FieldWorkandSocialContractinMENARe6rementCultureinLebanon

ZeinaChemali,MD,MPHIncollabora5onwithLebaneseMinistry

OfSocialAffairsBeirut,LebanonDec2016

FieldWorkintheMiddleEast:TheSocialContract

SocialContract:Du5esandResponsibili5esEveryrighthasacorrespondingdutywithinthegovernment/organiza5onandwithinthecommunityitselfstar5ngwithfellowindividuals

FieldWorkintheMiddleEast:TheSocialContract

Du5esowedbyeveryindividualtothecommunityinexchangefortheindividualfreedomsandsecurityprotectedbysociety

TheFreedomsofselfandothersSHOULDmeettheJUSTrequirementsofmorality,publicorderandthegeneralwelfareofademocra5csociety

FieldWorkintheMiddleEastandtheSocialContractMakingadifference

•  Respect,Protect,Fulfill•  Advocate,don’tACCUSE•  Cooperatewhenpossible,ifnotCoordinate•  EmpowerIndividualsandBuildIns9tu9ons•  PromoteSolidarity•  EnhanceKnowledgeandEducate•  ClarifyValues,PlaceStandards•  ChangeaAtudes•  AlterBehavior

Par5cipa5on

MonitorandEvaluateUsingLawsandPolicies Situa5onalAnalysis

Design

Implementa5on

AvailabilityAccessibilityAcceptabilityAccountability

Quality

Lebanon

EmploymentandRe6rement

“CultureofRe6rement”:Wheretostart?

•  2focusgroupswereheldon12/26/2013•  Par5cipantsweremixofre5reesfrommilitaryandgovernmentins5tu5ons

•  Purpose:Exploretounderstandhowre5reesperceivetheirre5rement

•  Goal:Setana5onalplandissemina5ngahealthyre5rementculturewiththeaimtoimproveLebanesere5rees’qualityoflifeandwellbeing

X WYZ

A

F

E

D

C

B

8

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Group1

A EDCB

X

6

1

2

3

4

5

Group2

GROUP1

ThemesfromGroup1

•  Age– Ageisnotacriteriaforre5rement(2)

•  Viewsonre6rement–  Prepareforre5rement–aMUST(6)–  Re5rementasacon5nuum(2)–  Sanepsyche(6)–  Sanebody(7)–  Stayconnected(1)– Majordisadvantagewhendoingnothing(2)

ThemesfromGroup1•  Roleofindividual

–  Re5reeisalone(1)–  Individualview-differentforeveryone(2)–  Workonthyself(2)

•  Roleofgovernment–  Governmentoffersnosupport(1)–  Governmentisdisabling(1)

•  Roleofcivilsocie6es–  Civilsocietycouldbedisabling(1)–  Enablecivilsociety(1)

•  Re6reerole–  Re5reeroleinsociety(2)–  Re5reehasexper5se(5)–  Re5reecanhelpcommunity(2)–  Re5reecanhelpwithyouth(2)–  Re5reeasconsultant(1)

ThemesfromGroup1•  Policy,rights,reforms

–  Monitor(2)–  Accountability(2)–  Sustainability(1)–  Policyreforms(5)–  Rights(2)–  Respectre5reerights(2)–  Commigeetooverseework(4)

•  Visibility–  Loyaltyday/visual-prac5cal–groundedcommitmentstore5redpeople(1)

•  Finances–  Financesinre5rement(1)

•  Volunteer–  VolunteeringasaprincipleislackinginLebanon(1)

•  Worldwideexperience–  Examplesfromotherna5ons(1)

FocusGroup1Leader’sObserva6ons

•  Re5redatdifferentagesfrom19835ll8monthsago(sampleskewedtowardsagedre5rees)

•  Overalltoneconstruc5ve•  Senseofloss–lossofpride-individualnotvalidated(resentmentandsadnessdealingwithre5rementasaprocess)

•  Tryingtofindsolu5ons•  Futureoriented-Ac5veinideasforfutureworkshops•  Wanttoenablecivilsocietytocontributeinproject+++•  Women♀andmen♂ doNOTre5re/viewre5rementsameway

GROUP2

ThemesfromGroup2•  ViewsonRe6rement

–  Re5rementasacon5nuum(2)–  Refusetocallitre5rement(2)–  Callit“EndofService”(2)–  Re5rementviewedasabeau5fulstage(1)–  Con5nuityintrainingandofferingtopaybacksonomoneyorresourcesarelosttothesystem(3)

–  Prepareforre5rementbeforere5rementoccurs(3)–  Sanebody(1)–  Sanemind(1)–  Keepbusy(1)–  ThissampleisNOTrepresenta5veofLebanesere5rees(2)

