We will discuss the situation of some NGOs in Lebanon:
- Their struggles
- Their help to the community
- Their role & importance in absence of a proper system

We will host NGOs in Various Sector:

More details about the Speakers and the NGOs hosted here below:

- Dr Jackie Kassouf Maalouf - Dialeb  

- Lea Cremesty Kanaan - Lebanon of Tomorrow

- Marc Torbey - Offre Joie  

- Nadim Abdo - arcenciel

- Dr Roula Farah Sayad - CHANCE Association

Speaker 1: Jackie Kassouf Maalouf - Dialeb

Dr. Jackie Kassouf Maalouf is the Founder and President of  Dialeb- The National Diabetes Organization, a leading diabetes organization in Lebanon which she founded with her daughter Sylvie living with type 1 diabetes in 2010 and has been the president since.

She holds a Ph.D. in Public Relations & Communications from the University of Corllins in Virginia, USA. She made it her mission in life to advocate for those living with diabetes, and delivers educational and motivational talks specially to the recently diagnosed.

She has 10 years of experience in leading the NGO’s awareness campaigns and activities across Lebanon. She holds a diabetes educator certificate, and has participated as a speaker at many local, regional, and international diabetes conferences.

Prior to running DiaLeb, Dr. Maalouf taught at the American University in Beirut (AUB) and the American University of Culture and Education (AUCE) and continues to offer training sessions in different topics. Dr. Maalouf has been an active  board member of the Lebanese American Renaissance Partnership LARP since 2014. Her book appearances include: « The 100 » most influential Lebanese figures around the globe published in 2017 and « Women pioneers in Lebanon and the Arab region » published in 2010.

About Dialeb:

‍The National Diabetes Organization, DiaLeb is a non-for-profit organization founded in 2011 which aims to promote diabetes care and prevention and support research in search for a cure. To do so, DiaLeb works to promote healthy lifestyles and spread awareness about diabetes in order to make living with the disease more manageable for all those affected and their families.Our Vision is “Stop the rise of diabetes and improve the quality of life of diabetes patients through educational awareness and information sharing, ensuring access to quality healthcare and life-saving medication, and promoting a holistic healthcare approach." Our objectives to raise diabetes awareness and develop well designed communication strategies regarding the need for prevention and the necessity of proper diabetes management, to disseminate diabetes educational material, to deliver community programs and services to high-risk populations, and since 2019 we try to ensure access to quality healthcare and life-saving medications for patients in need. Members at UNGC since 2015 and the International Diabetes Federation IDF since 2016, Joined The Catalyst 2030 Feb-2021

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Speaker 2: Lea Cremesty Kanaan - Lebanon of Tomorrow

Marketing and Brand Consultant/Board Member at Lebanon Of Tomorrow Lea is a Marketing and Brand Consultant that has been working for more than 15 years handling the marketing and communication strategies of many multinational brands in Lebanon. After August 4th, Léa like many other Lebanese went on-ground and saw the need to provide support. She has been actively working with the whole LOT family since August 4 on initiatives to support people affected from the blast and families in the country in need of social, medical and food assistance. Léa’s aim is to stay in the country and be able to dream again of the “Lebanon Of Tomorrow”.

About Lebanon of Tomorrow:

For the Lebanon we all dream for…

For a better community, justice, opportunities and social interaction➢ Lebanon Of Tomorrow (LOT) is a Lebanese NGO launched on March, 2020 by a group of concerned citizens engaged in civic activities. This initiative came in response to the dire economic and social crisis affecting Lebanon.➢ Lebanon Of Tomorrow (LOT) is a non-religious, non-political organization that has no links or affiliation to any Lebanese or foreign political parties and/or organizations. ➢ The NGO aims at promoting solidarity and sense of community in the country, as well as consolidating social cohesion, in order to achieve the Lebanon we all dream of, the « Lebanon Of Tomorrow » .➢ LOT’s main objective is to provide vulnerable and marginalized categories of the Lebanese population, particularly impacted by the economic and financial crises, with the necessary food, medical and social assistance to meet their basic needs. 

➢LOT helps hundreds of families in need across the country, through its network of Ambassadors, which is composed of well-known public figures. Each Ambassador chooses to cover an area, where they assist several families, in order to help them overcome their circumstances.

➢As of Thursday 6th August, Lebanon Of Tomorrow has been mobilized to support the victims of the Beirut explosion that happened on August 4th, 2020, by restoring the glazing of the capital’s damaged houses. LOT managed to support 1650 houses and provided with physical and financial donations that can support them in restoring their homes. 

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Speaker 3: Marc Torbey-Helou - Offre Joie

Marc Torbey-Helou born in 1987 is a tireless advocate for reducing inequalities and a Senior banker at Banque Libano-Française.    

He began his volunteering path at Offrejoie at the age of 7 and became an essential team leader for over 15 years where he encouraged over 1,600 volunteers to rehabilitate more than 7 buildings in Ibrahim Mounzer street damaged by a car bomb. In 2014, he received the National Order of the Cedar Award by the President of the Lebanese Republic. His contributions to the community include renovating public schools and prisons, improving the living conditions in the neglected neighborhoods and some of Lebanon’s poorest areas. Despite a diving accident in September 2016, which left him tetraplegic, he remained determined to pursue his long-life endeavor to reduce inequalities and became an advocate for the rights of disabled. His lobbying accounted for pushing the Cabinet Secretary General to make the Grand Serail accessible to people in need.   In 2019, the Global Compact Network Lebanon voted for Marc Torbey-Helou as SDG Pioneer Lebanon, as he advances SDGs in the country, mainly SDG 1 (No poverty), SDG 3 (Good health and wellbeing) SDG 4 (Quality education) and SDG 10 (Reduced inequalities), and inspires others to do so.    In January 2020, Marc was appointed President of Offrejoie. Following the explosion of the Beirut port, he is leading the emergency response team comprising over 1,500 volunteers and 200 skilled laborers aiming to rehabilitate over 44 buildings, 300 apartments and impact more than 300 families in Karantina, Mar Mikhael, Khandak el Ghamik and Basta.   Marc received a master’s degree in management from Saint-Joseph University in Beirut and taught at ISEB - USJ Banking Strategy & Management from 2016-2018.

