L’Orient-Le Jour (L’OLJ) and Societe Generale de Banque au Liban (SGBL) have launched « Génération Orient », a wide cultural project celebrating youth and arts. With « Génération Orient », both SGBL, a partner of Culture and Youth, and l’Orient-Le Jour, the daily newspaper of reference, will be the catalysts of young artistic talents, highlighting every month their art and their passion.
The launching event took place yesterday at Station Beirut in the presence of numerous personalities from the artistic, political and media world.
On this occasion, Philippe Dubois, Deputy CEO of SGBL, said: “It is with great pleasure and pride that we join a daily newspaper which, since its launch, defends the same democratic values, pluralism, the openness towards the others and the dialogue of cultures. Hence, we share with L’Orient-Le Jour a lot, including a boundless appetite for the French language and culture. With the Génération Orient project, we confirm our commitment to promote art in Lebanon and thus to communicate a message that carries the artistic creation, an abundant, free and shiny creation, that gathers and unites a wide and varied audience in Lebanon, that raises emotions, stimulates thoughts on our world and our society, and thereby calls for change.”
According to Ziyad Makhoul, Chief Editor at l’Orient-Le Jour : « For 92 years and more so today, L’Orient-Le Jour believes that cultural resistance is the only way to fight the slow, almost certain death of a denatured and moribund Middle East, drowning in an infinite obscurantism. And this can only be done through youth and art”.
Finally, commenting on this partnership, Antoun Sehnaoui, SGBL’s Chairman & CEO, stated: “This comes as a natural and continuous support to the many hidden talents of young Lebanese. Contributing to the success of these young talents is beyond our banking role, a civic act. Investing in our youth and promoting their art is investing in the future of the country and its cultural scene.”
Check L’Orient-Le jour as of May 19th with the first competing artist, movie director Mir-Jean Bou Chaaya.