Jan 15, 2012 Posted by Joelle

Rape Isn’t A Legal Right – Shout It Out Loud

On January 14, 2012, hundreds of people defied the rain and took to the streets of Beirut to protest against rape. Protesters marched from Sanayeh to Riad El Solh square in Downtown Beirut, where security officers cordoned off the area to prevent them from reaching the Lebanese Parliament. As the crowds gathered in the square, organizers read statements that called upon the Lebanese Parliament to: Pass... read more

Sep 4, 2011 Posted by Joelle

Expressing Sexuality Through Art

To commemorate World Sexual Health Day (September 4), an art exhibit entitled “Good Sex/ Bad Sex/ No Sex/ Your Sex” was held at AltCity, in Hamra. “Sexuality is such a profound part of our life. So is art,” explained event organizer Rola Yasmine, member of the Youth Initiative Committee of the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS). ”What we did here is create a space for... read more

Jun 18, 2011 Posted by Joelle

In Solidarity With Saudi Women Daring To Drive

On June 17, 2011, tens of people gathered in front of the Saudi Embassy in Beirut in solidarity with Saudi women who defied the ultra-conservative Kingdom’s rule against women being able to drive, risking arrest and violence. Click here for videos of several Saudi women who braved the roads behind the wheel. Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world that bans women from driving. Even though... read more

Jun 5, 2011 Posted by Joelle

Green The Grey In Sassine Square

On Saturday, June 4, 2011, which coincides with the World Environment Day weekend, Beirut Green Project held a public intervention called Green the Grey in Sassine Square, Achrafieh. The objective of the initiative was simple: Take over a grey space and make it green as a reminder to all those responsible that public green spaces are a right, not a privilege. In a part of the Square, organizers laid... read more

Jun 2, 2011 Posted by Joelle

Handala Takes A Stand In Hamra

From approximately 1975 through 1987, Naji Al-Ali created cartoons that depict the complexities of the plight of Palestinian refugees, with Handala, the refugee child, as their centerpiece. “The child Handala is my signature,” Naji Al-Ali says. “I drew him as a child who is not beautiful; his hair is like the hair of a hedgehog who uses his thorns as a weapon. Handala is not a fat, happy, relaxed,... read more

Aug 19, 2010 Posted by Joelle

Missing The Train

There’s been a lot of talk lately of insufferable traffic jams and endless bottlenecks in and around Beirut. The influx of tourists and visiting Lebanese expats has surely exacerbated the number of cars on the mostly ill-equipped roads of this tiny country that already boasts over 1.3 million cars (1 car for every 3 persons) and where public transportation – limited to buses – is an... read more

Mar 8, 2010 Posted by Joelle

Take Back The Night

Photo courtesy of @mozzoom On this year’s International Women’s Day, the feminist collective Nasawiya - of which I’m a member – organized a “Take Back the Night” march through the streets of Beirut, the first such event in Lebanon. Over 100 people braved the sometimes dismissive onlookers and the wary police who trailed us throughout the... read more