June 2011 

On June 12, the Danish Embassy in Beirut sponsored a civil society day as part of its week-long Carstein Niebuhr Danish Cultural Week. Sixteen non-governmental organizations and approximately 200 attendees participated in the event. The Northern Lebanon Public Service Center (NLPSC), which is based in Tripoli and supported by the ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI), set up an exhibit that included posters from NLPSC’s stateless and refugee unit, as well as pamphlets on ABA ROLI’s anti-corruption work in Lebanon.

The event was NLPSC’s first public event in Beirut and it provided an important vehicle for raising awareness about the center’s work and mission.  Law students and recent graduates interning at NLPSC staffed the exhibit and spoke with attendees interested in NLPSC’s work to provide legal and social assistance and mediation services for refugees, stateless persons and juveniles. 

Copies of a poster advocating birth registration, The First Step to Citizenship, were distributed. The public and non-governmental organization (NGO) representatives alike commended both the design and message of the poster. Many participants acknowledged the need for greater legal assistance in the north of Lebanon, with NGO service providers especially recognizing the complex needs of stateless persons and the importance of birth registration.

To learn more about our work in Lebanon, contact the ABA Rule of Law Initiative at rol@americanbar.org.