Lens On Lebanon is an international grassroots documentary initiative formed during the Israeli bombardment of 2006. The documentary material, photo narratives, and video diaries of daily life gathered here have been conceived, produced, and contributed by residents of Lebanon from all walks of life.
Move hailed as step on path to WTO
Daily Star – BEIRUT: The United States expects to finalize a new trade agreement with Lebanon by the end of November, marking progress in Beirut’s stalled bid for membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Viewed as a prelude to a bilateral free-trade agreement between the two countries, the new Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) should eventually lead to Lebanon’s ascension to the WTO, US Ambassador Jeffrey Feltman said in a speech at a dinner hosted by the Lebanese American Chamber of Commerce on Friday.
“What that means is economic opportunities for Lebanon,” Feltman said of the country’s anticipated inclusion in the world body.
Lebanon, which gained WTO observer status in 1999, has missed several target dates for ascension due to the governments’ failure to adopt the required legislation on a range of trade issues, including piracy, anti-dumping, customs duties and food safety standards.
Israel must take responsibility for the dreadful human toll in Lebanon
By Peter Bouckaert, Emergencies Director, Human Rights Watch
Published in Guardian Unlimited
Day after day, Israeli government spokesmen insist that everything they are doing accords with international humanitarian law. Endless communiqués insist that Israel’s behaviour is “proportionate”. Let us be blunt: those claims are fantasy, as the carnage in Qana has shown once again.
I have seen my share of modern wars, as a researcher at Human Rights Watch. In Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq, we found many civilian casualties due to bombing campaigns. Civilians fleeing attacks were hit by mistake. In Iraq, US bombs often hit civilian homes, hours after Saddam Hussein or members of his inner circle had left, missing their legitimate targets but killing civilians. In Lebanon it is a very different picture. Time after time, Israel strikes at civilian homes and civilian vehicles attempting to flee the besieged southern border zone, killing families without any military objective in sight.
by Emad Mekay, Committee for the Cancellation of the Third World Debt
http://www.cadtm.org/article.php3?id_article=2017
Lebanon is firmly en route to becoming the third nation in the Middle East after Iraq and the Palestinian territories to experience a devastating Washington-backed war and a massive influx of new illegitimate debt to cover reconstruction expenses, anti-debt activists say. (more…)
By Patrick Cockburn in Gaza
Published: 08 September 2006
Gaza is dying. The Israeli siege of the Palestinian enclave is so tight that its people are on the edge of starvation. Here on the shores of the Mediterranean a great tragedy is taking place that is being ignored because the world’s attention has been diverted by wars in Lebanon and Iraq.
A whole society is being destroyed. There are 1.5 million Palestinians imprisoned in the most heavily populated area in the world. Israel has stopped all trade. It has even forbidden fishermen to go far from the shore so they wade into the surf to try vainly to catch fish with hand-thrown nets.
Treated like modern-day slaves, Filipina domestic workers in Lebanon have jumped off buildings to escape from Israeli bombs and abusive Lebanese employers.
by Herbert Docena
Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
i Report, 27 August 2006
BEIRUT
Miramar Flores stood on the ledge of her master’s second-floor balcony. As she tried to make up her mind whether to stay on under the Israeli bombardment or to flee it may well have occurred to her that it was a choice between death and death. (more…)
QPIRG McGill and Tadamon! present :
OUT AGAINST THE OCCUPATION!
A FUNDRAISER FOR THE SANAYEH RELIEF CENTRE IN BEIRUT
Wednesday, August 30 2006
Doors at 9 pm, Performance 10 pm
Club Lambi 4465 blvd. St-Laurent (coin Mont-Royal)
Pay What You Can/Suggested Donation: 5-20$
‘Poets Against War!’
is still seeking poets from the local Middle Eastern community (especially women) to read their anti-war poetry, Wed, August 30, pm, 7pm the Casa del Popolo ( 4873 boul St-Laurent).
This will be a multi-ethnic, fundraising poetry/music event to raise money for the Sanayeh Relief Centre in Beirut. Co-sponsored by Tadamon! Montreal.
(more…)
‘Poets Against War!’ is a multi-ethnic, fundraising poetry/music event featuring 20 poets & musicians from the local Lebanese, Iranian, Iraqi, Egyptian, Moroccan, Palestinian, Syrian, Jewish, Pakistani, English & French communities…
Wednesday August 30th
Casa del Popolo
4873 boul St-Laurent
8pm sharp
Tickets are $10/$5 at the door.
