Between July 21st and August 1st, 2019, Lebanon saw yet another wave of WLCU Youth (WLCUY) tour the country for the third version of LEBolution, the WLCUY’s World Conference! Put together by the WLCUY Board and the WLCU World Secretary General, LEBolution 2019 brought together 191 participants from 17 different countries, ready to explore and discover the beauty of the homeland, connect with the land of their ancestors, and participate in a series of cultural and social activities across the country.

Click here to see the official LEBolution 2019 video on our Facebook page!

Day 1

Although participants started arriving a few days early, LEBolution officially started on Sunday, July 21st. The morning was dedicated to room assignments and registering the participants, as well as providing them with their Welcome Kit which included the traditional LEBolution t-shirt! Around noon, a mouth-watering lunch was served at the hotel, Notre Dame du Mont, and by 3:00pm the Opening Ceremony was underway!

After words from WLCU World Secretary General, Mr. Roger Hani, WLCU Vice President for Africa, Mr. Najib Khoury, an WLCUY President, Mr. Sergio de los Ríos Feghali, the group headed out for its first visit and activities in beautiful Ghazir. LEBolutioners were welcomed by Municipality President Mr. Charles Haddad and proceeded to take a walking tour around the town, with the last stop being Ghazir’s public gardens where they had a dabke workshop led by Mr. Juan Saba, director of Dabke Ballet Firqat al Arz, and had a traditional village dinner that included saj, manakish and local wines.

You can check out all the pictures on Facebook by clicking Day One

Day 2

The first full day was dedicated to the south, starting the day off with a visit to Saida. Lebolutioners arrived to Khan el Franj where they were welcomed by members of the Hariri Foundation and the Outreach Leadership Academy before visiting the famous Soap Museum, Debbaneh Palace, Hammam el Jedid and the iconic Saida Sea Castle.

After lunch, participants finished their visit to Saida by meeting with MP Bahia Hariri at Khan el Franj and continued their day further south to Tyre. In Tyre, the Roman ruins were the first stop, followed by a visit to the city’s port and a walking tour. A gorgeous sunset closed off the day at Al Fanar restaurant where the group enjoyed a memorable dinner party!

You can check out all the pictures on Facebook by clicking Day Two

Day 3

Bcharre and Ehden await! Starting off early morning, the group began the day at the Gibran Khalil Gibran museum prior to participating in the cedar reforestation initiative of Comité de Sauvegarde pour l’Environnement de Becharré (CSEB) that aims to connect the cedar reserve in Bcharre with the one in Tannourine. In Dimane, as part of the initiative, participants planted cedars in name of the youth of the Lebanese diaspora!

The day continued with a visit to the Cedars of God reserve and a traditional Lebanese lunch offered by the Municipality of Bcharre at Cedar’s Heaven restaurant. After lunch the group headed off to Saydet el Hosn church to catch one of the most spectacular sunsets in Lebanon, and then did a short walking tour of the town before finishing the day with a high-energy dinner offered by former WLCU World President, Mr. Michel Doueihy.

You can check out all the pictures on Facebook by clicking Day Three

Day 4

The first stop of the day was inside the mountain…quite literally. Jeita Grotto was the first visit of the day and, needless to say, Lebolutioners fell in love with it.

The group then headed off to the capital for an important visit at Banque du Liban with Governor Riad Saleme, who impressed participants with an overview of the Lebanese economy and the importance of the Central Bank. But this was not the only grand visit of the day: the group then was hosted at the Grand Serail by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Lebanon, Sheikh Saad Hariri, who did not hesitate to highlight the positive role of women, the youth and the diaspora in Lebanon’s future.

After lunch at Karamna restaurant in Downtown Beirut, the group toured Beirut in the City Sightseeing buses and enjoyed some free time around Downtown before the must-do visit to Raouche.

You can check out all the pictures on Facebook by clicking Day Four

Day 5

Off to the Beqaa! The day began by visiting the imposing Baalbek ruins under the bright Beqaa sun and continued in beautiful Zahle for a homemade lunch hosted by Archbishop John Issam Darwish, Archbishop of the Melkite Greek Catholic Archeparchy of Zahle and Forzol. Participants then had tasty ice cream as dessert at Khalaf & Abou Slemian and enjoyed an afternoon stroll next to the Berdawni. A visit to the Armenian community in Aanjar was the last activity of the day, as Lebolutioners headed off to the historic ruins of the city and a memorable dinner party at Nabaa Anjar!

