BEIRUT: Every healthy society is built on strong individuals that hold their leaders accountable and work for the greater good. In Lebanon, where the government is crippled by deadlocks and vacuums, the need for these people – known as active citizens – is great.
Becoming an active citizen in Lebanon poses problems, however, due to the weakness of the state, and sectarian and political influence, experts say, though there are some people online that manage to operate outside these constraints.
To truly fulfill the role of an active citizen, a concerned person must meet a certain criteria.
“[Active citizenship] goes beyond the idea that citizenship is simply the legal bond of a citizen to a country that entails rights and obligations,” Fateh Azzam, the director of the Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship, told The Daily Star. “Active citizenship [is] the idea that if you are a citizen in your country, you’re part of your society you have to actively participate in all aspects of the conduct of life in that society.”
An active citizen’s role in the country goes beyond simply paying taxes on time but actually holding the government accountable for how that money is spent, Azzam explained. This involves having an opinion – and expressing that opinion – on politics and policies.
The topic of active citizenship was the focus of a three-day conference organized by the Asfari Institute at the American University of Beirut which started Friday. The conference brought together a range of academics and activists that work on issues related to active citizenship to discuss the issues it faces across the region.
Rania Masri, associate director of the Asfari Institute, said that active citizens are required in Lebanon due to the absence of a strong state.
“Since 2005 we have not had a legal budget and we have not had any budget for the past eight years, so how can we claim that we have a state?” Masri said. “When we have a state that has decided not to have a census since [its] creation ... then how can it be a state?”
Announcing a public spending budget is a necessary precursor to having a strong and healthy state, so that citizens can know where their taxes are being spent and hold their government accountable accordingly, she explained.
The lack of strong government institutions has opened the door for civil society groups, such as NGOs and charities, to provide services that the government is failing to, in fields such as health care and education.
Joining a civil society group is one method for someone to practice active citizenship, as they are working toward helping their respective communities. Masri warned, however, that in Lebanon these civil society groups may be counterproductive when they are simply replacing the government and not holding it accountable.
“If I’m active in active citizenry and I take ... work on behalf of the government by providing schools for my community, by providing health care for my community, that’s a short-term relief that I need to recognize [is the government’s] duty, not mine,” she explained.
Trade unions are another form of active citizenship that is vibrant in Lebanon, and Azzam highlighted the Teachers’ Union as a great example of healthy active citizenship.
However, unions in Lebanon can often become corrupted as they are influenced by political parties that have their own agendas.
“Lebanese unions are struggling for independence,” Azzam said. “Active citizenship in broader terms in Lebanon is problematic because everything gets funneled through the sectarian system.”
The idea of being an active citizen is rooted in thinking of one’s broader community. But, Azzam said, problems arise if one identifies their community along sectarian lines, as that further weakens the broader community. However, there is a growing online sphere that is breaking this mold.
Habib Battah, founder and editor-in-chief of Beirut Report an investigative journalist, has been following grassroots organizations that utilize social media to spread their message and inspire active citizenry.
“What I’ve been kind of been covering over the last couple years is a kind of digital citizenship that we’re seeing in Lebanon,” Battah said. “In the absence of, basically, functioning government ... activists and general netizens [Internet users] are making their voices heard through these media platforms, and there’s really interesting effects.”
Battah explained that advocacy groups such as Save Beirut Heritage, Protect Lebanon Heritage, and Daliyeh have been able to use social media to spread their message. Sometimes this is done by presenting their message using interesting images that go viral or by simply opening the floor for discussion. They have already experienced success, Battah added.
For instance, a coalition of these organizations was able to halt the construction of the controversial $75 million Boutros Highway that threatened to demolish one of Beirut’s last green spaces.
The project has been halted for over a year and a half now due to pressure from activists.
Furthermore, these activists have been able to change the conversation in the media.
“They’ve been popularizing these issues, these local issues, that aren’t really getting a lot of attention in the mainstream media,” Battah said. “The media is often infatuated with geopolitical, transnational issues and ... so little attention is given to the local crumbling institutions here in Lebanon.”
Battah believes that having focused advocacy groups operating within an online space may even be stronger than the more traditional form of street protest in attempts to push for reform within Lebanon.
“What goes online stays online,” Battah explained.
“It also continues to build upon itself. The more it’s reshared, the more it reappears on your timeline, it kind of continues to have ... an extended life.
“By having these issue-specific groups, they will continue to publish things on that topic and continue to follow and monitor. This is the kind of digital accountability that we’re seeing today.”
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