Our Team

Bassem Chit
Executive Director
(2008-2014)
In honour of Bassem’s legacy, this position is retired.

Bassem is a founding member of Lebanon Support and was its Executive Director between 2008 and 2014. He has managed several programmes and projects in relief, recovery and development and has more than 14 years professional experience in information and knowledge management in development and humanitarian contexts. He developed and managed several information platforms and monitoring programmes, among which Lebanon Support's Civil Society Knowledge Centre.
Bassem holds a BS in Computer Science from the University of Balamand in Lebanon.
On October 1st 2014, Lebanon Support lost Bassem. Much has been written since his passing, we simply wish to reassert our determination to carry on with our work in the same spirit, and in constant betterment of our projects and deliveries.

Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi
Director

Dr. AbiYaghi is a founding member and the director of Lebanon Support. She is also an associate researcher at the Institut Français du Proche- Orient (IFPO), and a member of the Lebanese Sociological Association. A former researcher at the Centre for Lebanese Studies, Saint Anthony's College at the University of Oxford, she has also collaborated with several local and international organisations. She specialises in the sociology of contentious politics in contemporary Lebanon, with a focus on socialisation processes and collective behaviour, transformation of commitment and logics of disengagement, as well as gendered dynamics within social movements. She also focuses on (re)production processes and forms of social control, order, and discipline.

Marie-Noëlle holds a PhD in Political Science from the Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, France. Publications

Recent publication authored or edited by Marie-Noëlle include:

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi, S’engager « autrement » au Liban. Mobilisations et militantismes alternatifs dans les années 2000, IFPO, forthcoming.

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi. Chiara Erminia Calabrese (coord), « Liban, Syrie : circulations et réactivations de réseaux militants en temps de guerre », Revue Internationale de Politique Comparée¸ forthcoming.

- Virginie Troit, Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi, Transition humanitaire et réflexions éthiques au Liban, Karthala, collection Devenir Humanitaire, Tome IV, forthcoming.

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi, Risha Jagarnathsingh (eds), « The associative sector in Lebanon; Economies and networks of dependency», The Civil Society Review, The Civil Society Knowledge Center, Lebanon Support, Issue 3, forthcoming.

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi, Myriam Catusse, Miriam Younes, "From isqat an-nizam at-ta’ifi to the Garbage Crisis Movement: Political Identities and Antisectarian Movements", in Rosita di Peri, Daniel Meier (eds.), Lebanon facing the Arab Uprisings. Constraints and Adaptation, Palgrave 2016.

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi, « Militer par “projets”. Fragmentation et reproduction de l’espace contestataire féministe au Liban», in "Féminismes dans les pays arabes", Nouvelles Questions Féministes, Vol.35, n°2, Octobre 2016.

- Estella Carpi, Miriam Younes, Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi,”Crisis and Control. (In)Formal Security in Lebanon”, The Civil Society Knowledge Center, Lebanon Support, July 2016.

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi (ed.), Gender Dictionary. Travelling concepts and local usages in Lebanon, Lebanon Support, 2016.

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi, Elisabeth Longuenesse, “Temps de travail et temps social :
Le cas des employés de banque et des chauffeurs de taxi”, in. « Temps et temporalités du monde arabe (XIXe-XXIe siècles) » Temporalités, n° 15, juin 2012. http://temporalites.revues.org/1982

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi, Myriam Catusse., « Non à l’Etat holding, oui à l’Etat providence ». Logiques et contraintes des mobilisations sociales dans le Liban de l’après-guerre», in « Protestations sociales, révolutions civiles. Transformation du politique dans la Méditerranée arabe », Revue Tiers Monde, hors série mai 2011.

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi, « Et pourtant ils votent ! Entre Contestation et Participation : la participation de la gauche antisystème aux élections de juin 2009 », in Catusse M., Karam K. et Lamloum O. (ed.) in Métamorphoses des figures du leadership au Liban. Champs et contrechamps des élections législatives de 2009 au Liban, Beyrouth, Presses de l’IFPO, 2011.
Léa Yammine
Director of Publications

Léa Yammine joined Lebanon Support in 2013, and has been coordinating the interpretation of the centre’s research, programmes, and activities into various formats, online and offline, from an interdisciplinary perspective. She focuses on developing innovative ways to display and disseminate the centre’s outputs, in line with Lebanon Support’s identity and open access policy. As Director of Publications, Léa is also part of the Executive Management team. She has been in the publishing world for over 10 years, and was involved at various stages of the publication process. She has previously worked as a graphic designer, art director, and project manager in creative organisations.

Léa holds a BA in Graphic Design from the American University of Beirut, and an MA in Culture, Creativity & Entrepreneurship from the University of Leeds, UK.
Risha Jagarnathsingh
Research & Programme Coordinator

Risha Jagarnathsingh is a Research and Programme Coordinator at Lebanon Support, and part of the Editorial Board of the Civil Society Review (Lebanon Support’s peer-reviewed journal). Her research focuses primarily on the social effects of migration and asylum governance in Lebanon, notably in the light of the Syrian refugee crisis. She specialises in migration policy analysis, migration & labour market integration as well as on the intersection of migration and human rights. Recently, her research investigates gendered dimensions of migration, activism and agency, and framing processes in refuge.

Risha holds a BA in Language and Communication and an MA in Discourse and Argumentation from the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Publications

Recent publications authored or co-authored by Risha include:

- "Civil Society in Lebanon: the Implementation Trap", Beirut, Civic Space in the Arab World Observatory, Arab NGO Network for Development, Civil Society Knowledge Centre, Lebanon Support, January 2019.

