The Vitas Lab: Building Brighter Futures Through Financial InnovationÂ
By Rohit Kulkarni and Lizzie Hickman Low- and middle-income countries were hit hard by COVID-19, as revenue streams dried up and government enforced lockdowns shuttered workplaces. Cracks in Lebanon’s financial system started in 2019 but were exacerbated by the pandemic. As a result, the Lebanese economy has undergone one of the worst peacetime collapses in…
Read MoreYouth, Purpose and Prosperity: Security in the Middle East
Youth, Purpose and Prosperity: Security in the Middle East This is Sa’ed Murad. He is a Jordanian who, not long ago, was one of the young people who make up the 29% youth unemployment statistic in that country. Today, however, he is a successful app developer. He is one of 73 youth who, through the…
Read MoreDevelopment, not Dependency: Investment as a Path to Self-Sufficiency and Stability in the Middle East
Development, not Dependency: Investment as a Path to Self-Sufficiency and Stability in the Middle East By David A. Weiss, President and CEO, Global Communities | This article originally appeared on The Huffington Post. Maleeka Mohammed, winner of businesswoman of the year from Bank Al Etihad In my previous two blogs, I have focused on the importance of measuring…
Read MoreGlobal Communities in Lebanon: Agriculture – Farming, Aquaculture, and Modern Greenhouses
Global Communities in Lebanon: Agriculture – Farming, Aquaculture, and Modern Greenhouses Clustering for Economic Development and Revitalization of Industry Sectors Through CEDARSplus, which builds on predecessor program CEDARS to expand rural economic opportunities with various entities from the private, government, academic, and non-profit sectors, Global Communities has worked closely with the Moawad Rene Foundation since…
Read MoreGlobal Communities in Lebanon: Agriculture
Global Communities in Lebanon: Agriculture Lebanon Apple Production Agriculture is Lebanon’s third most important sector, employing about 15% of the active population. Global Communities has been instrumental in supporting and expanding agricultural businesses in Lebanon by working closely with the USDA-funded Lebanon Apple Production Improvement Program (LAPI), which introduced a mechanism for quality control and…
Read MoreGlobal Communities in Lebanon: Education and Employment of Women
Global Communities in Lebanon: Education and Employment of Women Women living in many parts of the Middle East experience extremely high unemployment rates; some leave the work force to start families and then struggle to re-enter the job market, while some are completely new to paid employment. Instability in the region has prompted even more…
Read MoreGlobal Communities in Lebanon: Education and Employment of Youth
Global Communities in Lebanon: Education and Employment of Youth MENA YES: Youth Employment and Education in Lebanon The unemployment rate in Lebanon increased from of 11 to 20 percent during the course of 2014, according to the World Bank. The Lebanese Ministry of Labor put this figure at closer to 25 percent, with youth unemployment…
Read MoreGlobal Communities in Lebanon: Working with Refugees
Global Communities in Lebanon: Our Work with Refugees Global Communities has worked closely with UNHCR to provide for refugees as well as the communities that host them. The Lebanese public health, education and infrastructure systems continue to struggle in providing services to locals and newcomers alike. Hundreds of thousands of individuals go without health care,…
Read MoreMarket Labor and Youth Capacity Assessment in Lebanon
Market Labor and Youth Capacity Assessment in Lebanon Worldwide, young people are three times more likely than their parents to be out of work. There are two related issues: high levels of youth unemployment and a shortage of people with critical job skills. Lebanon is experiencing these same issues, in its own particular economic context.…
Read MoreAllowing Refugees to Better Their Communities Results in Big Benefits
Allowing Refugees to Better Their Communities Results in Big Benefits By David Weiss, President and CEO, Global Communities This article originally appeared in the Huffington Post. The approaching UN General Assembly summit on refugees and migrants promises to bring attention to humane and coordinated approaches to addressing the needs of the millions of displaced individuals around…
Read MoreGlobal Communities in Lebanon
Global Communities in Lebanon Global Communities, known as CHF International inside of the country, has been working in Lebanon since 1997. With more than 15 years of experience, Global Communities has established a reputation for implementing community driven programs that address a broad range of social issues, from agricultural development, to education and the current Syrian Crisis.…
Read More