We are pleased to share with you a new publication titled “Insights into Cultural Policies in Lebanon“, which was compiled and edited by the cultural researchers and activists Hanane Hajj Ali and Nadia von Maltzahn, and funded by the Culture Resource and the Orient Institut Beirut.The work is an initiative of the Lebanese National Cultural Policy Group that began in 2017 and got published in February 2021 after a long journey of research, drafting and updating.
In addition to the explanatory introduction written by Hajj Ali and von Maltzahn, the publication brings together three studies: (1)”Legal Frameworks Regulating the Cultural Sector in Lebanon,” by Nayla Geagea: an updated study that discusses and analyses a collection of laws and proposed legislation that concern workers in the cultural sector and cultural spaces in Lebanon; (2) “Public Financing of Culture: Understanding the Institutional System and its Mechanisms” by Célia Hassani: an in-depth look at the operational mechanisms, administrative structures, and the financing and budgetary processes of the Lebanese Ministry of Culture and problems related to the cultural sector’s public funding; (3) “Heritage and Policymaking in Lebanon,” by Katarzyna Puzon: an examination of the state of cultural policies related to heritage in Lebanon and the role of international organizations in this domain.The introduction presents an overview of the evolution of the concept of cultural policies in Lebanon and the contributions of various initiatives to this field’s development in recent years. It also discusses the general state of culture in the country and underscores both the necessity and timeliness of efforts to advance cultural policies in Lebanon.
The importance of this new publication resides in its significant updates on research into cultural legislation, its exploration of essential details needed to understand the operational and budgetary mechanisms of the Ministry of Culture, as well as the light it sheds on threatened heritage, especially after the Beirut port explosion of 4 August 2020. While the work is addressed, in particular, to cultural researchers, cultural workers and others involved in this sector at this difficult time in Lebanon, it is also of interest to all concerned with cultural policies and the state of culture, in general, in the Arab region and the world.
The publication comes in two versions, Arabic and English/French (depending on the original language of the text), and is available for download on the Culture Resource and the Orient Institut Beirut websites. We invite you to take a look at it and to follow us, as we will soon announce a special event to discuss it with the editors and authors.