- "Legal and Policy Framework on Migration Governance", Global Migration: Consequences and Responses, Working Papers, RESPOND: Multilevel Governance of Migration and Beyond (Horizon 2020), Civil Society Knowledge Centre, Lebanon Support, August 2018.

- ““A Shoulder to Lean On.” Towards Rights-Based Interventions and Policies for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon,” Beirut, Civil Society Knowledge Centre, Lebanon Support, December 2016.

- “Access to Healthcare for Syrian Refugees. The Impact of Fragmented Service Provision on Syrians’ Daily Lives.” Beirut, Civil Society Knowledge Centre, Lebanon Support, November 2016.

- “Syrian Refugees’ Livelihoods: The Impact of Constraining Legislations and Increased Informality on Syrians’ Daily Lives,” Beirut, Civil Society Knowledge Centre, Lebanon Support, October 2016.

-“Formal Informality, Brokering Mechanisms, and Illegality. The Impact of the Lebanese State’s Policies on Syrian Refugees’ Daily Lives,” Beirut, Civil Society Knowledge Centre, Lebanon Support, September 2016.
Mia BouKhaled
Research & Project Officer

Mia is currently a Research & Project Officer at Lebanon Support, mainly in charge of the Conflict Analysis Project. She is responsible of managing the interactive conflicts mapping, developing them with the team, as well as managing the publications and content related to the project, such as timelines, visuals, articles, etc. She joined the team in 2016 as an intern, then became a Research & Content Officer at Lebanon Support mainly working on the Civil Society Knowledge Centre. 

Mia holds a BA in Political Sciences and Public Administration from USJ, and also pursued a double Master degree in Management at ESA (Lebanon) and ESCP Europe.
Sana Tarabay
Content & Communication Officer

Sana is the Content and Communication Officer at Lebanon Support. She helps manage Daleel Madani, follow up on content on the portal, and keeps track of Lebanon Support’s other online platforms: the Civil Society Knowledge Centre, the Civil Society Incubator, and the Lebanon Support website. She also follows up on the centre's communication and social media presence.

She was previously the head of public relations committee of the Lebanese Red Cross Youth Department in Beirut Arab University club and one of the keen members of the Human Rights Center and had focused in the past 2 years on projects centred on fighting extremism online.

Sana is a Marketing graduate from Beirut Arab University and is currently pursuing her MBA in Marketing at Haigazian University.
Tala Fadlallah
Administrative and Accounting Assistant

Tala joined the team in 2017 as an intern, then became an Administration Assistant in 2o18, mainly assisting the Administration and Finance Manager in the administration, finance, and accounting. She follows up on procurement, human resources, facility management, and overall logistics of the centre.

Tala holds a BA in Psychology from Haigazian University and is pursuing a Masters in Business Administration with concentration in Human Resources at AUCE.
Jad Khadij
Administration & Finance Officer

Jad has joined the Lebanon Support team as an Administration & Finance Officer in 2018. He is in charge of financial and accounting follow up, as well as administration supervision. He has more than 8 years of experience in accounting and financial management, working in different fields and lines of business, in multinational and local organisations, whether commercial or non-profit. In addition, Jad loves to incorporate his passion to the environment into his managerial and business activities.

Jad holds a BA in Audit and Accounting from Lebanese Canedian University, and an MA in Management and Entrepreneurship from Grenoble Ecole de Management in Grenoble, France.
Hovig Atamian
Project Officer

Hovig is the Project Officer for Lebanon Support’s Civil Society Incubator and is responsible for following up on workshops, development of resources and guidebooks, as well as other content for the programme. He joined the Lebanon Support team in 2018 as an intern for the Civil Society Incubator and the Civil Society Knowledge Centre, assisting the team in several activities within these programmes.

Hovig holds a BS in Environmental Health and a minor in Public Health from the American University of Beirut.
Walid Abou Saifan
Innovation & Technology Advisor

Walid is a long term collaborator of Lebanon Support, but formally joined the team in 2014 as an ICT expert managing the centre’s three websites. Currently as the Technology and Innovation Advisor, Walid oversees the ICT and innovation strategy of the centre, advising on the development of the centre’s platforms and programmes, and assists in building partnerships with technology and innovation actors. Walid has an extensive consultancy experience with Non-Governmental Organisations as well as UN agencies. He also volunteers as an ICT consultant for local NGOs.
Walid holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Balamand, in addition to certificates including PMP (AMIDEAST UAE), Results Based Project Management (UNDP), Communications (UNDP) and Conflict Resolution (CCRP).
Ali Najjar
ICT Officer

As ICT Officer, Ali maintains and develops the websites of both of Lebanon Support's programmes, Daleel Madani and the CSKC, specifically focusing on the aesthetic and design aspects of the websites. Proud of his Lebanese origins, Ali enjoys performing dabki, and playing oud in his free time.
Ali holds a BS in Information Technology and Computing from the Arab Open University and is currently pursuing an MA in Computer Engineering.
Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi
Director

Dr. AbiYaghi is a founding member and the director of Lebanon Support. She is also an associate researcher at the Institut Français du Proche- Orient (IFPO), and a member of the Lebanese Sociological Association. A former researcher at the Centre for Lebanese Studies, Saint Anthony's College at the University of Oxford, she has also collaborated with several local and international organisations. She specialises in the sociology of contentious politics in contemporary Lebanon, with a focus on socialisation processes and collective behaviour, transformation of commitment and logics of disengagement, as well as gendered dynamics within social movements. She also focuses on (re)production processes and forms of social control, order, and discipline.

Marie-Noëlle holds a PhD in Political Science from the Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, France. Publications

Recent publication authored or edited by Marie-Noëlle include:

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi, S’engager « autrement » au Liban. Mobilisations et militantismes alternatifs dans les années 2000, IFPO, forthcoming.

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi. Chiara Erminia Calabrese (coord), « Liban, Syrie : circulations et réactivations de réseaux militants en temps de guerre », Revue Internationale de Politique Comparée¸ forthcoming.

- Virginie Troit, Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi, Transition humanitaire et réflexions éthiques au Liban, Karthala, collection Devenir Humanitaire, Tome IV, forthcoming.

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi, Risha Jagarnathsingh (eds), « The associative sector in Lebanon; Economies and networks of dependency», The Civil Society Review, The Civil Society Knowledge Center, Lebanon Support, Issue 3, forthcoming.

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi, Myriam Catusse, Miriam Younes, "From isqat an-nizam at-ta’ifi to the Garbage Crisis Movement: Political Identities and Antisectarian Movements", in Rosita di Peri, Daniel Meier (eds.), Lebanon facing the Arab Uprisings. Constraints and Adaptation, Palgrave 2016.

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi, « Militer par “projets”. Fragmentation et reproduction de l’espace contestataire féministe au Liban», in "Féminismes dans les pays arabes", Nouvelles Questions Féministes, Vol.35, n°2, Octobre 2016.

- Estella Carpi, Miriam Younes, Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi,”Crisis and Control. (In)Formal Security in Lebanon”, The Civil Society Knowledge Center, Lebanon Support, July 2016.

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi (ed.), Gender Dictionary. Travelling concepts and local usages in Lebanon, Lebanon Support, 2016.

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi, Elisabeth Longuenesse, “Temps de travail et temps social :
Le cas des employés de banque et des chauffeurs de taxi”, in. « Temps et temporalités du monde arabe (XIXe-XXIe siècles) » Temporalités, n° 15, juin 2012. http://temporalites.revues.org/1982

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi, Myriam Catusse., « Non à l’Etat holding, oui à l’Etat providence ». Logiques et contraintes des mobilisations sociales dans le Liban de l’après-guerre», in « Protestations sociales, révolutions civiles. Transformation du politique dans la Méditerranée arabe », Revue Tiers Monde, hors série mai 2011.

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi, « Et pourtant ils votent ! Entre Contestation et Participation : la participation de la gauche antisystème aux élections de juin 2009 », in Catusse M., Karam K. et Lamloum O. (ed.) in Métamorphoses des figures du leadership au Liban. Champs et contrechamps des élections législatives de 2009 au Liban, Beyrouth, Presses de l’IFPO, 2011.
Léa Yammine
Director of Publications

Léa Yammine joined Lebanon Support in 2013, and has been coordinating the interpretation of the centre’s research, programmes, and activities into various formats, online and offline, from an interdisciplinary perspective. She focuses on developing innovative ways to display and disseminate the centre’s outputs, in line with Lebanon Support’s identity and open access policy. As Director of Publications, Léa is also part of the Executive Management team. She has been in the publishing world for over 10 years, and was involved at various stages of the publication process. She has previously worked as a graphic designer, art director, and project manager in creative organisations.

Léa holds a BA in Graphic Design from the American University of Beirut, and an MA in Culture, Creativity & Entrepreneurship from the University of Leeds, UK.
Risha Jagarnathsingh
Research & Programme Coordinator

Risha Jagarnathsingh is a Research and Programme Coordinator at Lebanon Support, and part of the Editorial Board of the Civil Society Review (Lebanon Support’s peer-reviewed journal). Her research focuses primarily on the social effects of migration and asylum governance in Lebanon, notably in the light of the Syrian refugee crisis. She specialises in migration policy analysis, migration & labour market integration as well as on the intersection of migration and human rights. Recently, her research investigates gendered dimensions of migration, activism and agency, and framing processes in refuge.

Risha holds a BA in Language and Communication and an MA in Discourse and Argumentation from the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Publications

Recent publications authored or co-authored by Risha include:

- "Civil Society in Lebanon: the Implementation Trap", Beirut, Civic Space in the Arab World Observatory, Arab NGO Network for Development, Civil Society Knowledge Centre, Lebanon Support, January 2019.

- "Legal and Policy Framework on Migration Governance", Global Migration: Consequences and Responses, Working Papers, RESPOND: Multilevel Governance of Migration and Beyond (Horizon 2020), Civil Society Knowledge Centre, Lebanon Support, August 2018.

- ““A Shoulder to Lean On.” Towards Rights-Based Interventions and Policies for Syrian Refugees in Lebanon,” Beirut, Civil Society Knowledge Centre, Lebanon Support, December 2016.

- “Access to Healthcare for Syrian Refugees. The Impact of Fragmented Service Provision on Syrians’ Daily Lives.” Beirut, Civil Society Knowledge Centre, Lebanon Support, November 2016.

- “Syrian Refugees’ Livelihoods: The Impact of Constraining Legislations and Increased Informality on Syrians’ Daily Lives,” Beirut, Civil Society Knowledge Centre, Lebanon Support, October 2016.

