“Maharat” Foundation launchs its project under Afkar II" 
                                                                        Advocating for a New Media Law in Lebanon


In cooperation with the “Lebanese Center for Civic Education”, “Maharat” Foundation launched a project untitled “Advocating for a New Media Law in Lebanon”, on the 19th of September 2007 at the Meridian Commodore Hotel in Beirut. The project is under the framework of “Afkar II” project, financed by the European Union and managed by the Office of the Minister of State for Administrative Reform.

Were present at the launching ceremony, the Minister of Information, Ghazi Al-Aridi, the representative of the Minister of State for Administrative Reform, Ms. Youmna Ghorayeb, the president of the Lebanese Press Syndicate, Mohammad Baalbaki, the Dean of the Lebanese Journalists Melhem Karam, the general director of the Ministry of Information, Hassan Falha, the President of the National Media Council, Abdel Hadi Mahfouz, the Director of the Activities in the European Union, Yussy Narvy and journalists.

                        

The president of “Maharat” foundation, Walid Abboud, asserted that the Lebanese media law was still tied with obsolete bonds. He pointed out that the law in question is flawed by three structural problems: “First, it does not keep pace with the times; secondly, it is not based on the principle of equality between all citizens; and third, it disregards entire sectors of the media, like the e-media sector”.

The executive director of “Maharat” Foundation, Roula Moukhail, broached the technical and practical aspects of the project. Ms. Moukhail considered that “the overall objective of the project consist in making a new law pertaining to the media in Lebanon, able to enhance the right of freedom of expression and the right to have access to information. As for the other objectives, they consist in defining the negative aspects of the present law, proposing an alternative law and building a civil society lobbying for the ratification and endorsement of the new law”.

The Director of Activities in the European Union, Yussy Narvy emphasized the “role played by the media in mobilizing the public opinion and shaping its orientations”. He considered the media as an efficient arm in the fight against corruption. As he welcomed the project prepared by “Maharat” Foundation, he stressed the importance of the cooperation between the public sector and the civil society’s institutions.

Ms. Ghoraib noted that “Maharat” Foundation’s project is among 24 initiatives launched by Lebanese NGOs, all supported financially and technically by “Afkar” program. She clarified that the above-mentioned project comes within many other projects related to the media sector, prepared by “Afkar” in cooperation with the Lebanese Association for Democratic Election and “Nahar Ash-Shabab”. Ms. Ghorayeb considered that the role incumbent upon the media and the journalists should be safeguarded and protected, in order to put the journalists’ rights in parallel with their duties. This objective can be reached through the endorsement of a scientific, fair and well-advised law, capable of protecting the role and the rights of the media and journalists, according to Ms. Ghorayeb.

The minister of information, Ghazi Al-Aridi, took the floor. He stressed that many laws need to be amended and many new drafts of law should be elaborated. He highlighted the importance of the amendment of the present laws and the endorsement of new ones, as well as the importance of changing the mentalities. He asked in this regard the following question: “What’s the use of the law as long as the mentality that rules our work within the media institutions does not attach importance to the law?