With the Lebanese Lira plummeting to less than half of its official value, economic activity expected to contract by 12% and more than 50% of the population expected to live below the poverty line in the coming year, Lebanon is undergoing its worst economic crisis in decades.With the new government unable, or unwilling, to implement the structural changes the country needs to rebound, civil society, often with the help of the diaspora, has taken a lead role in creating solutions to alleviate the country’s most pressing challenges. The last couple months have seen the emergence of encouraging initiatives such as LIFE’s emergency relief fund to provide food, medication and basic needs to those that needed it the most and Impact Lebanon Dikkeni initiative which helps local artists, designers and businesses sell their products abroad.Innovation ecosystems play a key role during economic crises and contribute to laying the foundations for the next cycle of economic growth. 

Impact Lebanon, an initiative hub aimed at pursuing and delivering impact in Lebanon, hosted a webinar titled “Kafala: The Road to Abolition” in collaboration with Lebanese Diaspora for Action and Meghterbin Mejtemiin.

These seven women got inspired by the tragedy Lebanon was facing since October and were able to connect their minds together through the help of equal goals that pushed them to make something like Dikkéni happen. And they were all inspired by three ideals that were equally shared among them:

Lebanese people in the diaspora who are part of the Meghterbin Mejtemiin group announced that they will be holding protests abroad in solidarity with Lebanon and the Lebanese people on Sunday the 5th of July.

Historiquement, la diaspora libanaise a toujours eu les pieds bien ancrés dans son pays de résidence, et le cœur tourné vers la mère-patrie. Si cette caractéristique n’est pas propre au contexte libanais, ce qui différentie la diaspora libanaise est son ampleur et cette coutume libanaise, vieille de plusieurs siècles, d’envoyer certains de ses enfants les plus brillants à l’étranger.

“The website, which was initially meant to be a simple blog, was born out of the frustration of a group of Lebanese living in London.