ONLINE EDIT ION

Grand Challenges for Development July/August 2014

Online, Lebanese NGOs Strive to Make Citizens' Voices Count By Ghada Khouri

Leb~HH:Hse Cerltef' fur' Attlve Gltl.z:er-~~lp ~itff arid voiUHtiHH!i march for' l:)EHtc~ IH Trlt;;oll. April lOH. Th~ rally, organized by an NGO coalition, drew 2,500 people. LCAC managed social media outreach on behalf of the coalition. LCAC

Social media is giving varied groups in a country with a history of conflict a new and

unfettered outlet to voice their concerns and organize for change.

Historically viewed as a bastion of free expression in the Arab world, Lebanon is a country with an

intricate media landscape that mirrors the complexity of its politics. Most media outlets are aligned with

political parties, co\iering issues through a narrow political lens rather than a focus on the public interest.

For NGOs, the media environment makes it difficult to ad\Qcate solutions to the country's problems on a

non-partisan basis.

·· · "When-you-ha\ie-media-ootlets-that-tow·a certain-political- line-and focus-on-the-activities-of politician·s

and political parties, the \Qice of citizens gets diluted," says Roula Mikhael, executi\ie director of the

Maharat Foundation, a media watchdog. "As a result, genuine debate on public policies is largely absent

from the national discourse."

Enter social media, which is providing an unfettered space for dialogue. Despite a weak Internet

infrastructure, the Lebanese ha\€ joined the

digital re\Oiution en force.

According to Facebook ad'.€rtising data,

about 1.8 million people-in a country of 4

million inhabitants-are acti\€ on the social

network. This makes Lebanon one offi'.€

Arab countries with the highest rate of

Facebook penetration, per the latest Arab

Social Media Report by the Dubai School of

Go\€mment.

This bodes well for NGOs engaged in digital

campaigns as it translates into the potential

to reach vast numbers of Lebanese men and

women rapidly and at low cost.

Taking Local Voices to the National Stage ''The growth of social media has created new

opportunities for NGOs to engage citizens,"

says Haytham Khalaf, director of

the Lebanese Center for Active Citizenship @ (LCAC).

Journalist Magda Abu Fadel, center, with Lebanese Center for Active Citizenship staff and volunteers, including LCAC Director Haytham Khalaf, right, during a workshop on citizen journalism in Tripoli. LCAC

When LCAC partnered with USAID's Promoting Active Citizen Engagement (PACE) program in mid-

2012, it had a shy online presence. Today, the organization maintains a Facebook page with o\€r 4,400

likers, a blog and the monthly digital magazine The Citizen @.

NGO partners like LCAC and others described USAID support as instrumental in helping them exploit

digital technologies to foster civic engagement.

The latest Arab Social Media Report finds that Lebanon is the most

gender-balanced among Arab countries when it comes to

Facebook penetration-45 percent of Facebook users are female.

"PACE ga\€ us the tools and techniques to make strategic use of social media to advance our goals,"

Khalaf says. LCAC uses these platforms to promote the rule of law, equality and public accountability.

"Gi'.€n the level of political incitement in the mass media, we stri'.€ to present these issues in an

objective way, from the perspecti\€ of citizens. This helps us build credibility with our audience," Khalaf

explains.

Establishing an online presence has also raised LCAC's visibility beyond local communities. 'We're

getting recognized e\€n in remote villages far frorri our base in Tripoli," he says.

Despite recurring bouts of violence in the

northern city, LCAC managed to train 190

youth on access to information and lobbied

decision makers to promote passage of

legislation that has been languishing in the

parliament since 2009.

Social media banner about an interactive play about censorship produced by MARCH. The play was censored by the Lebanese Government. MARCH

In times of crisis, LCAC's social media

skills turned into an important asset for local

civic actors. When about 60 organizations

came together to plan a peace march in

April 2013, LCAC was tasked with social

media outreach on behalf of the coalition.

