HUB Category: Blog

Named the biggest event in the Arab world, Dubai Expo 2020 is an international cultural fair featuring 192 country pavilions. The exhibition, featuring the world literally, is hosting pavilions, showcasing cultures, technology, art, innovation, and inventions to meet one dedicated space for people to experience.

The highlight of the Dubai Expo is Al Wasl Plaza Dome that forms the centerpiece and is the world’s largest unsupported dome. Hosting world expos put a spotlight on the country as a global leader, a title that the United Arab of Emirates is effectively working towards in all aspects of areas. Visitors have the opportunity to experience the grandiose exhibition by seeing the best of what the 192 countries have to offer. In a nutshell, it is a trip around the world through one destination. Showcased under three sub-themes, Opportunity, Sustainability and Mobility that illustrate how the UAE is “connecting minds, creating the future”.

Did you know? There have been world expos every 5 years since the 1850s and they usually last 6 months. The world expos have provided a platform to showcase the greatest innovations that have shaped the world we live in today. For example, the Eiffel Tower was showcased at the 1889 world expo in Paris and it was the occasion on which the famous monument was built. 

Here are 3 pavilions not to miss at Expo 2020:

Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion

The aim behind it is to push people to think about their roles as citizens of the world and be aware of their impact on nature. Through groundbreaking technology and sustainable architecture, the site includes 19 energy trees and a 135m wide solar panel-covered roof that rotates through the day to face the sun and generate the building’s own water and energy.

Designed by UK firm Grimshaw, the pavilion meets the highest standards of sustainable architecture and will be remaining at District 2020 as part of the legacy plan, the post-event phase for the sustainable and residential city.

Singapore Pavilion

Built as a three-dimensional garden, the site is filled with 80,000 plants that are water pumped using solar energy. The plants are responsible for naturally regulating the temperature inside the pavilion, creating a cool and fresh climate without the need for air conditioning. The pavilion depicts boldly the country’s commitment to protecting the environment and its ecosystem. A pioneer for innovative change, the pavilion shows how buildings can in fact be designed in a more responsible way towards the fight against climate change.

Designed by architect WOHA, Singapore says the pavilion reflects the country’s own journey towards sustainability through nature, nurture, and the future.

Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion

The pavilion is designed to create a cross-cultural experience from worldwide perspectives and visions. The site is designed like a canopy, floating 32 meters above the ground, and symbolizes people’s dreams and aspirations. All about change, it is composed of large textile fabric topping metal structures that are interactive and change shadows and lights throughout the day. The symbolic meaning behind it is for people to unite for a better future and advocate as agents of change, regardless of language and culture. It was designed by AGi architects and is home to the United Nations Hub.

The United Nations Hub is bringing together individuals and organizations in favor of international cooperation through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Programmed by the UAE UN Country team, the hub ensures cross-cultural engagement through exhibits, discussions, and advocacy campaigns for a greater impact in advancing the UN 2030 Agenda. Expo 2020 is the world’s first expo to be held in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia, and the first to be hosted by an Arab country. It is a one-of-a-kind experience and a milestone in the Arab region.

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HE/HIM/SHE/HER/THEY/THEM/IT

What are personal pronouns? Why do we use them?

When talking to somebody, people always refer to that person using pronouns related to their biological gender based on their name or appearance. In common speech, when referring to a man or boy we tend to use “he”, and when referring to a woman or girl we tend to use “she”. 

Although this assumption may be normal and natural, it could also be inaccurate and inconvenient for the concerned audience.

A personal pronoun is a short word we use as a simple substitute for the proper name of a person.

Using the right pronoun is a way to show respect and recognition to that person. It will help make everyone comfortable and enhance the sense of belonging by creating a diverse and inclusive environment. Otherwise guessing or ignoring intentionally the pronouns chosen by a person to be referred to could be offensive, disrespectful, and create an oppressive atmosphere of others’ freedom to choose their own sexual orientation.

Choosing your own pronoun is a right that should be respected by everyone around you.

 How to use personal pronouns?

Stating a pronoun affirms what this person wants to be referred to when a third person is talking to them.

Here are the different pronouns you can use along with their meaning:

Reference: www.mypronouns.org

The COVID-19 pandemic has swept the globe, leaving almost nothing untouched. At the United Nations Global Compact, the dire and unprecedented challenges prompted us to ask how the crisis has had an impact on those who are frequently excluded from fully participating in the workplace, like women and indigenous peoples or those with disabilities or a sexual orientation that makes them a target of discrimination.

Partnering with Accenture, we talked to more than 1,100 CEOs and 1,300 business practitioners from every continent – in 113 countries across 21 industries. Our findings are published in our new report “Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Spotlight.”

We found answers that bore out many of our biggest fears. While our research revealed businesses trying valiantly to get back on track, it also exposed failures that we call upon the global business community to address with urgency.

We learned that women in the workforce have suffered greater job losses than have their male counterparts as a direct consequence of the pandemic, reversing decades of progress.

Corporate efforts to equip workers with added skills, such as efforts to close the digital skills, were pinched by the pandemic, and CEOs told us they were forced to cut back on investments in local communities such as health initiatives or housing programs. More than half of the female CEOs we surveyed said limited financial resources ranked among the biggest barriers preventing their implementation of sustainability strategies, and nearly half said the pandemic reduced their budgets for sustainability.

Small and mid-sized companies have been inspirational, especially in addressing the gender gap. Companies with less than US$25 million in revenue are setting some of the most ambitious targets – four out of five are seeking greater than 30% women’s representation at the C-Suite and Executive Management levels.

