Montreal solidarity activists in Beirut – available for interview on current crisis

13 July 2006, Montreal/Beirut – Members of the Montreal-based Tadamon! collective are in Beirut and available for interviews on the current crisis. Since mid-June, the three-person delegation from the Montreal group has been working out of Beirut, meeting with social justice and cultural organisations, participating in popular campaigns, coordinating solidarity projects between Montreal and Beirut, and creating radio reports on social justice issues in the country. Delegation members were chosen for their experience and knowledge of Lebanese and regional affairs.

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Montreal Stands in Solidarity with Palestinians from Gaza to Lebanon

Israeli shell explodes in open space next to Beit Hanoun, 1 July 2006 (MaanImages/ Inbal Rose).

In the face of the ongoing, major Israeli military attack on the Palestinian people of the Gaza Strip, individuals and organizations in Montreal committed to principles of social justice and self-determination express their unqualified solidarity with the Palestinian people who are resisting the latest assault on their cities, villages, institutions and social infrastructure.

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Weekly Reports on Struggles for Social & Economic Justice in LEBANON

Tadamon! a collective of media activists & community organizers from
Montreal working to build solidarity with movements for social & economic
justice in Lebanon are currently on a delegation to Lebanon and the Middle
East. As part of this delegation members of Tadamon! will be producing
weekly 30 minutes audio reports for individual download, podcast &
broadcast on upwards of 20 campus / community radio stations in Canada.

Tadamon!’s weekly audio reports will focus on the present day cultural,
social and political realities in the Middle East from a perspective of
social justice. Radio Tadamon!’s reports will be produced on a weekly
basis and will be regularly uploaded from the Middle East each THURSDAY
for broadcast, download & podcast internationally throughout July &
August.

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Charbel Rouhana blends political awareness, traditional Arabic music and
compositional experimentation

By Stefan Christoff
Special to The Daily Star
Friday, July 07, 2006

BEIRUT: Somehow Lebanon’s electric political climate always seems to provide
fertile ground for innovative artistic expression. Such expression may be
rooted in the country’s rich cultural history, but on occasion, it also offers
important insight into the present challenges facing Lebanon (and by extension
the region at large).

Over the past nine years, Charbel Rouhana has become a fixture on the local
music scene. A rising star and longtime “special guest” at the Blue Note Cafe
in Hamra, Rouhana uses song to present an inspiring voice for social change.
The celebrated oud player and contemporary composer has successfully harnessed
folkloric Lebanese traditions and combined them with present-day musical
innovation and insightful social commentary.

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