· June, 2011

Stories about Lebanon from June, 2011

Lebanon: “Welcome to Lebanon” as Seen By a Migrant Worker

  29 June 2011

In June 2011, Migrant Workers Task Force responded to three promotional videos launched by the Lebanese Ministry of Tourism with three video clips. The Beirut based NGO parodies the official campaign showing Lebanon as a paradise for foreign tourists (here, here and here). For migrant workers, the situation is far from...

Lebanon: Bloggers Fight Negative ‘Looks Like Beirut’ Jibe

  28 June 2011

We've all heard it before. Perhaps at the glance of an untidy bedroom, or even on a television sitcom, the ‘looks like Beirut' jibe has widely become a common phrase to denote a chaotic mess. A Twitter and blogger stir was caused last week when a headline in Australia's The Age newspaper invoked the infamous phrase.

Lebanon, France: Amin Maalouf Elected Into The Académie Française

  25 June 2011

“My favorite novelist has just been elected into the Académie française“” write Khira [fr], from Morocco, and  Patricia [fr], on behalf of the Lebanese diaspora, happy to announce on their blogs that Lebanese writer and novelist  Amin Maalouf was elected a member of the Académie française on June 23, at...

Lebanon: Lady Gaga's Latest Album Sparks A Rumor

  15 June 2011

Lady Gaga's latest album, Born This Way, stirred a small storm on Lebanese social networks. An article published by the Sun on June 4th, 2011, and commented by one of the Los Angeles Time blogs , stated that Lebanese authorities had banned the album. Lebanese fans immediately mobilized against this decision forcing the Sûrete Générale in Lebanon to deny the ban.

Lebanon: Raving about Goran Bregovic's concert

  15 June 2011

Famous Serbo-Croatian musician and composer Goran Bregovic performed in Lebanon on June 12 during the Beirut Music & Art Festival  – BMAF. His performance is hailed by his Lebanese fans as “unbelievable” and “amazing”.

Lebanon: Story of a Migrant House Keeper, Georgette

  3 June 2011

To mark Labor Day, the non-governmental organisation Migrant Workers Task Force has published a video, in which Georgette, a house keeper from Benin working in Lebanon, relates her experiences and speaks of the changes she would like to see in migrants’ working conditions.