But bigger businesses are falling behind. Only two-thirds of companies with more than $1 billion in annual revenues could make the claim to be seeking the same much-needed increase in women’s representation

Also, business leaders from those small companies are moving more quickly than larger companies to make change happen – 85 percent of the smallest companies are aiming to reach their women’s representation goals by 2021 to 2025. Again, only two-thirds of the bigger companies could make a similarly ambitious claim.

Female CEOs – more than men – are acknowledging just how much work needs to be done.  More than half of the women CEOs we surveyed said they agreed the pandemic has highlighted the need to transition to more sustainable business models.

Disappointingly, only a third of male CEOs made the same assertion. Also, more female CEOs than male CEOs told us they have adopted more ambitious sustainability milestones due to the pandemic.

Consideration for LGBTIQ+ communities is lagging significantly. Fewer than half the CEOs told us their company has expanded resources and protection efforts in the workplace.

While business leaders expressed an understanding of the need to build diversity and inclusivity, they are failing to back that up with genuine accountability from the top. Only about four in ten companies around the world said they had taken action to ensure their leadership is accountable to D&I targets or even announced publicly that they have such targets in their organization.

We call upon those who are failing to hold up their piece of the sky — big rich companies and male CEOs – to do so now. As one CEO told us: “It is during times of crisis that you see an organization’s true character. When things are tough you see whether an organization walks the talk or if the rhetoric is just lip service.”

The global pandemic has dealt us all an unprecedented blow. But as we recover, we cannot let the setbacks we have experienced define our attitudes, progress, and hopes for the future. At the United Nations Global Compact, we know that companies have the will and the power – and must use it urgently to create a better world that respects, values and supports people of all kinds.

Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro is a Board Member of the United Nations Global Compact and former President and CEO of the Global Fund for Women.

It has been 19 years since the Children’s Cancer Center of Lebanon (CCCL) first opened its doors! Throughout those years, they have treated more than 2,040 patients coming from all over Lebanon and the Arab region with an average cure rate of 80%.

Children at CCCL are treated free of charge, with no cost at all on their parents. Therefore, CCCL relies purely on donations in order to attain its core mission: “Saving Lives”.

How can you champion change and contribute to saving lives?

CCCL has a variety of fundraising programs and projects, all for the sole purpose of raising funds to respond to the core needs of their patients.

Their programs and projects serve in raising part of the annual needed funds for the Center to fulfill its lifesaving mission. Especially due to the current economic situation in Lebanon, the Center is increasing its efforts in terms of partnerships and collaborations in order to be able to sustain and continue its mission. Therefore, it is an essential part for the Center to reach out to all community members both in Lebanon and abroad in hopes of collaborating to support their lifesaving mission.

Ways to contribute and fulfill the CCCL’s mission in saving lives:

• Gift for Life – End of Year: As one of the most precious gifts is helping children live stronger, healthier and happier lives, the Gift for Life (GFL) program is tailored specifically to donors who are interested in donating in honor of someone. CCCL’s Gift for Life is the perfect thought to leave your gift receivers with a memorable impression. Part of the GFL program, we have a section related especially for company’s end of year gifts. The GFL – End of Year is a program in which companies donate the budget that they have sent for end of year gifts to the Center. In return, companies can customize their own GFL cards and distribute them to their list of clients as gifts. In this way, the company would have donated to the Center in honor of its clients.
• Partner in Life: The Partner in Life program is an employee – giving program which depends on monthly donations of affordable amounts, automatically deducted from the employees’ payroll. Employees would pledge their monthly donations to the Center. The HR department would then coordinate the collection of pledges. Pledge forms are provided by CCCL & will be distributed to the employees during the presentations and attached to the e-mail circular. As per the employees’ authorization, the company’s accounting department would deduct the specified donation amounts from their salaries on a monthly basis; cash collection or direct bank transfers are possible as well.
• Corporate Donations: Being solely dependent on donations, we can better reach our goal of treating our dear patients with the valued and crucial support of the corporate community. Companies can exercise social responsibility and compassion towards children with cancer by donating an amount of their choice to the CCCL. Companies donating to CCCL will receive recognition inside our outpatient facility depending on the amount being donated.
• Naming of Facility: A type of recognition scheme that incorporates extremely high donation amounts that could cover the expenses of building or renovating a room, a wall or a floor at our facility.
• Cause-related Marketing Program (Proceeds): Among the various fundraising programs, CCCL presents the cause-related marketing program, which is a consumer-driven fundraising opportunity that gives benefit to CCCL, the Partner Company & Consumers alike. The cause-related marketing program highlights the company’s corporate social responsibility through allocating a percentage of sales of a certain product or service to the CCCL; the company will be helping in raising funds for CCCL & in spreading awareness. In parallel, this program will widen the consumer segment of the supporting company since consumers will be driven towards this specific product or service knowing that by acquiring it they will also be supporting a humanitarian cause.

Explore more about CCCL’s Gala Dinners and CCCL’s academy via the official appeal enclosed to the button below.

Only by coming together, we can work out how business can demonstrate bold and responsible leadership aimed at advancing sustainability and the common good, ensuring that no one is left behind.

Interviewee: Mohsen El Husseini, Teach For Lebanon’s head of HR.

Can you share with us three (3) tips that your company/institution adopts or is looking to adopt aimed at ensuring employee wellbeing?

1. TFL asked staff members to work from home unless they have urgent work at the office.
2. TFL established a schedule and capacity for each room in the office to have a basis for staff to come on a rotational basis after the most recent lockdown.
3. TFL is planning to acquire vaccines from a pharmaceutical company for staff, fellows, and their first-degree family members.

