The Beirut Banyan

In Voices from the Square - Part 9, Elia Haber captures the October Uprising directly from Martyrs Square with Mohammad Bzeih, a 22-year old graduate economics student at LAU. Mohammad shares his perspectives from the post-1989 political and economic order, and the structural problems that led to the uprising. If you're enjoying these episodes, help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing to our...

We're joined by Faysal Itani for Episode 43 of The Beirut Banyan, and we discuss long-standing structural problems facing Lebanon. The conversation includes difficulties in persisting with the confessional power-sharing mechanism Lebanon inherited in 1943, and the unsustainable post-1989 economic model protestors are currently challenging. Faysal Itani is a Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council wi...

In Voices from the Square - Part 8, Elia Haber captures the October Uprising with Milia Ayache, lecturer in English at AUB and actor. Demands for political restructuring and economic reforms are addressed directly from Martyrs Square. If you're enjoying these episodes, help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing to our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan And subscribe to our p...

We're joined by Houssam El Eid - managing partner of Urbanista - for Episode 41 of The Beirut Banyan, and we discuss the youth's role in the current uprising. Social media and technology have reshaped the way protestors interact with and share news, making this revolt markedly different than previous demonstrations. Houssam El Eid shares his thoughts on the role of work-space environments and how...

In Voices from the Square - Part 7, Elia Haber captures the October Uprising with new guests Jovanie Feghaly - a 19-year old cinema studies student at Lebanese University; Youssef Lahoud - a 27-year old process engineer and pure chemistry student; and Hala Ghoussoub - a 29-year old architect and and tourism sector entrepreneur. Unemployment, economic concerns and demands for political reform are a...

We're joined by Emile Hokayem for Episode 39 of The Beirut Banyan, and we discuss external and internal concerns facing Lebanon today, and how regional and domestic politics play a key role in resolving Lebanon's structural problems. Emile Hokayem is a senior fellow for Middle East security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, and writes extensively on security matters and inter/i...

Voices from the Square, Part 6 with co-host Elia Haber, bringing conversations and reflections directly from Martyrs Square. Elia captures the October Uprising with her eight and ninth guests, Nayla Geagea - a 35-year old lawyer and legal researcher, and Selim Mawad - a human rights activist and painter. Check out Selim's art via the following link: www.selimmawad.com Nayla and Selim share their f...

We're joined by Michael Young for Episode 37 of The Beirut Banyan. The first section of our conversation focuses on the political and economic factors that led to the October Uprising and the possibilities ahead for change and reform. The second section - beginning at 36:15 - takes us back to Michael's student years in Ras Beirut and AUB, his early career in political analysis at The Lebanese Cent...

Voices from the Square, Part 5 with co-host Elia Haber, bringing conversations and reflections directly from Martyrs Square. Elia captures the October Uprising with her seventh guest, Lana Halabi - a 31-year old children's storyteller and co-founder of Halabi Bookshop. Lana has been offering children's readings during the demonstrations, and she shares her reasons for continuing to protest and her...

We're joined by Mark Daou for Episode 35 of The Beirut Banyan, and we discuss the youth factor, communication strategy and political activism during the October Uprising. Mark is a lecturer at AUB and LAU, focusing on media and public relations. His political activism bridges politics and communications with a sincere belief that structural change is both possible and needed. If you're enjoying th...

Voices from the Square, Part 4 with co-host Elia Haber, bringing conversations and reflections directly from Martyrs Square. Elia captures the October Uprising with her fifth and sixth guests, Joelle Assaf - a 24-year old working in advocacy / reform in the Bekaa Valley, and Mohamad Bzeih, a 28-year old software designer and architect. Both Joelle and Mohamad share their demands for political chan...

We're joined by Fadlo Khuri for Episode 33 of The Beirut Banyan, and we discuss all that is The American University of Beirut. Fadlo Khuri is the current president of AUB, and reflects on 153 years of the institution's role in contributing to the higher education of local, regional and international students. We discuss the October Uprising, the university's commitment to freedom of expression, an...

