran who are being censored. If you’re running Redhat/CentOS, please use the linux instructions.

1) Download Squid for Windows
2) Extract that zip archive, and move the “squid” folder to the root of your drive (probably C:\).
3) After moving the squid folder, open “C:\squid\etc\squid.conf” in your favorite text editor (not Word).
4) Configure the DNS name servers on the line that says “dns_nameservers” to point at your ISPs DNS servers.
5) Now the fun part, locking access down the just the Iranian IP blocks.

Inside the text editor search (Control-W) for the line “http_access deny all” and change it to “http_access allow all”. This will make your proxy open and accessible to the world. If you would like to limit your proxy to Iranian IP blocks, you want to change “http_access deny all” to read “http_access allow TRUSTED” add a line (BEFORE the http_access line to setup an access control list [ACL]). This ACL line that defines TRUSTED should read:

acl TRUSTED src 62.60.128.0/17 62.193.0.0/19 62.220.96.0/19 77.36.128.0/17 77.77.64.0/18 77.104.64.0/18 77.237.64.0/19 77.237.160.0/19 77.245.224.0/20 78.38.0.0/15 78.109.192.0/20 78.110.112.0/20 78.111.0.0/20 78.154.32.0/19 78.157.32.0/19 78.158.160.0/19 79.127.0.0/17 79.132.192.0/19 79.170.144.0/21 79.175.128.0/18 80.66.176.0/20 80.69.240.0/20 80.71.112.0/20 80.75.0.0/20 80.191.0.0/16 80.242.0.0/20 80.253.128.0/20 80.253.144.0/20 81.12.0.0/17 81.28.32.0/20 81.28.48.0/20 81.31.160.0/20 81.31.176.0/20 81.90.144.0/20 81.91.128.0/20 81.91.144.0/20 82.99.192.0/18 82.115.0.0/19 83.147.192.0/18 84.47.192.0/18 84.241.0.0/18 85.9.64.0/18 85.15.0.0/18 85.133.128.0/17 85.185.0.0/16 85.198.0.0/18 86.109.32.0/19 87.107.0.0/16 87.247.160.0/19 87.248.128.0/19 89.144.128.0/18 89.165.0.0/17 89.221.80.0/20 89.235.64.0/18 91.98.0.0/15 91.184.64.0/19 91.186.192.0/19 91.206.122.0/23 91.208.165.0/24 91.209.242.0/24 91.212.16.0/24 91.212.19.0/24 91.212.252.0/24 92.42.48.0/21 92.50.0.0/18 92.61.176.0/20 92.62.176.0/20 92.242.192.0/19 93.110.0.0/16 93.190.24.0/21 94.74.128.0/18 94.101.128.0/20 94.101.176.0/20 94.101.240.0/20 94.139.160.0/19 94.182.0.0/15 94.184.0.0/17 94.232.168.0/21 94.241.128.0/18 95.38.0.0/16 95.80.128.0/18 95.81.64.0/18 95.82.0.0/18 95.82.64.0/18 95.130.56.0/21 95.130.240.0/21 188.34.0.0/16 188.93.64.0/21 188.121.96.0/19 188.121.128.0/19 188.136.128.0/17 188.158.0.0/15 193.189.122.0/23 194.225.0.0/16 195.146.32.0/19 212.16.64.0/19 212.33.192.0/19 212.50.224.0/19 212.80.0.0/19 212.95.128.0/19 212.120.192.0/19 213.176.0.0/19 213.176.32.0/19 213.176.64.0/18 213.195.0.0/18 213.207.192.0/18 213.217.32.0/19 213.233.160.0/19 217.11.16.0/20 217.24.144.0/20 217.25.48.0/20 217.64.144.0/20 217.66.192.0/20 217.66.208.0/20 217.146.208.0/20 217.172.96.0/19 217.174.16.0/20 217.218.0.0/15

6) Setup “visible_hostname” (normally just the public IP address).
7) Turn off logging by adding these two lines:

access_log none
cache_store_log none

7) Setup the Squid cache by issuing the following command: “c:\squid\sbin\squid -D –z” (No quotes).
8) Setup Squid to run as a service by issuing the following command: “c:\squid\sbin\squid –i”

Please don’t run this on a machine that you’re worried about or is used for production sites; and take basic security precautions, ie: moving ftp off the default port, using a firewall package, etc.

Once your server is up and running please DM @austinheap and let me know! I will no longer posting proxies on the public list. If you set one up, please e-mail me@austinheap.com to contribute to the private one or e-mail me if your an Iranian that needs access!

Welcome to Developing Lebanon

On June 7, 2009, Lebanon held parliamentary elections that garnered world-wide attention. Most of the interest has focused on the weight and influence of external powers and the balance-of-power in the region. We at Safadi Foundation USA would like to highlight the growing influence of civil society and the significance these elections represent for the continuation of reforms that will help in creating a democratic, sovereign, and independent Lebanon. Civil society is an integral part of the reform process and critical to the stability of any democratic country.