ThemesfromGroup2

•  Re6reerole– Energyfromre5reechannelit(2)– Experiencefromre5rees(3)– Usere5reeresources(3)– Re5reesasconsultants(3)

•  Roleofcivilsocie6es– Enablecivilsociety(1)

ThemesfromGroup2•  Policyreforms

–  Accountability(4)–  Order(3)–  Monitor(4)–  Reform(2)–  Policy(2)–  Rights(2)–  Responsibili5es(2)–  Commigeetooverseework(1)

•  Financial–  Gainfromexperienceforfree(1)–  Monetaryvalue?Financesinre5rement(1)

FocusGroup2Leader’sObserva6ons

•  Re5redatdifferentagesfrom21yearsago5ll2011(sampleskewedtowardsagedre5rees)Women♀andmen♂ doNOTre5re/viewre5rementsameway•  Militarytoneasunderlyingangry/resen5ng•  Useofnega5vewords“placesinstorage”,“Bonàrien”,“refuse”,

“worthless”•  Senseofloss–lossofprideandsenseofworth•  Re5redofficersarenotvalidatedwithinthemilitaryins5tu5on(low

selfesteemandlossofconfidence)thoughoutsideins5tu5onsvaluetheirworkandcontribu5on

•  Experiencere5rementasademeaningexperience•  Feelletdownandputdown

Recommenda6ons

•  Needforaddi5onalfocusgroupstocapturearepresenta5vesampleofLebanesere5rees

•  Focusgroupsshouldinclude“peoplethinkingofre5ring”

Firststage

–  Validatere*rementasacon*nuuminone’sproduc*velife

–  CultureofRe5rementNa5onalAwarenessCampaign–  LoyaltyDayforre5rees–Na5onwide

Recommenda6ons

Secondstage–  Validatere9rementasacon9nuuminone’sproduc9velife-AgainandAlways

–  Educateonhowtoprepareforre5rement–  Readycommunitytoembracere5rees–  Increasere5reesselfesteem– Hearre5reesvoices–  Enhanceprogramsop5mizingre5reeswellbeing–  Increasere5reespar5cipa5onincommunalworkDoneinmajorcollabora*onwith(Governmenttoempower+++)CivilSociety

Re5rementspan:30yearsN=18

Group1AgeRoleofIndividualRoleofGovernmentCommunityBenefitVisibilityVolunteerWorldwideexperienceViewsonRe6rementRoleofCivilSocietyRe6reeRolePolicy,Rights,ReformsFinances

Re5rementspan:19yearsN=12

ViewsonRe6rementRoleofCivilSocietyRe6reeRolePolicy,Rights,ReformsFinancialGenderdifferenceGroup2

OverArchingThemes

Focusgroupleader

Observa5ons1

Observa5ons2

Recommenda5onsØ Addi5onalfocusgroupstocapturerepresenta5vesampleØ Enrollpeoplethinkingofre5ringØ 1ststageØ Validatere5rementascon5nuumphaseØ Re5reecampaignØ Loyaltyday

Ø 2ndstageØ SelfesteemØ Par5cipa5onØ Voice

Collabora5onwithcivilsociety

Exploreallpoten5al

venuestomoveforward

Pre-re5rementStartofemploymentlife

Fullemployment Re5rement Post-re5rement

SecondStep:Fundraising

Recommenda5onsforthena5onalprogramenforcedtheroleofcivilsociety.InNovember2014andcollabora5ngwithcivilsocietygroups,fundingfromprivatedonorsandthegovernmentwassecuredtorunastagedcampaign.Thefundraisingtookplaceinstagesraisingatotalof46,000USD,knowingthateachmunicipalityalsohastherightandjurisdic5ontospend12,000USDperyearonitscons5tuencyandonlocalmunicipalprojectswithoutpriorapprovalfromtheLebaneseMinistryofInternalAffairs.

ThirdStep:Educa6onandawareness

courses•  6municipali5esin6geographicallydifferent

Lebaneseregionsandpar5cipants(+/-5yearsoftheirre5rementage)weretrainedonhowtoprepareforre5rement,whichincludedlegal,financial,healthbenefits,aswellasmental,cogni5veandphysicalwellbeing

Fourthstep:PilotDevelopmentProjects

Co-fundedbyMOSAandNGO

Conclusions•  Stepsinstar5ngre5reena5onalawarenesscampaign

•  Developmentprograms(indifferentstagesofexecu5on)

•  Implica5onsonproposedpolicychangeswithinthesocialcontextsofpost-employmentandaginginLebanon“thecultureofre5rement”

•  Lessonslearnedtoserveaspilotwork•  DebateplatormtofollowaroundtheMediterraneanandNorthAfrica.

Thankyou