October 16, 2026
The “Citizenship School” initiative is launching in its second academic year with a broad momentum that includes 300 public and private schools in various Lebanese regions, compared to 150 schools in its first phase, in a step aimed at promoting a culture of peace and belonging and transforming concepts of citizenship into daily practices.
The announcement of these developments came during a ceremony hosted by the National Library in Beirut, presented by journalist Jerry Ghazal, in the presence of the Minister of Education and Higher Education, Rima Karami, the Minister of Culture, Ghassan Salama, the Minister of Social Affairs, Haneen Al-Sayyid, the Minister of Youth and Sports, Noura Bayrakdarian, and the President of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture, former Minister Muhammad Choucair, in addition to a crowd of political figures, representatives of educational bodies, participating schools, supporting bodies, and the media.
The first Lebanese woman, Mrs. Neamat Aoun, confirmed, in her speech during the event, that the initiative goes beyond theoretical frameworks to become “a culture of building bridges, peace, respect for difference, and human building,” stressing the importance of empowering young people and giving them the opportunity to shape the future of their country through awareness and daily participation, directing her speech to them by saying: “We are your limit… and we believe in you.”
The meeting witnessed a review of the outcome of the first year and the results of the evaluation conducted by the Asfari Institute for Civil Society and Citizenship at the American University of Beirut, where the University President, Dr. Fadlo Khuri, presented data-based policy recommendations to enhance citizenship practices.
In the same context, 10 schools that achieved the highest results according to the “Citizenship School” index were honored, and 4 of them were chosen by lottery to participate in leadership conferences in the cities of Seoul and Nairobi with the support of UNESCO.
The beginning of the second year also included the launch of two new steps: The first is the “Generation Citizenship Scholarship” allocated to students who excelled in their citizenship initiatives during the past year to encourage them and their peers, and the second is the “Student Digital Ambassador” program, which aims to highlight students’ experiences and initiatives through digital content, with a focus on responsibility and awareness in the use of modern technology and artificial intelligence.
