On the occasion of World Philosophy Day, and in line with the annual practice, the Lebanese National Commission organized under the patronage and in the presence of the Minister of Culture Mr. Gaby Layoun, a seminar on “Freedom from a Philosophical Perspective and Freedom in Practice”. In observing this annual ritual, the National Commission aims at reinforcing the standing of philosophy in the Lebanese society and aspires to offer an open space for interaction and reflection on various humanitarian issues of concern. Eight speakers intervened during the seminar: Minister Gaby Layoun, the Secretary General Salwa Saniora Baassiri, Dr. Ziad Baroud, Dr. Ali Omlil, Dr. Waddah Nasr, Dr. Antoine Seif, Dr. Nassif Azzi and Dr. Henri Awit.

The Lebanese National Commission organized a roundtable around its latest publication “The Contemporary Arab Art: Legacy and Modernism”, which was introduced by the Secretary General Mrs. Salwa Saniora Baassiri, presented by the author Omran al-Kaissi and discussed by the President of the Lebanese Artists Association, Dr. Hind Soufi and the  TV interviewer Mr. Michel Maaiki, as well as the artist Hassan Yatim. An open discussion followed.

With the collaboration of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO), and in cooperation with UNESCO/ Section for Disaster Reduction and Renewable Energy, the Lebanese National Commission for Unesco organized a seminar on “ Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE AR-SA /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Dealing with Climate Change”.The seminar aimed at raising awareness regarding the repercussions of climate change which represent a global challenge to all societies and which require the mobilization of all resources and efforts at the local, regional and international levels. A large group of experts and researchers in the domain of education, environment and climate change, including the Minister of Education, the President of the parliamentary commission for culture and education, the Director of the section for Disaster Reduction and Renewable Energy, and the Director General of the Ministry of Environment, discussed the challenges of global climate change and the need to raise awareness as to how to deal with it, particularly through the educational sector and with the help of policy makers, civil society leaders and actors. Most interventions underscored the urgency to cope with the repercussions of climate change, and to take proactive and preventive measures conducive to limit environmental disasters.

The Lebanese National Commission for Unesco organized, in collaboration with Unesco Beirut Office, Regional Office for MENA- Amnesty International – Beirut, Assabil Public Library and ASALA for Publishing and Distribution, a training session on “Human Rights Education”. It gathered around 20 librarians from different regions in Lebanon, in the framework of a joint program aiming at consolidating the principles of human rights through extra-curricular activities, particularly those related to general reading.

In the framework of “Beirut World Book Capital”, the Lebanese National Commission for Unesco organized a conference on “Lebanese Literature in the Country of Immigration”, which aimed to look for a new perspective to the relation that binds the literary works developed abroad with the homeland and the native culture, and to discuss the questions of exile and belonging. The conference also aspired to offer an open space for both resident and non-resident Lebanese writers, who might be of different generations and whose works are translated in multiple languages across various countries, to meet and deliberate on the standing of this kind of literature in the Lebanese cultural landscape, as well as its role in promoting cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue.