Fifty-one students from Notre Dame University-Louaize North Lebanon Campus (NDU-NLC), taking POS 201 and POS 345 with Dr. Noura Assaf, were trained on October 15, 2016, by ACT for the Disappeared, an NGO specializing in the issue of the missing and forcibly disappeared in Lebanon. The students worked on collecting stories of missing persons that will be added to the digital memorial, ‘Fushat Amal.’
According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) there are currently between 5,000 and 8,000 persons who disappeared during the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990), most of whom are civilians abducted at checkpoints, from their homes, or following a massacre or a battle.
The objectives of this training were three-fold:
1. One of the central aims was to increase the participants’ knowledge on the issue of the missing in Lebanon.
2. A primary objective was to introduce the Fushat Amal initiative and highlight its digital memorial.
3. The training focused on preparing the participants to conduct the interviews with the families of the missing. The majority of the interviews are taking place in North Lebanon where the number of missing people is substantially high.
The first part of the training focused on the context of the civil war and explored with Dr. Carmen Hassoun Abou Jaoude the concept of transitional justice. This presentation was given by a former head of the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ), an ACT for the Disappeared board member and a professor at Saint Joseph University (USJ). The second part was run by Sara Abdel Latif, project manager at ACT for the Disappeared in charge of Fushat Amal and the support of the families.
Latif presented the situation of the families, including their needs. To that end, testimonials were screened to students in order to sensitize them regarding the challenges and struggles faced by the families. The last part of the training presented the website and the methodology followed by the interviewers in collecting information. It was conducted by Amar Afra, a Forensic Science graduate and a volunteer at ACT for the Disappeared.
Finally, the trainers explained the steps to take after the interview is conducted. So far, 150 interviews have been conducted, yet many remain. Students are welcome to join the Fushat Amal initiative.
http://www.fushatamal.org/
http://www.actforthedisappeared.com/