As we enter into 2022, the world is awash in uncertainty. The threat of war, violence, ethnic cleansing, the rise of authoritarianism and rampant poverty consumes the planet. The quality of life that even the most affluent in the world experienced is on the wane and for those who have lived their lives paycheck to paycheck has become bleaker than ever before. These realities, and many more that defy words, can be felt and seen in a country that many overlook. A country with thousands of years of history. A country that has given the world culture, commerce and a history that is a case study in the inherent evil mixing colonialism with religion. This country is Lebanon.
Lebanon is a country that many believe is a failed state but in reality is a country that might be on the precipice of failure but whose people keep it alive in what many describe as the trinity of resilience. A trinity comprising of those who still live in Lebanon, those in the diaspora who provide critical economic support to friends and family who have stayed the course, and an emerging yet critical part of this trinity – the younger generation of Lebanese, both domestically and in the diaspora, who refuse to accept the current reality of Lebanon. A new generation that is choosing to ignore the history of Lebanon where those who stand up and fight have been met with assassination, death, economic and social revenge from militias, terrorists, and a political class more concerned with maintaining Lebanon’s economic and social death spiral than caring about what is right and best for all Lebanese.
In a country with religious divides that have been at the root of wars (domestic and proxy), out of control militias, a lack of women rights, lost economic opportunities and even how elections are conducted, using the word trinity has many religious connotations – but only with the existence of a trinity that is void of religion and based on non-sectarianism can this country survive. The trinity of resilience is not the bastion of any religion for the fight for food, power, electricity, equality, medicine, peace and a government void of corruption and self-dealing is the goal of all Lebanese regardless of confession.
Which piece of this trinity of resilience is of most importance is up to individual interpretation and is the subject of future discussion – but there is no question that in a country that is suffering some of its greatest challenges in its history the need for a new generation of leaders who can inspire people to move from simply accepting the current state of Lebanon to having the resilience to fight for hope and change is paramount to stopping the catastrophic economic and social failures just months away. Lebanon’s new generation of youth CAN and MUST do that. They CAN restore hope. They CAN convert acceptance to resilience and then resilience to change – especially as the country prepares for the upcoming parliamentary elections – elections that many see are the beachhead for the critical reforms necessary to rebuild, renew, and rebirth this great nation.
This new generation is vast and wide – both here and abroad. There have been waves of Lebanese diaspora coming back in previous generations only to see them and their children leave again when the roller-coaster of Lebanese political, religious, and economic challenges reach their zenith – but this time is different. Those returning from the diaspora who are part of this new generation coupled with those who have stayed, are the educated young who have the critical optimism along with national pride and youthful yet powerful experience and ideas to be a driving force. A generation that will be the spark to rekindle that dying flame of hope and commitment to fight once again. So many times, the Lebanese people have stood up only to be pushed back down into a reality marked by acceptance – like a turtle hiding his head until there is safety to poke it out again. This young new generation is the one who can finally bring the leadership, the vision, the ability, and the sense of safety that is the critical composition to provide the needed spark of hope. A hope that gives the people the strength to rise up and leave the safety of their shell. A hope that will lead to a Lebanon that will not only once again be the shining light of the Mediterranean but a country of stability, sovereignty, peace, and prosperity. A country void of sectarian conflict, unlawful militias, and debilitating regional and international proxy wars. This potential Lebanon is critical not only for the Lebanese people but is critical for the safety and security of the region and the world as a whole. But for this to happen we must all -regardless of our country of origin, religious beliefs, economic stature, or ethnicity – support this young new generation of Lebanese to take their rightful and necessary place in the history books of Lebanon’s glorious future. Once they do, the trinity of resilience will be complete, and Lebanon can be the shining example of the power of this trinity – a trinity not of religion but of all Lebanese!
Cynthia Warde is a lifelong Lebanese and cofounder and managing director of CD Global Associates, a personal and professional advisory firm that specializes in solving the complex challenges facing governments, NGOs, companies, and individuals.
Baroness Lorraine Fullbrook was honoured to have been elevated to the House of Lords, of the parliament of the United Kingdom in 2020. Prior to her appointment to the House of Lords, Lorraine served as a Member of Parliament in the UK for The Conservative Party.