About Offrejoie:

Offrejoie was 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. They started with children’s camps during the conflict by bringing groups of children from different social classes and backgrounds together to accept each members’ differences. Those camps have continued their healing work since 1985, and when those children grew up, they carried the values of Love, Respect and Forgiveness that they had learned at the camps and became a movement of young citizens from all the different communities and regions in Lebanon. What began as a group of enthusiastic volunteers in 1985 has developed into a voluntary movement across 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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Speaker 4: Nadim Abdo - arcenciel

Nadim Abdo is the Programs Director at arcenciel, Lebanon’s largest independent social enterprise, operating in Sustainable Agriculture and Environment, Youth Empowerment, Social Support, Responsible Tourism, Mobility and Health. arcenciel was awarded “Social Enterprise of the Year” by the Schwab Foundation (2015) and the first laureate of the Takreem award (2010), among others. Nadim worked as Sociologist and Urban Planner at the Town Planning Department of Solidere in Beirut. He is a board member of the Lebanese Federation of Youth Hostels and National coordinator for youth programs, board member of Ecolodge association and Secretary General of “Les Scouts du Liban” Lebanese Scouts Association. Nadim holds a BA in Social and Behavioral Sciences from AUB and an MSc in Regional and Urban Planning Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences.

About arcenciel:  

arcenciel was created in 1984, authorized in 1985 by the Lebanese Ministry of Interior, and recognized as a public utility in November 1995 (presidential decree n° 7541). arcenciel is an apolitical, non-confessional, and independent organization that works with and for all people in difficulty without discrimination based on age, gender, religion, culture or nationality. Created during the Lebanese civil war to assist people with disabilities, arcenciel has become one of the first technical aid producers in Lebanon, rehabilitating spaces for disabled persons, and developing a national program for better accessibility for them; which was later passed as law 220/2000, in June 2000. Drawing on its success, arcenciel broadened its mission to “engage in the sustainable development of the society by supporting fragile groups and integrating marginalized people”.

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Speaker 5: Dr Roula Farah Sayad - CHANCE & Donate Medicine

Dr. Roula A. Farah (Sayad), M.D, FAAP, completed her medical degree at USJ, as well as Columbia University in New York, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, and her fellowship in Pediatric Hematology/ Oncology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas. She received many awards for her scientific work and as a pioneer in the medical field in various diseases. She was selected by local magazines in Lebanon as one of the 7 influential women of the country and as one of the “Inspirational Women in the region”.

In 2002, she was touched by a child from Damour who died from his cancer cause he could not afford the cost of his care and founded CHANCE (CHildren AgaiNst CancEr) association, a non-profit-organization that supports children with cancer and serious blood disorders financially, emotionally and psychologically.

She strongly believes in family values and encourages women to find balance between career and family.

She also believes in leading a healthy lifestyle promoting anti-smoking, healthy eating habits and sports and has herself participated in many running competitions and marathons.

Her Motto is: “Always be positive. Never give up. Never be afraid of challenges.”

About CHANCE Association:

CHANCE Association is a Lebanese NGO (non-denominational, non-sectarian) whose mission is to help Lebanese children with cancer and blood disorders. The organization founded in 2005 (license number 52/AD) helps young patients receive the necessary treatment and helps cover expenses related to their treatment (chemotherapy, radiotherapy, medications, lab work, imaging, and other therapy-related care) when families do not have the financial means to do so. Children with cancer have high cure rates, and CHANCE believes financial difficulties should never be an obstacle to successful treatment.

Since 2005, they have helped 800 children fight their battle against cancer. CHANCE Association is officially registered in both Lebanon and Switzerland as a non-profit

organization. They are also an Associate Member of Childhood Cancer International (CCI), representing Lebanon.

CHANCE Association is actively supporting 120 children with their cancer treatment across 9 hospitals in Lebanon. This includes treatment, therapies, lab work, imaging, and medication.

After the COVID-19 crisis, CHANCE also created an initiative named "Donate Medicine"- www.donatemedicine.org was developed to help collect & redistribute surplus medications to low-income people. 

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- Moderator:
Randa Farah is the founder of I Have Learned Academy & Lebtivity.com as well as a University Instructor at USJ.
Randa has an extensive track record in HR Management and Recruitment across multinationals in various industries. Her practical expertise is supported by her degrees in HR Management, Organizational Psychology & Business Advertising and Marketing. Her specialization is Happiness at Work, Stress and Wellness at work. In addition to being a corporate trainer, Randa has been an instructor at USJ for over 10 years in HR Management & Organizational Psychology Courses for Master students. Randa is an international speaker, sharing her passion for HR, Happiness at Work & Soft Skills at conferences & trainings across Europe, The Gulf and the Middle East.‍
She is also the founder of Lebtivity.com, calendar for events, keeping Lebanon updated about all types of cultural, sports, artistic, culinary, events in Lebanon.

Tickets are free, but booking is a must!

Places are limited, book here:

https://ihjoz.com/events/6030#checkout

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This session will be online from the comfort of your home.

This session is part of the Free Online Series Program done by I Have Learned Academy in collaboration with KAS: "Thoughts & Talks for a Better Lebanon"