To Bring Life Back to the Wounded Beirut

Repairing Sursock Museum

The agreement was signed in front of the damaged facade of the Sursock Museum. Photo credit: Arab News.

In an effort to repair what the August 4 blast damaged, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between Italy and UNESCO to renovate one of  Beirut’s most famous museums. The project which is worth €1 million, comes under UNESCO’s Li Beirut initiative, which aims to repair schools, heritage buildings, museums and galleries damaged in the Beirut blast. Located just 800 meters from the center of the port blast, the museum suffered severe structural damage. As such, the cost of restoring the museum had been estimated to be €2.5 million with France already having given €500,000 to replace the smashed stained-glass windows and wood-lined Arab salon.

“I salute Italy for its positive response to our call that will support the rehabilitation and revitalization of the museum as a heritage building as well as a promoter of cultural life,”Zeina Arida, director of the Sursock Museum, said.

#TheyMatter

More than 200 #TheyMatter portraits honor Beirut explosion victims via a street art gallery by an American Christian in Lebanon.

A Christian American- Lebanese artist named Brady Black took the streets and drew on the walls sketches of all those who had fallen, in commemoration of their memory and in defiance of the government. Even after 9 months of the brutal blast, investigations are leading to nowhere as political red tape and interference are impeding progress. Such an issue pushed the artist to take to the streets and do such an illegal act, without minding what law enforcement personnel might do to him. As such, he researched over the internet the individual victims and dedicated an hour of his time drawing each of them.  Lebanese victims are interspersed with Syrians, Palestinians, Bangladeshis, Filipinos, and Ethiopians. Black, for the time being, has not faced any legal charges for his wall sketches. The reason is that he has won the liking of victims’ families. As such, the government prefers not to do something that would trigger mass movements and protests.

Families of victims visited the site and where awestruck by the creative work he did.  “Where is my son?” one of the visitors asked as he scanned the long line of drawings.

Since the Beirut Blast, homelessness within the city has increased. Nevertheless, Brady Black also attempts to help abandoned children in any way possible while preaching about Jesus Christ. According to him, such children have been too forsaken by everyone. Yet, they still matter. 

“Our role as Christians is to stand up for the least of these, and love them in an irrational way,” he said.

“Just as Jesus did for me.”

Communication and Public Relations Department