Date: April 10, 2019

Welcomed by the Halba Municipality, the Daleel Madani team stopped in Halba, North Lebanon, on April 10th, for its second meet-up of the “Daleel Madani Goes on Tour” series. This series of open events aims to connect Daleel Madani with civil society actors on the one hand, and individuals users of the platform on the other.

Weeks before the North Lebanon meet-up, invitation was extended to CSOs in Halba, Tripoli, and Akkar. On the day of the event, attendees streamed in to fill the meeting space. As the day progressed, it became increasingly clear that all actors and stakeholders present are enthusiastic and eager to make their work count, but many lacked access to the opportunities and resources needed to channel their efforts.  

The morning session, led by the Content and Communications Officer Sana Tarabay, involved a back-and-forth discussion on how civil society actors can benefit from Daleel Madani as a network and online platform. ICT Officer Ali Najjar gave an overview of the technical functions of the Daleel Madani website, explaining how registered organisations can use all the website’s features to make the most of their membership. Participants were enthused to learn about the new Daleel Madani Groups feature that allows them to create or join in on thematic discussions amongst network members. The success of the session was proven when 10 new member organisations registered on Daleel Madani following the event.

During the afternoon, attendees were given practical instructions on how to successfully find and apply for professional opportunities and jobs in the civil society sector. Many youths in attendance have the qualities and mindset needed to pursue a civic career, but were not sure how to pull together a strong CV or find opportunities that matched their particular passion and skillset.  They were full of questions about how to approach potential employers, and how to showcase their experience and expertise. Overall, participants left feeling confident and better-equipped to secure civil society positions for themselves.

Members of the Lebanon Support team – including Sana Tarabay, Dr. Marie-Noelle Abi Yaghi (Director), Lea Yammine (Director of Publications), and Ali Najjar – were able to hear directly from around 50 attendees about the unique struggles they face as civil society actors. 
The third stop in this series will be announced soon on Lebanon Support’s social media pages (Facebook and Twitter). Subscribe to Lebanon Support’s mailing list for announcements and news on Daleel Madani and the other Lebanon Support programmes.