Remarks by Fady Fayad, LARP Lebanon Vice President and Master of Ceremony
Gala Dinner, Friday, September 1, 2017
First allow me to wish a Happy Eid.
In the name of all my colleagues at LARP Lebanon, I would like to salute the Lebanese Army who won a strategic battle against the Terrorists. Our Army proved one more time its strength in its unity and its readiness to offer unlimited sacrifices to preserve the safety of the people and the sovereignty of the Nation.
I grab the opportunity to thank the USA for supporting our Army with munitions, military weapons and equipments.
Lebanon faced and is still facing many challenges both on the political and economical fronts:
I can name some: “The Electrical problem, the waste management issue, the high level of corruption, the alarming unemployment rate, the obsolete infrastructure, the Syrian displaced ….” All are the results of the devastating civil war, followed by decades of occupation, nurtured by the instability in the region.
Yet with failures come Challenges and opportunities: Lebanese people have been through worse situations: We are strong believers in our unity, we are the “Message Country” as stated by ST John Paul the Second, we embrace the cohabitation spirit of Mohammad Mehdi Chams el Din, and we are the freedom voice of Hassan Khaled….. We are the survivors of the Mount Lebanon Genocide (which we mourn next year its 100 years) Believe me Lebanon went through worse and it rebounded better than ever.
I invite myself, my friends and everyone to keep faith in our capabilities to deliver better for the good sake of the next generation. Hundreds of initiatives saw the light in the past years, LARP being one of them; Thanks to the great initiative of Walid Maalouf. Civil society in Lebanon has the strongest fighting spirit ever. We simply never give up
Based on that LARP team we decided to launch its 4th mission highlighting on the weaknesses in specific sectors, seeking solutions and transfer of knowledge. This year we have been honored by many distinguished guests: Former US Secretary of transportation Ray Lahoud who was appreciated by his village of origin “AYTO” by naming the main high way of the village “Ray Lahoud Boulevard”. Ray visited Lebanon 17 times and played a major role in removing the ban on Americans to visit Lebanon during his mandate within Clinton administration.
I welcome as well AL Cardenas, former head of the Republican Party in Florida, successful Lawyer and diplomat who accepted to visit Lebanon for the First time. Al’s mother Edith is Lebanese from the town of Ghazir, and tomorrow, AL will be visiting Ghazir invited by its mayor Charles Haddad. AL will discover tomorrow the beautiful town he is originated from.
Last but not least, we will continue year after year, building stone over stone, facing all the challenges with this Unique Spirit we Lebanese have.
