26 Letters: Education against Discrimination
At 26 Letters, everyone is welcome – regardless of their nationality, social or personal background. The Lebanese non-profit organization provides free high-quality education for all, and works especially with vulnerable groups such Syrian refugees.
With the ongoing war in its neighboring country, Lebanon has taken in more refugees per capita than any other country in the world. Despite the strong solidarity and willingness to help the new arrivals, especially in the early years of the Syrian civil war, the large number of refugees has also given rise to tensions, discrimination and mistrust between different groups of society in Lebanon.
The explosion in the Beirut port on August 4th 2020 impacted all residents of Beirut and of Lebanon more widely, and the solidarity for people was overwhelming. However, during the clean-up efforts there were also reports of discrimination and mistrust between people from different social groups. The social aftermath of the blast has once more revealed existing patterns of prejudices and divisions among political, social and sectarian lines that go back a long time in the Lebanese history. Thus, when considering that a big part of the explosion’s fallout takes place on a social level, social healing is a central aspect of the recovery. This is why 26 Letters has initiated the project “(Re-)building spaces for peace in a (re-)united Lebanon”, which is designed to encourage peaceful coexistence and cooperation among the different communities. forumZFD has supported this project with donations collected after the explosion. The funds help to promote long-term and peaceful change in Lebanon.
The project is directed to young people, who are a key driver of social change in Lebanon: It was young people who first took to the streets in October 2019 to demand political and economic reform. And young people also contributed significantly to first aid, cleaning up and rebuilding after the Beirut blast. The project by 26 Letters brings together teenagers from multiple nationalities and equips them with the necessary skills to promote a culture of equality, non-violence and non-discrimination. The participants, aged 14 to 20, all come from neighborhoods close to the Beirut port, and many of them helped in cleaning up the streets after the catastrophe.
In the first phase of the project, the young people participate in workshops on topics such as discrimination, stereotypes, human rights and peace activism. In the second phase the participants apply their new skills and implement their own inclusive projects in their community. With the support of 26 Letters they evaluate their experiences, which can then be used in schools and youth centers to learn about social inclusion and peace. The initiative of 26 Letters thus makes an important contribution to social cohesion and healing after the traumatic explosion in the Beirut port. The young participants become drivers of social change – for a more peaceful future in Lebanon!
