Critical Response Event: Lebanon
Once known as the Paris of the Middle East, Beirut has become a city plagued by crisis after crisis. Since the end of the Lebanese civil war in 1990, Beirut has suffered political unrest, economic turmoil, hyperinflation, a banking collapse, a trash dispute that stretched over two years, waves of displaced people, and a port warehouse explosion that rivaled a nuclear bomb. Leena Saidi, a documentary film producer in the Lebanese capital says, “Beirut keeps you busy.”
Surrounded by Israel, Syria, and the Mediterranean Sea, Lebanon’s fate is often dictated by other actors in the Middle East. And its stability or lack thereof can be a bellwether for the region. Currently Lebanon remains on edge, capable of tipping either into chaos or relative calm. In this Critical Response Event, Leena Saidi will talk about conditions in Beirut today and why — despite arduous living conditions at times — she continues to call the Lebanese capital home. The Q&A will be moderated by Jason Beaubien, Peabody Award winning journalist and Cohen Institute Specialist.
The webinar is free and open to everyone, but registration is required.
---
Speaker Biography: Leena Saidi was born in Manchester, England to Lebanese parents. She’s lived and worked as a journalist in Lebanon for decades.
This event is hosted by the Cohen Institute for Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Keene State College as part of our ongoing series of Critical Response Events. These events are meant to spotlight ongoing or emerging crises across the globe. Speakers in this series represent a wide range of scholarly research and views; our guests' perspectives should not be taken as representative of the Cohen Institute or Keene State College as a whole.
This event is part of the Cohen Institute calendar.
To request accommodations for a disability, please contact the coordinator at least two weeks prior to the event.
