Lebanese Group Studies Civic Youth Work

01/09/2009

PA is currently hosting a delegation of 10 trainers from the Lebanese Organisation for Studies and Training (LOST) who are in Belfast to receive 'Civic Youth Work' training, and to look at issues of conflict resolution. Their visit is supported by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy.

The group are from the Balbeck region of Lebanon, and their visit is as a result of training the Public Achievement Director, Paul Smyth delivered in Beirut in 2007. LOST delivers a range of training programmes in Lebanon, and their work has been supported by a wide range of international agencies including the British Council, the European Union, the United States Institute for Peace and others.

The Westminster Foundation has already supported a visit for Northern Ireland Assembly Members to Lebanon, and this visit will assist LOST to develop their work around conflict resolution and civic engagement. This is the beginning of a longer-term relationship between the organisations, and LOST also hope to be involved in our planned 'Moving Away from Violence' project - the follow-on to our 'Youth Work in Contested Spaces' work.

The group are visiting PA sites in Mount Vernon, Corpus Christi Youth Club and in Claudy, as well as visiting youth workers in Derry and Belfast, the Policing Board and the Northern Ireland Assembly. Their 10 day visit, also includes an intensive training programme in our civic youth work model. The group is led by Dr Ramy Lakkis, the Director of LOST.s

PUBLIC DISCUSSION