32 anniversary of Lebanon’s Civil War

Today, Friday the 13th, marks the 32 anniversary of the beginning of Lebanon's bloody civil war, the day that sealed its future not as the Paris of the Middle East but as the war-torn emblem of sectarian violence and destruction. Today should be a day for the politicians in Washington as well as Lebanon to reflect on the causes and effects of the civil war and to try to learn from history in order to prevent another war from breaking out in the currently tense political environment as well as keeping the civil war in Iraq from lasting as long as Lebanon's.

The editorial in the Daily Star today warns that the lessons reflected upon today must include the root causes and permissive environments that permit such sectarian wars to break out, namely poor governance and stunted economic growth and opportunity:

Political scientists, economists and other researchers have not reached unanimous agreement in identifying the exact factors that cause a nation to descend into civil war, but they have identified certain trends that are common to civil conflicts around the world. One key factor is type of governance: the more entrenched democracy is in a particular country, the less likely it is to be plunged into civil conflict. Authoritarian states and countries in transition are by their very nature more exposed to the possibility of instability and internal conflict. A second theme that emerges from across various works of research is that countries that are experiencing successful development and economic growth - key conditions that allow for the emergence of a middle class consensus - are less susceptible to internal breakdowns.

Of course, responsibility and culpability rest with many groups, and thus Lebanese and Iraqis must take social responsibility for their choices just as individuals must also take responsibility for their actions. To this end, a cultural collaboration between Metropolis and a non-profit called Umam: Documentation and Research is hosting a series of films about the social responsibility of one particular group in society - journalists. This cultural event, "Journalists on the Edge" will screen several films about the civil war in Lebanon, as well as those elsewhere, many from the perspective of the journalists who covered them.

"The threat of a second civil war in Lebanon is still strongly present in our daily life," Hania Mroue, director of the Metropolis Art Cinema, told the Daily Star. "There's a whole generation that knows nothing about this war and appear unconsciously ready to repeat the same mistakes. "We decided to show the journalists perspective because of the power of the media in the current dilemma the country is going through and the work of propaganda that some media are using to influence public opinion," she explained in the article.

As the 32 anniversary passes with nary a word in the Western press, at least the Lebanese are taking the opportunity to reflect on the political, social and cultural causes of the civil war in a variety of ways in hopes that maybe, just maybe, they can avert a second one.