The Beirut Banyan

Click to watch: https://youtu.be/nj1wE79UlUE Part 10 of "On the Move" with Elia Haber talks about graduating from university in a time of physical distancing and the lack of any urge to celebrate. Elia also shares her reasons for leaving Lebanon and the need to keep positive memories alive. Each episode of "On the Move" tackles a different subject impacting Lebanon that also plays a role in her li...

We're back with Waël Atallah for Episode 165 of The Beirut Banyan. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/STtiMATCfho We discuss the 1969 Cairo Agreement and what that meant for Lebanese state sovereignty, in particular long-term consequences for repeated attempts at political reform. We also discuss the topic of decentralization within the Lebanese context, and look at local governance beyond communal...

Click to watch: https://youtu.be/9lth4m5rxf0 Part 9 of "On the Move" with Elia Haber continues her conversation with Elie Fares, comparing Covid-19 in Lebanon and the US and discussing uncertainty, coping mechanisms and transitioning out of confinement. Each episode of "On the Move" tackles a different subject impacting Lebanon that also plays a role in her life abroad. Elia is a recent Master's d...

We're back with Mohamad Faour for Episode 163 of The Beirut Banyan. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/fDzvL3rlrv8 We discuss the potential IMF bailout for Lebanon, political opportunities and costs for the protest movement demanding fiscal responsibility, and the inevitable choices for the Lebanese regime given the serious risk of mass hunger on the horizon. We also discuss Iceland and Jamaica's ex...

Click to watch: https://youtu.be/hF6KB4upyOQ Part 8 of "On the Move" with Elia Haber focuses on Covid-19 in Lebanon, including statistics, testing and strategies on dealing with the pandemic. Each episode of "On the Move" tackles a different subject impacting Lebanon that also plays a role in her life abroad. Elia is a recent Master's degree graduate in science journalism from Concordia University...

0:00 Intro 5:57 Repetitive Statements without Reform 11:42 Navigating & Adjusting to the Abnormal 21:06 The Core Issue 34:22 Systemic Mismanagement & Lack of Maintenance 42:43 Potential Benefits of Decentralization 49:36 Indulging in Self-Promotion :) We're back with Jessica Obeid for Episode 161 of The Beirut Banyan. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/XCf0-X8sZG8 We discuss electricity reform and w...

Click to watch: https://youtu.be/nywzg8gr0Ak Part 7 of "On the Move" with Elia Haber focuses multiple forms of violence (from the personal to political, and where they intersect) and the sheer nature of growing accustomed to war. Each episode of "On the Move" tackles a different subject impacting Lebanon that also plays a role in her life abroad. Elia is a recent Master's degree graduate in scienc...

Click to watch: https://youtu.be/XehSE4dvKfA Part 6 of "On the Move" with Elia Haber focuses on Lebanon's financial crisis, public reaction to the government's response, and a Washington Post Op-Ed making the rounds. The articles mentioned in this episode include: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/20/lebanese-prime-minister-coronavirus-is-pushing-lebanon-toward-major-food-crisis/ htt...

0:00 Intro 12:42 Immediate vs Long-Term Political & Economic Issues 26:05 Time Constraints & Potential for a "Third" Option 35:51 Revolutionary Demands vs Needs for Reform 45:57 Life & Death We're back with Joseph Bahout for Episode 158 of The Beirut Banyan. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/9t0XRKl6xSA We discuss his recent Diwan / Carnegie Middle East Center piece “In Between Life and Death”, inn...

Click to watch: https://youtu.be/KPu51o8a14U Part 5 of "On the Move" with Elia Haber focuses on the disadvantages surrounding lack of shared space, mismanaged or otherwise non-existant public transport and the challenges of bringing people together whether in times of protest or relative calm. Each episode of "On the Move" tackles a different subject impacting Lebanon that also plays a role in her...

We're back with Sergio Jalil for Episode 156 of The Beirut Banyan. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/jrxnyrd--cM We discuss Lebanese descendants in Latin America today, their initial waves of emigration dating back to the mid-late 19th century, and how they came to represent Lebanon's largest diaspora community. Sergio is the founder and Director of CELIBAL – Latin American Center for Lebanese Stud...

Click to watch: https://youtu.be/0fW0PEmCCrs Part 4 of "On the Move" with Elia Haber focuses on the job market, unemployment and wasta, and the difficulties of pursuing a professional career following graduation. Each episode of "On the Move" tackles a different subject impacting Lebanon that also plays a role in her life abroad. Elia is a recent Master's degree graduate in science journalism from...

0:00 Intro 3:55 Hyperinflation 13:09 Reflecting on Argentina's Recurring Financial Woes 27:12 Prerequisites Needed Prior to IMF Bailout 37:57 Argentina vs Lebanon 40:27 Lebanon vs Venezuela 42:06 Two Basic Choices for Lebanon 56:14 The Comeback Kid We're with Sergio Jalil for Episode 154 of The Beirut Banyan. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/ySFkn5JLl1Y We compare previous financial crises in Arge...

