The Beirut Banyan

Episode 371: 'Twilight Cities' with Katherine Pangonis, taped live at Aaliya's Books. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/4KAoSvi9BeA A conversation with author Katherine Pangonis on her recently published 'Twilight Cities' with a focus on Tyre and Carthage and topics that transcend antiquity with modern history. The discussion covers Phoenician city-states and former trade routes, 'capitals' once kn...

Anger & Thirst by Rea Gemayel Rea is an actress and appeared in Memory Box, Echoes & Le Départ. Click to watch video version: https://youtu.be/mqLU-7CT_G8 Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform. Follow us on Faceboo...

GENXZ wraps up its first season with comedian John Achkar in a conversation that covers his personal journey from student-led politics to stand-up comedy, free expression that takes the written word on stage, the comfort & healing of performance-based art, & the importance of following your passion & pursuit no matter the cost. The episode includes a reflection of this Friday’s third commemoration...

Episode 370: 'The Architect' with George Wardini, taped live at Aaliya's Books. Click to watch video version: https://youtu.be/2BQ83aSzC7w A conversation with digital content creator George Wardini that covers the design process behind the Instagram page PolyBlog & its opinion-based narrative born out of political activism, as well as a look at other platforms he helped produce including Wassil Sa...

GENXZ is a miniseries hosted by Sarah Al Asmar that tackles Lebanese political, economic and social issues from a youth perspective. For this episode Sarah is joined by Elias Hankach, MP Metn District and member of Kataeb. Click to watch video version: https://youtu.be/ytcMIS_SvnA The discussion covers a deep dive into Roumieh and rethinking its prison location, a retrospective on Kataeb's role du...

In memory of Milan Kundera. Episode 369: 'Einmal ist keinmal' with Ambassador Andreas Kindl, taped live at Aaliya's Books. Click to watch video version: https://youtu.be/4kTJ34QGw9c A conversation that explores the day-to-day affairs of Germany's Ambassador to Lebanon, divergency between local expectations and the job description at hand, communication with local actors on the one side and Germany...

Episode 368: Meeting of Minds with Nadim Shehadi & Hicham Bou Nassif, taped live at Iris Domain. Click to watch video version: https://youtu.be/KyIs_EBz5qY Delving into childhood & academic experiences in retrospect, communitarianism, supranational identities, systemic paralysis & potential solutions to failed governance, geopolitical infringement on sovereignty, sub-state security & the collapse...

Episode 367: Ten Thousand Stories in One with Rawi Hage, taped live at Aaliya's Books. A conversation that brings childhood memories of Geitaoui, Rmeil and a bygone Achrafieh back to life. Click to watch video version: https://youtu.be/2X5InI_nCEs Rawi's experiences in the early years of the civil war, his brief move to Cyprus followed by a short return and an eventual departure to New York and Mo...

GENXZ is a miniseries that tackles Lebanese political, economic and social issues from a youth perspective. For this episode Amira Kazoun joins as co-host and we introduce Wael Taleb to the podcast, a reporter and features writer at L'Orient Today and a gifted journalist. Click to watch video-version: https://youtu.be/GfVximIb3jM The discussion covers Wael's personal journey into journalism, how t...

GENXZ is a miniseries hosted by Sarah Al Asmar that tackles Lebanese political, economic and social issues from a youth perspective. For this episode Sarah is joined by Jad Shahrour, spokesperson for the Samir Kassir Foundation. Click to watch video version: https://youtu.be/4pv2AHv6cPY The discussion covers the Samir Kassir Foundation's work in defending journalist rights and the wider struggle a...

Episode 366: ‘Beirut is a River’ with Camille Ammoun, taped live at Aaliya's Books. Click to watch video version: https://youtu.be/GGFMulaHEl4 A conversation that covers writing styles and technique, psycho-geography and urban planning, a look back at civil society's role in 2005 and 2019, a reading of 'Beirut is a River' and the universality within Beirut. The discussion includes expectations fro...

GENXZ is a miniseries hosted by Sarah Al Asmar that tackles Lebanese political, economic and social issues from a youth perspective. For this episode Sarah is joined by Chrystine Mhanna, a journalist and human rights advocate. Click to watch video version: https://youtu.be/b2HRIqtg_OQ The discussion covers digital media trends, differentiating 'alternative' from 'activist' descriptions, narrative...

Episode 365: ‘This Place Called Home’ with Tom Young, taped live at Aaliya's Books. A conversation that covers painting Lebanon’s ever-changing landscape, a process of healing personal wounds through art, overcoming immensely challenging moments through creativity and camaraderie, and a lifelong quest for meaning and truth. The discussion includes shared tales of the Holiday Inn hotel and experien...

GENXZ is a miniseries hosted by Sarah Al Asmar that tackles Lebanese political, economic and social issues from a youth perspective. For this episode Sarah is joined by Antoine Habchi, MP Lebanese Forces. Click to watch video-version: https://youtu.be/BzEzxzSj9d8 The discussions dives into cannabis legislation, a draft law yet to be implemented on its medicinal and industrial use, social attitudes...