Lebanon has a vibrant civil society that is involved in all facets of life and development sectors. Safadi Foundation USA would like to introduce you to a new blog that aims to be a portal for information about civil society in Lebanon. Developing Lebanon (http://blog.safadifoundationusa.org) is designed with the grassroots in mind and will be a way for civil society organizers to connect with each other and to share best practices, success stories, and lessons learned. Coordinating reform efforts will enhance the success of programs and help civil society organizations benefit from other organizations’ strengths and expertise. This blog aims to be a civil society clearinghouse of news, events, and case studies.

Each week Developing Lebanon will spotlight civil society organizations, highlighting their programs and successes. We will conduct interviews with civil society leaders, government officials, and Lebanese citizens on their thoughts and ideas about how to move Lebanon forward in the reform process. The blog will also contain a weekly sector segment focusing on reform efforts in a particular sector, including business, environment, and education, among others. Information about US policy towards Lebanon and Washington-based think tanks that have Lebanon programs will also be routinely included.

In the blog’s sidebar, you will find a list of civil society organizations in Lebanon and across the globe linking to each organization’s website. This list aims to be inclusive and will grow as we discover more organizations working to help overcome Lebanon’s development challenges.

We look forward to your active participation in this effort. Please contact Cathie Glover at cglover@safadifoundationusa.org for any feedback and or suggestions. In addition, please subscribe to our blog, sign up for our Twitter feeds @SafadiUSA, and visit our website at http://www.safadifoundationusa.org for more information on our efforts to build a sustainable future for all Lebanese.

Friday Roundup

First of all, I'd like to say congratulations for a successful election.

Onto the roundup:

Naam Lil Hiwar will relaunch in Shouf on Saturday, June 13 with the documentary "Lebnan elle bihlam fi: Discussing Our Vision of Lebanon." Info about the event can be found on Facebook here.

Lebanese blogger Elias Muhanna talks with Now Lebanon about his blog Qifa Nabki and the elections in Lebanon.

Saradar Foundation and Baldati team up to bring free computer and internet training to villages in Lebanon.

AmCham Lebanon releases May newsletter.

Sawt Ashabab appears in article in L'Orient Le Jour, "En plein chaos electoral, la voix des jeunes en toute objectivite."

Osama Safa, director of Lebanese Center for Policy Studies says Lebanon case shows US moving to something new.

First press statement from Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE).

A Looming Crisis in Lebanon? Forbes article.

RT: @meedan: Check out this audio recording of Anas Tawileh at London University talking on new media in Arab world.

No evidence Obama had any impact on Lebanon elections, says Foreign Policy blog.

Independents push for changes in system: A Christian ran for seat designated for a Muslim.

Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections and Lebanese Transparency Association say university students made up bulk of election observers. Hope for the future!

Lebanese NGO Collective for Research and Training on Development Association (CRTDA) leads activists to keep pressing for reform of nationality law.

• Daily Star article.
• Lebanese American University article.
• Inter Press Service article.
• Just image blog post.

Investing in Lebanese Youth.

Lebanon's Elections: Avoiding a New Cycle of Confrontation - International Crisis Group's report.

Friday Roundup is a weekly blog post in which Safadi Foundation USA publishes a roundup of civil society's activities for the week. The goal is to spread the word about these activities and help civil society organizations learn from each other's experiences.

Friday Roundup

Barack Obama gave his highly anticipated speech to the Muslim world yesterday, which was generally met with warm praise. A few reactions:

NOW Lebanon gathered reactions from the street.

Lebanese reactions to President Obama's speech on PRI.

Reaction from Albalad (Arabic).

Obama's new era in international diplomacy - Daily Star editorial.

Comments by Worried Lebanese blog.


Friday SafadiUSA Twitter Roundup:

Safadi USA Executive Director Lara Alameh's article True Sovereignty and Independence for Lebanon in Daily Star.

Lebanon's Elections: Avoiding a New Cycle of Confrontation, Int'l Crisis Group's report.

Volta ao Mundo, a non-profit promotes intercultural dialogue between Lebanon & Brazil, holds launching event.

Climate change may escalate ME conflict: That's why it's important to support #civil society in environmental efforts.

Sharek961 empowers Lebanese citizens to promote transparency by sending eyewitness reports on election-related incidents.

After the Parliamentary Elections by Oussama Safa of Lebanese Center for Policy Studies.

The New Lebanon - a Lebanese focused site by World Focus news service.

RT: @yalibnan: Lebanon gets first firefighting helicopter for Forever Green campaign, a cooperative program between government and civil society.

Lebanese CSO Youth for Tolerance creates election-relevant games.

Citizens take action to save green spaces in Beirut. People power!

Child Protection Working Group says children abused during political campaigning

Aspen Institute's "Lebanese Elections in Context."