SFCG first worked in Lebanon in 1996, and we opened up our office here in 2008. Since then, our activities and capacities have grown significantly. We rely on local staff as well as local partner organisations in order to ensure our work is culturally sensitive, sustainable and well grounded in the Lebanese context. Our Vision
While conflict is inevitable, violence is not! Therefore we work to ac
hieve social change through transforming the way people deal with conflicts – away from violent and adversarial approaches, towards collaborative problem solving. Our Approach
The issues we address are multiple, such as conflicts arising within Lebanon's diverse society, tensions resulting from the increasing influx of Syrian refugees, security sector reform, as well as women’s socio-economic empowerment. In each project we seek to engage all stakeholders and strengthen local capacities in order to create sustainable change and increased social cohesion. We use various innovative peacebuilding tools to bring change at multiple societal levels: from TV productions aimed at transforming social attitudes of the masses, to videogames used to build youth's conflict resolution skills, to town hall meetings that re¬build shattered relationships between police and local communities. An example of our work can be seen in our attempts to counter mounting tensions between Lebanese host communities and Syrian refugees. We facilitate dialogue aimed at identifying common issues, which are then addressed by both communities through collaborative projects. The participants in our peacebuilding activities are as diverse as the conflicts we address, including children and youth, police forces, refugees, women's organizations, journalists and the media, community leaders, teachers, and religious leaders.