-“Formal Informality, Brokering Mechanisms, and Illegality. The Impact of the Lebanese State’s Policies on Syrian Refugees’ Daily Lives,” Beirut, Civil Society Knowledge Centre, Lebanon Support, September 2016.
Mia BouKhaled
Research & Project Officer

Mia is currently a Research & Project Officer at Lebanon Support, mainly in charge of the Conflict Analysis Project. She is responsible of managing the interactive conflicts mapping, developing them with the team, as well as managing the publications and content related to the project, such as timelines, visuals, articles, etc. She joined the team in 2016 as an intern, then became a Research & Content Officer at Lebanon Support mainly working on the Civil Society Knowledge Centre. 

Mia holds a BA in Political Sciences and Public Administration from USJ, and also pursued a double Master degree in Management at ESA (Lebanon) and ESCP Europe.
Sana Tarabay
Content & Communication Officer

Sana is the Content and Communication Officer at Lebanon Support. She helps manage Daleel Madani, follow up on content on the portal, and keeps track of Lebanon Support’s other online platforms: the Civil Society Knowledge Centre, the Civil Society Incubator, and the Lebanon Support website. She also follows up on the centre's communication and social media presence.

She was previously the head of public relations committee of the Lebanese Red Cross Youth Department in Beirut Arab University club and one of the keen members of the Human Rights Center and had focused in the past 2 years on projects centred on fighting extremism online.

Sana is a Marketing graduate from Beirut Arab University and is currently pursuing her MBA in Marketing at Haigazian University.
Tala Fadlallah
Administrative and Accounting Assistant

Tala joined the team in 2017 as an intern, then became an Administration Assistant in 2o18, mainly assisting the Administration and Finance Manager in the administration, finance, and accounting. She follows up on procurement, human resources, facility management, and overall logistics of the centre.

Tala holds a BA in Psychology from Haigazian University and is pursuing a Masters in Business Administration with concentration in Human Resources at AUCE.
Jad Khadij
Administration & Finance Officer

Jad has joined the Lebanon Support team as an Administration & Finance Officer in 2018. He is in charge of financial and accounting follow up, as well as administration supervision. He has more than 8 years of experience in accounting and financial management, working in different fields and lines of business, in multinational and local organisations, whether commercial or non-profit. In addition, Jad loves to incorporate his passion to the environment into his managerial and business activities.

Jad holds a BA in Audit and Accounting from Lebanese Canedian University, and an MA in Management and Entrepreneurship from Grenoble Ecole de Management in Grenoble, France.
Hovig Atamian
Project Officer

Hovig is the Project Officer for Lebanon Support’s Civil Society Incubator and is responsible for following up on workshops, development of resources and guidebooks, as well as other content for the programme. He joined the Lebanon Support team in 2018 as an intern for the Civil Society Incubator and the Civil Society Knowledge Centre, assisting the team in several activities within these programmes.

Hovig holds a BS in Environmental Health and a minor in Public Health from the American University of Beirut.
Walid Abou Saifan
Innovation & Technology Advisor

Walid is a long term collaborator of Lebanon Support, but formally joined the team in 2014 as an ICT expert managing the centre’s three websites. Currently as the Technology and Innovation Advisor, Walid oversees the ICT and innovation strategy of the centre, advising on the development of the centre’s platforms and programmes, and assists in building partnerships with technology and innovation actors. Walid has an extensive consultancy experience with Non-Governmental Organisations as well as UN agencies. He also volunteers as an ICT consultant for local NGOs.
Walid holds a B.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of Balamand, in addition to certificates including PMP (AMIDEAST UAE), Results Based Project Management (UNDP), Communications (UNDP) and Conflict Resolution (CCRP).
Ali Najjar
ICT Officer

As ICT Officer, Ali maintains and develops the websites of both of Lebanon Support's programmes, Daleel Madani and the CSKC, specifically focusing on the aesthetic and design aspects of the websites. Proud of his Lebanese origins, Ali enjoys performing dabki, and playing oud in his free time.
Ali holds a BS in Information Technology and Computing from the Arab Open University and is currently pursuing an MA in Computer Engineering.
Bassem Chit Fellowship for the Study of Activism
The Bassem Chit Fellowship for the Study of Activism (Cycle 1) was made possible with the support of the Arab Council of the Social Sciences, with funding from the Ford Foundation and the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung Beirut Office.
Cynthia Azzam

Cynthia Azzam is an architect and a postdoctoral fellow in the Bassem Chit Fellowship program for the study of activism at Lebanon Support (in collaboration with the Arab Council for the Social Science). Her current work focuses on identifying collective action and mobilisation in the education sector.
She holds an MA (professional) in Architecture and an MA (research) in Sciences of Architecture and Landscape from the Lebanese University, as well as a PhD in Architecture in a co-tutorship between Paris-Saclay University and the Lebanese University. Her thesis investigated school infrastructures in Lebanon focusing mismanagement and project distribution along the territory. Publications

Recent publications authored by Cynthia include:

- Azzam C., “Lebanese Learning Landscape’s Reconstruction: Territorial Inequality and Poor Management”, International Journal of Spaces and Urban Territory, Tunisia, Issue 3, 2017, p.20-36.

- Azzam C., “Recapturing Beirut for the Benefit of Children and Teenagers Via School Infrastructure”, Enfants, Familles, Générations, Montréal, Issue 30, 2018.

