We are creating a "school for changemakers" in Lebanon, an adapted replication of a French model called Ticket for Change. Our mission is to inspire and accompany changemakers in creating impactful & solidary initiatives in their communities. We do so by outreaching, matchmaking and building the skills of activists in remote areas and in the diaspora. For us, a changemaker is an individual or collective seeking to have a positive impact on their community through their project/idea. Whether we are emigrants or in Lebanon, we can be agents of change.
What
We are creating a “school for changemakers” in Lebanon, an adapted replication of a French model called Ticket for Change. Our mission is to inspire and accompany changemakers in creating impactful & solidary initiatives in their communities. We do so by outreaching, matchmaking, and building activists’ skills in remote areas and the diaspora. For us, a changemaker is an individual or collective seeking to positively impact their community through their project/idea. Whether emigrants or in Lebanon, we can be agents of change.
Since 2019, Lebanon has been through a series of crises, which have resulted in a rapid socio-economic decline. We have been through a significant non-nuclear explosion in Beirut, a steep devaluation of the Lebanese Pound, and other series of conflicts and shortages in resources. Today, more than 80% of the population has fallen below the poverty line, 70% of youth want to emigrate and the education system has been crumbling. The social and environmental issues are countless. In this context, polarization, social tensions, nepotism, and injustice risk to prevail. This is especially dangerous when public institutions and government response have been systematically weakened. We believe a crisis is the opportunity to innovate, break free and take risks. Now is the time to work on paradigm shifts and solidary movements. We don’t want to fall into the cycles of helplessness, poverty and aid dependency. At the same time, we have seen the power of solidarity and community (which is a core value in our society) to bring about sustainable change. There are successful models of movements that are collectively solving solutions (solar panel installations, money lending options, cooperatives). We will be building on those to support local economic empowerment. Communities living in remote areas (outside of Beirut, in rural settings) often have less chances to improve their lives as they need to move for Beirut for education, incubation, work or connections. This a core issue we want to address in our solution.