Click to watch: https://youtu.be/DA2AblmsJ4I Part 3 of "On the Move" with Elia Haber focuses on political theatrics, and how the current four-day shutdown due to a sharp increase in COVID-19 cases impacts her own immediate family. Each episode of "On the Move" tackles a different subject impacting Lebanon that also plays a role in her life abroad. Elia is a recent Master's degree graduate in scien...

0:00 Intro 11:07 'Pracademia' & Conflict Resolution 14:23 Comparisons between Belfast & Beirut 24:12 Lebanon, A Strategic Hub 33:45 Regional Rivalries 49:40 How 'The Troubles' in Northern Ireland Ended 1:04:54 Can Lebanon 'Transition' with an Armed Sub-State Group? We're with Drew Mikhael for Episode 152 of The Beirut Banyan. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/N48rUVZNRT8 We compare the structural d...

Click to watch: https://youtu.be/UgoltWdarM8 Part 2 of "On the Move" with Elia Haber focuses on freedom of expression, filing a lawsuit, disenfranchised groups navigating local law, and what's at stake with journalists in Lebanon demanding they do their job without intimidation. Each episode of "On the Move" tackles a different subject impacting Lebanon that also plays a role in her life abroad. E...

We're with Asser Khattab for Episode 150 of The Beirut Banyan. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/8Aq47slh38M We discuss his reporting from Beirut and how his own relationship to Lebanon changed as the uprising took hold. We also talk about identity, and why the protests that followed 17 October 2019 made him feel - for the first time - at home. Asser is a freelance journalist currently living in Pa...

A new branch for The Beirut Banyan. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/KelJ8ammFbc Elia Haber returns for a new series called "On the Move", exploring her journey from Beirut while reflecting on all that's happening in Lebanon. Each episode of "On the Move" tackles a different subject impacting Lebanon that also plays a role in her life abroad. Elia is a recent Master's degree graduate in science jo...

0:00 Intro 4:12 Migration Complications & Covid-19 7:01 "How Covid-19 Halted NGO Migrant Rescues in the Mediterranean" 13:20 Geopolitical Threats 19:25 Legal Requirements & Maritime Law 34:27 The Power of Storytelling & Beirut 42:22 How Eric & I Met 52:31 Hopes for Lebanon We're with Eric Reidy for Episode 148 of The Beirut Banyan. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/G_rpqhIsjVo We discuss his recent...

0:00 Intro 1:52 Decades-Long Rivalry & The Middle East 3:41 Youth & Collective Memory 12:04 Storytelling, the Wider Narrative Story & Local Details that Matter 16:17 Lebanon & the Protest Movement 22:30 Struggle & Initial Targets Following Revolution, Now & Then 29:24 The Way Forward for Lebanon 38:17 "Dancing into the Abyss" We're with Kim Ghattas for Episode 147 of The Beirut Banyan. Click to wa...

We're with Lina Khatib for Episode 146 of The Beirut Banyan. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/RhTAtG2ZJMM We discuss the economic crisis in Lebanon and prospects for accountability and political reform given the complexities in tackling rampant corruption and sub-state weaponry. We also get into the distinction between the governing regime and the Lebanese state. Lina leads the Middle East and Nor...

I read one of my father's previous blog posts, "True or False?" for Episode 145 of The Beirut Banyan. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/ZOSF5O5dpxs And I reflect on what political reform should look like in light of economic decisions underway. The previous interview I shared of my father in March 2013 can be viewed in full below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iChW3GUpqIY&t=2137s My father's blog...

0:00 Intro 6:30 Trash River (2015) 10:32 Downtown Protests (2015) 15:23 Riad El Solh Water Cannons (2015) 16:00 Tear Gas (2019) 21:54 Running from Undercover Security 25:38 Protest & Counter-Protest (2019) 34:38 Baabda (2019) 41:25 Tires Burning (2019) 46:46 Security & Bank Machine (2019) 49:48 Attacks Against Journalists (2019) 52:17 Women & Young Protesters (2019) 54:54 Flare Shots (2019) 58:49...

VIDEO INTERVIEW FOOTAGE © MTV Lebanon, Beirut Al Yawm, 2 March 2013 Click to watch: https://youtu.be/6SSP6a42xPQ I share an interview with my father on MTV Lebanon / ‘Beirut Al Yawm’, including one of his last tweets posted five days before his assassination. The full interview video can be viewed here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iChW3GUpqIY&t=2137s My father's twitter handle is: @mohamad_cha...

I read one of my father's previous blog posts, "Déjà vu" for Episode 143 of The Beirut Banyan. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/OOVyJCG0eaU And I share reflections on the Lira's rapid devaluation and the 'broken record' that matters most. My father's blogspot page is: http://mohamadchatah.blogspot.com Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or do...