Home to over 1.5 million Syrian refugees (according to government estimates), Lebanon has witnessed the use of Syrian refugees as scapegoats by the political class. Recently, anti-Syrian refugee discourse has heightened in Lebanon, coupled with dangerous attempts at harming Syrian refugees in several parts of the country. In this episode, Michelle Eid and Nadine Khechen challenge common myths that are perpetuated in some Lebanese spaces against refugees and discuss the effects of...

The economic crisis that began in Lebanon in 2019 has reshaped society in many ways, shifting people up and down the socio-economic strata. While many families in Lebanon have become dependent on relatives sending remittances from abroad, others have not, redefining the concept of the the working class, the middle class, financial comfort, and privilege.  Join Michelle Eid and Nizar Hasan in this episode on crisis, class, and ideology in Lebanon, where they discuss how the economic crisis...

The feminist movement in the Levant has been making noise in the last decades as powerful women take the lead on many initiatives focusing on feminist and women's issues. Female and Sharika Wa Laken are just a few of these organizations empowering change. Join Stephani Moukhaiber and Hayat Mirshad in this episode on the rise of the feminist movement in the Levant where they discuss the current state all while reflecting on personal experiences and the impacts these experiences have had on...

In this episode, Stephani takes on understanding the Kafala System in Lebanon with the insight and knowledge of This is Lebanon. Together, they dive deep into the history, policies and horrific stories of what we call today, the modern-day slavery, Kafala System.    The kafala system, also known as the sponsorship system, outlines the connection between foreign workers and their domestic sponsor, typically their employer. This arrangement has been practiced in nations belonging to the Gulf...

With the increasing incitement to hatred and violence against queer community in Lebanon, we find it extremely important to share and raise awareness on the current status of LGBTQIAS2+ policies in Lebanon. And who better to speak to than Karim Nammour, Researcher, Lawyer and Podcast Host of Qanuni Break. In this episode Karim and Stephani dig a deeper dive into the following areas: The status the LGBTQIA+ community in Lebanon as it stands today The current state of the judicial system and...

From March till May the most recurring question amongst the Lebanese people was whether or not the Municipal elections were taking place. While this is not a hot topic anymore and the episode was shot back in March, we still think it’s extremely important to outline the importance of Municipalities and their systems of governance. In this episode, Cendrella and Stephani discuss: The structure and inner functionalities of municipalities The roles and responsibilities of municipalities The...

Are you Anxious in Beirut? We host Zakaria Jaber, the person that triggered the motivation behind this Podcast season. Joining Zakaria are Farah Darwish and Nazih Osta, two very prominent figures featured in the award winning documentary. In this episode, we chat about: The last 3 years in Lebanon (the October Revolution, Pandemic, August 4th Blast) Immigration  Corruption in Lebanon and how it feeds into our society Navigating friendships in Beirut in the midst of chaos The economic collapse...