Research Associates
Joey Ayoub

Joey Ayoub is a Ph.D. candidate in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He earned his B.S. in Environmental Health from the American University of Beirut in 2013, and his MA in Cultural Studies from SOAS, University of London in 2015. His research focuses on the politics of postwar cinema in Lebanon, and on how the future is perceived in these films. He is also the editor for the MENA region at Global Voices Online and IFEX and he blogs at Hummus For Thought. In addition to Lebanon, his wider interests include deconstruction of masculinity, post-2011 Syria/MENA and global implications, de-colonisation efforts in Israel/Palestine and global developments with a focus on environmental, feminist and internationalist politics. Publications

Recent publications authored or co-authored by Joey include:

- Joey Ayoub, "An Idea Called Daraya", Website, Al Jumhuriya, 9 December 2018, available at: https://www.aljumhuriya.net/en/content/idea-called-daraya.

- Joey Ayoub, “The Civil War’s Ghosts: Events of Memory Seen Through Lebanese Cinema”, Nikro, Norman Saadi, Hegasy, Sonja (Eds.), The Social Life of Memory: Violence, Trauma, and Testimony in Lebanon and Morocco, Switzerland, Palgrave Macmillan, 2017, p. 55-82.

- Joey Ayoub, “The left’s hollow anti-imperialism over Syria”, website, Middle East Eye, 4 October 2016, available at:https://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/left-s-hollow-anti-imperialism-over-syria-1081590395

- Joey Ayoub, “Indefensible The politics of internationalist anti-imperialism: Democracy, Counterrevolution, and the Rhetoric of Anti-Imperialism”, International Socialist Review, Chicago, 2018, available at: https://isreview.org/issue/110/indefensiblethe-politics-internationalist-anti-imperialism

- Joey Ayoub, “Review: ‘The Impossible Revolution’ in Syria”, website, Revolutionary Socialism in the 21st Century (rs21), 3 October 2017, available at: https://www.rs21.org.uk/2017/10/03/review-the-impossible-revolution-in-syria/

- Joey Ayoub, “Black-Palestinian Solidarity: Towards an Intersectionality of Struggles”, website, Al Jumhuriya, 28 July 2016, available at:https://www.aljumhuriya.net/en/en/radical-politics/black-palestinian-solidarity-towards-an-intersectionality-of-struggles

- Joey Ayoub, “Lebanon’s militarized masculinity”, website, Al Jumhuriya, 20 December 2018, available at: https://www.aljumhuriya.net/en/content/lebanon%E2%80%99s-militarized-masculinity

Christiana Parreira

Christiana Parreira is a Ph.D. candidate in political science at Stanford University. She earned her B.A. in Public and International Affairs from Princeton University in 2013. Her research focuses on how informal institutions and social networks shape local political competition and welfare outcomes, focusing on contemporary Lebanon. Her dissertation project uses a multi-method research design to explain patterns of clientelism and service provision across Lebanese municipalities. She is also an affiliated scholar of the Issam Fares Institute at the American University of Beirut, and a research consultant for the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies and the Synaps Network. Publications

Recent publication authored by Christiana include:

- “Lebanon’s National Politics in the Face of a Changing Region” (2015) Project on Middle East Political Science, Rethinking Nation and Nationalism Study Series.

Daniel L. Tavana

Daniel L. Tavana is a PhD candidate in the Department of Politics at Princeton University. Tavana holds degrees from Cambridge University and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. His research interests focus on elections, political behavior, and public opinion in the Middle East and North Africa. Publications

Recent publications authored by Daniel include:

- Tavana, D. (2018). “The Evolution of the Kuwaiti ‘Opposition’: Electoral Politics after the Arab Spring,” Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University.

- Harris, K. and D. Tavana (2017). “Voter Behavior and Political Mobilization in Iran: Findings from the Iran Social Survey,” European Middle East Research Group (EIRG).

- Tavana, D. (2017). “Egypt Five Years after the Uprisings: Findings from the Arab Barometer,” Arab Barometer.

Lea Bou Khater

Lea Bou Khater is a post-doctoral fellow affiliated to the Sociology, Anthropology, and Media Studies at the American University of Beirut and part-time faculty at the Lebanese American University. She earned her PhD in Development Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies of University of London in 2016. As a development practitioner for more than ten years, she undertook several studies and projects commissioned by the government of Lebanon and international organisations. She also authored various reports on needs assessments, national surveys, and program evaluations mainly pertaining to labour, education, and poverty. Bou Khater had previously acquired a Master’s degree in Political Science from Saint Joseph University in Beirut and another in Development Studies from SOAS in the United Kingdom. Her research interests are economic development, public policy, social movements, and labour relations.

Lea Bou Khater is part of the review committee of the Civil Society Review, Lebanon Support's peer-reviewed journal. Publications

Recent publications authored by Lea include:

-“Understanding Policymaking in Lebanon: An Application of the Multiple Streams Framework to the 2012 Wage Hike”, forthcoming - Research grant from the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut

-“The Role of the Labour Movement in the Struggle for Change”, Civil Society Review (Forthcoming, 2017)

-“Public Sector Mobilisation Despite a Dormant Workers’ Movement”,Confluences Méditerranée, 2015/1 N° 92, p. 125-142. DOI: 10.3917/come.092.0125

-“Public Sector Mobilization in Lebanon: Structures and Strategies of Success”, published at The Legal Agenda English website: http://legal-agenda.com/en/article.php?id=3075 .

