Samidoun: Welfare and Resistance during the 2006 war on Lebanon

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SamidounWelfare and Resistance during the
2006 war on Lebanon

• Barrie Levine and Michael Lavalette

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Background

• Lebanon shaped by history of conflict and
  imperialism (Sykes-Picot Agreement)
• Sectarian society enshrined by the constitution
  inbuilt Christian political majority despite
  minority status. Majority Shia population with
  large concentration in the South (See Traboulsi,
  2007)
• Palestinian refugee experience (See Pappe, 2006
  and 2007)
• Continuing conflict with Israel since creation of
  Israeli state in 1948 subject to invasion,
  attack and political interference (See Fisk, 1990)

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The 2006 War

• Perceived threat from Hezbollah (part of the
  international war on terror and Islamic
  fundamentalism Shia Crescent)
• Led to massive aerial bombardment by Israel with
  the aim of neutralising Hezbollahs military
  capacity
• Air strikes targeted at the South of Lebanon and
  southern Beirut
• Massive displacement of civilian population
  1million refugees in a country of 4 million
• Refugees mainly poorer Shia Muslims who fled to
  areas of Beirut not under attack
• (See Achard and Warschawski, 2007 and
  Hovesepian, 2006)

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Impact of the War

• Limited welfare infrastructure in place and
  mainly provided through NGOs combination of
  large international and numerous local agencies
  over 4000 NGOs in Lebanon with the majority in
  Beirut
• Civilian, military, political infrastructure
  collapsed with the government essentially
  disappearing overnight
• International NGOs withdrew staff
• Refugees flooded into Beirut and took up
  residence in local parks with no aid or support

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The Creation of Samidoun

• In this vacuum, Samidoun established as an aspect
  of popular civil resistance
• Samidoun in Arabic, collective steadfastness,
  we are steadfast, can also mean resistance
• Over 300 volunteers in the space of two days
  1000 volunteers by end of 33 day war
• Democratic processes with daily open meetings
  making decisions and weekly general meetings
• In the absence of government and NGO response
  became the de facto provider and organiser of
  welfare and information

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Developing a grassroots welfare infrastructure

• Welfare responses developed in the following
  areas by Samidoun teams 15 units in all
• Distribution
• Call centre
• Stores and distribution
• Data centre
• Medical
• Health interventions
• Media internal
• Media external
• Volunteer organisation and logistics
• Co-ordination (with other bodies)
• Finance
• Purchase of goods and supplies
• Psycho-social
• Hygiene and public health
• Community organisation

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Relationships and Integration

• Worked out of Zico House Beiruts Gay and
  Lesbian Centre
• Relationship with Hezbollah
• Relationships with large NGOs
• Relationships with the State uneasy at first
  but gained recognition

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Conclusions

• Limitations of the Lebanese State
• Politics of NGO response
• Spontaneity of response
• Influenced and shaped by political activists with
  socialist ideas arose out of the movement
  protesting Israeli aggression
• Strength of developing a bottom up welfare
  response
• Developed an embryonic mass movement
• Drew on indigenous experience, skills and history
  of resistance
• Perceived as a form of collective resistance to
  Israeli military aggression
• Cut across sectarian boundaries
• Creative and collective response to needs of
  families, individuals, groups
• Challenging notions of traditional social work

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References

• Achard, G and Warschawski, M, (2007) The 33 Day
  War, London, Saqi
• Fisk, R (1990) Pity the Nation, Oxford,
  University Press
• Hovsepian, N. (Ed) (2007) The War on Lebanon,
  Massachusetts, Olive Branch Press
• Pappe, I. (2006) A History of Modern Palestine,
  2nd Ed, Cambridge, University Press
• Pappe, I. (2007) The Ethnic Cleansing of
  Palestine, Oxford, Oneworld
• Traboulsi, F. (2007) A History of Modern Lebanon,
  London, Pluto