You can check out all the pictures on Facebook by clicking Day Five

Day 6

The half-way point of the trip was marked by cultural activities at the Lebanese American University (LAU) Byblos Campus, starting the day off with CELIBAL’s (Latin American Centre for Lebanese Studies) VI International Symposium “Contemporary Lebanon: Challenges and Opportunities”. Lebolutioners witnessed a panel composed of Michael Young (Carnegie Middle East Centre), Joseph Bahout (Carnegie Middle East Centre), Nizar Hassan (The Lebanese Politics Podcast), Habib Malek (LAU) and Sergio Jalil (CELIBAL) express their opinion on a series of matters central to the country’s current state before opening the floor to a Q&A session. The symposium was followed by a talk from LAU presenting the various opportunities offered to international students, including the SINARC intensive Arabic program and the new cultural immersion summer program.

After lunch offered by the university, the WLCU Youth Congress took place. The WLCUY Board presented the work being done over the current term, including the formation of new Youth chapters around the world, active campaigns that have seen the participation of over 150 members of the WLCU Youth, the opening of an online courses alongside CELIBAL, and collaboration agreements established until present date. The 191 participants were then divided into groups, shared their experiences in the communities in their countries of residence, and discussed the future of Lebanon and how the youth, as an international Lebanese community, can have a positive impact.

After LAU, the group headed off to millenary Byblos, touring the castle, the old souks and the port before enjoying a dinner in the souks.

You can check out all the pictures on Facebook by clicking Day Six

Day 7

Saturday was dedicated to Tripoli and El Mina, traditional and special Lebolution visits! The group was welcomed in the north at the Tripoli and North Lebanon Chamber of Commerce, enjoying delicious tripolitan breakfast, sweet knefeh and freshly made ice cream! After some early morning dabke, Lebolutioners went to the municipality of El Mina,where they were welcomed by the municipality, and carried out the most awaited event of the program: the Lebolution wall! A white wall close to the El Mina municipality was made available for Lebolutioners to leave their mark, resulting in a colourful painting to symbolize unity between Lebanon and its people, both residents and emigrants.

Participants then went back to Tripoli and toured the city and old souks, finishing the walking tour at the Citadel of Raymond de Saint-Gilles, or Tripoli Castle. A mouth-watering lunch was hosted by Mr. George Chabtini at Dar el Amar restaurant and participants enjoyed dessert at none other than famous Hallab! The group then headed off to San Charbel monastery in Annaya for a sunset visit before heading to Aamchit for a wonderful dinner at Pearl Island restaurant hosted by the DiasporaID team.

You can check out all the pictures on Facebook by clicking Day Seven

Day 8

A very special visit took place in the morning with the Lebolution group heading to Aamchit to the Lebanese Army’s Marine Commandos Regiment. After an introduction to the Army’s structure and activities and a meeting with the children of the martyrs of the LAF, Lebolutioners participated in various physical activities organized by the Army, including an obstacle course, a zip-line, rappelling and a boat ride! The afternoon was dedicated to relaxing, as the group headed to Aquamarina 1 for lunch and an afternoon at the beach!

You can check out all the pictures on Facebook by clicking Day Eight

Day 9

Day 9 was all about the mountain, starting the day off with a walking tour in lovely Dhour Shweir. After a reception at the municipality, participants walked among the town’s nature and visited a series of local landmarks and finished their visit with a delicious brunch next to iconic Hotel Azur. The day continued with a visit to Mar Sannine Historical Convent, where Lebolutioners were welcomed by the Baskinta scout team and a performance by Orchestra Lebam. The nuns at the convent provided homemade sweets and drinks for a special afternoon. Participants then headed off to Bakish for dinner with a jaw-dropping view of the mountain. Late at night participants went to Faqra for the Faqra festival to close off a wonderful day!

You can check out all the pictures on Facebook by clicking Day Nine

Day 10

The final full day was for the South, visiting historic Beaufort Castle in Arnoun. Participants then went to Marjeyoun where they were welcomed by mayor Mr. Amal Hourany and enjoyed some snacks at the municipality building. After some rest, the group went to Hasbaya for a memorable lunch at Hasbani restaurant before heading further south to visit “traditional” Lebanon: Rashaya al Foukhar! In Rashaya al Foukhar participants were received with great news: a cedar had been planted to honour the Lebanese Army in name of the WLCU Youth! After a walking tour of the town that included visits to some of the famous pottery workshops, Lebolutioners enjoyed tasty manakish and local delicacies offered by the municipality.

