AUB Hosts Meeting for Reconstruction of the South

Conference participants

The American University of Beirut, in collaboration with the United Nations Habitat program, organized on October 18 a consultative meeting for municipal, governmental, and non-governmental groups active in the South to discuss how to enhance the post-war reconstruction of the region.

The meeting was intended to discuss a new two-year project called "Good Governance for Enhanced Post-War Reconstruction," which is being implemented by UN-HABITAT in partnership with a union of municipalities in the South and in cooperation with other associations and the American University of Beirut. Funded by the Netherlands and Cyprus with $800,000 and $500,000 respectively, the project hopes to reach some 4,000 affected families within two years, helping to rebuild destroyed houses while preserving the local architectural style.

"This is a project that ensures our work will have a direct impact on the ground, in terms of policy-making and local and community development. It is also a culmination of the work we started right after the war," said Mona Harb, assistant professor of architecture and design and one of the active members of AUB's Reconstruction and Community Development Task Force, an interdisciplinary advisory group which was set up by President John Waterbury in August 2006 in response to the July war of that year. The task force focuses on engagement of the University in public service projects and seeks to integrate them with AUB's mission and objectives. Already work has begun through the efforts of Beit bil Jnub, a young non-profit organization led by an AUB graduate of urban design, Rabih Shibli.

AUB's principal role in the project is to monitor and evaluate the work and offer consultative technical expertise. Led by Jala Makhzoumi, an associate professor of landscape design and ecomanagement, the project is expected to enhance the capacities of the municipalities and concerned local groups, furthering their role in rebuilding according to spatial planning considerations and specific design guidelines. The aim will be to monitor and oversee the process of reconstruction as a tool to improve and speed up rebuilding, specifically in towns where the level of destruction was high.

The October meeting saw a high turnout, a reflection of the interest and engagement in the reconstruction process. Attending the meeting were representatives of the two donor countries, Dutch Ambassador Robert Zeldenrust and Dutch and Cypriot Charges D'affaires Nelleke Kruijs Voorberge and Kyriacos Kouros, respectively.

UN Habitat representatives, Dania Rifaii and Tarek Osseiran, overviewed the project with the meeting participants, addressing their concerns, which included fears of duplication with other independent projects and the need for cooperation among stakeholders in order to prevent violations of Lebanese urban planning laws.