On Wednesday March 26, 2014, in the Conference Hall at USEK, the Philosophy Department of the Faculty of Philosophy and Human Sciences - Sophia Laboratory, at the Holy Spirit of Kaslik (USEK) organized a round table entitled: “National Memorandum of Bkerke: Revisiting the Constants of the Lebanese State regarding the Pact and the Constitution.” This event took place in the presence of religious, political, educational and social figures.

Prof. Marie Fayad, Head of the Department of Philosophy and Director of the Sophia Laboratory at USEK, inaugurated the round table by deliberating “What should be innovated, renovated or even corrected on the political, legal, economic and ethical levels based on three clearly defined constants in the National Memorandum of Bkerke; among which are freedom, equality in participation and the preservation of multiplicity?” She added: “The National Memorandum of Bkerke is a call to take note of everything that can be positive in reviewing the constants of the Lebanese State. It is an alarm bell within a region and a country in turmoil; an alarm bell imposing a change in the position of the ‘belligerent’ Lebanese political components, in order to reach the truth and reflect on their words and their deeds based on a mutual understanding; to save what is left from the resilience of the Lebanese human composition, related to the personal characteristics of individuals, which ensures the continuity of our country.”

Prof. Hoda Nehme, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Human Sciences, indicated that the Memorandum of Bkerke sheds light on the National Pact based on national constants, concerns and priorities, as well as coexistence and the Lebanese composition. She considered that “…the migration of thousands of Syrians to Lebanon weakens the fragile confessional equilibrium and plays into the hands of communalism, just and unjust wars, which have become the daily bread of the Lebanese people and peoples of the region.”

Prof. Bechara Menassa talked about three main axes: the first revolving around the misunderstandings between Lebanese occurrences and two of the abuses mentioned in the Memorandum. The second revolves around giving societies a quasi-governmental, military position in such a way that society can replace the State without allowing the rise of a federal regime of centralization of regions. He concluded by saying that the National Memorandum of Bkerke wakes us up and opens our eyes to reality, in order to take steps to avoid that, which is worse.
Then, Prof. Georges Corm, former minister, talked about the economic facets of the Memorandum, indicating that only real economic reform leads to social justice.

Finally, Fr. Jean Akiki took the floor and gave a lecture entitled “A Reading in the Philosophy of Ethics Based on the National Memorandum”. He declared that: “The solution, according to Bkerke, is only through the awareness of the national project, through going back to the essence of the National Pact and through sticking to the national format, in order to reach a just state serving the human being.” He concluded: “In parallel with “No to the East and No to the West…”, Bkerke wants to say “Yes” to the land, “Yes” to the human being, “Yes” to coexistence and “Yes” to Lebanon, the mission.