Rethinking Development Aid

For a long time, development aid followed this principle: Western “experts” travel to the Global South, helping with items they find useful. They forget that there is no garbage collection or playing basketball on an open field in summer brings no fun. But there is a change of thought: A delegation from Northrine Westfalia visits the Lebanese village El Kaa. They do not want to give money, but exchange experiences. How do they succeed? Read More

Lebanon’s tides of trash

Between 1,000 and 3,000 tons of plastic are estimated to be floating in the Mediterranean Sea. While Lebanon only boasts a tiny fraction of Mediterranean coastline, the country makes a pretty significant contribution to its pollution.

There have been recent efforts to clean up Beirut’s beaches, but do they symbolize a new era or are they just a government public relations campaign? Read More