Hariri: Working and planning to keep the youth in their country
Riachi: Declaring war against corruption and corrupters
Khadra: For the convening of two emergency sessions by the government addressing the issue of youth
Under the patronage of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, represented by the Minister of Culture Dr. Ghattas Khoury, the Forum of Opportunities and Resources 2018 organized by Oraunion at the Forum de Beyrouth was launched. The speeches emphasized the importance of supporting creative potential among the youth, creating job opportunities, investing in academic competences, and halting brain drain.
The forum was launched to the beat of the national anthem before Journalist Pascal Chemali took the floor. A short film introducing Oraunion and its activities was then screened.
Khadra:
The President of Oraunion Fr. Tony Khadra delivered a speech pointing out that this forum was organized under the patronage of the head of our government, which is charged with sparing our people the threats posed by foreign labor and invasions witnessed at both the economic and commercial levels. “There are various issues that we need to address through getting together. These include the issue of displacement and workforce, the foreign competition threatening our agriculture and local production, employment and Article 95 of the Constitution, among others. Solutions are available so the decision is up to us. Why not start with establishing a national committee with the prerogatives needed to protect the Lebanese workforce and to apply the Labor Code; convening two emergency sessions for the government to address the issue of youth and employment opportunities; developing a constitutional mechanism and holding a national conference to maintain the balance [among the various religious communities]; elaborating a three-year and five-year plan to help our youth and a contingency plan to save them from immigration and from being lost; and finally ending the use of the Taif Agreement to serve the interest of sects and political quotas, and rather aim towards valuing education and competencies.
Fr. Khadra also thanked all the supporters, sponsors, and media partners: Bank of Lebanon, OMT, Télé Lumière, LBC, MTV, Télé Liban, OTV, Future TV, Charity TV, al-Jadeed (NewTV), as well as radio stations such as Voice of Lebanon (100.3-100.5), Lebanon Station, Free Lebanon , Radio MBS, Voice of Van, Voice of Charity, and Sawt el-Mada, not to mention Executive magazine, al-Masira and al-Dabbour magazines, L’Orient le Jour, Future, el-Shark, al-Jomhouriyya dailies, and Akhbar al-Yawm (Today’s News) Agency. He also thanked online news sites including, Lebanese Forces, the Free Patriotic Movement, the Kataeb, Kalima Online, IM Lebanon, Arab Economic News, Lebanon Files as well as the Marada and al-Taharri in addition to all other media outlets.
Riachi
The Minister of Information Melhem Riachi was quoted saying, “Among all the waters that streamed down this Lebanese river, the Christian-Christian reconciliation remains the most important event, one that restored the cornerstone of balanced, true participation.”
“We believe that a true Christian should be at the service of everyone. There can be no Christian without a Muslim, no rich without the poor, no right without the wrong, no worker without the unemployed”, he added.
“We are working toward building the Third Republic together for the sake of the poor. Building a strong nation is not much to ask. We are on our way to fight a fierce war against corruption and corrupters. This is our war, we have taken the decision to fight it as we did before. We will keep carrying Lebanon’s sovereignty and freedom up high. Lebanon is the land of freedom and dignity and the home of active and honorable workers, so whoever stands in their way will have to face us.
Khoury
The Minister of Culture Dr. Ghattas Khoury, representing PM Hariri, delivered a speech saying, “It is no coincidence that PM Saad Hariri is the man of the present and the future as he is a young man who strives for the best and cares for the promising generations for the future of our country. The migration of our youth is due to their lack of confidence in the future. We perfectly understand this feeling and, therefore, want to turn it into a sense of safety and stability. And this needs time. Khoury finally thanked Fr. Khadra and Oraunion for their efforts.”
Fr. Khadra presented Minister Khoury, representing PM Hariri, with an honorary shield as a token of appreciation for sponsoring the “2018 Forum of Opportunities and Resources” exhibition.
The opening ceremony featured musical performances of a bouquet of national songs presented by the Lebanese Army Marching Band, led by the musical Lieutenant Tarek Rahmeh. The opening ribbon was finally cut to the beat of musicians Maguy Abi Lamaa and Yrvant Bagdjian’s melodies. The runfrom February 22 to 25, 2018, from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.