In a recurring innovative project to ease long-standing tensions and promote social cohesion MARCH conducted again its month-long agricultural project that brought together at-risk youth and Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) members.
This unique initiative, focused on civil-military cooperation, not only provided critical economic and livelihood support to the LAF but also aimed to bridge divides between former fighters, ex-convicts, and army members who had previously been at conflict.
A Lasting Legacy: The Cumulative Impact Over Four Years
Over the past four years, MARCH has installed a total of 15 greenhouses as part of its agricultural projects for various LAF brigades and precincts across northern Lebanon. These efforts have not only provided sustainable support to the army but have also served as a platform for fostering understanding between communities traditionally divided by sectarian and political lines.
The Current Project: A Shared Military Experience
The current project involved at-risk youth, ex-fighters, and ex-convicts, who spent an entire month living and working alongside the LAF 2nd Brigade at the Araman Base Camp. In a safe, non-confrontational environment, participants engaged in daily support group sessions, shared meals, discussed their emotions, and collaborated on agricultural tasks. The goal was simple but profound: to foster dialogue, rebuild trust, and humanize one another beyond previous political and social divides.
Agricultural Impact: Supporting the LAF and Providing for the Community
The initiative also provided on-the-job training in agriculture, helping participants gain valuable skills while working together in a field that would benefit both the community and the army.
A major component of the project was the establishment of 4 greenhouses to cultivate one hectare of land with potatoes, a crop selected to provide both low-cost and nutritious food for the soldiers. The initiative directly supported 2,400 army members, including 1,900 soldiers from the 2nd Brigade and 500 from the Institute of Training of Enlisted Men.
To create a holistic impact, the current project included:
- 24 on-the-job training sessions in both theoretical and practical aspects of agriculture for army members and at-risk youth.
- 5 integrated PSS (Psychosocial Support) sessions, which focused on meaningful dialogue between the youth and the army members and story-sharing which allowed the youth and members of the Lebanese Army to share their sufferings and emotions.
- 7 sports and team-building activities that promoted cooperation and trust through shared experiences outside the work environment.
Changing Perceptions: From Distrust to Understanding
The true success of this initiative lies in its sustainability and recurrence in which new youth are chosen in each activity to foster positive interactions and relationships especially that in the past, it would have had difficulty even passing through army checkpoints due to the youths past incarceration experience. As a result of these recurrent projects, the youth now work and share meals with LAF members.
These interactions proved transformative, fostering mutual understanding and empathy between former fighters from Beb El Tebbeneh and Jabal Mohsen and the soldiers they once viewed with distrust.
For the LAF, the project offered an opportunity to rethink their perceptions of former fighters, seeing them not as enemies but as people capable of change. For the at-risk youth, the experience humanized the army, creating a space where dialogue replaced hostility.
Conclusion: A Step Toward a More Cohesive Future
The success of these projects has shown that bridging divided includes shared experiences and that to get to other and diminish hostilities it is vital to create shared experiences and dialogues which go a long way in building social cohesion and easing tensions between former adversaries.
By providing economic support to the LAF while fostering mutual understanding and collaboration, MARCH has not only helped to provide for the soldiers but has also laid the groundwork for lasting peace and reconciliation in Lebanon.
