The Lebanese Center for Policy Studies held in collaboration with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a national workshop on “Citizenship Issues in Lebanon : Dimensions and Current Challenges” on December 18, 2003 in Beirut.

Three quarters of a century have passed since the contemporary Lebanese state was established, half a century since Lebanese independence, fifteen years since the end of the war and the signing of the Taef accord, and still the issues of citizenship and national identity remain fundamental questions that Lebanon has not yet settled. A number of obstacles are still barriers to the efforts at citizenship building in Lebanon: First, the cultural and psychological état d’esprit of many Lebanese, second, the segmented school systems and the diversity of the educational curricula, and finally the hegemonic economic relations and the confessional structure of the political system in Lebanon.

The workshop dealt with the challenges that face the process of citizenship building in Lebanon and discussed three dimensions of citizenship. The first part of the workshop explored approaches and ways to overcome sectarianism in Lebanon; the second part analyzed the role of various educational institutions in the political socialization of the Lebanese citizen; finally, the third part discussed the continued weak representation of Lebanese women in political, administrative, and public life.

The workshop brought together academics, researchers, social scientists, educators, as well as legal experts and civil society leaders for a vigorous and honest public debate on how to improve citizenship building in Lebanon.

A publication on citizenship issues in Lebanon is expected by the end of 2004.