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Hayya Bina is a Lebanese civic initiative dedicated to offering a platform for emerging, liberal and independent voices committed to resisting the culture of fear and intolerance. Our aim is to restore hope and opportunity to those currently underrepresented in Lebanese society through broadening networks, developing grassroots advocacy programs and building coalitions of diverse activists. Taking advantage of the initial optimism following the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon in 2005, our first campaign highlighted the right of citizens to participate in political life on the basis of civic values rather than sectarian belonging. In the years that followed, Hayya Bina moved beyond “preaching the good word” to promote civil liberties and pluralism in communities suffering from oppression, isolation and neglect. Despite episodes of instability and political turmoil Hayya Bina has persevered in this mission, expanding the scope of our operations from grassroots lobbying to encompass long-term, nationwide projects, thanks in part to the dynamic and creative approach we bring to every undertaking.
Hayya Bina supports grassroots actors and initiatives through capacity building, advocacy and education. In 2008 our first projects outside Beirut included Citizen Lebanon and Teaching Women English (TWE). Spearheaded by the National Democratic Institute, Citizen Lebanon helped Hayya Bina implement a youth-led citizenship education and action program to hundreds of participants in the North Bekaa Valley. Through the Teach Women English program funded by the US Embassy in Beirut, Hayya Bina was able to expand grassroots support in these difficult-to-access areas. As part of these efforts, we work closely with local groups and associations to empower them to develop projects and achieve greater independence.
By organizing carefully personalized workshops and needs assessments, we help those on the ground tackle often-ignored challenges and raise their visibility within communities. We have found that local residents and organizations have the most informed perspective on their community’s needs, in addition to being the most committed to ameliorating conditions. Unfortunately, many activists and small groups are left out of the civil society loop because they lack an institutional structure or because they fall under the categories of “traditional” or “religious” leadership. Therefore our capacity building has focused on empowering emerging and marginalized voices operating in the periphery of civic engagement. Central to this endeavor has been support for the role of women in their communities; improving their access to employment, education and leadership opportunities.
The cornerstone of Hayya Bina’s strategy is to create spaces and platforms for our partners and diverse actors to meet. The purpose is not only to build networks but also to strengthen local leadership and encourage the free expression of ideas. One of Hayya Bina’s central strengths is our ability to engage a varied range of people. After initially working mainly in Beirut, Hayya Bina has since expanded the program to cover other areas of Lebanon, notably the South, the Bekaa Valley and now the North, where we have organized workshops for women, activists, local leaders, NGOs and young people to discuss their needs and concerns. Additionally, we have facilitated National Dialogue initiatives between different grassroots political groupings and independents, and organized multi-candidate public forums during election periods to encourage citizen participation in the political process.
One of the ways we have sought to connect people from disparate backgrounds is through interfaith events. Since 2008, Hayya Bina has assisted in organizing interfaith iftar dinners across Lebanon during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, amongst other cross-confessional gatherings. These occasions not only serve as opportunities for religious dialogue, but as yet another means to boost civil society in rural regions. Hayya Bina views the clerical community as an intrinsic part of Lebanese society, which we endeavor to include in all our projects and activities.
To bolster our efforts to empower civil society and connect its divergent parts Hayya Bina advocates publicly about these efforts and issues, producing advocacy literature around shared Lebanese concerns. We strive to highlight topics and opinions that are overlooked or censored by the media monopoly, and to give voice to new actors and ideas.