On May 12, 2026, the University of Balamand (UOB) organized a book signing ceremony for the book titled “Coexistence and Solidarity in Times of War: The Dynamics of Rapprochement and Nonviolence in Lebanon During the Civil War (1975–1990)”, edited by Dr. Souad Slim and Dr. Assaad Kattan. The event was attended by MP Taha Naji, representatives of MPs Ashraf Rifi and Ihab Matar, mayors and municipal representatives, religious figures, representatives of syndicates and associations, as well as deans, directors, staff members at UOB.
During a panel discussion about the book, contributors from UOB who participated in the research and writing shared their experiences and academic contributions. Speakers included Dr. Souad Slim, Research Supervisor and Professor at the Institute of History, Archaeology, and Near Eastern Studies, Department of History and Documentation; Dr. Elias El Halabi, Director of the Christian-Muslim Studies Center at UOB; Father Porphyrios Georgi, Instructor at the Saint John of Damascus Institute of Theology; and Dr. Dima Dannawi, Instructor in the Department of Mass Media and Communication at the university.
The book features a collection of studies, many originally presented as academic papers during an international conference jointly organized by UOB and the University of Münster in Germany, giving the publication a broad academic dimension and reflecting international scholarly collaboration.
This publication is based on field interviews conducted with 82 individuals from various Lebanese regions. The interviews were analyzed by the researchers, with each contributor offering a distinct perspective and interpretation highlighting individual experiences during the Lebanese Civil War, as well as evolving concepts of coexistence and the possibilities of nonviolence.
The book comes within the framework of UOB’s ongoing research efforts in the fields of humanities and social sciences, reinforcing its role as a center for academic dialogue and for advancing studies on modern Lebanese history and societal experiences.