What Can Lebanese Abroad do for Lebanon?
The Institute for Migration Studies at LAU hosted a lecture by Hanin Al Fakih on May 6, 2015. 
This lecture is part of ‘Live Lebanon’, a UNDP initiative, operating as a neutral channel through which expatriates can provide direct support to the development of Lebanon’s underprivileged communities. This program works under the Social and Local development portfolio of the UNDP.
The number of Lebanese emigrants is estimated to be around 12 million all over the world. These emigrants generously donate funds to this UNDP initiative in order to help in implementing development projects around the following 4 Lebanese regions: Mount Lebanon, North Lebanon, South Lebanon and Bekaa. The program aims to eliminate regional disparities in Lebanon and engage the private sector in development projects in order to strengthen the link between the Lebanese abroad and local communities in the poorest areas are our 2 key objectives.
Project selection depends on four criteria: Need, feasibility, sustainability, and the number of beneficiaries. Since 2011 they’ve succeeded in implementing 45 projects and supporting over 250,000 people. This program also accepts donations online to facilitate the process and has also launched a phone application which allows any person to donate to these projects.
During the lecture, students and professors had the chance to watch documentaries showing the reactions of the beneficiaries themselves in order to get a clearer image of the impact these projects have on the inhabitants of the villages.