Dear Lebanon

Dear Lebanon, throughout history you passed into several difficulties. Difficulties making you cry day and night. Difficulties, that started externally and even internally. Difficulties that have created, divisions, fears and pains. Divisions that have taken away your peace and harmony. Division that made your kids like a piece of cake divide your territory. This part is yours, and that one is mine, forgetting that we are all one, and that all Lebanon is called home.

History has been put aside. It has been put under carpets, thinking that forgetting history and past experiences, will be easy and better for a better country. Hiding history's division did not till now cure wounds, it has just make it stop bleeding, while keeping a deep pain deep inside. A pain that shows up again and again with each new difficulty. A pain that is felt from each one of your Children.

Your coming generation, maybe did not assist to all of your history. They did not live all your wars. They did not experience the atrocity of your civil war, where brothers were fighting and killing each others. They did not experience all that, but still they are affected by all your hidden history. They are affected, and they do fear to discuss and openly express their feelings, and deepest pains and fears. Some question may be asked when meeting a stranger. Some questions, Like your full name, your father's full name, your mother's full name and if still unclear your village. All those questions just to guess and assume what do you believe in. That to know which part of yourself do you have to reveal and which part to hide.

One of the past experiences, was During one of the delivered session. After going to a place far from my place for around 2 hours by car, plans was to go to visit a friend in his place near to the training location. When shared with the group of youth that I want to go there after the training to get directions on how to get there, first reaction was "do not go there as people there do not like you!" By saying so they did assume what is my background and also they did judge another part of the population. Another incident, happened during another training, where during the session as rules youth requested to not discuss politic, religion and beliefs as they may lead to conflicts. Also during the break they were checking who is from where, same ideology or not!

Dear Lebanon you are a big mystery. With all what happened to you, you are still full of joy, happiness, energy and hope. You are still green and full of life. Dear Lebanon your 18 religions are a blessing. Your different political parties (around 22) need to unite all their strengths to save all your beauty. All of it, as taking part of it out, means creating a piece of art without harmony. It will be like asking a human to live without its core, its heart. Do we really want to create a new Lebanon? Do we really care about its harmony? Do we really care about our home?

Brothers and sisters, if we care about Lebanon, we need as a first step to put our EGO away. Stop thinking by parties and parts, start thinking as citizens, and country. Then important is to create dialogues spaces. Dialogues spaces, with safe spaces to share each one deepest fear, each one wound and pain, each one dream and hope. Dialogue does not mean accepting everything, it does not mean that all need to go out of it with the same beliefs. It just means that each one has the right to share a different story , or part of a story from different length, and listen to others parts of the story. Sharing without being judged, without being criticized, sharing with the intention of healing , with the intention shaping a new safe home to all, with the loving intention of protecting all.

It is time to start shaping a new Lebanon and for that all of us are needed. So let's start now. Let's start taking care of each one deepest wounds, to not repeat previous experiences and leaving wounds under carpets.