A young Lebanese school student holding up a banner that reads "citizenship." (Credit: First Lady's press team)
At the Baabda Presidential Palace, First Lady of the Lebanese Republic Neamat Aoun officially launched "The School of Citizenship," a national initiative to be implemented in schools across the country, designed to "rebuild civic engagement and national belonging among Lebanon’s youth," Aoun explained Friday.
This initiative, rooted in the belief that "schools are the cradle of citizenship," seeks to transform the Lebanese educational landscape into one that nurtures "responsibility, solidarity and collective purpose," Aoun said during her speech at the launch, noting that this program is targeted at both public and private schools across Lebanon, "from the North to the South."
"More than half of my life has been wasted seeing generations speaking in a sectarian language instead of speaking in a national one," Aoun explained in her opening speech.
Aoun said that this initiative is "a call for reconciliation between citizens and the state, and among ourselves."
The initiative stands as "an invitation to rediscover a shared sense of Lebanese identity through civic education, empowering youth to see themselves as active contributors to their communities and their nation."
"Lebanon faces a critical challenge, a weakened sense of national belonging, disempowered and disillusioned youth, and an educational system that prioritizes academic results over civic engagement," according to the media kit provided by the First Lady's press team.
"'The School of Citizenship' was born out of this context, seeking to reverse the trend by placing citizenship education at the heart of learning," the media kit said, noting that its aim is to reach more than 1,000 schools, directly impacting over 500,000 students and their families.
The launching event was also attended by Education Minister Rima Karameh, along with other ministers, businessmen, educational figures and members of the media.
Karameh said during the event that she would "do all that is possible to guarantee the initiative's success."
How does it work?
The 'School of Citizenship' is a national initiative that helps schools across Lebanon integrate citizenship education into their daily practices, the media kit explained.
The initiative provides principals and teachers with specialized training developed by the Center for Educational Research and Development (CRDP), offering frameworks, toolkits, mentorship and continuous support to strengthen civic engagement in schools.
Participating schools implement hands-on civic projects with their students, such as activities related to social cohesion, peacebuilding, environmental sustainability and community wellbeing, while reactivating student councils and promoting democratic participation, the kit explained.
Through these projects "students discover the world differently," they show "openness and they develop deeper ties to their school, their community, their country. [They feel a sense of] belonging. They gain confidence, feel useful and grow stronger. [They feel] empowered, engaged youth do better because they have purpose, motivation and direction," according to the kit.
The program aims to connect schools across the country through a national network of shared learning and aims to celebrate their progress at the National Conference for Citizenship Education, which will be held yearly.
The initiative has several donors and partners, including the American University of Beirut, UNESCO, the Education Minister, Ghandour, and CMA CGM, among others.