Social networks played a critical role in drawing a crowd of about 2,500 people-Sunnis, Christians and

Alawites-to call for peace in the troubled city, generating extensive press coverage.

From Elite Circles to Grassroots While digital tools can help small organizations like LCAC raise local issues to national attention, they

are also being used by more established NGOs such as Maharat to expand grassroots reach.

When it partnered with PACE in late 2012, Maharat had virtually no social media presence. It now runs

an independent news portal @ with 38,000 likers on Facebook@. Much of the content is developed

by journalism students from six Lebanese universities, who earn academic credit for their work.

"Maharat News is a space where up-and-coming journalists can practice what they learn in the

classroom in a neutral setting," says Mikhael. "We cover topics that are often neglected in the traditional

media, such as issues faced by youth, women and marginalized groups. Because we're not affiliated

with any political party, we can cover these issues openly, without self-censorship .... We don't have

political considerations, only professional ones."

Before joining the digital world, Maharat was primarily known in media circles and among decision­

making elites given its role in introducing legislation to modernize Lebanon's antiquated media laws.

Going online has allowed the organization to engage youth in the reform debate.

"During our partnership with PACE, we realized the importance of using multiple platforms to get our

messages across," says Mikhael. "We went through internal restructuring to integrate digital

technologies in all of our work. We developed a social media strategy, expanded our partnerships with

universities, and broadened our circle of stakeholders to reach deeper at the grassroots level and in

different parts of the country. It was a major turning point for our organization."

Influencing Traditional Media

NGOs' ability to foster debate and galvanize public support via social media is not lost on traditional

outlets.

"We as journalists are getting story ideas from social media," seasoned television reporter Tania

Mehanna told civic activists at a media innovations fair organized by PACE in June 2013. The fair

brought together over 200 people to discuss increasing convergence across media platforms and

leveraged $35,000 in contributions from digital marketing firms .

Participants agreed that social media is a vehicle for social change, but that traditional outlets could not

be ignored given their mass appeal. An opinion poll commiss ioned by PACE in 2013 found that

television remains the primary source of information for 90 percent of the Lebanese. The Internet­

including news sites, social media and mobile apps-is the second most popular source for 66 percent

of the population.

Recognizing the predominance of television, the Lebanese Economic Association @ (LEA) created a

series of video spots@ about socioeconomic problems such as youth unemployment, the high cost of

living, and discrimination against women in the workplace. First released on social media, the series

reached 68,000 people via Facebook and YouTube, creating buzz among civic activists and bloggers.

LEA then secured free airing for the videos on three lV channels, gaining a rare opportunity to raise

awareness of economic policies that have a direct impact on citizens ' lives.

"The videos were produced in a format attracti~ for television, but it was the solid content that got our

messages on the screens and into people's homes," says Georgina Manak, LEA project manager.

Georgina Manok, Lebanese Economic Association project manager, appears on a Lebanese television broadcast to discuss the organization's video series about socioeconomic rights. The videos aired 250 times on three TV channels for free. PACE

The young economist describes social media as a "game changer" that has influenced the way NGOs

work. "We used to produce technical reports with excellent research and viable solutions to our

country's problems, but few people read them," admits Manak. Today, LEA relies on multimedia tools

such as infographics and animation to simplify complex economic concepts for the layperson.

"We still produce well-researched studies," she says. "But we're also reaching beyond economic

experts to the a~rage citizen through our blog, Facebook and videos."

The Online-Offline Nexus

In a country with a history of sectarian conflict and 18 officially recognized sects, the potential of social

media to unite citizens around common interests is felt by civic actors such as Nahnoo, a youth-led

NGO championing better public space policies. The issue is especially relevant in urban centers such

as Beirut, where the a~rage area of greenery per capita is estimated at 0.8 square meters, far below the

minimum of 9 square meters recommended by the World Health Organization. The lack of green spaces

is compounded by the misappropriation of public areas by private sector interests due to corruption and

go~rnment inaction.

