Young Leaders Social Media Café launch in Beirut

There has been all these talks about Social Media in Lebanon and the Arab world lately, and it's definitely nothing new. There is the web 2.0, the latest extremely popular social networks such as facebook and twitter, there is mostly the sharing spirit such as youtube, the manifestation of talent or simply good times such as flickr, the new way of knowledge stream such as wikipedia, and the window to the world such as giant search engines, i.e. google, and the blogosphere (sustained by blogger, wordpress...), all this is what everybody has been experiencing in this virtual yet so real world and can feel like it's no longer just logging into the internet, checking your emails and sharing some photos.

The project is initiated by the Swedish Institute, and coordinated by Hiba FARHAT in Beirut. More on their blog.

Young Leaders Social Media Café (YLSMC) is a part of Young Leaders Visitors Program which was successfully launched in 2008, and yesterday, Saturday March 6, was the launching of YLSMC in Lebanon, precisely in Zico's House, it will continue to happen almost once a month in many of the MENA region. The program included fast-paced presentation by International and Regional Speakers including the most influential figures in social media worldwide.

The main purpose of these presentations is to incite young persons out there to think outside the box, to work hard, do what they love and are passionate about, and definitely use social media for their benefit in a constructive way.


Mark COMERFORD was one of the presenters who participated in YLSMC, he is from STOCKHOLM University, he gave a pretty unconventional and heavy presentation about how Digital Media will F*ck you up. For him it's not the fact that social media changed the way we deal with life, instead he mentioned that before, we used to do things in private and we decide if we want them to go public, yet on web 2.0, it's the opposite.

He was barefoot, I asked him why? He said he's been doing it for the past 15 years in all his presentations, and that he doesn't remember why, I didn't believe him of course, but I respected the fact that he didn't want to elaborate more, yet he continued saying:

"I walk around a lot".

Another presentation was done by Sami BEN GHARBIA - Advocacy Global Voices Online.

This presentation certainly shed light on some pretty shocking numbers which awakened in us the sense of solidarity with many people who get arrested even jailed because of blogging and the censorship that is being imposed in their country on them. The point of the presentation wasn't to scare people away from blogging, instead it was there to encourage people to find different and various methods to keep blogging and sending out information concerning their situation. You can view the presentation "Digital Activism and online free speech" here.

I was also very happy to know about the WIT (Women in Technology) initiative which is there to help and encourage women over 50 - which generation didn't get the chance of learning how to use a pc and the internet - how to extend themselves through these online tools, the presentation was given by Nada Hamzeh. Another speaker "Jessica Dheere" actually stressed on that same point:

When you're using media, you're basically extending yourself, be it a paintbrush, a camera... 

Nada showed us a video about women in Lebanon who learned how to use a computer and about blogging, and were sharing their experience in blogging. Some of these women blog in order to promote their business abroad. WITLebanon basically train these women in order to obtain the skills mentioned earlier.


A woman said:

I used to just clean the dust from off the computer, now I use one and have a blog.

Another nice project was presented by Simba and Edd Abbas from Taste Kulcha.

Taste Culture organizes various cultural events like film screenings, African / Asian cuisine, photo exhibitions, installations, hip hop, music and public discussions so as to link African, Asian and Arab cultures and struggles

Moreover they spoke about the recent events they've been holding, such as "7keeleh", which is an open mic session at its best for hip hop, poetry, spoken word and music. It is hosted by Fareeq el Atrash.

We were lucky enough to hear a small jam by Edd, an incredibly nice song, genre hip hop.

Many other speakers participated, you can read more about them here.

Live tweeting was taking place yesterday, reporting live on speakers and presentations content, audience's mood and interaction, and the whole ambiance in general, it was done on twitter, and you can read them here.

Thanks to Hiba who gave me the chance to be part and help out yesterday, nevertheless in reality watch great presentations and speed network with great persons out there.

My advice would be when YLSMC comes to your country, make sure you attend. Food for thought.

