“Breaking the vicious cycle of poverty”

“There is good news today: Kamil has successfully completed his studies and is now looking for a job,” reports Penelope Boujaoude from the Lebanese aid organization Flamme de Charité in a video interview. “The ISHR has contributed to this with its support of our work.” We reported last year on the fate of the 20-year-old Christian’s family. His grandfather came to Lebanon with the first wave of Palestinian refugees in 1948. His father, Maroun, 55, was born in the Cedar State. But by law, all descendants of Palestinians are also denied Lebanese citizenship. This puts him and his children at a disadvantage in their daily lives, even though his wife, Nancy (42), is Lebanese. Until now, it was up to her to earn a living as an employee in a supermarket. Her husband cannot even hold a menial job because he has been battling cancer for several years. The Lebanese state has no social safety net to support such families in need.

At least Kamil and his family now have cause for hope. And not only for them: The Lebanese government, which has been in charge in Beirut since the spring after a two-year transitional administration, is proving decisive. It is trusted to finally get the economy back on track. Before the Lebanese Civil War (1975 to 1990), the Cedar State was characterized by diversity, understanding, and cooperation across the boundaries of different religious and denominational groups. President Joseph Aoun is determined to reconnect with these values and promote them in the region. To this end, he received the President of the International Council of the ISHR, Archbishop Professor Thomas Schirrmacher, together with Secretary General Matthias Böhning, to prepare for the “International Conference on Diversity, Faith, and Sustainability” on October 25, 2025, in Beirut.

But first, the weapons currently in use on the southern border must be silenced. Since the ceasefire was agreed at the end of November 2024, both sides have accused each other of violations. “Hezbollah’s war with Israel has caused so much destruction and suffering and set our country back further,” says Penelope Boujaoude. Most of their compatriots are war-weary, they say. They wish that the pro-Iranian militia and party Hezbollah would also recognize the new realities. They don’t understand large segments of the Shiite population who still worship Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike , especially if they even lost their homes or loved ones in the conflict.

In August, the government in Beirut decided that the state alone should have a monopoly on weapons and that the Shiite militia should be disarmed. As planned, Jerusalem had already signaled its willingness to gradually reduce its military presence in the south of its neighboring country. However, Hezbollah now loudly announced its intention to continue its “armed resistance against Israel” and was already threatening civil war, despite having been significantly weakened in the recent conflict. Any strengthening and encouragement of the peace forces is welcome now.

Many Lebanese have lost their savings and even their livelihoods in the crises of recent years. Since its founding in 2020 by Lebanese Christian Penelope Boujaoude, Flamme de Charité has supported over 200 families through Lebanon’s overlapping crises, offering housing subsidies, medical assistance, essential vouchers, and educational support. These interventions are not acts of charity alone; they are investments in dignity, resilience, and long-term development.

ISHR stands alongside Flamme de Charité in this work. Strategic support, whether for education, healthcare, or basic necessities, carries real costs. But it also delivers real change. Families like Kamil’s are no longer defined by exclusion or despair, but by possibility.