Our Activities

FNF Beirut x IFLRY - Migration Seminar

On June 21, we opened the first part of the Twin Migration Seminars organized by the International Federation of Liberal Youth (IFLRY) in partnership with FNF. The project includes a first seminar in Beirut from June 21 until June 25, hosted by FNF Lebanon and Syria, and a second seminar in Madrid from June 28 until July 1 by FNF Madrid. 

The IFLRY training team consisting of Secretary General Valentine Martin, Vice President Abdallah Abdoh and trainers Claudine Kishek and Masa Masri introduced the seminar.
After some welcoming words by FNF Project Manager May el Masri and Project Director Kristof Kleemann, participants learned about several perspectives on the challenges of migration to the region in different sessions. Firstly, they were introduced to the roots and causes of immigration influxes in the MENA region through a panel with Dr. Makram Rabah, Dr. Rita El Chemaly and Mr. Ibrahim Jouhari. The second session focused on the challenges of migration and included a case study on Lebanon and Jordan. Following, Ayman Mhanna from the Samir Kassir Foundation presented the portrayal of the refugee situation in Lebanese media. Last but not least, participants got the opportunity to engage with representatives of several local organizations working in humanitarian aid and learned about humanitarian aid priorities and their effectiveness in the MENA region. Moreover, they began to draft solutions to different challenges in this context. 
The third day of the seminar began with a field trip to the Beqaa valley. The group had the opportunity to discuss with two mayors from different municipalities to learn about challenges on the ground. Moreover, they were able to visit an informal tented settlement in the area and engage with refugees living there in order to get a first-hand perspective on the matter. In the afternoon, a skills lab held by IFLRY trainers encouraged participants to improve their skills in policy writing as well as campaigning and advocacy. 
The last day focused on securing results: Participants began to map out their proposals for solutions to several challenges, intensively worked on them throughout the day and presented their results in the afternoon. The projects showed great first steps towards improving the situation for refugees and engaging in constructive dialogue with several stakeholders involved. 

Part of the group is now on their way to Madrid to participate in the second part of the project, learn about the European perspective, finalize their solution driven drafts and participate in the Mediterranean Conference organized by FNF Madrid.