Opinion Policy Analysis by Gaelle Nohra, Staff Writer

After years of prevalence, corruption is no longer a simple term in our national dictionary yet transcended to a word making it to our daily conversations. Using the principal-agent and collective-action problems, this article will serve to redefine corruption and recapture its source in the Lebanese context. In the end, it remains quite easier to speak out what corruption isn’t then what it truly is.

Policy Analysis by Dana El Khoury, Contributor

2020 has proven that the curse of being Lebanese is not restricted between the borders of 10452 km2 of land; it follows Lebanese nationals wherever they go. The parliament has legislated the transfer of a one-off amount of $10,000 from Lebanon to Lebanese students living abroad, on condition that their enrollment to educative institutions came prior to the year 2020, and that the money transferred is at the bank’s official exchange rate – 1515 LBP to the dollar – despite the street and black market rate fluctuating to rates up to 10,000 LBP to the dollar.

Opinion Analysis by Taleen El Gharib, Staff Writer

In a Middle Eastern/Arab context, societies are predominantly communal. The majority, if not all, of Lebanese traditions are based on the greater community, not the individual; Lebanese people pride themselves in their willingness to give an arm and a leg to help their neighbor, or even a stranger they come across on the street. The Coronavirus pandemic challenged these traditions, and it is successfully breaking apart Lebanese social values.

Analysis by Albert Geokgeuzian, Staff Writer and Maria Wehbe, Staff Writer

Lebanon is facing major issues and we need to keep fighting to make a change. If you want to make a difference in the country, you need to start by changing the educational system. These young people are the leaders of tomorrow and we need to be providing them with high- quality education in order for them to contribute to the greater good, which is the well-being of their country.

Opinion Policy Analysis by Sasha Matar, Contributor

Almost half a century after the end of the Lebanese civil war, history would not approve on passing a general amnesty law. The Covid-19 situation is a catalyser in passing this law, but will it mean that the politicians will jeopardize such a precious political card for the health of the convicts? The families of the prisoners are afraid for their loved ones to be contaminated, but are the politicians afraid of the same? Anyhow, is the financially and morally destroyed society ready to receive a very oppressed class of citizens?

Analysis by Joelle El Sheikh, Staff Writer and Tala Karkanawi, Staff Writer

Lebanon’s political history is one filled with national, international, and regional agreements, both written and unwritten, that aim to organize the affairs of a country as geopolitically important as Lebanon. Through reviewing historic documents, from the Lebanese constitution to the Taif Agreement and the unwritten National Pact, patterns, as well as contradictions, emerge.

Opinion Analysis by John Sakr, Contributor

While Lebanon was handling COVID-19 well in the beginning, an unfortunate series of events led to the saturation of its healthcare system, forcing the nation into its fifth lockdown as 2021 starts. In addition to economic collapse and a deadly blast, Coronavirus was an ingredient in the Lebanese recipe for disaster throughout 2020, and possibly through the beginning of 2021.

Op-Ed by Taleen El Gharib, Staff Writer

Dollar signs where his eyes should be, Hayek’s ability to manipulate and subjugate his listeners was astonishing but expected for the most part. Perhaps it was the way he presented himself that made people take him more seriously, or even the way he spoke with such mysticism and soft power (…) what purpose do Michel Hayek’s predictions serve to the wellbeing of the community?

Analysis by Taleen El Gharib, Staff Writer

After drawing inspiration from Malek Maktabi’s Ahmar Bil Khatt Al Arid (أحمر بالخط العريض) episode on domestic abuse against women, the purpose of this paper is to trace back where and how religion became integrated into society, occupying traditions, cultures, and social values; and where it went wrong. (...) The advancement was a transition away from spirituality, and religion itself became an asset rather than a belief system, benefitting some, hurting others, but most importantly, accommodating male privilege and proliferating patriarchal values. (...) Why is it that a woman wearing a hijab represents the opinion supporting domestic abuse? Is it because of the widespread belief that Islam oppresses women?

Analysis by Farah Termos, Staff Writer

In Lebanon, domestic abuse is unfortunately a political and legal failure that wreaks havoc on the progression of the country solely as a civil entity, and “developing” nation. Despite the presence of laws and the emphasis on domestic abuse in Lebanese political campaigns (especially those led by female parliament candidates, like former MP candidate Joumana Haddad), gender-based violence (GBV) remains amongst the biggest issues that Lebanese households continue to face.

