Project Overview

The Dealing with the Past (DwP) Phase II project seeks to support reconciliation and peace in Lebanon by addressing individual and structural societal issues stemming from the civil war and subsequent violence. By focusing on transforming attitudes and beliefs, the project works to re-establish dignity for victims and prevent the recurrence of violence. It utilizes a holistic approach to address the "undealt" past, leveraging youth and gender equality as key enablers for long-term stability. 

Project Objective

• Support national actors in positioning the DwP agenda at the national level and addressing national reconciliation.
• Enable local men and women to understand and accept alternative memories and truths to prevent a relapse into violence.
• Support the implementation of Law 105 on the Missing and Forcibly Disappeared.
• Assist the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MEHE) and Center for Education, Research, and Development (CERD) in developing conflict-sensitive history teaching materials and curricula.
• Assist the Forum for Memory and Future (FMF) in formulating a national Strategy and action plan for Dealing with the Past. 
   

Achievements & Key Figures

• 225 history teachers were trained in conflict-sensitive methodologies.
• 51 former fighters and youth were engaged and trained in the network for insider mediators.
• Facilitating outreach to 522 at-risk youth through the network of ex-fighters
• The "Forum for Memory and Future" (FMF) platform was established, bringing together 13 iNGOs, NGOs, and individuals working on DwP topics.
• 16 capacity development sessions delivered to enhance the FMF's skills in conflict analysis and negotiation.
• 50 stories added to the launched ‘Memory Map’ application, aimed at documenting stories from across Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War.
• 6 educational materials developed on history teaching that introduces historical events with a multinarrative approach concerning the Lebanese Civil War
• 50 awareness sessions delivered on the ‘Right to Know’ under Law 105 on Missing and Forcibly Disappeared Persons, conducted with Act for the Disappeared and the families of the missing and the disappeared, targeting universities and local communities. 

GESI Component (Gender Equality and Social Inclusion)

The project is designated with a GEN2 gender marker, signifying that gender equality is a significant objective. It operates within the framework of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAP 1325) to ensure women’s experiences during the war are documented and addressed. Specific interventions include the documentation of gender-based war crimes, supporting women-led community peacebuilding initiatives, and ensuring women serve as co-facilitators in intergenerational reconciliation dialogues.

The peacebuilding in Lebanon project prioritizes the inclusion of women, refugees, individuals with disabilities, and youth in all its activities related to development, peace, and civic engagement. It ensures the active involvement of diverse community groups, including youth, women, individuals with disabilities, Mukhtars, Municipal Council members, and local actors from various nationalities and cultural backgrounds in the local development process and decision-making. The project also ensures the representation of their concerns in response plans, activities, and workshops at the community level.

• 17 women ex-fighters were engaged on creating a network of insider mediators and in providing insider mediation trainings for identified youth- at-risk focal points.  
• 13 young women were trained and engaged in the network for inside mediators with ex-fighters.
• 127 women history teachers were trained on conflict sensitive training, aiming to raise awareness of students/youth on the importance of dealing with the past.  
• 12 women comprise the committee of the Forum for the Future.