In Tripoli, Lebanon, the streets between Jabal Mohsen and Beb El Tebbeneh carried the weight of years of armed clashes, mistrust, and state absence. Many young men who grew up along these former demarcation lines were drawn into cycles of violence, and some ended up in prison with few paths forward. For over a decade, MARCH has worked with these youth to build a different path.
That work is now receiving international recognition. MARCH’s reintegration and rehabilitation project has been selected for the 9th edition of the Paris Peace Forum, taking place on 10 and 11 November 2026 in Paris, France.
A Selection Among Initiatives from Over 90 Countries
This year, the Forum received 607 applications from more than 90 countries, and only 40 projects were chosen to be showcased. That is roughly 1 in 15. MARCH’s selection places locally driven peacebuilding from Tripoli alongside initiatives from around the world that respond to some of today’s most pressing challenges.
Held under the theme “From Sovereignty to Cooperation,” the 2026 Paris Peace Forum gathers governments, international organizations, and civil society to discuss practical responses to conflict and global instability.
What Is the Paris Peace Forum?
An international forum in Paris, France, where heads of state, key decision-makers, international organisations, civil society and other actors from all over the world meet to find concrete solutions for peace and cooperation, and to shape multi-actor responses for global peace and sustainable prosperity in a changing world.
What MARCH brings to PARIS?
For over a decade in Tripoli, MARCH has been transforming instigators of conflict into active agents of change. Our holistic program goes beyond disengagement from violence, combining socio-economic reintegration, reconciliation, psychosocial support, community service and trust-building with state institutions.
Now, this unique rehabilitation and reintegration program will be presented to world leaders as one of the core solutions for lasting peace.
What we’re answering in Paris?
- How do we prevent violence from returning?
- How do former fighters turn into peacebuilders?
- How do conflict-affected communities build trust?
Sharing Tripoli’s Experience in Paris
At the Forum, MARCH will present what years of work in Tripoli have shown about:
- helping former fighters become active peacebuilders in their communities
- rebuilding trust between divided neighborhoods
- keeping violence from resurfacing
Lea Baroudi, Co-Founder and General Coordinator of MARCH, will take part in two panel sessions at the Musée de l’Homme:
| Date and time | Session | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| Tuesday, 10 November, 11:00–11:45 | From Diagnosis to Response: Tackling Polarization and the Limits of International Support | Stage B |
| Wednesday, 11 November, 10:30–11:15 | The Power of Pluralism: Defending Civic Space in an Increasingly “Might is Right” World | Stage C |
Why This Matters for Peacebuilding in Lebanon
From the former front lines of Tripoli to the Paris Peace Forum, the journey of MARCH’s youth shows that lasting peace does not come only from agreements between governments. It is also built on the ground, by neighbors who once fought each other and now choose to work together.