HikeLebanon: A love letter to my motherland

With a botched economy, a collapsed currency that lost 95% of its value, perpetual political gridlock, skyrocketing unemployment, unstable security situation, Lebanon, one of the smallest countries in the world, faces colossal challenges. These problems are so overwhelming that it's hard to know where to start. Giving up is tempting. But neither paralysis nor surrender is in the Lebanese character. Like the roots of the mighty cedars that silhouette the heights of my motherland, perseverance is deeply rooted in the Lebanese psyche.

We are not quitting people. That acute sense of doggedness drives Empower Lebanon, founded and led by my friend Joe Khalil. Over the last two years, it's been my pleasure to lead Empower Lebanon's Board of Directors, providing fiduciary oversight and strategic guidance in support of Joe's efforts to raise funds and implement initiatives that improve lives across Lebanon.

Since our founding, we have focused our resources chiefly on food aid. These days, hunger is an unwelcome visitor in many Lebanese households. And though we did not expect to be handing out food boxes when we launched Empower Lebanon, that's what we've been doing. People are hungry, so helping put food on their kitchen table is the right thing to do.

Yet, one of the core goals of Empower Lebanon has always been to tackle another massive problem in Lebanon: the environmental crisis. Lebanon's air, rivers, forests, and shorelines are all heavily polluted. Coastal towns are engulfed by heavy smog spewed from unregulated transportation, factories, and power plants. Illegal dumpsites scar the once pristine landscape. Raw sewage and industrial waste flow into the sea untreated. Mounds of garbage dominate many beaches. Natural habitats are often casually destroyed to make room for development projects.

For a land so celebrated and prized since time immemorial, this rapid degeneration is soul-crushing. Given its dysfunctional condition, the Lebanese political system cannot be counted on for strategies, never mind solutions.

Hope is not lost. When politics are broken, people—civil society—can and must step up. People, not bureaucracies, power enduring change.

With that philosophy in mind, we partnered with Lebanon's premier environmental organization, the Lebanon Reforestation Initiative (LRI), to launch a youth-focused, experiential initiative to promote environmental awareness while aiding disadvantaged families and fostering a civic spirit across Lebanon.

Introducing #HikeLebanon.

Through our partnership with LRI, we are organizing day-long excursions for groups of boys and girls to experience the nature of their motherland. During the outings, men and women guides will lead discussions on environmental conservation and stewardship. Every step in the wonderous Lebanese countryside will reinforce those crucial lessons.

 Healthy meals will be provided during the trips. And because we understand the dire finances of so many Lebanese households, each kid will be sent home with a #HikeLebanon backpack filled with food and school supplies. And to help build on that environmental spark, we'll include books on the environment (one in English and one in Arabic).

 I believe this action embodies the most effective approach to building a generation of Lebanese who embody an environmental consciousness, which is critical to Lebanon's long-term survival. Yes, the stakes are that high. 

 The land is the wellspring from which people draw their cultural vitality—their way of life, traditions, heritage, collective memories, even their very identities. All that is Lebanon is rooted in its unique and sublime landscape. Therefore, I feel obliged to do my share to protect that most precious resource.

The troubles confronting my motherland pile as high as the mountains that embrace it. Yet, if you look closely upon the rugged slopes of those splendid peaks, you'll catch a glimpse of a majestic cedar tree, the pride of the Phoenicians, roots dug deep in Mediterranean soil, with evergreen branches kissing a bright blue sky.