“I desire to see a Lebanon with real democracy and equality, in which all members of society can fit.”
Young and resourceful, Carlos is an environmental and social activist: he started working at 13 and now he hopes to study at university so that his activism can help always more people.
Carlos is a 19 years old social and environmental activist, whose goal is to build an equal and fair society for the Lebanese people.
He is especially active in environmental projects and in the reconstruction of houses destroyed by the August 4th explosion. He was the first person to apply for our basic income program and our whole team was immediately impressed.
He started working at the age of 13 and has many years of hard work behind him, which he can be proud of. He has taken part in many projects and protests, and now he hopes to study at university so that he can be more effective and rounded in his activism.
By the age of 14, Carlos was paying his own bills, studying, and working at the same time: this is the kind of journey that makes you strong, but that also comes with great difficulties.
Carlos carried a lot of responsibilities and often saw a lot of hatred. He has achieved a lot since then, and though certain scars keep burning, he has grown into a person that he can be proud of.
What is truly astonishing about Carlos is how he channels his experiences into a burning passion to achieve a better future for himself and his community.
“I don’t want others to go through what I had to experience,” he says, “I want to achieve more for myself and others.”
Carlos has been working and living within the networks of the Basecamp and Baytna Baytak: two very well-known organisations that were born immediately after the August 4th explosion to tackle the emergency and manage the rebuilding of houses.
Though his work has greatly contributed to creating progress in Beirut local NGOs are not able to support and sustain their volunteers.
At best, volunteers receive rare, occasional and symbolic payments. For the rest, they are on their own: fighting for basic human rights, trying to achieve an education, and providing for their basic needs.
This is where The Hague X Beirut comes in.
We believe that if activists can have food on the table, their work will be far more productive. If they receive mental or physical healthcare, they will be better equipped to withstand the fight. If they get education and training, their projects will be stronger and more effective.
That’s why we are joining forces with Lebanese, Dutch and international initiatives to provide for the basic needs of human rights defenders: housing, healthcare, education, and food.
Together, we can give Carlos a future and support peace in Lebanon.
You can also support this project through Lebanese art!
