In a city once divided by frontlines, suspicion, and the heavy echo of gunfire, Lea Baroudi dared to imagine something different, a space where enemies could meet as people, not as symbols of the conflict they were born into. What began as an experiment in using theatre as a tool for trust has since transformed into one of Lebanon’s most inspiring peacebuilding stories.
The Hidden Truth Behind Conflict
For years, the young men of Beb el-Tebbeneh and Jabal Mohsen saw each other only through the narrow lens of inherited fear. They grew up being told that the other side was the enemy , a threat, a danger, something to avoid.
But when Lea Baroudi brought them together through MARCH Lebanon, something unexpected happened.
They discovered that despite the walls built between them, they shared the same fears, the same frustrations, and even the same sense of humor.
The Café That Became a Sanctuary
When Kahwetna first opened its doors, the youth were afraid because there were people from the other side. Most of them also joined in desperation, because no one would employ them because of their criminal record.
At first, many of them came carrying weapons , not because they intended to use them, but because that was the only way they knew how to exist.
But the café offered something new:
a safe space where they could exist without judgment, talk without fear, and listen without defending themselves.
Slowly, the weapons stayed at the door.
Then eventually, they didn’t show up at all.
From Protecting Themselves to Protecting Each Other
These men were raised to fear the “other,” always in defense mode and protecting themselves at all costs. Slowly, with MARCH’s support, these youths began defending and protecting each other instead of just themselves.
Theatre as Transformation
Baroudi saw theatre not as performance but as permission. Permission to express pain, to show vulnerability, to see humanity in someone once considered a stranger. Through acting, participants were not just rehearsing scenes, they were rehearsing trust. They discovered that fear, anger, and interrupted dreams were not just theirs, they were shared. In hearing each other’s stories, they rediscovered their own.
The Men Who Changed
The transformation was breathtaking:
- Youth who once fought on opposite sides now sit at the same table, sharing meals and music.
- Former fighters who used to define themselves by conflict now define themselves with the actions they do on the ground to join communities together.
- Young men who once believed violence gave them power now find strength in empathy and joint efforts towards their city.
They rebuilt their streets.
They became ambassadors of peace for their own communities.
They didn’t just change.
They chose to change.
Lea Baroudi’s Message
None of this would have happened without Lea Baroudi’s stubborn belief that people are more than the labels placed upon them. She didn’t enter these communities as a neutral outsider, she entered as someone willing to listen, to trust, and to be trusted.
Her greatest lesson, and the core of her PeaceTalk message, remains simple:
“Without trust, you cannot build peace.”
And trust begins when we stop seeing enemies and start seeing humans.
Frome inciters to protectors
The story of these young men is not just a story about conflict resolution.
It is a story about belonging, dignity, and the courage to imagine a future not defined by the past.
From carrying weapons to carrying scripts,
from guarding their streets to safeguarding a shared dream,
from living in fear to building hope.
These youth didn’t just change their behavior.
They changed the narrative of their city.
And in doing so, they proved something Lea always believed:
When we discover our shared humanity, peace stops feeling impossible and starts becoming inevitable.