How are you emphasizing the importance of ensuring/protecting your employees wellbeing in these unprecedented times of change?

Our employees’ mental wellbeing is as important as their physical wellbeing. We collaborated with the Lebanese Center for Psychological and Social Sciences (Nafsaniyoun) to deliver psychosocial support sessions to our fellows, with a focus on mental health and mindfulness.

Tell us please how you care about your employees through your HR policies and practices

Taking care of our employees is very important in challenging times like this.

Organizations are run by people; it follows that, in order to thrive, an organization should nurture and protect its people. This includes what the organization offers as a package to each employee, but also goes further to ensure that they feel safe, appreciated, and listened to by their peers and management. Such policies and procedures not only make the working environment more welcoming, they also guarantee outcomes up to the level of service and professionalism we always strive toward. These policies help our organization reach its goals by acting as a shield against a variety of issues that could disrupt both the lives of its workers and, consequently, its workflow.

The number of Covid-19 cases has tremendously increased since February 21, 2020 to reach a Total of 491,894 cases today with a death total reaching 6661.

Immunization with a safe and efficient COVID-19 vaccine has become a critical milestone for Lebanon to reduce COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths and to help restore societal functioning. The national vaccination plan till date have covered 4.1% for the first dose and in total 2.2% for both doses combined. Returning to a normal work environment is becoming a must in a country facing critical economic situation in all sectors combined.

Pandemic vaccination response planning requires collaboration among the public and private sector. In this scope, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health approved Sputnik V Vaccine for Emergency Use Authorization, and allowed its importation by the private sector.

Success Factors:

• Unique Initiative: The only Private sector in the region that moved the Lebanese vaccination plan a step forward.
• Investment: Securing an investment in foreign currencies despite the country economical challenge.
• Vaccination program planning and implementation: Enrolling a broad vaccine administration network for increased access, covering all regions in Lebanon.
• Dedicated workforce of Physicians, Pharmacists and Hospitals all engaged to ensure the vaccination program is followed as per procedures.

Technical Challenges:

• Vaccine Storage and Handling: Because pandemic vaccine is a valuable asset, it is essential to minimize vaccine loss and account for every dose. Vaccines are temperature-sensitive and must be stored and handled correctly to ensure efficacy. The planning team is working closely with each vaccination center to ensure that procedures are followed.

• Training of COVID-19 vaccination centers: This step is vital to ensure the success of the COVID-19 Vaccination Program, taking into consideration the cold chain management, vaccine administration flow, social distancing and sanitation measures.

A safe vaccination program has broad medical and socioeconomic benefits. Malia Group, under its Pharmaceutical branches, Pharmatrade and Pharmaline, is committed to stand by the Lebanese working population and their families to navigate through the pandemic into a safer community.

By Samer Sakr^1* (Ph.D)

¹ Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon, P.O. Box 146404

^*Corresponding author: samer.sakr@liu.edu.lb

The novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic, that emerged in Wuhan, China, is devastating the world. As of April 17, 2021, 139,501,934 million people had been infected with the new coronavirus worldwide including 2,992,193 deaths. The disease has spread in more than 210 countries and territories, with the United States of America cumulating around one-fifth of all global cases (1). It is caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus is transmitted throughout respiratory droplets particularly during face to face contact. The infection could be asymptomatic. Symptomatic persons could develop fever, dry cough, fatigue and could suffer from shortness of breath that could lead to acute respiratory failure a symptom that is specific to the COVID-19 compared to the flue infection and allergy (2). The fatality rate for COVID-19 increases with the patients’ age ranging from 3 deaths per 10000 cases among patients aged 5 to 17 years to 3049 deaths per 10000 cases among patients aged 85 years or older in the United States (3).

In order to combat this pandemic, outstanding efforts need to be invested to develop and offer to the population protective vaccines.

Combating the spread of the viruses and saving lives rely on the efficiency of the vaccination program. A determinant key of this efficiency depends on how fast would be the national vaccination campaigns. Accordingly, engaging the Private Sector to Support National Immunization campaigns is a must by contributing to a significant proportion of vaccination. Many countries have engaged with the private sector to reach their goal in terms of immunization program. The private sector is heavily involved in the national immunization campaigns in terms of education, raising the awareness, disease surveillance and providing vaccination services (4, 5, and 6). In Afghanistan, despite the fact that it has been ravaged by war, the success of the immunization was due to the involvement of key partners from the civil society (6). Vaccines could be provided by the Ministry of Health then distributed to private providers for administration (7). Such agreement has the advantage to increase the control and standardization of the vaccination campaign (8, 9).  In some African countries such as Ghana and Kenya only 12 to 20% (respectively) of private clinics, received financial or technical assistance from the government for childhood vaccinations (10). However, in some High-income countries, vaccination is delivered by the private sector using mechanisms to provide vaccine coverage data that is submitted to the public sector (8).  Agreements, memorandums of understanding (MOU) between governments and the private sector to define relationships, can allow the private sector to expand their contribution to the immunization plans (11).

Recommendations: The way forward

• Increasing the collaboration and communication with private providers delivering vaccination services (e.g. whether governments supplies vaccines to private sector (or not)). If the Ministry of health is providing the vaccines, then the private sector should deliver it free of charge.

• Optimizing the delivery by assessing the role of private providers in the immunization services.
• Respecting the appropriate timeline/schedule of the immunization campaign with a high-quality service.
• Private providers should be involved in the national awareness and education campaign in line with the ministry of health recommendations.