Op-Ed by Maria Wehbe, Staff Writer

Since the Port Explosion, they’ve helped more than 248 000 people, 9800 families have been receiving direct cash assistance, more than 52 000 door-to -door assessments have been completed and more than 7000 COVID missions have been completed as well. They have done everything in their power to help as many people as they can, “As a response to the 4th of August Beirut Port Explosion, the LRC committed to provide direct financial assistance of 300 USD per months, for a period of 7 months, to at least 10,000 of the most vulnerable affected families.”

Opinion Analysis by Mounia El Khawand, Staff Writer

On December 21, 2020, a tweet from the official account of UN Women’s offices in Lebanon took the social media platform by storm: “BREAKING: Parliament just passed 2 laws: one to criminalize sexual harassment and rehabilitate its victims, being the first law in Lebanon to penalize [perpetrators] of sexual harassment & abuse.” While the masses and numerous officials have hailed the landmark law – the first of its kind – as a triumph, and a step forward in the right direction, many activists do not share the sentiment, and believe that it does too little too late.

Op-Ed by Dina Richani, Staff Writer and Ramsey Marrouche, Contributor

From our daily conversations, to our unending texts and posts and usage of social media, what has happened to our mother tongue language, Arabic? It might be ironic to have this published in English but it is what we have to say. We are slowly causing death unconsciously to it. Language is the most valuable asset to humankind, and so preserving the Arabic language is fundamental and key to who we are.

Policy Analysis by Tala Majzoub, Staff Writer

With students preoccupied with their final examinations, the two top universities in Lebanon announced the adoption of the exchange rate of LL3900 per dollar for the payment of tuition fees. As a response to the rising dangers faced by the Lebanese student today, student movements raise the slogans of secularism, democracy, and social justice in the face of the mafia and militia system. From the anti-democratic to the unapologetically sectarian administerial negligence across universities in Lebanon, students are radically refusing the establishment that impedes their access to education. When the government fails, the Lebanese students take the lead.

Opinion Policy Analysis by Sasha Matar, Contributor

1943 marked the end of the French mandate for Lebanon, yet this never meant a fully independent Lebanon. By definition, an independent country should have the power to impose its authority over its territory, without foreign implications. Till date, 77 years of independence and the internal politics are constantly being manipulated by the decisions brought by powerful countries; regional, European or American. Thus, a Trump or a Biden administration, should be the concern of the Lebanese who are looking for a healthy change. The disarmament of the Party of God was some votes away from becoming a reality. With a Biden administration a foggy future is ahead of us.

Opinion Analysis by Francesco Pitzalis, Staff Writer and Saba Al-Sadr, Contributor

Political posters are an immersive and pervasive hallmark of Lebanon’s streets. Moussa Al-Sadr’s image, for instance, has been strategically engineered as an instrument for the extension of cultural hegemony and artificial demarcation of geographical space. The tapestry of posters, in the absence of a unified historical blueprint, monopolises the collective memory of Lebanese Leaders. This memory is neither passive nor neutral and fails to historicize, introspect or analyse Lebanon’s tumultuous history to any degree of acuity. Thus, Lebanon remains in a collective and pathological state of selective amnesia towards its past.

Opinion Campus Policy Analysis by Francesco Pitzalis, Staff Writer

MP Nadim Gemayel’s comments denoted an ugly brawl in Achrafieh between the supporters of Hezbollah and the Lebanese Forces. The brawl, initiated by Hezbollah supporters, was timed directly before the University of Saint Joseph’s (USJ) student elections. Gemayel’s charged rhetoric was hence an instrument for political gain through characterizing Hezbollah as an alien incursion to the “Christian” environs of USJ. However, Gemayel sorely underestimated the impending victory of Secular candidates in the elections, limiting his comments to a humiliating afterthought.

Analysis by Essamar Bou Moughlbey, Contributor

It’s been acknowledged that there has been a human trafficking network in Lebanon, responsible for transporting Syrians across the border into Lebanon and forging documents. Despite the growing problem of slavery and trafficking of Syrian and Palestinian Syrian refugees in Lebanon, insufficient effort is being directed towards addressing its causes.

Joelle El Sheikh, Staff Writer and Sarah El-Abd, Editor-in-Chief

On the 9th of November, the Phoenix Daily met exclusively with Her Excellency, current care-taker Minister of Information, Manal Abdel Samad, for an exclusive interview and discussion around Lebanese Media, Freedom of Speech and expression, the Minister of Information’s efforts to combat fake news, the strategies taken to strengthen the Ministry, and the what the future looks like after more than 10 months in office.