The popular uprising in Lebanon started a month ago. One month of protesting against the sectarian political system, deeply rooted corruption and a dramatic economic situation. The time has come to lay the foundations for radical reforms, the majority of Lebanese demanding fundamental changes. For once, the protests have cut across class and religious affiliations, people are chanting under one flag, united under one voice, creating a space for exchange and dialogue.
As days turned into weeks and now months, the Lebanese are showing their resilience, they are holding grounds and will not leave the streets until they get what they deserve. Although we are all facing hardships, it is important to keep our spirits high and hope for the best.
Everyday we are reminded of why we started this revolution in the first place and we find a reason to smile, to stay confident and to move forward.
This week students continued to stage demonstrations all over the country. As Nadine Labaki said in a speech (as she received the Issam M. Fares Award for Excellence): “This revolution unravelled our potential [..] the potential of our Youth, their creativity. Even in the turmoil and hardship, I have never felt safer, because my country is going to be in good hands”.
This week we came across the beautiful story of Tenor Carl Kashouh and Soprano Noura Badran who met in the Egg and sang together Panis Angelicus with their heart and soul.
This revolution has brought us together and allowed us to reclaim public spaces. The Lebanese will never be the same again. They are more open minded, respectful of one another, they are more conscious of their rights, they realize that even a small initiative can make a big difference.
