JALSE PROJECT ABSTRACT

Search for Common Ground - Lebanon & Syria

“ Now we know how much prejudice can affect the relationship be-tween two different societies. I always pre-judged the people that had a different nationality. But after Jalse, now I know that we all share the same values and visions of life. The way I look at Syri-an-Lebanese relations is different now. Mustafa and Omar [point-ing at a Syrian boy and a Lebanese boy in the group] are both my brothers now, and whenever I ask them to do anything for me, I know they’ve got my back.”know they’ve got my back.”

Female participant from Chim, Mount Lebanon

The Jalse project, funded by the Lebanon Humanitarian Fund, was implemented from April 2017 to March 2018, by Search for Common Ground (Search), Al Hadatha, Himaya, and Sada Al Bekaa in ten communities in Lebanon: Berqayel, Bebnine, and Fneydeq (Akkar), Aley, Chim, and Dour Shouweir (Mount Lebanon), and Ghazzeh, Jub Janine, Kamed El Laouz, and Mansoura (West Bekaa).The project’s goal was for “Syrian refugees and Lebanese host communities to consistently The project’s goal was for “Syrian refugees and Lebanese host communities to consistently apply collaborative, conflict sensitive and non-violent responses to rising communal tensions” by creating space for dialogue and collaboration between Syrian and Lebanese community members. Jalse equipped key community stakeholders with the necessary skills to develop local response mechanisms to prevent and address community tensions through the activities in the figure below:

Difference between pre and post tests in %

In Kamed El Laouz, West Bekaa, participants identified inadequate infrastructure at the public school as a primary source of tension between their communities.The lack of an adequate roof for the outdoor playground created fights between Lebanese and Syrian children over who was able to sit under the roof during the winter months. Jalse project participants decided to use their small grant to build a larger roof to cover all the children together. This solution not only provided safe and dignified conditions for the pupils, but was also to bring the children from the two communities together. This small act has not only safeguarded the schoolchildren but communities together. This small act has not only safeguarded the schoolchildren but has also allowed them to live together in harmony.

Jalse targeted communities with varied histories, demographics, and conflict dynamics. Despite these the unique contexts of each area, project participants found that the project intervention was relevant to their respective communities. One participant in a roundtable held in Bebnine, Akkar, recounted, “At the beginning of the project, some parties had stereotypical images of refugees linked to the history of the Syrian government in Lebanon and they blamed us for it. But this outlook changed, in turn, after we shared our problems and concerns.”

In each of the ten communities, In each of the ten communities, Joint Community Initiatives (JCI) were designed and implemented by local communities to address pressing needs: “The activities that were conducted in Mansoura were of high importance to the village,” reported one participant of a roundtable in the Bekaa city in January 2018. “The community was satisfied with the implemented activities and projects and found that they were beneficial as they targeted their needs.”

Increase in knowledge, skills, and empowerment:

Through the different activities, participants demonstrated an increase in skills and capacities, including on communication and conflict sensitivity (please see chart), and overall self-confidence.

PROJECT RESULTSPROJECT RELEVANCE:

HOW JOINT COMMUNITY INITIATIVES CAN BUILD COLLABORATION AND RESOLVE TENSIONS

Increase in skills and knowledgeNon-violent communication and conflict sensitivity

INCREASE IN SKILLS AND COLLABORATION:

25% 50% 75%

AKKAR

BEKAA

MOUNT LEBANON

ENDURING CHANGE:

On a scale of 1 to 5

Feedback from the roundtable discussions in each of the ten communities consistently identified newly acquired skills in non-violent communication and conflict transformation as the most sustainable component of the Jalse project. These skills will give participants the opportunity to continue playing positive roles in society beyond the project. Additionally, these skills may be leveraged to increase livelihood opportunities, such as a Syrian female participant from Chim who noted:

Most of the participants felt empowered to continue playing a positive role in their community. As one Lebanese participant from Dour Shouweir, Mount Lebanon shared:

“I remember in the first roundtable, when I started talking about the Syrians and how they act and the way they reacted. Now I have become best friends with most of the people in this group, and I see how they do things differently. I have learned not to prejudge.”

Participant from the roundtable process in Bekaa

“I will hold such a message always, and will act upon it in my little family so they could spread it to the wider community.”

“I have the ability to engage with the society more, I applied to AUB and got accepted for a diploma in Arabic literature, and I got a full scholarship. I have the courage now to be more active in the society.”

Lebanese towards SyriansSyrians towards Lebanese 1st Roundtable5th Roundtable

TRUST

RESPECT

TRUST

RESPECT

3.3

4.6 4.6

4.74.7

3.4

3.9 3.6

Increase in Trust and Respect between Lebanese and Syrians

Community outreach is an essential activity to increase the project’s impact. Engagement and awareness raising activities promoted the involvement of community members through increasing awareness of the positive effects of collaboration between host community and refugee community members.

Key stakeholders require continued investments in training.Key stakeholders require continued investments in training. Conflict sensitivity and technical training (such as proposal writing and fundraising) was requested by key community stakeholders and NGO staff; these topics were seen as essential to ensure the sustainability their work. Thematic training, to be identified based on the aim of the action (i.e. local governance or education), should also be provided as relevant.

Further investment in existing structures is needed to make them sustainable.Further investment in existing structures is needed to make them sustainable. Many of the community committees established during the dialogue process, and which led the implementation of the community initiatives, are in need of continued support to become fully autonomous. The type of support needed varies from one location to another, but may include support for fundraising, networking, and outreach to connect themformally to the municipalities.

Experience sharing across locations can strengthen participants’ sense of purpose, Experience sharing across locations can strengthen participants’ sense of purpose, through knowing that others are working towards the same objectives. Networking participants can build relationships and opportunities for collaboration across communities in Lebanon, which would further strengthen intra-Lebanese social cohesion.

Local authorities are key to effective and Local authorities are key to effective and sustainable results. In designing social stability projects, it is crucial to dedicate adequate time and resources for engaging and local authorities. Engagement with municipalities should cultivate buy-in for project objectives and activities, as well as develop a clear vision for their role during and develop a clear vision for their role during and after the project implementation.

KEY TAKEAWAYS AND LESSONS LEARNED:

Charles HolmquistInterim Country Director, Search-Lebanoncholmquist@sfcg.org+96101425910

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