0:00 Intro 2:36 What brought you to journalism? 7:07 Attention span 9:34 Narrative 13:49 Media's role 22:43 Preconceived notions 27:34 Public-funded media 32:52 Why are you going to Doha? 36:12 Baabda 49:19 Doing what you're doing 53:07 Friendly argument vs journalist grilling 58:28 Appreciation for audio 1:03:23 Q&A 1:28:41 Accountability 1:41:48 Ireland & sectarianism We're with Imogen Kimber fo...

GENXZ is a miniseries hosted by Sarah Al Asmar that tackles Lebanese political, economic and social issues from a youth perspective. For this episode Sarah is joined by Amira Kazoun, USJ MA graduate in clinical psychology and president of the university's mental health club. Click to watch video-version: https://youtu.be/DpNx8zpGXdw Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https:...

0:00 Intro 2:22 The last three years 16:33 Tourism & narrative 24:27 Lebanon's role 32:56 Consequential to stability 37:24 Expression 42:31 Branding 48:00 Cosmopolitanism 56:39 Q&A 1:25:38 History of wine in the region We're with Michael Karam for Episode 363 of The Beirut Banyan, recorded live at Aaliya’s Books. Click for video version: https://youtu.be/gcNOVWJ830k We reflect on the past three ye...

GENXZ is a miniseries hosted by Sarah Al Asmar that tackles Lebanese political, economic and social issues from a youth perspective. For her first episode, Sarah is joined by William Noun, political activist and younger brother of Joe Noun. Click to watch video-version: https://youtu.be/nE6ja6THLUE Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donat...

A new miniseries hosted by Sarah Al Asmar, covering all things youth-related in Lebanon. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/tOeUz6M2Mfc For this introduction Sarah sits with me and outlines what she hopes to achieve with her new role as a host on The Beirut Banyan, and the topics she intends to focus in on. Stay tuned for weekly episodes beginning this June! Help support The Beirut Banyan by contrib...

0:00 Intro 1:51 One year after the election 10:57 Research & political psychology 37:28 Defining sectarianism 1:01:11 National identity 1:23:23 Q&A We're with Ramzi Abou-Ismail for Episode 362 of The Beirut Banyan, recorded live at Aaliya’s Books. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/qIiLdcpx9XI We reflect on a year following parliamentary elections best defined by paralysis and Ramzi's political psyc...

0:00 Intro 0:51 Finding the castle 14:29 Refugee influx 28:41 David Saad 47:57 Sensitivity 54:25 Q&A 1:08:05 Relics that survived We're with Mohamad El Chamaa for Episode 361 of The Beirut Banyan, recorded live at Aaliya’s Books. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/Ebjl3XrlyKk We discuss three articles of his long-form articles, including a piece on a forgotten crusader castle, European Jewish refuge...

0:00 Intro 2:22 Two different opinions 6:11 Recent trip 13:02 Left to the margins 20:23 2006-2008 26:08 Back to the process 31:51 No IMF deal & no port blast investigation 37:25 Baabda 48:08 A third candidate 52:25 Municipal elections 59:17 Q&A 1:33:29 "Largest militia in the world" We're with Najat Aoun Saliba for Episode 360 of The Beirut Banyan, recorded live at Aaliya’s Books. Click to watch :...

0:00 Intro 0:45 Childhood in Philadelphia 7:49 News bulletin 21:19 Darkly funny 26:51 A place full of weird people 32:13 Israeli invasion 45:09 Azar & Arafat 58:32 The boy in Martyrs Square 1:03:28 Transition 1:11:44 Robert Fisk 1:17:04 Q&A We're with George Azar for Episode 359 of The Beirut Banyan, recorded live at Aaliya’s Books. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/WfLoa1iz58M We discuss a childho...

0:00 Intro 1:53 What brought you to journalism? 9:19 Linkage 14:08 The written word 21:52 Donations 25:09 Editorial 30:47 Cybercrime bureau case 42:31 Local vs regional issues 48:24 Intimidation 54:33 Switching roles 1:01:18 Radical 1:08:43 Q&A We're with Lara Bitar for Episode 358 of The Beirut Banyan, recorded live at Aaliya’s Books. Click to watch: https://youtu.be/2KZhlFMGi9A We discuss her jo...

0:00 Intro 2:07 Targeting Megaphone 5:40 A sign of success? 9:11 A divided movement 19:40 March 14 24:40 The Lebanese Forces 29:06 Two ways to address 35:17 Leftist movement 40:32 Diaspora 44:30 Megaphone & the digital age 49:14 Q&A 1:06:43 Why Lebanon fell apart 1:23:20 'Sectarian' We're with Jean Kassir for Episode 357 of The Beirut Banyan, recorded live at Aaliya’s Books. Click to watch: https:...