Description

Giving hope to a world torn apart

When the Beirut port exploded in August of 2020, it shattered more than buildings and homes: it reopened wounds, grief, and fears that many had experienced during the long and brutal Lebanese civil war. Loss of life reached the hundreds and injuries numbered in the thousands.More than 300,000 people were left homeless. In addition to this devastation, the people experienced the loss and destruction of parts of it’s art center, including the Sursock Museum, The Arab Image Foundation, the Sfeir-Semler Gallery, and the Beirut Art Center.

How does the act of witnessing hardship and molding powerful art change the landscape of local and global hardship? In this anthology, over 20 voices come together to explore this question and challenge the notion of resilience itself.

The Dar al Kalima University College of Arts and Culture’s program called Nabad is an innovative program that empowers artists, arts organizations, and creative enterprises in Southwestern Asia and North Africa. Nabad engaged 20 artists, poets, authors, activists, and academics to tell their stories and foster a much-needed dialogue on resilience & resistance culture in Lebanon.

The Beirut Call challenges readers to consider alternatives for countries that face wars, crises, instability, and despair. When people experience grief and uncertainty, the arts offer one way, however small, to engage the people through deep and emotional connections.

Watch the TRAILER | BOOK LAUNCH | INTERVIEW

Review: Middle East Quarterly, Fall 2022

Each essay, poem, artwork, and photograph portray a glimpse into the day of the Beirut port explosion and also offer a direct commentary regarding the local and global response. Artists and activists, professors and poets, and entire collectives wrote, photographed, filmed, spoke, and sang about the city they saw and the city they wished to see. The result is a rich dialogue about social and political issues and the role of art itself.

The Beirut Call presents Lebanon from a hundred eyes, telling the story from many perceptions and expressions that speak to Lebanese in their homeland and in the Lebanese diaspora. The book transcends the borders of Lebanon as contributors address worldwide issues of war, peace, memory, history, identity, creativity, cultural resistance, resilience, artistic activism, human rights, feminism, social justice, intercultural dialogue.

We challenge you to use this publication as a catalyst for discussions in schools, universities, arts & culture workshops, learning programs, youth and community centers, women’s groups, NGOs, and alternative education programs.

Proceeds will help Dar al Kalima University College of Arts and Culture continue to fund artists, arts NGOs, and small creative enterprises’ projects in Lebanon.

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Classroom use

The book can be used for courses on world cultures; cultural studies; world poetry; Middle Eastern studies; contemporary arts; interdisciplinary arts; peacebuilding; social change; art, activism and social movements; resilience; etc.

Recommended teaching/learning methods utilizing the book or parts of it are readings and discussions, experiential and collaborative learning, research projects, storytelling, reflective activities, and workshops.

Biographies

Dr. Pamela Chrabieh (Badine) is a scholar, university professor, visual artist, activist, writer, and consultant. She holds a Higher Diploma in Fine Arts and Restoration of Icons (1999, ALBA, University of Balamand, Lebanon). She pursued her higher studies at the University of Montreal in Quebec, Canada: Minor in Religious Sciences (1999), MA in Theology, Religions, and Cultures (2001), Ph.D. in Theology-Sciences of Religions (2005), and held two postdoctoral positions (2005-2008). Dr. Chrabieh has more than 20 years of extensive multidisciplinary and international experience and expertise in university teaching (Lebanon, Canada, United Arab Emirates), academic research, visual arts, art direction, communication, content creation, writing, project management, training, and conference/workshop/webinar organization. She is the author of numerous books, book chapters, academic papers, and online articles. As a visual artist, she has exhibited her work in Canada, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, and Italy. She has founded an online movement of writers and artists focused on gender issues in 2012, has been an active member of local/international NGOs, and a member of executive committees and advisory/editorial boards of several organizations since 1995. In addition, she has received several awards and grants in Canada, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates. Since 2017, Dr. Chrabieh has been the owner and director of Beirut-based SPNC Learning & Communication Expertise, and since 2020, Nabad’s Program Manager (nabad.art).  Pamela Chrabieh WEBSITE  |  FACEBOOK  |  INSTAGRAM.

Roula Salibi
After a decade spent in the business world, Roula Salibi decided the time had come to embrace the true calling of her heart: the calling of art.
She dedicated the next years of her life to learning all she could, including taking a series of intensive courses at ESMOD Beirut and imbuing herself in every aspect of the art world.

While the materials Salibi uses in her work are conventional, accessible, and simple, the results are anything but. Geometric forms, which are a constant thread throughout her work, combine with the earthy, unfinished feel of rough gemstones. There is depth and tactile beauty in her silverwork, with each finished piece exhibiting its own distinctive personality.

After exhibiting in Paris, Milan, London, New York, and Dubai, Roula Salibi’s pieces have extended into the European and Middle East markets. Online platforms have also expanded her work worldwide. You can follow Roula Salibi’s art or learn more her on FACEBOOK or INSTAGRAM.