Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, hosts several marginalized communities who lack access to equal and equitable opportunities. This has been the city’s biggest trait for a long time even before the start of the current economic crisis. In addition to the socio-economic inequalities, what characterizes this city is a fissure between the different communities. Most people in Beirut live inside socio-economically and culturally homogenous communities and rarely interact with others from different communities. As such, this has led to a closed mindset towards accepting others from different communal backgrounds. In this regard, MARCH has created a cultural hot-spot that allows youth from different parts of Beirut to join in a common space where they can share experiences and activities. In 2018, the organization launched Hona Beirut, its second cultural café at the intersection of different neighborhoods reflective of the capital’s diversity. The café is now attributed as a few of Beirut’s green public hangout spots. It features a professional recording studio and a modest library. Additionally, it regularly hosts a variety of cultural events such as open mic nights, poetry nights, movie nights etc. designed to bring the community closer together and provide a pedestal for self-expression. As a result, the café has successfully created an unconventional learning network that allows youth to explore their interests and discover new skills.
Building bridges at Hona Beirut also takes place through the Football Club where youth from different backgrounds join together on the football field and learn about teamwork, team building and cooperation.
Not only being a safe space for youth, Hona Beirut contributes in promoting peacebuilding in the area. At Hona Beirut, youth learn about conflict resolution and negotiation through joining the Debate Club. The Debate Club encourages constructive discussions on several topics that interest them and provides a platform for discussion, negotiation, mediation and conflict resolution techniques.
Moreover, Hona Beirut provides an array of free capacity-building workshops and employability workshops to help alleviate the economic disparities and provide vulnerable youth with practical tools that would allow them develop marketable skills and offer them a chance at a better future.
