The LAU-MEPI
Leaders for Democracy Fellowship
Arabic Program

In the framework of entertainment and cultural trips under the Leaders for Democracy program, which is funded by the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) and implemented by the Lebanese American University, the leaders visited the Shouf region with a first stop in the town of Deir el Qamar. From there, they headed to the town of Ramlieh to discover an Ecotourism center where they planted cedar seeds as part of the National Reforestation Plan (NRP) campaign to safeguard Lebanon’s woodlands sponsored by the Lebanese Ministry of Environment in cooperation with a number of NGOs engaged in sustaining the environment such as the Association for Forests, Development and Conservation (AFDC). 

The first stop during the field trip was Deir el Qamar where the leaders learned about the town’s rich heritage and its important role in shaping Lebanon’s past and current legacy. Thereafter, they made a stop at the Qasr Moussa with its rich heritage and visited the old armament museum which is considered the largest in the Middle East with its more than 14,000 old pieces of armament.

Afterwards, the Leaders traveled to the town of Ramlieh and visited the Mediterranean Forest Development and Conservation Center of Lebanon (MFDCL) and the Association for Forests, Development and Conservation (AFDC). The Director of Program Management at AFDC, Mr. Jawad Bou Ghanem introduced the organization, its background and the way the idea of ecotourism came about as a useful financial means and a way to protect the natural treasures of Lebanon, a country known for its natural treasures. Then, the leaders planted cedar seeds as part of the National Reforestation Plan (NRP) campaign to safeguard Lebanon’s woodlands sponsored by the Lebanese Ministry of Environment and lastly, they wandered in nature before heading back to Beirut.