As part of the project “Reconciling the Past to Build the Future”, the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK)  organized the first webinar, entitled “The Root Causes of the Lebanese Civil War”.

This event, hosted by the School of Law and Political Sciences, under the patronage of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, took place on Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 3:00 p.m., via Zoom Pro. It was open for all free of charge.

The webinar was delivered in English and Arabic interpretation was provided.

PROGRAM

3:00 p.m. – 3:10 p.m.
Opening Speech
Dr. Maria Kamouh, Attorney at law and lecturer (USEK)

3:10 p.m. – 3:40 p.m.
The Civil Aspect of the Lebanese War
Dr. Dima de Clerck, Historian – Middle Eastern Studies (USJ – IFPO)

3:40 p.m. – 4:10 p.m.
The Regional and International Factors of the Lebanese War and their Effect on Lebanon’s Future
Mr. Fouad Khoury-Helou, Author and columnist – Middle Eastern Politics and Economics

4:10 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Questions and answers


Background:
The Lebanese society is characterized by a multi-confessional and sectarian structure. This diversity is a source of richness, but it has also been a trigger for social tensions and conflicts. The 1975–1990 war in Lebanon reflected a series of ideological, religious, nationalistic, structural, and ethnic conflicts, involving a range of Lebanese, regional, and international actors.

The war itself was marked by widespread human rights violations, such as killings, abductions, enforced disappearances, forced displacement, and assassinations.

While the Lebanese civil war ended in 1990; residual political tensions persist to this day.