Claiming Equal Citizenship

Campaign Activities

The Lebanese Campaign Team has organized regional seminars and workshops to raise awareness, disseminate information and activate members of the community to join the campaing in Lebanon.

Between April and June, eight universities held events related to the nationality campaign. The seminars generated a buzz around the campuses attracting nearly 350 students to each seminar and adding as many signatures to the petition. The goal of the seminars is to engage the youth of Lebanon and continue to reach as many people as possible.

CRTD-A and regional partners have also held regional workshops in which a total of nearly 200 women, men and various social activists attended. Roughly 150 signatures were collected at these workshops in support of the campaign in Lebanon.

Each workshop follows a similar pattern in which the attendees gather at the meeting place to hear women’s rights activists speak, women affected by the nationality laws telling their stories and human rights lawyers giving legal counsel.

The following workshop is one example of many such workshops that have been held in Lebanon in support of the nationality campaign.

On June 16, 2006, CRTD-A organized a panel discussion with The Rassemblement Democratique Des Femmes Au Liban (RDFL) in Deek el Mehdi – Zekrit entitled, “Nationality: A Right for Me and my Family”. A total of 55 people attended the panel discussion, from political and judicial figures to members of various NGOs. The panelists discussed the legal parameters as well as the social action events that could be planned in order to draw more attention to the cause.

Caroline Sleiby, social activist & member of the RDFL, briefly presented on the Lebanese Nationality campaign focusing on the current laws in the country and the discrimination women face as a result. Sleiby highlighted the clear contradictions between the nationality laws & the Lebanese Constitution. She touched on the history of the campaign, its activities, and partners and then shifted to the arguments and the challenges faced by all concerned.

One of the more unique components of these workshops is the presence of a human rights lawyer who can advise the women in the audience about their rights and which avenues to take in order to actualize these rights. The legal context for this seminar was presented by MP Ghassan Moukheiber who is also a lawyer.

Moukheiber stressed the sensitivity of the Lebanese campaign in light of the fact that Lebanon is a country of immigration and not one of naturalization. He continued by emphasizing the importance of Women’s movements, stressing that women’s movements have had a tremendous impact on changing and modifying discriminatory laws in other countries which could be used as a motivational tool for Lebanon. Moukheiber demanded that restrictions be lifted on Clause 9 of the CEDAW convention and suggested that organizations working on the campaign add this to their list of goals.

Moukheiber explained the fears that prevented the Lebanese government to modify the nationality laws, such as the disruption of the current demographical balance, as well as naturalization issues. Finally, “the most important thing,” Moukheiber said, “is to change the attitudes and mentalities, as well as, the role of religious leaders, municipalities and civil societies.”

At the conclusion of the seminar, members suggested a peaceful demonstration as one means of directing more attention to the campaign.

Entry Filed under: Countries, Lebanon, Activities, Events