Lebanon #2: Bananas, Terrorists and Roberto Carlos look alikes

I am in Lebanon as I type this. I am here to be “exposed” to business ventures that are seeking to aligning themselves with development priorities (job creation, social justice, transportation, health, education etc.).

After attending one of their conferences I was convicted that I needed some field experience and here I am in the southern town of Tyre.

My goal here is simple: observe.

Lebanon, in 2006, was invaded by neighbour Israel. After 34 day assault and bloody battles, embarrassment, thousands killed, the Israelis retreated. The devastation that they left were not just physical, but also financial, political and economical.

In disasters there are what is known as the 3R stages: Rescue, Relief and Recovery phases. The first two stages are concerned with the first few months. The Recovery phase is about rebuilding towns, villages, infrastructure and stability. This last stage is often not seen as disaster work, but it is perhaps, arguably, the most important. I wont go into vast details, but to illustrate this phase: there’s no point rebuilding a school when a hurricane has taken the roof off only for it to happen again. It would be better to rebuild to prepare for such eventualities.

I’m here visiting an NGO called MRDS that are seeking to operate in these manners. I wanted to find out how recovery projects/efforts actually form and speak to the practioners and the businessmen that are seeking to rebuild.

Today I visited a Banana Plantation grower, his business has suffered. Not only has his product decreased in value by 50%, his overheads have gone up exponentially, and he have a distinct lack of opportunity as the government are only allowing him to sell his goods to Syria and with limited selling capacity in Lebanon itself.

We went round his plantation. We went round his house that he built himself talked politics and we even we went round his brother’s house whose son had just got engaged to celebrate.

Some delicious Lebanese sweets were brought to us (simply divine in taste). We laughed and I even got likened to Roberto Carlos. I opted against retorting about his legendary banana kick technique to the banana farmer.

This was supposed to be the dangerous south. Where the people are terrorists. Instead all I see are people trying to make a living.

Here I was in a muslim man’s brother’s house who supports a supposedly terrorist group, yet has named his son, Isa (meaning Jesus), has pictures of his dead family that were killed in war by Israel and looking for ways to make his business work. I certainly feel some of my muslim preconceptions being challenged.