''To have an impact, howe~r. online activism must complement action on the ground," says Mohamad

Ayoub, the group's executi~ director.

In the fi~ years since its founding, Nahnoo has in~sted in creating a di~rse pool of youth \AJiunteers

who are trained in leadership and communication skills. "They gained the knowledge to speak with

confidence about public space issues," Ayoub says, adding that the youth helped grow the

organization's reach from its Beirut headquarters to other parts of the country, such as Tyre and

Baalbeck. In all three cities, Nahnoo \AJiunteers recently mobilized hundreds of citizens in events aimed

at reclaiming neglected public spaces, using online platforms to publicize offline actions.

"If you're not on social media nowadays, it's like you don't exist," says Ayoub. Nahnoo documents its

work on itswebsite i!fl, Facebooki!?, Twitter@ andYouTube J!il.

"By doing this, we are modeling the transparency we want to see in public decision making," he

explains. "This helps us gain the trust of our online followers. That's why when we call for action, they

answer the call."

Nahnoo staff and volunteers celebrate the fifth anniversary of the organization with its founder, Mohamad Ayoub, center, in white shirt. Karam Ghossein, Nahnoo

The effecti>ve integration of online and offline

activism has turned Nahnoo into a reference

on public space issues that is frequently

cited by traditional media, decision-makers

and researchers for its niche expertise.

Another young NGO, MARCH @, has

similarly built a reputation as a resource on

censorship issues. With the catchy slogan,

"you ha>ve the right NOT to remain silent,"

MARCH uses bold and thought-pro\Oking

messages in its digital campaigns. Its

'Virtual Museum of Censorship @"

documents censored works since the 1940s

and its two Facebook pages

- MARCH @ and Stop Cultural

Terrorism @-grew vi rally to a combined

24,000 likers, without any paid ads.

The issue of censorship is increasingly resonating with Lebanese youth and free expression ad\Ocates

due to penalties, arrests and interrogations of se>veral bloggers, journalists and playwrights in recent

years. When MARCH teamed up with the Lebanese playwright and theater director Lucien Bou~eily to

produce a play about censorship, little did it expect that the play would be banned by go>vemment

censors or that Bourjeily's passport would be temporarily confiscated before a trip to London. Social

media networks played an important role in mobilizing support for the NGO and Bourjeily, whose

passport was returned within 48 hours of the public outcry.

As for the play, whose trailer@ has attracted o>ver 10,000 views on YouTube, MARCH exploited a legal

loophole and was able to perform it on uni>versity campuses and generate mass media co>verage of

censorship issues.

"Ultimately, social media is just a tool," stresses MARCH President Lea Baroudi. "Inciting people to act

is the most important but also most difficult stage of online engagement."

Realizing this, MARCH networks offline with uni>versity students, artists and legal experts to push for

reform of Lebanon's censorship laws and practices. "We're not just talking online, we're acting offline

too," says Baroudi. "As a result, decision makers consider us in their decisions. They take us

seriously."

NGOs like MARCH appear to be fighting an uphill battle. The 2014 Media Sustainability Index 15?, which was de>veloped for worldwide use by USAID and assesses media performance in fi>ve key areas,

ga>ve Lebanon a low score of 1.96 out of 4.0. The country fared e>ven worse, at 1.23 points, when it

comes to the extent to which the media ser>ve public needs.

Notwithstanding those rankings, "some TV stations ha>ve recently begun to more deliberately gi>ve

platforms for citizens' \Oices," says Mikhael. "Social media has a lot to do with this. Traditional outlets

see that a new generation of Lebanese is heavily engaged on social media. They need to cover the

issues that matter to them to keep their audience ratings."

Ghada Khouri is the chief of party for the Promoting Active Citizen Engagement program.

Youth volunteers test the mobile application launched by the Association for Development in Akkar and three partner NGOs in Tripoli. The app allows citizens to report on the quality of public services in marginalized neighborhoods. Noura Sa yah, Utopia for Social