References:

1. https://covid19.who.int/
2. Marcelle M.S., Gustavo Marçal Schmidt Garcia M. and Marcelo M. DNA vaccines against COVID-19: Perspectives and challenges. Life Science 2021. 267.118919. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118919
3. W. Joost W.,   Andrew R.,  Allen C.C. et al.,  Pathophysiology, Transmission, Diagnosis, and Treatment of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). JAMA. 2020; 324(8):782-793. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.12839
4. Lydon P, Raubenheimer T, Arnot-krüger M, Zaffran M. Outsourcing vaccine logistics to the private sector : The evidence and lessons learned from the Western Cape Province in South-Africa. Vaccine [Internet]. Elsevier Ltd; 2015;33(29):3429– 34. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.03.042
5. Spring CP. Healthy partnerships : how governments can engage the private sector to improve health in Africa. [Internet]. World Bank; 2011 [cited 2016 Nov 5]. 152 p. Available from: http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/323351468008450689/Healthy-partnerships-how-governments-canengage-the-private-sector-to-improve-health-in-Africa
6. World Health Organization. Global Vaccine Action Plan – Monitoring, Evaluation and Accountability. Secr Annu Rep. 2016
7. Mitrovich R, Marti M, Watkins M, Duclos P. A Literature Review of Immunization Service Delivery by the Private Sector in Low, Middle, and High-Income Countries. Health Policy Plan. In preparation.
8. Levin A, Kaddar M. Role of the private sector in the provision of immunization services in low- and middle-income countries. Health Policy Plan. 2011;26(SUPPL. 1):4–12.
9. Lahariya C. Vaccine Epidemiology: A review. J Fam Med Prim Care. 2016;5(1):7–15
10. World Bank. 2008. The business of health in Africa : partnering with the private sector to improve people’s lives. International Finance Corporation. Washington, DC: World Bank. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/878891468002994639/The-business-of-health-in-Africa-partnering-withthe-private-sector-to-improve-peoples-lives
11. Horton R, Clark S. The perils and possibilities of the private health sector. Lancet
12. Elsevier Ltd; 2016;388(10044):540–1. Available from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30774-7

YSIP Expert Talks with Dr. Lara Khabbaz

Understanding Improvisation

Improvisation is the activity of making or doing something that is not planned beforehand. Simply it is a combination of a social art and a craft!

How?

A craft is something that we learn to do through several trails, failing attempts and repetition. Much like any other art, a skill in improvisation advances through multiple practices over time.

The Pillars of Improvisation

• Preparation
• Concise and straight to the point content
• Witty and meaningful messaging
• The dare to SURPRISE!

The 3Ws Toolkit

Whenever you are in a situation where you need to deliver an unplanned speech, keep in mind the 3Ws improvisation toolkit

The Improvisation Process

Improvisation is not a one-step activity. It is a process that is entailed with interrelated steps:

• Identify a set of situations
• Visualize them
• Identify different scenarios
• Have your responses prepared
• Understand and apply the 3Ws toolkit  – the who, why and where
• And finally stay reminded of the improvisation Do’s and Don’ts

Want to learn more about the interplay between improvisation and business agility? Keep an eye on our next blog post!

YSIP Expert Talks

Ever since the COVID-19 has emerged, we have witnessed tremendous strides for online conferencing in the workforce. And as remote work continues to surge, online conferencing is becoming major part of the “New Normal”.

Nowadays, virtual meetings has become a vital element of our daily work routine. However, it is still easy to fall into the trap of major meeting mistakes. Therefore, online conferencing etiquette is a whole new ball game compared to in person meetings.

To help you in enhancing your preparedness for the next online conference or meeting, we have compiled a list of the key takeaways of the third segment of Dr. Lara Khabbaz’s workshop focused on online conferencing etiquette.

Online Conferencing Etiquette: Getting Started

• The number one rule: Test your equipment and connection
• Appearance is key: Have a proper lighting, position yourself at the center of your camera to make yourself visible, and most importantly dress properly.
• The golden rule: Be prepared and log in before the meeting starts!

Embrace the meeting: Top tips and hacks

• Be present and pay attention: When you hop on the meeting, introduce yourself and say hi – just make sure not to disturb someone’s mid-sentence.
• Mute your microphone when you are not speaking
• Put your phone aside, and most importantly don’t eat and drink
• Say no to multitasking; stick to the agenda, stay focused and participate
• Pause for others and allow them to voice themselves
• Keep in mind that the equation is quite simple = It’s about efficiency and mutual respect!

YSIP Expert Talks: Public Speaking, Improvising and Online Conferencing Etiquette by Dr. Lara Khabbaz

Did you know?

According to the US National Institute of Mental Health, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Delivered by Dr. Lara Khabbaz, the first edition of the YSIP Expert Talks focused on Public Speaking, Improvisation and Online Conferencing Etiquette.

Dr. Khabbaz kicked off the session with an icebreaker question asking participants to highlight: why people fear public speaking over death?

Answers evolved as they reached the number one fact which states that fear is not just about public speaking. People simply fear being rejected; they fear being judged based on their looks, attitudes, language, body language, relevance, knowledge and most importantly brain freeze!

A winning passport towards owning the stage: Key Success Factors  

• Energy: Simply energy is contagious! It is a two folded asset. It generates self-acceptance and even joy in you as a speaker. And it assures your audience that what you say is worth listening to. Remember that your energy introduces you before you even speak, be the energy you want to attract!
• Trust: Of all the attributes you can show in spoken performance, one is passion for your topic and two is building trust with your audience. Once you cultivate energy from within and reflect on your passion towards the topic, you simply establish mutual trust with your receivers.
• Eye Contact: Have constant eye contact with your audience. Try to spot positive faces and focus on them at least for the first one minute.
• Speak from the heart: Making presentations that your audience supports is not a trick– it is simply delivering eloquent, amazing content that touches people deeply and inspires them to reach out and share your message.
• Simplify the Complex: Put yourself in the shoes of the audience. Another winning strategy for owing the stage is simplifying the language and the concepts in a way that your audience can easily understand.

