Reem

Article Narrative

Kousba and the Beast:

The story of a municipality forcefully evicting Syrian refugees and preventing the Lebanese residents from protecting them

This narrative features Nermine, a 70 y.o lebanese woman, as she struggles to defend her tenants of 13 years, Fadi his wife and their child, from the municipality’s attempts to forcibly evict them …

Dossier

Master-Planning in Lebanon: Manufacturing Landscapes of Inequality

How is urban planning practiced in Lebanon? What is the motive behind issuing master plans? And in what way do these plans violate fundamental rights? We tried during the years 2017 and 2018 …

Film

They No Longer See the Land, but Square Meters

The first in a series of independent short films based on the research project “Master-Planning in Lebanon: Manufacturing Landscapes of Inequality”. It looks into the inevitable result of policies relying on commodifying and financializing the land, a permanent loss on all levels – physical, social, private and intimate.

Article Interview

The Council for South Lebanon: What role does it play in the midst of the current Israeli War?

After repeated Israeli attacks on Southern Lebanon and the israeli occupation of border towns, the Council for South Lebanon was established in 1970 by a legislative decree, based on the Prime Minister’s proposal. …

Policy Watch

The fate of Beirut’s port between the World Bank and the French company

After the Port of Beirut explosion, international bodies, including the World Bank, EU, and UN, assessed the damage and proposed the 3RF framework to guide the reconstruction efforts. Since October 2021, the World …

Alerts Periodic Report

Thousands of Syrians Forcibly Evicted in light of Discriminatory Circulars by Local Authorities 

Ten Conclusions based on the Housing Monitor data January 1 - July 14, 2024

We publish the Housing Monitor’s periodic report in the context of an unprecedented xenophobic campaign launched by the state and its parties to displace Syrian refugees, as state security, in cooperation with governors …

From Dossier Research-Based Article

Planning Dibbiyeh:

Between Private Interests and Public Apprehensions

Dibbiyeh is located 30 kilometers south of Beirut and is the coastal gateway to Iqlim al-Kharroub in Chouf. It consists of the old village, located at the heights of the towns, and a …

From Dossier Research-Based Article

Where is the sea in Dbayeh? I can’t see it.

In this article, published for the first time as part of Public Works Studio’s “Planning in Lebanon: Manufacturing Landscapes of Inequality” project (2017-2018), we delve into the history of land reclamation and privatization …

From Dossier Research-Based Article

The Apprehensions of the Past in Building the Future:

Do the Master Plans for Damour Encourage Return?

Last year, a broad debate surrounded director Ziad Doueiri’s film The Insult, especially after it was nominated for the 2018 Oscar for best foreign language film. This was the first time that a …

Policy Watch

The Sin El Fil Municipality Circular Deprives Syrian Children of Their Right to Education

On June 25, 2024, the Sin El Fil Municipality issued a circular forcing new measures related to the presence of Syrian refugees within its jurisdiction. The circular includes two clauses. The first one …

From Dossier Research-Based Article

Planning Zouk Mikael:

Ignoring the Power Plant of Death

Anyone passing between al-Kalb River (Nahr al-Kalb) and Jounieh cannot miss the sight of two columns, striped orange and white, rising into the sky from the Zouk Mikael seafront. Though they are a …

From Dossier Research-Based Article

To Put Agriculture Against Tourism:

The Case of the Zahrani Coast

I remember well the weekly trips south that I took with my family when I was younger. I would sit in the back seat on the right and look out, observing the road …