-“Strategies of Response to the Syrian Refugee Crisis in Lebanon” in Common Space Initiative Policy Dialogues Series – Lebanon/ 03 2015 http://www.commonspaceinitiative.org/uploads/9/5/2/1/9521202/syrian_refugee_crisis_in_lebanon_series-01-spreads.pdf

Bashir Saade

Bashir is a lecturer in Religion & Politics at the University of Stirling in Scotland, United Kingdom. He previously held teaching positions at the University of Edinburgh and the American University of Beirut. His research has both a contemporary and a premodern focus, using a multi-disciplinary approach, varying from Social Sciences to Philosophy. His book on the Lebanese political party Hizbullah (Cambridge University Press, 2016) analysed political parties’ use of media and cultural production at large, from a intellectual historical, as well as a political anthropological perspective. Bashir’s interest in premodern epistemologies and scholarship can be attributed to a fascination for non-Western political thought in understanding changing notions of religion, authority and tradition.

Bashir Saade is part of the review committee of the Civil Society Review, Lebanon Support's peer-reviewed journal. Publications

Recent publications authored by Bashir include:

- Bashir Saade, Writing Nations: Hizbullah and the Politics of Remembrance, London, Cambridge University Press, 2016.

- Bashir Saade, "Martyrology and Hizbullah's Conception of Time,” International Journal of Middle East Studies, Issue 47 (4), 2015, p. 723-744.

- Bashir Saade, “Contending notions of terrorism in Lebanon: Politico-legal manoeuvres and Political Islam,” in Michael Boyle (ed.), Non-Western Responses to Terrorism (New Directions in Terrorism Studies), Manchester, Manchester University Press, 2018.

Sbeih Sbeih

Sbeih SBEIH, Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, IREMAM, LabexMed, Aix-en-Provence, France.

Postdoctoral fellow at IREMAM (Institute for Research and Study of the Arab and Muslim Worlds) LabexMed, Aix Marseille University and associate researcher at the French Institute in the Near East (IFPO). He defended his doctoral thesis in sociology, in 2014, at the Printemps laboratory at the Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines University, on international development aid and the "professionalisation" of Palestinian NGOs. Subsequently, Mr. Sbeih taught at Birzeit University in Ramallah. As a researcher he has worked extensively in the Palestinian cultural field and is currently working on "new" Palestinian novelists. See: http://iremam.cnrs.fr/spip.php?article4772

Maissam Nimer

Maissam Nimer is a postdoctoral researcher at the Migration Research Center at Koç University, working on a needs assessment research project among youth Syrian refugees in Turkey and a member of the ‘Axe Migrations et Mobilités’ at the French Institute for Anatolian Studies, Istanbul (AMiMo, IFEA). She obtained her PhD in Sociology from Paris Saclay University, France, in July 2016 focusing on understanding the mechanisms of social inequalities behind higher education selection in Lebanon.

Maissam Nimer is part of the editorial board of the Civil Society Review, Lebanon Support's peer-reviewed journal. Publications

Recent publication authored by Maissam include:

- "Prior identities and responses to habitus mismatch among scholarship students in a private elite university" (under review by British Journal of Sociology of Education).

- "Gendered family practices and emergence of dispositions 'to resist' in an elite university in Lebanon" (under review by Gender and Education).

- "Developing human capital or encouraging emigration? Case study of an international development program in Lebanon," in forthcoming, Cambridge Scholar Publishing.

- "Lutte contre les inégalités d’accès à l’enseignement supérieur au Liban : étude d’un programme de bourses," in Réussite scolaire, réussite professionnelle, l’apport des données longitudinales, XXIes journées d’étude sur les données longitudinales dans l’analyse du marché du travail, Dijon, Relief 48 Echanges du Céreq, 2014

- "La méritocratie néolibérale contre l’égalité sociale? Analyse d’un dispositif de développement destine aux étudiants libanais", Civil Society Review, Lebanon Support, 2014.

- "Liban: 'misère' de l’école publique", Les Carnets de l’Ifpo. La recherche en train de se faire à l’Institut Français du Proche-Orient (Hypotheses.org), 2013.

Nay el-Rahi

Nay is a feminist writer, activist, and ILO certified gender auditor. She has been working, since 2008, at the intersection between advocacy for gender justice, and producing critical knowledge around these themes. She has published on platforms like Assafir, Al Modon, Sawt Al Niswa and The Guardian, and have worked with Nahwa Al Muwatiniya, Oxfam in Lebanon and Tunisia, Raising Voices, and Kafa among others. Nay currently teaches Gender and Communication at the Lebanese American University (LAU), and works on gender auditing of political parties under the Women Empowered for Leadership (WE4L) with Hivos International in Beirut. The co-founder of the initiative HarassTracker to fight societal acceptance and normalisation of sexual harassment in Lebanon, she has worked on a study on the attitudes and practices towards sexual harassment in Beirut, published under the KIP project.
Nay holds a BA in Journalism from the Lebanese University, and an MA in Global Media and Gender from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London. Some of Nay’s articles are available here, here, and here.