You can check out all the pictures on Facebook by clicking Day Ten

Day 11

The final day started out in the Chouf region visiting beautiful Beiteddine Palace – received with a great zaffeh group – and Deir el Qamar. After a tour of the municipality and the town, the group enjoyed a relaxing lunch close to the Barouk cedars reserve. On the way back to the hotel, the group stopped for a must-do peaceful visit to Harissa to enjoy the view of Lebanon from above!

The program came to an end that night with a closing ceremony at Kasser el Snaubar restaurant in Aafs. The closing ceremony was a moment to thank all the sponsors, participants, and everyone who made this program a reality! But before finishing Lebolution, another traditional activity had to take place: the cultural exchange! Participants from each of the countries represented in the program organized a series of presentations and activities to share the traditions and typical sweets from each of their countries of residence before enjoying a delicious meal and dancing to celebrate the success of another great trip!

You can check out all the pictures on Facebook by clicking Closing Day

LEBolution 2019: Here We Come!

During the month of June, a delegation of the WLCU comprised of World Secretary General, Mr. Roger Hani, WLCU Youth President, Mr. Sergio de los Ríos Feghali, and WLCU Youth Secretary General, Ms. Christina Salamy, visited Lebanon with the objective of finalizing details for the LEBolution 2019. The third edition of LEBolution, the WLCU Youth’s World Conference, will take place July 21st and August 1st of this year.

LEBolution 2019 Delegation at LAU: Ms. Christina Salamy (WLCUY Secretary General), Mr. Roger Hani (WLCU World Secretary General), and Mr. Sergio de los Ríos Feghali (WLCUY President)

Continuing a collaborative effort that has been in place since the beginnings of LEBolution, the first visits and communications upon the WLCU’s delegation’s arrival to Lebanon were to the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Culture in order to guarantee a fruitful program for the 200 youth that will be attending this summer. The country’s main cultural and touristic venues will, of course, be visited throughout the program: Jeita Grotto, the Baalbek ruins, Beiteddine…the list continues!

Visits to various municipalities were held by the delegation, confirming the help and support from all regions of the country; from the north to the south, and from the valleys and the mountains: Byblos, Dhour Shweir, Ghazir, Marjeyoun, Saida, Tripoli, Tyre, Zahle, and many others.

WLCU officials Mr. Elie Eid, President of the WLCU National Council of Cyprus, and Mr. Najib Khoury, WLCU Vice President, welcomed the delegation in their homes, demonstrating their excitement and support towards the upcoming edition of Lebolution.

LEBolution 2019 Delegation with WLCU Vice President, Sheikh Najib Khoury

With Ms. Myrna Mneimneh and Mr. Saleh Farroukh, representatives of the Prime Minister’s Office

The delegation for LEBolution 2019 also visited some members of Parliament in a message of cooperation for our emigration in the world. MP Taymour Beik Jumblatt opened his home in Moukhtara and was happy to receive the WLCU youth in the Chouf area, and MP Alexandre Matossian assisted in setting up a special visit to the Armenian communities in Lebanon in order for the Lebolutioners to explore and get a feel of the Armenian culture in Lebanon.

LEBolution 2019 Delegation with Ms. Hiba Huneini (Hariri Foundation)

LEBolution 2019 Delegation with Mr. Amal Hourani, Major of Marjeyoun

With Mr. Wadih Abdel Ahad and Mr. Habib Mouajes, Major of the Municipality of Dhour Shweir

LEBolution 2019 Delegation with Mr. Elie Eid, President of the WLCU Cyprus National Chapter

Present at the Municipality of Borj Hammoud with MP Alexandre Matossian and Major of Borj Hammoud, Mr. Mardig Boghossian

But meetings were not held solely with municipality officials and members of Parliament. The delegation had the pleasure of meeting with representatives from the Lebanese American University (LAU) and from the Hariri Foundation, holding discussions regarding activities and support for LEBolution 2019 as well as possible collaborations with the WLCU Youth and future opportunities for its members.

Without a doubt, the most special and meaningful meeting of the trip was held with General Joseph Aoun of the Lebanese Army, an opportunity for the WLCU’s delegation to express the support for the Army’s sacrifice to the country and their daily efforts to protect its people.

With General Joseph Aoun, expressing our gratitude to the Lebanese Army

We thank all who have showcased their support for LEBolution and have assisted in order to make this summer’s trip yet another memorable one!