Al Shabiba Risala - Foundation For Forgiveness and Reconciliation

WHAT WE DO Our projects focus on the social and psychological well being of young people in a country that is plagued by sectarianism and a history of violence. We believe in the participation and empowerment of young people, not only for the future as they take up their various roles and responsibilities in society, but with regards to relevant issues that concern them now. The emerging generation does not possess the baggage of the past and they are naturally future-orientated. We seek to educate them in the past so as to learn from and prevent repeating cycles of violence and division, whilst equipping them for a future defined by justice, peace and reconciliation. Lebanon can be beacon of hope in a largely destabilized region. Recent political protests have shown this to be true, as Lebanon’s diverse people groups have come together nonviolently to unite around common goals as they seek justice and reform. And as is often the way in such revolutions, young people are at the forefront. Our forgiveness and peace curriculum leads participants on a journey of understanding with regards to transforming conflict and preventing violence. Broadly speaking, this can be broken down into 3 main areas: Encountering God Exploring the self Understanding the ‘other’ We have developed adaptations of our curriculum to work with all age groups throughout school to adulthood; these have already been adopted by a number of schools that we work with in Lebanon. Whilst our core values and beliefs are informed by our Christian faith, our curriculum remains applicable in both secular and religious contexts.