Episode 8: A conversation with Gilbert Doumit, Public Policy and Management Expert, Political Activist
Lebanon is currently facing political, economic, and social unrest, which has spiraled in the last year, due to COVID-19 and the devastating explosion on August 4 that killed 200 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless. In this episode, Gilbert Doumit, Public Policy and Management Expert, shares his unique insights on the crisis that is unfolding in his home-country. He highlights that the crisis is rooted in the sectarian-power sharing system “enshrined in every aspect of the country”, which helped end the civil war in 1990, but has now caused the near-collapse of Lebanon. Doumit unveils the different layers of the crisis and how this dire situation can create an opportunity for positive change.
Founder and Managing Partner of Beyond Group, an international mission-driven consulting firm, Doumit has worked for over two decades on social cohesion, social and economic policies and governance reforms, and facilitated dialogues in countries such as Libya, Yemen, Iraq, Nepal, Tunisia and Lebanon. As he shares his views on the current political situation of other countries in the MENA region, he emphasizes the importance of empowering citizens in Lebanon to take action and find their own solutions, without relying on foreign interference. If the crisis is not dealt with through their own means, Doumit fears that there is a risk of Lebanon transforming into a war zone. Doumit however, remains positive and shares his vision for a hopeful future.