Mastering the stage: Key tips to elevate your performance

• Study your topic: Research until you become confidently aware of the topic you are addressing.
• Improvise: Remember that practice makes perfect!
• Make it Memorable: Simply lead by example and speak from the heart.

Excited to learn more about Online Conferencing Etiquette? Keep an eye on our next blog post and learn winning tips and hacks from the Communication Expert; Dr. Lara Khabbaz!  

Younger women always ask me how do you get ahead in a male-dominated sector such as the financial one? The advice that I always give is to value and embrace your individuality – ideas, values and personality.

It has always been a challenge for me to survive the tough competition in the financial sector. Unfortunately, the challenge was mainly due to the society’s label and mindset that women are only born to perform the traditional and mainstream jobs.

For more than 25 years, I have been managing Serhal Nassar &Co. where I relentlessly focused on employing female accountants, auditors, and advisors. I have always been pushing them to perform their utmost and compete in their domain. 

Moreover, one of our recent initiatives towards empowering women is our partnership with LLWB, where we provide a group of women leaders with online pro-bono financial analysis and accounting courses.

In my opinion, women are the most significant segment of business founders and managers, as I believe that they bring a different perspective to management, leadership and business.

Last but not least, I tell every woman not to give up on her dream and be upbeat to any challenges she face.

Our main challenge is to CHANGE. If I can do it, then you can do it!

Blog contribution written by: Zalfa Nassar; Senior Partner at Serhal Nassar & Co.

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In this blog contribution we review the ways in which Teach For Lebanon (TFL) addresses and promotes gender equality and the economic empowerment of women. We explore this issue on two levels:

1. that of human resources and recruitment;
2. and that of the training and development of TFL fellows and the ways in which this translates into their teaching work.

Human Resources and Recruitment

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Our HR policy’s stance on gender equality, equal opportunity, and sexual harassment reads as follows:

“Teach For Lebanon does not apply discriminative practices against any employee or group because of sex, race/ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or physical disability, whether in recruitment decisions, type of work and working conditions, salary worth (equity in pay) and employee benefits … Teach For Lebanon does not condone sexual harassment in the workplace.”^{[1] [2]}

^[1] TFL HR & Volunteer Management Policy, 2021

^[2] We have an equivalently worded policy for volunteers.

We have never had to deal with any instances of sexual harassment in the workplace at the level of our executive team, and we have no documented instances among our fellows either. When it comes to the “work and pay” side of things, we make no distinctions; men and women in the same positions are paid the same wages and work under the same conditions.^[1] This is true both for our fellows and for our executive team members. As for recruitment and selection – we evaluate candidates based on their competences; alignment with our values, mission, and vision; and past achievements. As per our policy, sex, race/ethinicity, color, religion, and physical disability do not factor in this process.

That being said, humans are not sexless, and varying notions of gender exist in every cultural context we are aware of.^[2] At TFL, we find ourselves needing to address two of these notions in particular. The first is that teaching is “woman’s work” – this notion is widespread, especially here in Lebanon. As a result, the majority of applicants to our fellowship program are women, and each year the fellows we recruit are mostly women (the ratio tends to hover around 75% women to 25% men). In response, we work to counter this notion among the audience pools from which we attract our applicants. We argue (at universities, job fairs, etc.) that teaching can be a tremendously rewarding career path for men, drawing examples from a myriad of male TFL alumni success stories.

^[1] The only notable exception to this rule is that we grant much longer maternity leaves (10 weeks) than we do paternity leaves (5 days). This is Lebanese labor law; we doubt any readers will find it surprising or problematic.  

^[2] By gender we mean both gender identities and conceptions of the gender identities of others (i.e. what people think their own gender entails in terms of traits, roles, rights, and responsibilities, as well as what people think other people’s genders likewise entails).

The other notion we find ourselves needing to address is that which underlies the objection of the parents of women fellow candidates to the prospect of their child leaving the familial household and setting off to work on their own. We are proactive about engaging in dialogue with these parents (through home visits, calls, etc.); when doing so, we emphasize that their child will be safe in their new work environment and that the fellowship experience is likely to be one of significant personal growth for them. In order to drive this point home (no pun intended), we again often rely on a host of TFL alumni success stories, but this time those of women.

Fellow Training and Teaching

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The topics of gender equality, gender-based violence, and the economic and sociopolitical empowerment of women prominently features in the training and development of our fellows. This begins during the six weeks of the “summer institute,” when fellows-to-be are intensively prepared for their teaching work,^[1] and continues throughout the fellowship (our fellows are provided with ongoing training and support).

These trainings then translate into the teaching work our fellows perform in schools throughout Lebanon. For instance, fellow Nour Khashab took it upon herself last year to teach a class on violence against women. She was inspired by the words of former UN secretary Kofi Annan, who once said that “violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights abuse.” Nour taught her students to distinguish between physical, psychological, and sexual violence against women.^[2] She made her students aware that many legal systems do not protect women against domestic violence. Then she delved more deeply into the Lebanese legal system, highlighting the ways in which women are and are not protected from domestic violence in this country, and pointing her students to a number of local organizations whose mission it is to combat violence against women. Finally, she and her students took an oath “to raise awareness about violence against women in [their] communities, to lead by example, and to help others to stand up for themselves.”

