For Beirut With Love

ORGANISATIONS
& CHARITIES
All proceedings of the exhibition will be
given to the following charities:
arcenciel is a
Lebanese based,
not-for-profit
organisation that
was established
in 1985 during the
Lebanese civil war.
It was recognised
as a public interest
NGO in 1995 by Presidential Decree N7541.
With five core programs, being implemented
at 12 centers across Lebanon, arcenciel’s
main goal is to work to the rehabilitiation of
every person in need.
arcenciel aims to vigorously advance
national policies in all the sectors in which it
is active, while keeping a non-confessional
and apolitical stance.
Adhering to the principles of sustainable
development, arcenciel emphasises
the social and economic integration of
marginalised people and communities back
into society. It believes that every person,
no matter the gravity of their handicap, is
capable of overcoming their disability and
contributing to the communities in which
they live. arcenciel supports the diversity of
society, and encourages the sustainability
and conservation of natural resources in all
aspects of its work.
Beb w’ shebbek
was founded by
close friends and
business associates
Mariana Wehbe
and Nancy Gabriel,
both of whom were
deeply affected
by the explosion.
Mariana’s office and Nancy’s home suffered
massive damage, and the pair tragically lost
friends and acquaintances in the blast. It is
remarkable that they and their families were
not physically harmed.
Mariana and Nancy decided they could not
sit back and just watch the humanitarian
disaster that was unfolding before their
very eyes. Besides the huge loss of life,
the explosion had a devastating impact on
the built-up areas surrounding the port,
extending far inland. In these residential
neighbourhoods, 300,000 people were
displaced in just minutes. The friends quickly
mobilised and set out on a mission to assist
those whose homes had been damaged.
The deadly blast at the port of Beirut has
caused damage exceeding 15 billion USD.
It has impacted all social classes across the
capital, especially Beirut’s middle-income
families — the lifeblood of the community.
Bebw’shebbek’s mission is to replace
the doors and windows of the destroyed
homes, bringing them back — as closely
as possible — to how they looked before
the explosion. With the help of over 200
architects, carpenters, contractors, glaziers
and painters, our objective is to get as many
people back into their homes as quickly
and safely as possible. Crucially, we act as
a lifeline for some of the most vulnerable
victims who would otherwise be unable to
afford the cost of repairing their own homes.
Caritas (the
Latin equivalent
word for charity)
was founded in
1897 in Freiburg,
Germany. In 1972,
the Jesuit Brother
Elie Maamari
founded Caritas
South Lebanon in cooperation with
this region bishops. It became Caritas
Lebanon on September 9th, 1976. In 1981,
the Assembly of Catholic Patriarchs and
Bishops of Lebanon approved Caritas
Lebanon’s status and designated it as the
official socio-pastoral arm of the Church
to assist both individuals and communities
and to support charitable and social
activities. Caritas Lebanon is a member of
Caritas Internationalis, one of the largest
humanitarian networks in the world,
counting 165 Catholic organisations working
in 200 different countries.
Caritas Lebanon, the common official sociopastoral
arm of the local Catholic Church
in service of the poor and the promotion
of love, charity and justice, provides
economic development, livelihoods, health
and social care, education, migration
services, emergency and crisis intervention,
human and humanitarian relief and aid,
environmental stewardship, as well as
advocacy and protection for all individuals
and groups of people in need.
Offrejoie w a s
born in the midst
of a raging civil
war in Lebanon
in 1985. A group
of young Red
Cross volunteers
worked together
to help the injured.
Alleviating human suffering transcended any
differences between them. They committed
to heal their torn country. They started
with children’s camps during the conflict.
Mothers entrusted their children to a trusted
member of their community. And those Red
Cross members brought children from their
community to a summer camp. The camp
honoured each members’ differences and
celebrated their common humanity. The
“Other” became a camp buddy.
Those camps have continued their healing
work since 1985, bringing together groups
of children from differing social classes and
backgrounds. And when those children grew
up they carried the values they had learned
at the camps and became a movement
of young citizens from all the different
communities and regions in Lebanon.
Over the years, Offrejoie developed
different approaches to tackle the
continuing challenges of Lebanon. At its
core are the consistent practice of the
values of love, respect, and forgiveness
and voluntary service. What began as a
group of enthusiastic volunteers in 1985 has
developed into a voluntary movement across
the country of Lebanon with a footprint in
France in 1986 and a sister group in Iraq
established in 2012 to share and promote its
vision and experience.
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