Mariam Younes

Mariam joined Lebanon Support’s research department in 2015 and has since worked on several of its publications and reports. She has previously worked as research assistant at the German-Orient Institute Beirut, conducting a project on “The Reorientation of Communist Groups and Marxist Intellectuals after 1989 in Lebanon and Syria”. She has studied Middle Eastern Studies, Political Sciences and Sociology at the University of Freiburg in Germany.
Currently, she is finishing her PhD thesis entitled “Living leftism in Lebanon. A historical anthropology of leftist intellectuals in Lebanon, 1930-1990” at the University of Roskilde, Denmark under the supervision of Sune Haugbolle/Samer Frangie. Mariam focuses in her thesis on the question of political activism and ideology production in general, and the historical conditions of communism/socialism and leftism, in Lebanon from the 1930s on. Publications

Recent publications authored by Mariam include:

- Marie-Noëlle AbiYaghi, Myriam Catusse, Miriam Younes, "From isqat an-nizam at-ta’ifi to the Garbage Crisis Movement: Political Identities and Antisectarian Movements", in Rosita di Peri, Daniel Meier (eds.), Lebanon facing the Arab Uprisings. Constraints and Adaptation, Palgrave 2016.

- “’A tale of two communists’ – The revolutionary projects of the Lebanese Communists Husayn Muruwah and Mahdi ‘Amil”, Arab Studies Journal, Spring 2016, p. 98-116.

-“The Specters of Marx in Edward Said’s Orientalism”, Die Welt des Islam 53, issue 2, 2013, p. 149-191.

Dalya Mitri

Dalya is a consultant and researcher who joined Lebanon Support in 2013 and has since published several papers and reports pertaining to civil society issues in Lebanon, specifically within the Gender Equity Network. She has previous experience in research, having participated in various projects related to civil society in the Arab world, and has a strong experience in managing development and humanitarian projects in both international and local organizations.
She holds an MA in History from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, and an MA in Political Science from Science-Po Paris, France.

Estella Carpi

Estella is a Research Associate at Lebanon Support working on (in)formal security provision and the rule of law in Syrian refugee communities in Lebanon. She recently worked as a Social Research Fellow at Trends Research & Advisory - Abu Dhabi (2015). She received her PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Sydney (Australia), with a dissertation on humanitarianism in Lebanon. After studying Humanities and Arabic at the University of Milan and the University of Damascus (2002-2007), she worked in Cairo (Egypt) for the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) (2008) and the International Development Research Center (IDRC) (2009-2010). Publications

Recent publications authored by Estella include:

- “The Political and the Humanitarian in Lebanon. Social Responsiveness to Emergency Crisis from the 2006 War to the Syrian Refugee Influx”, in Oriente Moderno, Vol. 94, Issue 2, pp. 402-427, November 2014, Brill Publishers, Leiden, the Netherlands.

- “The Ignored Diversity of Social Inequality in Beirut’s Southern Suburbs: from the July War 2006 until Today”, in Storia Urbana, pp. 91-117, December 2014, ed. Franco Angeli. Milan, Italy [Italian] and “Lebanon and its Linguistic Wandering: on the Road to De-Essentialization”, in Komumikacija i Kultura, Special Issue No.1, 2013.

Interns
Lebanon Support has a continuous internship programme and is accepting interns year-round. Featured below are some of our current and previous interns.
Cybele Atme

Cybele interned at Lebanon Support in October 2018. She worked on the Migration, Mobility and Circulation Project, nested within the Civil Society Knowledge Centre. She contributed to setting up timelines and other research tasks. After that, she was hired as a research assistant for a migration project at Lebanon Support. Her research interests include; economic anthropology, humanitarian assistance, science and technology studies (STS), politics of bordering and critical security studies. Cybele has BA in Sociology and Anthropology from the American University of Beirut and is pursuing a Research Masters in International Development Studies at the University of Amsterdam.
Jozie Yusof

Jozie interned with Lebanon Support in 2018. During this time, she contributed to research for the Civil Society Knowledge Centre, notably, under the Migration, Mobility and Circulation project, where she was responsible for drafting timelines and articles on refugee returns and migrant domestic labour in Lebanon. She also assisted in content creation for the Civil Society Incubator. Jozie holds a degree in Political Science from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and is currently completing her Masters in International Public Management at Sciences Po Paris, with concentrations in Middle East Studies and Migrations.
Guusje Somer

Guusje interned at Lebanon Support in 2018. During her time at the organisation, she assisted in research and data collection on the Civil Society Knowledge Centre, notably the Gender Equity Network. She also contributed to the launch of the Migration Library by collecting sources. Guusje holds a degree in Interdisciplinary Social Sciences from the University of Amsterdam and the University of Cape Town. She will also be pursuing a Master's degree at the War Studies department of King's College London starting fall 2018.
Joy Saade

Joy joined Lebanon Support in 2018 as an intern for the Communications department and Civil Society Incubator progarmme. During her time at the organisation, Joy participated in the establishment of the Civil Society Incubator’s blog series on gender mainstreaming as well as conducting research and data collection for projects within the programme. She assisted the Content and Communication Officer in Daleel Madani, as well as in the preparation of several bulletins that are sent to Lebanon Support's newletter subscribers. Joy holds a combined BA in Political Science and Historical Studies, and a Major in English Literature from the University of Toronto. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut.
Chloe Aldridge

Chloe interned at Lebanon Support in 2018. During her time at the organisation, Chloe contributed to both the Conflict Analysis Project and the Civil Society Incubator programme. Chloe previously interned at NGOs in Dublin, Ireland, and Seoul, South Korea as an Monitoring & Evaluation and Research Assistant, respectively. She holds a BA in International Relations and Global Studies- International Security Track, with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies from The University of Texas at Austin, and an MPhil in International Peace Studies from Trinity College Dublin.
Marisa Raiser