Our fellows also organize and lead campaigns aimed at raising awareness of gender issues among other elements of the communities they are embedded in, such as the parents of their students, as well as the other teachers and staff members at the schools in which they are placed. These campaigns have had measurable results. For instance, we have had a number of younger female students (13–15 years old) who were engaged to be married. Our fellows consulted with their parents, emphasizing the importance of the education their children would forego by becoming housewives at such a young age, and arguing that this education would constitute an invaluable defense against domestic abuse. In the three quarters of these cases, the parents relented, and the betrothals were called off.

^[1] The summer institute consists of a mix of workshops (on specific pedagogical tools as well as on broader theoretical frameworks), hands-on teaching experience, and sessions in which fellows-to-be reflect on the skills and knowledge they have acquired.

^[2] Sexual violence may be physical or psychological.

The GBV initiative was divided into three pillars: 1. training on gender equality and gender-based violence administered to fellows both by TFL education staff and by third-party organizations (such the NGOs Himaya and Abaad), 2. Awareness sessions conducted with of our fellows’ students, their parents, and other teachers at the schools in which the fellows were placed,^[1] and 3. Activities created by fellows and their students in order both to reflect on these issues and to display and reinforce what they had learned. These activities ranged from in-class exercises designed to bring to light students’ conceptions of gender roles, and perhaps to update these,^[2] to watching and discussing movies featuring strong women acting in traditionally “manly” ways,^[3] to role playing, storytelling, introspection and retrospection,^[4] etc.

Although the GBV initiative is currently on hold, its impact is ongoing. Our fellows, their students, their parents, and other members of the communities in which we operate are still putting into practice what they have learned.

Finally, it is worth mentioning here that TFL recently hosted a day of empowerment training for women alumni of the English Access Microscholarship Program.^[5] The day was divided into four sessions: Randa Yassir, Executive Director at the Smart Center, led a session on “Womenand Leadership;” Maya Tal, consultant, coach, and corporate trainer, led a session on “Self-Awareness;” Salyne El-Samarany, TFL’s CEO, led a session on “Influential Speech;” and Najah Saoud, kickboxing trainer and international referee, led a session on self-defense. At the outset of the day, the feedback from our participants (29 women) was overwhelmingly positive.

^[1] The content of these sessions was developed according to results of surveys conducted by our fellows.

^[2] E.g. discussing questions such as “are men and women equal?” and “are men and women treated equally?”

^[3] E.g. Mulan, in which a young woman disguises herself as a man to fight in a war.

^[4] In this short film about fellow Samia Habli’s work with her students to identify and redress gender inequities, you will see her asking her students to “share a story of someone of someone who judged you without knowing anything about you, just because of an identity you hold …”

^[5] Starting this year, TFL is in charge of implementing the Access program in Lebanon.

Conclusion

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In conclusion, gender equality and women’s rights are highly important to TFL. As a result, we expend a significant amount of time and energy at all levels of our organization (from recruitment, to policy and project design, to training, to fieldwork) into addressing them, and we are proud of doing so.

Note that the work our fellows and their students do on these issues frequently takes the form of extracurricular activities including sketches, speeches, songs, videos, and more. Check out our social media channels (Facebook, Instagram) and our website to browse these at your leisure.

Thank you for reading, and happy Women’s Day from all of us at TFL.

As a private institution, Saint-Joseph University enshrines, among its primary objectives, the principle of gender equality and the development of women’s economic rights, through good practices on the one hand and a targeted institutional policy on the other. The dedication and effective pursuit of these essential objectives will be developed hereunder based on the following three axes

• Ensuring a better knowledge and advancement of the “Women Empowerment Principles” (WEPs) through the Charter of the University and various research works and academic studies on the theme.
• Achieving equal opportunities in terms of the University’s student admission, human resources and employment policies.
• Achieving and enhancing gender equality in terms of leadership, management and decision making within the University frame.

Ensuring a better knowledge and advancement of the “Women Empowerment Principles” (WEPs) through the Charter of the University and various research works and academic studies on the theme

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In the Charter of the University:

The objective of gender equality is implicitly included in the Charter of the University, the implementation of which is ensured by the University’s various faculties and institutions, each in its own field of activity.

Hence, the Charter of the University recognizes in Article 4 “the spirit of personal liberty” which excludes any discrimination based on sex or any other parameter. Furthermore, Article 6 expressly states that the University is not “at the exclusive service of a […] class“, which implies that no advantage will be granted to the class of men over the class of women. Finally, Article 7 affirms “the principle of participation” and “diversity of recruitment” with regard to students, teachers, as well as to management and administrative staff. Naturally, this implies respect for the principle of gender equality.

In the various research works and university studies:

Numerous seminars, round tables and conferences organized at the University address the theme of equal opportunities and are then widely disseminated, both in specialized academic publications and in the mainstream media in Arabic, French and English.

Following are the themes that have been chosen:

• Gender Equality and Public Policy
• Women’s access to public service
• Women creators in philosophy
• Women’s nationality and their right to grant their nationality to their children
• Women’s rights to custody of their minor children
• Impact of religion on women’s rights
• Women’s rights and the general principles of Sharia law
• Women’s rights in Lebanon and in the Arab world
• Conformity of the Lebanese Law to the 1979 CEDAW Convention
• Protection of associations fighting for women’s equality

Achieving equal opportunities in terms of the University’s student admission, human resources and employment policies:

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• At the student level:

a- Distribution of registered students by gender:

The University’s overall statistics show that girls account for 62% of the students enrolled in full-time studies, while boys account for 38% of them.

b- Distribution of financial aid by gender:

Gender equality is achieved at this level since the Social Service department presented statistics showing that 37% of girls enrolled at the University benefit from financial aid compared to 33% of the boys enrolled.

