People across Lebanon cast their votes last Sunday in an election that was meant to be different.
So much has happened since the last poll, in 2018, when familiar faces were elected from parties largely made up of the same people who had fought the civil war decades earlier.
First, the economy started to creak - and eventually collapsed. In 2019, hundreds ... Show More
Jun 5
The limits of soft power: America’s war and its World Cup
When the US, Canada and Mexico were selected as joint hosts of the 2026 World Cup, they were supposed to be the “safe choice” for Fifa. Football’s global governing body had been criticised for previous picks. There had been allegations of bribery and corruption. Now, the kick-off ... Show More
23m 20s
May 29
Replay: Who will fill the security vacuum in Gaza?
In its first report to the UN Security Council, the Board of Peace this month said Hamas’s refusal to disarm was the main obstacle to the reconstruction of Gaza. The board's leader, Nickolay Mladenov, also called on Israel to honour its commitments to the ceasefire, after its att ... Show More
21m 8s
Aug 2020
What’s gone wrong in Lebanon?
The massive explosion that tore through Beirut on August 4th left more than 200 people dead, 6,000 injured, and as many as 300,000 homeless. The explosion was caused by a fire that ignited 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored at the port. When the blast hit, Lebanon was already ... Show More
23m 56s
Nov 2020
Carol Abi Ghanem: The Resistance of the Nuisance
Carol Abi Ghanem wants to be a nuisance. Not for the sake of it, but because she has to be. A researcher with the Lebanese Centre for Policy Studies, an activist, DJ, actress and psychologist, Carol is also an outspoken and passionate campaigner for LGBTQ+ rights, a feminist and ... Show More
55m 1s
May 2022
Lebanese Elections Part Two: The Debrief
On May 15, Lebanon goes to the polls for its first parliamentary elections since the 2019 protest movement, the financial and socio-economic collapse, and the Beirut port explosion. Join the Middle East Institute for a two-part webinar series before and after this long-awaited po ... Show More
1h 2m