A list of Bilateral Programme Budget (BPB) projects in Lebanon for the FY 2008-2009

• NGO: Caritas Lebanon
• Project: Non-violence communication/conflict resolution training for Caritas Lebanon Migrant Centre (CLMC)
• Duration: 2 months
• Budget: £8,147
• Location: Beirut

In response to incessantly growing solicitations, the Migrant Center was created in 1994 to serve migrant workers, asylum-seekers and refugees at risk from different nationalities that are in Lebanon. This population is quite vulnerable and forsaken in the country. There are several donor organisations working in this field at various levels. This project compliments other projects that Caritas are implementing with the EU and other donor countries for their Migrant and Detention centres.

In order to promote 'non-violence policy' Caritas Lebanon has taken the approach of organising  a seminar aimed at training of trainers to increase conflict resolution through peaceful means between CLMC staff and refugees/migrant workers. CLMC personnel (social workers, counsellors, lawyers and psychologists) were trained to deal with violent individuals/cases and resolve them peacefully. They will form a group of refugees/migrant workers to transmit their knowledge to them who will then communicate with the larger portion of the public (detainees).

Caritas Lebanon is one of the largest non-governmental organisations in Lebanon with a broad variety of social services offered on a national basis to people without regard to race, creed, ethnicity or political beliefs.

• NGO: Restart Centre for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture - Lebanon
• Project: Psychosocial Intervention for Prisoners and Family Members
• Duration: 6 months
• Budget: 11, 448
• Location: Tripoli

Restart Centre for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Torture helps victims of torture by strengthening the capacities of institutions and centres in charge of aiding them, by creating a network of governmental and non-governmental organisations and by improving social re-integration of victims. As one of the lead NGO in human rights and torture prevention, Restart has embarked on a three year project contributing to upgrading the psycho-social wellbeing of prisoners and their families.

The aim of the project is to increase the opportunities for the prisoners to get reintegrated in their societies once released from prison and improving the capacity of prisoners to work and become economically and socially productive once released from prison. Also efforts will be made to upgrade capacities of legal and human rights professionals and Improve co-ordination and exchange of experiences and information processes among all stakeholders.

• NGO:  Ecosecurties
• Project: Promoting a shift towards low carbon applications in the different sectors of the Lebanese economy.
• Duration: 3 months
• Budget: 11,500
• Location: Beirut

The Lebanese economy is carbon intensive! As reported in the 2007/2008 Human Development Index (HDI) published by the United Nation Development Programme. On average, Lebanon emissions in 2004 were about 4.2 tonnes of CO2 per person per year. To put these numbers in perspective, if the world emissions are at levels similar to Lebanon's, we would exceed our sustainable carbon budget for the 21st Century by approximately 89%.

Ecosecutires, a leading company in carbon trading, conducted several workshops to introduce the Clean Development Mechanism, its process and infrastructure, and highlight the benefit of CDM to the Lebanese economy, for Policy Makers in the sectors of Agriculture, Economy and Trade, Energy and Water, Environment, Industry, and from government agencies such as the Council of Development and Reconstruction (CDR). The aim of these workshops is to introduce new trends in energy efficiency approaches and low carbon technologies for the relevant sectors, and thoroughly discuss the Clean Development Mechanism, the opportunities to reduce GHG in each sector, and the process for developing potential CDM projects in each sector. The participants will also be trained to identify CDM opportunities in their operations.

• NGO: The Solidarity Association for Social Development (SASCD)
• Project: Combating Worst Forms of Child Labour in Al Sikkeh gathering near EHC
• Duration: 1 year
• Budget: 20,000 USD
• Location: south Lebanon

The children in the Al Sikkeh neighborhood of EHC are exposed to one of the most hazardous type of work which is garbage collection from what is known to the population of Al Sika as the 'mountain' in Saida city. The aim of the project was to combat the worst forms of child labour by providing VT courses and remedial classes to children living in Al Sikkeh area of Ein El Helweh Palestinian refugee camp. Both girls and boys as young as five years are involved in this type of work with their families. There are around 400 families in different marginalized and displaced gathering in Ain Al Helwa Camp especially in Al Skkieh.

The Solidarity Association for Social Development (SASCD) has managed to provide at least 120 children with illiteracy classes, supplementary education, school follow up, informal education, vocational training and skills development, advocacy and awareness raising, social and psychological therapy. in addition to working with the families with the main objective of finding alternatives to waste management that helps in decreasing children's labor in the mountain of garbage which is extremely dangerous on their physical and psychosocial health.

• West Minister Foundation for Democracy (WFD)
• Project: Exchange of Experience on Conflict Resolution and National Conciliation
• Duration: 6 months
• Budget: $18,000
• Location: Lebanese Parliament

Lebanon shares a number of challenges with Northern Ireland (NI); mainly how to build trust and co-operation in divided sectarian societies. This has led to the rationale of WFD activities on the exchange of experience on conflict resolution and national conciliation between Northern Ireland and Lebanon. The proposed visit of members from the Northern Irish Legislative Assembly builds upon two previous exchanges between Northern Ireland and Lebanon.

The purpose of this project is to widen Lebanese engagement in peace building and reconciliation (through MPs, NGOs, members from the National Commission on electoral law.) knowledge and understanding of conflict resolution in Northern Ireland and increase communication and information exchange between Northern Ireland and Lebanon.