• At the level of human resources and employment policy:

a- Posts at University: academic and administrative positions:

According to the report of the USJ’s Audit and Control Department, the University has a clear strategy to promote diversity and gender equality with a men-woman parity (50% men and 50% women). However, in practice, in both academic and administrative positions, this parity is largely exceeded since women constitute a clear majority in both categories.

Moreover, the University strictly applies the same salary scale for all academic and administrative staff regardless of gender, the only criteria taken into account being degrees, job level, qualifications, professional background and experience.

b- Guarantees of women’s maternity rights:

In accordance with the Lebanese law and the University’s own policy of non-discrimination and promotion of women’s work, all women’s rights related to maternity are guaranteed: pre- and post-delivery leave, job security during pregnancy, and various maternity benefits. Moreover, the University has provided, on one of its campuses, a daycare center for the children of its employees as well as a playground and sports field designed to provide them with a recreational space during their hours of presence on campus. 

Achieving and enhancing gender equality in terms of leadership, management and decision making within the University frame 

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The University applies strict gender parity in leadership positions and decision-making mechanisms. Thus, many positions of Deans, Vice-Deans, Directors of Institutes, Directors of Research Centers and Directors of Laboratories in the various faculties and institutes of the University are filled by women.

This perspective has resulted in the implementation of numerous initiatives, innovative approaches and partnerships:

– Research scholarships awarded to women on a variety of topics, among which their contribution to public law issues.

-Positions of science managers, project managers and directors of academic Chairs held by women.

-Training within the framework of projects with UNWomen

-Promotion of women’s competences among employers in the field of agronomy and agri-food.

-Awarding of a Special Science Prize dedicated to girls as part of the “Science Fairs” organized by the Faculty of Science.

– Participation in projects aiming to sponsor and support women through international science programs such as “UNESCO-L’OREAL”. It is noteworthy that four women teachers at the Faculty of Science of USJ have been awarded the “UNESCO-L’OREAL” prize.

Blog post written by Professor Nada Nassar-Chaoul; Professor at the Faculty of Law and Political Science of the Saint-Joseph University – Beirut

On 8 March, every year, LibanPost is keen to highlight International Women’s Day, by offering a rose, a symbolic gift, sending a gentle message to its staff, making a public statement to highlight the occasion, or organizing a full event. In its own way, it is keen to set the tone about the company’s intent to offer a gender equal working environment. In a male dominated industry worldwide, such as the postal sector, LibanPost takes pride in having reversed the traditional hierarchical erosion of women’s representation at the top, as it counts 30% of women overall and 50% at the managerial and executive levels.

To lead the way, LibanPost volunteered to take part in a pilot study led by the LLWB and the ILO in Lebanon on gender parity, in 2019. Its practices were screened to check their gender equal conformity, its staff was questioned about its perception on gender parity within the company, its internal and external communication and training were audited to ensure gender parity. The company progressively adopted more evolved family-friendly practices such as flextime, part-time (where applicable),  unpaid leave, moving work location closer to home, breastfeeding hour, paternity leave…

LibanPost takes pride in having hired a first female letter carrier in 2016, a position from which women were absent in the past, and to have promoted one of them to be in charge of a full distribution center.

Thanks to its inclusive policies and culture, the company is committed to equal employment opportunity, equal promotion and equal pay practices.

All these efforts were recognized on the international scene as the UNGC awarded its Chairman a prize, in 2018, in New-York, for being SDG Pioneer in “Gender Equality and Economic Inclusion”.

As a WEP signatory, LibanPost’s decision makers believe that, on top of the unarguable social fairness and ethical reasons behind pushing for gender equality, it makes business sense and is the only way to fully embrace the future!   

Join our conversation on Social Media using the hashtag: #WhenWomenLead

A blog contribution by the 2020 Global Compact Network Lebanon SDG Pioneer!

Every Child is Gifted. They just Unwrap their packages at Different Times. “Unknown”

“My child is shy, impulsive, slow, hyperactive, anxious, dependent”

“My child often has problems staying focused, sitting still, completing homework, staying organized, communicating, following instructions”

“My child experiences feelings of failure, lack of acceptance, bullying, frustration”

This is what I used to hear from overwhelmed parents. I just wanted to help! I wanted to support and guide kids with learning difficulties and special needs, their siblings, parents, teachers, and friends.

At that time in 2005, 16 years ago, I was working with students who had different learning disabilities capitalized by social emotional issues. I used to think about their life. How does it look like? Are they enjoying life? Do they have enough time to play? When bullied, do they know how to react or what to do? To what extent are they dependent or independent? Are they socially well respected and appreciated? Do they know how to defend themselves? Do they know how to build friendship? Do they know how to communicate with others?

Many questions kept on roaming in my head.

A kid diagnosed with a specific learning difficulty will definitely need special therapies and modified and/or accommodated program at school.

How will the parents react to such a situation? Who will guide them to do what? Will they accept their child’s difficulty? Will they ignore it? Are they ready to do whatever it costs to take that extra mile and leap to alter the reality?

I have realized how much this situation was challenging for both parents and their kids who have diverse difficulties. I have also realized and appreciated how much effort they need to put in order to see improvement even if it was minimal. I have understood that those kids need to follow a specific plan under a multidisciplinary team for them to be more engaged both academically and socially. Those kids need to follow an Individualized Education Program (IEP) at school, need to have weekly sessions with speech therapist, psychomotor therapist, psychologist or even any intervention required.