Voices from the Square, Part 3 with co-host Elia Haber, bringing conversations and reflections directly from Martyrs Square. Elia captures the October Uprising with her third and fourth guests, Rania Mroue - a 48-year old mother, actress and drama coach, and Carlos Haidamous, a 24-year old photographer who was abroad when the uprising began and determined to return and participate. Both Rania and...

A new branch of The Beirut Banyan. Our second episode with co-host Elia Haber, bringing conversations and reflections directly from Martyrs Square. Expectations and hopes are shared from everyday voices. Elia captures the October Uprising with her second guest, Rami El Ali, a 37-year old professor of philosophy at Lebanese American University. Rami shares his thoughts on needed political and econo...

We're joined by Zeina Saab and Munir Nabti for Episode 30 of The Beirut Banyan, and we discuss recent grassroots activity in Beirut, NGO contributions throughout Lebanon and what the October Uprising means to them. Zeina is the founder of The Nawaya Network and a co-founder of SE Factory, focusing on disadvantaged youth empowerment. Check out the following link to learn more: www.nawaya.org Munir...

A new branch of The Beirut Banyan. Our first episode with co-host Elia Haber, bringing conversations and reflections directly from Martyrs Square. Expectations and hopes are shared from everyday voices. Elia captures the October Uprising with her first guest, Karma Charafeddine, a 34-year old interior designer committed to environmental preservation and protection. If you're enjoying these episode...

We're joined by Tom Young for Episode 28 of The Beirut Banyan, and we get an artist's portrayal of a country he loves and considers home. Tom is a trained architect and talented painter, and applies his appreciation for urban heritage to his paintbrush, reflecting on Lebanon's abandoned past and illustrating scars and wounds left open from from the civil war. Check out Tom's website: www.tomyoung....

We're joined by Firas Maksad for Episode 27 of The Beirut Banyan, and we get a sober view from Washington on where the uprising in Beirut may take us. Firas is an adjunct professor at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs, and regularly contributes to various outlets on Middle East politics, including Foreign Policy. Check out his recent piece on the events that le...

We're joined by Tarek Mitri for Episode 26 of The Beirut Banyan, and we discuss his childhood in Tripoli, his political evolution as a student both in Tripoli and AUB, and his career that took him from religious dialogue and understanding through academia to several ministerial portfolios in the Lebanese government. Tarek Mitri served as Minister of Environment, Minister of Culture and Minister of...

My attempt at reflecting on the past 24 hours in words, shared in this episode.

We're joined by Nayla Tueni for Episode 24 of The Beirut Banyan, and we discuss the important role of social media during ongoing demonstrations across Lebanon, and how traditional outlets like Annahar continue to contribute and pursue in-depth analysis. Nayla Tueni discusses the legacies of her late father, Gebran Tueni, and late grandfather Ghassan Tueni. Pioneers in Lebanon's proud history of f...

We're joined by Chibli Mallat for Episode 23 of The Beirut Banyan, and we discuss prospects for a new Lebanese constitution. Chibli suggests what he thinks constitutional reform should look like, in light of renewed calls to remove confessional quotas and dismantle sectarian governance. Chibli was a presidential candidate in 2005-2006, following the withdrawal of the Syrian army from Lebanon. He i...

We're joined by Farrah Berrou for Episode 22 of The Beirut Banyan, and we discuss our shared passion for storytelling. Farrah is a member of A Better Beirut podcast team, and also recently started her own podcast about Lebanese wine, B for Bacchus. Farrah is currently capturing snapshots from the uprising through her Instagram page: momentsofthawra. She also has a blog full of years of reflection...

We're joined by Ishac Diwan for Episode 21 of The Beirut Banyan, and we discuss crony capitalism and its effect on Lebanon's economy following the civil war. We also reflect on the past ten days of protests and the potential for needed economic and political reform in Lebanon. Ishac formerly worked at the World Bank and has lectured at Harvard, Columbia, New York University and is currently in Par...

We're joined by Marie-Joe Abi Nassif for Episode 20 of The Beirut Banyan. Our conversation was previously recorded about the debate surrounding civil marriage in Lebanon, and meant to follow Episode 14 with Roderick Sursock (and as a companion to Episode 6 with Marie-Joe's husband, Abdallah Salam). Due to the uprising underway (and the shift in focus to demands for political change), we decided to...