MTV

This is completely a personal post, my favorite TV channel was always MTV, it was probably the only local channel that I used to watch regularly, because I am more of a cable person, show comedy, show movies, star world, discovery channel... But finally MTV will be back on April 7, 2009. After how many years? 5 or 6? Anyway I hope they will not be another protege or another political party tv, just be a TV that is all I ask for.

Round up about the latest clashes in Beirut

While someone thinks they've seen it all in Lebanon, and in Beirut in particular, the day and night carries with them another type of attack, another type of distress and another form of disappointment.

Yesterday, 6 institutions of media have been closed, and not just had their doors closed, in fact they're doors are wide open, but everything inside is either burned or broken to pieces. These institutions belong to the Future TV, Radio and Newspaper, and their variety of offices. The whole TV building has been burned by members belonging to the opposition factions.



This is a video of Sahar Al Khatib, a reporter from Future TV talking with a genuine voice about what happened to Future insitutions, on Kalam Al Nas show with Marcel Ghanem on LBCI.

Journalists and media personnel gathered at the Bourj Al-Ghazal Tower in Tabaris to express their rejection of yesterday’s forced closure of media institutions by opposition factions.

Yesterday's images have been scary, empty roads of residential areas with armed men walking and shooting in the air, scaring off anyone who thinks of going out to the balcony and checking out the weather. People were not able to get to Beirut or Leave to Beirut. Schools and Educational institutes, shops, banks, everything is closed in Beirut. Beirut is under siege.

Today, all locations that have been "occupied" by our own Lebanese brothers, have been handed over to the Lebanese army.



Moreover, the clashes and gunfire reached out to Aley, a druze region in majority. All in all, clashes, blocades and victims were not only in Beirut, but some parts of Bekaa, both Lebanese-Syrain borders, Masnaa and North Lebanon, Aley, Shouweyfat, Saida, Khaldeh, etc...

Below is a video about a real and spontenaous reaction for a kid and woman to gunfire near them in Beirut, this was broadcasted on Al-Arabia TV.



After Moorab's meeting yesterday for March 14, its outcome according to Lebanese-Forces leader Samir Geagea, that the recent events led by the opposition is an armed manner to overthrow the government. Read more about it here.

In the last three days and according to the Media, the toll is 18 casualties.

The most recent clashes are in Halba - Akkar, and word that there are 2 victims so far. For minute to minute news, check Tayyar.org, LebanonFiles.com and NowLebanon.com for more opinions and coverage.

Law for Medias in Lebanon

Even though I haven't been watching the news lately. I have chose willingly to be oblivious and ignorant concerning the recent events in Lebanon that are of course related to politics. But of course you can't really shut yourself completely when you can see, hear and read. I hear echos, a lot of them.

The feeling or instinct that I had was definitely positive. I am really not worried. Maybe it is because I don't listen to the news and the intensity of how they bring it to you.

Anyway, I've been thinking for sometime and even bringing it up to some people, that there should be a law for the media in Lebanon. Honestly I haven't done any research concerning the subject to see how media and laws for media are delt with abroad and in more evolved countries, or even if there is already one in Lebanon that isn't being applied. In reply to this thought, someone told me, that there is actually talks about the medias and how they have been behaving lately and the suggestion of a law that will limit their subjectivity (not freedom) orelse I would be against.

Media is not a place to diss others and make oneself look good, media is supposed to bring the news and what is really going on to the public as is!

Is Manar blowing things out of proportion?

When I hear the news anchor speak in the news on Al-Manar TV, I only notice the full of hatred. You would think they are talking about World War III for that matter. If a person only relies on their news and doesn't check other sources, the only perception of the events in Lebanon are much more blown out of proportion, inaccurate and provocative.

It is definitely not healthy. They closed MTV because it rooted for one party in Lebanon (in an exagerated way as they claim), other TVs do root for a certain party but in my opinion Al-Manar is doing the same on a much higher scale considering the level of danger and provocation. They should take it easy, orelse every viewer will end up full of hate.

Where did the old days go, Peace, Love and Rock'n'roll!