However, the big questions that I used to have and ask all parents about it “What does your kid do in his free time? What are his talents, hobbies and skills? Does he/she do any activity just as his/her siblings, cousins or friends? The answers were so tough to my heart and waving around my head!

A mom would say “There is no time to do or be engaged in any activity, my daughter has a full afternoon schedule between therapies and homework completion.”

Another parent would reply “I wish my son can join a club or activity centers. I have tried, but it wasn’t easy neither for the coach nor for my son. The coach doesn’t know how to deal with my son and my son feels that he is an aloof loner unable to cope with other kids.”

A dad would say “I will never know what are my kid’s hobbies or talents since he doesn’t have any from the first place.”

Again, I would say that those answers have broken my heart!

I totally have different beliefs and thoughts. I believe that every single person on this planet has a gift, but they just unwrap it at different times using different ways. Yes, ALL kids who have learning difficulties are skilled and talented. It is our job to help them reveal their talents. We need to give them the tools to nurture their skills, unleash their potentials, push them towards the action and realize what are they good at and can achieve. We need to hunt and train the suitable coaches, facilitators and therapists.

I am Mireille Chrabieh who has once delved into my entrepreneurial initiative that tackled different SDG goals, one of which is quality education and through it I sneaked to target the other 16 SDGs throughout our programs. It was amazing how students reacted and responded to these goals and influenced their well-being and the community around them.

My experience with UN Global Compact, SDG pioneers, has given me the chance to see things from different angles, think creatively and out of the box. Throughout those years, I have contributed by implementing effective actions in place, setting appropriate goals and indicating tangible impacts. I have tried and still trying to apply creativity and innovation to solve sustainable development challenges in the field of special education.

I have led the development of innovative services and business throughout the implementation of therapeutic recreational activities, social and life skills, career guidance, and work skills to access transition planning and academic functional, pre-vocational and vocational training.

My experience with SDG pioneers has opened for me a path to have new ideas and new ways during this   Covid-19 pandemic.

Currently, the world is facing a global health crisis unlike any other – COVID-19 which has affected negatively magnified spread of human suffering by unbalancing the economic global state and affecting the academic, social and emotional well-being.

Therefore, I have responded to COVID-19 pandemic through the implementation of online learning and implementing the career guidance and work skills programs by using different online strategies – Individual and group work.

Furthermore, I have 2 new EdTech & HealthTech projects which will be an added value to the general and special education sectors.

Of course, I have faced many obstacles and challenges throughout my journey and still am. Yet, how do I overcome those obstacles and move on?

Throughout my profession and life experience, I have learned and believed that Education is for ALL; empowering children through their strengths and passions allows them to learn in different creative ways since all kids with learning difficulties and special needs are talented, skilled and have a great future ahead only if we grant them the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential and show their talents to the world. I have realized that when you love your student and when you are patient with your student, then you would overcome most of the obstacles.

I believe that every individual with learning difficulties has the right to receive appropriate care without labeling, in an inclusive setting where he/she develops feelings of security and confidence in order to merge and progress within the society.

“Mom! Dad! Teacher!  Make room for talents…

                                                                                                                 

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Explore more about the Author

Mireille carries a sustainable and entrepreneurial mindset aimed at supporting students in overcoming challenges that might impact their educational, social and professional skills. By combining education and technology; EdTech and HealthTech in an innovation approach. Mireille’s passion inspired business leaders on how to use business as a good force towards advancing the 2030 Agenda for the 17 SDGs.

Mireille is the co-founder, managing partner and special education consultant of Special miles (S-miles) center, an educational, therapeutic and activity center for students with learning disabilities and special needs since 2011. She is the co-founder and president of a non-profit organization for special needs students: Special Needs Activity Programs (SNAP). Mireille is the co-founder of the Lebanese Social Enterprises Association (LSE) to support the affiliated social enterprises.

Explore more about Special miles (S-miles) center: http://www.specialmiles.org/default.aspx?id=778

Mireille won and participated in several local and international social and entrepreneurship awards: 1st prize award of Global Social Venture Competition (GSVC), the blessing foundation for women empowerment, UNIDO, MedGeneration, GESS Award in UAE for best inclusion initiative, UN Global Compact SDG 2020 pioneer, SPARK in partnership with Berytech to support MSMEs in Lebanon.

The successive crises that have hit Lebanon during the past 13 months have submerged most of us in a state of emotional paralysis. Like most Lebanese, the 4^th of August was a turning point that made me think of how can we turn the crisis into an opportunity. This is how The Hope Project was born bringing Lebanese talents together for a cause in support of affected small businesses through the Beirut Relief Initiative.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/CE6RGo-JU23/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

This initiative launched by the UN Global Compact Network Lebanon aims to restore a vital element of the Lebanese economy and reinforce sustainable support to a shattered sector of the nation through a fund supporting SMEs.

What started as a small initiative grew into a collective effort attracting more and more collaborators, receiving substantial support from the community with whom our message of hope and solidarity seemed to resonate. The whole journey was fascinating. Echoes of this project soon became the talk of the town, and The Hope Project was featured at one of the leading Lebanese broadcasting TV channels which garnered even further awareness and brought a new stream of collaborations.

The Hope Project testifies to the ability of the Lebanese to overcome hardships and defy difficulties, it proves that by joining our wills we can pump blood into the veins of the Lebanese economy. My message is that an alternative exists; it lies within each and every one of us. If if there’s a lesson to be learned, it is that the collaborative effort of Lebanese talents can overturn any crisis into a success story full of hope.