Lebanese Context:

COMING SOON - Socio-political context in Lebanon - Evolution of laws and thoughts - Social work international context

Gallery Archive

COMING SOON - This section includes articles written from a variety of points of view, and some personal recollections relevant to the history of social work in Lebanon programs, issues, and personalities.

Universities /Institutions of Social Education

COMING SOON - This section will highlight the history of the different Universities and institutions graduating Social Workers in Lebanon. Along with the history of Social Work syndicates and associations.

Legacy Organizations / Field Work

COMING SOON - This section will highlight the evolution of social work issues in Lebanon

1- Experience through the “Centre de Protection Maternelle et Infantile” – Qarantina

This experience has shown us that professional commitment was greater than regional and sectarian affiliations and above fears and risks.

2- Experience through the “Restos du Cœur Association”

The idea of “Restos du coeur” was born at one social worker’s home, Mrs. Antoinette Kazan, at the beginning of 1975 war, when a number of children who lost their families during the war were welcomed at the dinner table.

3- Experiences through the “Mouvement Social”

The experience of the “Mouvement Social” preceded the Lebanese war, as it was founded in 1957, yet it responded to the call of relief work at the beginning of the war through the social workers and volunteers who worked there and adhered to its principles.

4- Experiences through “Caritas Liban”

Caritas Liban, whose first branch was established in the south in 1974, had a significant role in relief work across Lebanon. The large number of social workers who worked at Caritas, in collaboration with volunteers and other workers, played a crucial role in launching multiple and various projects.

5- Experience through the “Lebanese Red Cross Centre- Mreijeh”

Between 1984 and 1988, there was a pioneering experience at the Lebanese Red Cross Centre-Mreijeh by the social worker in charge who gathered around forty field volunteers from the local community, who left their parties and volunteered in the humanitarian relief sector.

6- Experience through the “Social Development Centre” – SDC Ministry of Social Affairs (MOSA) – Borj El-Barajneh

During the 1975-1990 war, primary health care centers played a significant role in providing health care, social assistance and relief services. As an example, the “Social Development Centre” in Borj El-Barajneh”, founded in 1971.

7- Experiences through the “Service de l’Enfant au Foyer” SEF

One of the most important programs during the war was helping widowed mothers and their children within the family.

8- Experience through the “Young Men Christian Association” YMCA

At the beginning of war, the Young Men Christian Association in Lebanon YMCA, which was established in 1890, turned to relief work, and it had an active contribution in this field.

9- Experience through the “Middle East Council of Churches” MECC

There was a pioneering experience between 1980 and 1983 in Akkar district in the field of relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction work between the Middle East Council of Churches and ELFS-USJ, with the support of the Canadian Embassy.

10- Experience through the “Institut de Rééducation Audio- Phonétique” IRAP

Another pioneering initiative was the experience of the “Institut de Rééducation Audio-Phonétique” “IRAP” founded in 1960. The administrator took the decision to engage in relief work since the beginning of the Lebanese war. As a result, this experience was launched in Biaqout.

11- Experience through the “Soins Infirmiers et Développement Communautaire” – SIDC

The SIDC, which was founded in 1987 by Elie Aaraj, played a significant role in Sin El Fil - Nabaa region during the Lebanese war in terms of organizing life in shelters and in the region as a whole, providing and organizing relief services, in addition to networking operations among NGOs, institutes and local communities which already existed.

12- Experience through the“Centre de Protection Maternelle et Infantile”of the Sisters of Charity – Karm El Zeitoun

During 13 years of the 1975 war, in Karm El Zeitoun was a milestone that affected many aspects of life, beside relief work and sheltering displaced people from various Lebanese regions as a result of shelling nearby residential neighborhoods.

13- Experience of two educational cadres, each individually through the “Ecole Libanaise de Formation Sociale- Université Saint-Joseph” – ELFS- USJ

A new cycle of violence occurred inside residential neighborhoods in Beirut between 1989 and 1990. Several initiatives came to help the residents of these neighborhoods to cope with the situation, one example is the pioneering experience that was spontaneously and independently launched by Sister Noha Daccache who was a professor at the ELFS-USJ in the quarters of “Ain El Remmaneh, Furn El Chebbak, Badaro and Tahwita”

14- Experience through the “Ecole Libanaise de Formation Sociale-Université Saint-Joseph” – ELFS-USJ

A new practice can be identified in some periods of the 1975 Lebanese war, which was the “car bombs” that exploded in residential neighborhoods, which, in addition to killing in its most horrible manifestation, displaced hundreds of families, left behind a mass of destruction and desolation, and a large number of wounded people.

15- Experience through the “NGOs Platform of Saida”

Many initiatives were done in the south of Lebanon, as all associations and social centers have been involved in relief work. Perhaps, the experience of the “NGOs Platform of Saida” deserves to be considered.

16- Experience through the “Rabieh Garden Club”

Another experience that deserves to be considered followed the displacement of Damour people and their arrival by sea in small boats to Kaslik beaches. Many associations and individuals rushed to shelter and assist them, including the head of Rabieh municipality.

17- Experience through the “Service Social pour le Bien-être de l’Enfant au Liban” SESOBEL

The issue of disability was one of the most prominent problems created by war, and one of its negative consequences was the suspension of work at many social welfare institutions for people with special needs or people with solid wills.

18- Experience through Multiple centres to shelter the displaced in Ouzai, and the southern suburb of Beirut

During the war years, the prevailing security situation did not prevent social workers from fulfilling their obligations despite the risks they were exposed to

19- Experience through “Terre des Hommes-Lausanne”

During the war years, social work was not limited to relief work, yet many associations and institutions which were dealing with special cases pursued their work despite difficulties.

20- Experience through the “Hôpital Psychiatrique de la Croix” – Bqennaya

One of the experiences that is worth mentioning is that of social worker at Deir El Salib, who challenged the risks and difficulties to maintain the quality of social intervention with people suffering from psychiatric and mental illnesses, and drug addicts in and outside the hospital.

21- Experience through “Dar al- Amal Association”

Working with marginalized groups, such as homeless children, those prone to deviation or delinquency, girls exposed to violence and exploitation, and other marginalized groups, constituted a major challenge during the war years

22- Experience through the “Union pour la Protection de l’Enfance au Liban” – UPEL

The “juvenile delinquents” sector did not survive the horrors of war; hence the “Warwar Observation Centre” was closed, as well as the “Rehabilitation Institute in Yarze” and the “Gemmayzeh home in Beirut”.

23- Experience through the “Centre Social pour Handicapés Physiques de Guerre”– MOSA – Sin el-Fil

Due to the large number of disabled people in the Lebanese war, including fighters and civilians who were injured by shelling, sniping and explosions, the “Beit Chabeb Center for war disabled” was established in early 1976s. Another center in Sin el-Fil emerged with a direct support from the “Department of Social Welfare”.

24- Experience through a socio- pastoral work in the northern Bekaa region

At the end, it is necessary to pay a respectful tribute to the memory of Jesuit Father Nicolas Kluiters whose experience as a social worker continued until he passed away.