Marisa Raiser was an intern at Lebanon Support in 2017. Currently, she is completing her bachelor degrees in Political Science and Islamic Science at the University of Freiburg. She has previously interned at several German organizations which target the issues refugees and migration.
Mariam Eichbüchler

Mariam Eichbüchler interned at Lebanon Support in 2017. She did a prior internship at the German Orient Institute in Beirut where she also worked as a research assistant. Mariam holds two Bachelor degrees in English Language, Literature and Linguistics/Media Sciences and in Middle Eastern Studies and is currently finishing her Master's degree in Arabic-German translation.
Nora Lajarge

Nora interned at Lebanon Support in 2017. During her time at the organisation, she mainly assisted in research and data mapping on the Civil Society Knowledge Centre, notably for the Conflict Analysis Project and Gender Equity Network. She did a prior internship at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris, following Gender and Middle East countries issues. Nora recently completed her Masters in International Relations from Sciences Po Aix.
Asser Khattab

Asser interned at Lebanon Support in 2017, he assisted in research and data collection on the Civil Society Knowledge Centre, notably the Gender Equity Network and Conflict Analysis Project. Asser is a multilingual freelance journalist from Syria. He holds a BA in Media from Damascus University and has covered the Syrian war for four years for various local and international media outlets before he moved to Sudan and then to Lebanon.
Lisa Dorith Kool

Lisa Dorith Kool interned at Lebanon Support in 2016. She assisted in research and data collection for projects on the Civil Society Knowledge Centre, notably the Gender Equity Network and Conflict Analysis Project. She also worked on developing research on Syrian LGBTIQ refugees in Lebanon. Lisa holds a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Religious Studies from University College Utrecht and is currently continuing her studies in Arabic language.
Charlotte Peltre

Charlotte Peltre was an intern at Lebanon Support in 2016. She is completing her Master's degree in Political Science and International Relations at Sciences Po in Aix-en- Provence in France and at the University of Freiburg in Germany. She did former internships at the German Ministry of Development and Cooperation in the department for migrants and refugees and at the canadian NGO "Social Justice Connection".
Maria Sebas

Maria Sebas was an intern at Lebanon Support in 2016. She is completing her Bachelor's Degree in History and Political Science at the University of California, San Diego. During the academic year, she works as the news editor for UCSD's newspaper. In addition, during the summer of 2015, she took courses in Arabic and Political Science at Birzeit University in Palestine.
Camille Lons

Camille is a contributor and former intern of Lebanon Support. She holds a Master's degree in International Relations from Sciences Po Aix and is currently finishing her studies at the London School of Economics (MSc Population and Development) and at the University of Aix-Marseille (Middle eastern studies).
Nabil Rabah

Nabil interned at Lebanon Support in 2015 and 2016. He participated in the Conflict Analysis Project, notably working on the mapping of conflict incidents, and contributed in making it a large and precise database concerning the security, social and legal challenges ongoing in Lebanon. Nabil graduated in 2016 with a bachelor in Social Science from Sciences Po Paris.
Sophie Schmid

Sophie interned at Lebanon Support in 2013. She assisted in researching and mapping different kinds of human rights violations in Lebanon on the Civil Society Knowledge Centre. She has further work experience in Quranic manuscript studies from the German research project “Corpus Coranicum” and has done an internship at the German Orient Institute in Beirut. Sophie Schmid holds a B.A. in Islamic Studies and Anthropology from the University of Zurich and an M.A. in Arabic Studies from the Free University of Berlin.
Simona Baloghova

Simona interned at Lebanon Support as a project assistant in 2014 and 2015, helping in the development of the Gender Equity and Conflict Analysis projects. She also managed the virtual resources libraries. Simona holds a BA in English-Arabic Translation from Damascus University and is currently completing her Bachelor of Political Science at the Lebanese University.
Manon Glaser

Manon has interned at Lebanon Support in 2015, subsequently working for a short time as Assistant Research and Research Officer. During her time in the organisation, she mainly worked on the Conflict Analysis Project, as well as on developing the research platform by liaising with contributors and editing research papers and articles. Following her position within Lebanon Support, she moved back to Paris to join Crisis Action where she holds a position as a Campaigns and Research Assistant. Manon holds an MA in International Peace and Security from King’s College London.
Hala Najjar

Hala interned at Lebanon Support in 2014. She mainly collaborated on the Gender Equity Network project and the Conflict Analysis Project, as well as assisted the centre in organizing events. Hala is currently a legal researcher at the Legal Agenda. She has undertaken several internships in the Lebanese Parliament and in International and Local NGOs, in which she worked as a researcher, translator, responsible for the media monitoring, security updates, the fortnightly and quarter report. Hala holds a bachelor degree in Law and a Bachelor in Administrative and Political Science from the USJ Lebanon.
Melina de Siqueira

Melina was a research intern in Lebanon Support in 2015. During her internship, she conducted a survey on local gender actors, which subsequently served as a basis for the development of a report assessing the state of gender actors and interventions in Lebanon: Overview of Gender Actors & Interventions in Lebanon, between emancipation and implementation (2016). She holds a Bachelor Degree in Social Communication and is currently completing a Master in Political Sciences with a focus on the Arab World. She speaks five languages, and is specializing in gender issues in the Arab World through several internships in Lebanon.