LARP II Results

The Lebanese American Renaissance Partnership (LARP) in collaboration with the American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) concluded its LARP II conference at the Phoenicia Hotel in downtown Beirut under the High Patronage of His Excellency, the President of Lebanon, General Michel Sleiman represented by the Minister of Economy His Excellency Mohammad Safadi.  

The LARP delegation consists of 30 Lebanese expatriates who are business, entrepreneurial and community leaders from the United States and the Diaspora. They visited the President of Lebanon on Thursday September 11, 2008 to thank him for having the LARP II under his auspices. The delegation also visited the Prime Minister of Lebanon Mr. Fouad Sineora and handed both the President and the Prime Minister a position paper of 15 points related to political, economical and environmental issues.

The conference’s opening ceremony in the morning started with the American and Lebanese anthems and was moderated by Walid Maalouf, Director of Public Diplomacy at USAID, the speakers included Mr. Salim Zeenni, President of the American Lebanese Chamber of Commerce; Engineer Ghassan M. Saab of Michigan, Corporate Leader of LARP II trip; the Honorable Michele J. Sison, US Ambassador to Lebanon and Minister Mohammad Safadi.

The grant beneficiaries of LARP I made brief statements on the use of the grants and the following five new non-governmental and non-profit organizations received the LARP II grants: Saint Georges Hospital, for the Nurses Scholarship Fund program whose main purpose is achieving better patient care through continuing education helping nurses get their Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing; Our Lady of Annunciation School in Douma, Battroun to keep education going in remote areas of Lebanon and never leave a child behind, 35 children from Kindergarten to eighth grade will receive financial support from this grant; the orphanage in Jabboula, Bekaa, to help 110 orphans, 90 Muslim and 20 Christian, to encourage the wonderful conviviality between Christian and Muslim kids in the region of Baalbeck; LABORA wish work with new graduates and the unemployed helping them to find work that will keep them in Lebanon instead of migrating; and Ain Wazein Hospital in the Shouf district of Mount Lebanon to improve their intensive care unit. $10,000 was received by each organization for a total of $50,000.

The first session, moderated by Mr. Michel Yammine, treasurer of LARP, discussed communications between the Diaspora & the Homeland the speakers were H.E. Neemtallah Abi Nasr, Member of Parliament; Mr. Dory Chamoun, Mayor of Deir El-Kamar; Mr. Nabil G. Sawabini, Chairman  & CEO of MENA Capital and Mr. Anis Garabet of Los Angeles, former President of the WLCU. The lunch speaker was the Director of USAID in Lebanon Mr. Tom Staal giving a presentation on the USAID work in Lebanon. Mr. Staal was introduced by Mr. Joseph Rached, Member of the Advisory Board of LARP.  

The second session discussed the Diaspora’s social programs and their positive effect on Lebanon and was moderated by Mrs. Manal Saab, Member of LARP. Speakers were Minister of Health His Excellency Mohamad Jawad Khalifeh, former Minister Michel Pharaon and Mr. Neemat G. Frem, President & CEO of INDEVCO group. 

The third session tackled the role of the youth in shaping the future of Lebanon and was moderated by Lawyer Nasser Fayad, Member of LARP.  Speaking were former Minister Nicolas Fattouch, H.E. Mosbah Ahdab, Member of Parliament; Mr. Ghassan Moukheiber, Member of Parliament; Mr. Ahmad El-Assaad, Chairman of the Lebanese Option Gathering; and Mr. Sami Gemayel, Head of the Kataeb Youth.

The day-long conference concluded with a gala dinner at which the key note speaker was His Excellency Riad Salameh, Governor of the Lebanese Central Bank. The Executive Committee and the Board of Directors bestowed the LARP Lifetime Achievement Award to Mr. Salmeh, the LARP Corporate Award to Mr. Ghassan Saab and the Service Award to Salim Zienni. The evening concluded with a poetry reading by Youssef Abdel Samad, Member of LARP. 

On September 13 the LARP delegates elected the following officers for the year 2008/09: Walid Maalouf, President; John Faddoul 1st Vice President; Nasser Fayad, 2nd Vice President; Anis Garabet, Secretary-General; and Michel Yammine, Treasurer.   

LARP is committed to supporting the civil society and civic institutions of Lebanon, to lifting up the spirit of the Lebanese people, and assisting the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other agencies of the United States in their effort to promote economic growth in Lebanon and to foster peace, stability and democratic institutions in Lebanon in an effort to enhance the sovereignty and freedom of Lebanon.