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Is Now Finally the Time to Discuss Inequality in Lebanon?
Fri, February 19th, 2021
Live on Facebook and YouTube
Lebanon’s political economy has long been described as exceptional. The trope of a “Lebanese economic miracle,” in which Lebanon is a paragon of economic success, was long amplified by the ruling elite in order to maintain a status quo.
The 2019-2020 crises not only swept away this idea but also made blatant another kind of exceptionalism in the country—its record-high income and wealth inequality, which is perpetuated by the corrupt political economy. Extreme inequality is not a new phenomenon, however; rather it was brushed aside by the ruling elite, which largely consists of the nation’s wealthiest.
How can Lebanon create a new economic model that would put social justice at its core? Did the 2019 revolution create the opportunity to think and design policies that could decrease inequality levels? Join us for a conversation with Lydia Assouad, Toufic Gaspard, Haneen Sayed, and Gregg Carlstrom to discuss Lebanon’s worsening inequality and Assouad's latest paper, Lebanon's Political Economy: From Predatory to Self-Devouring, on Friday, February 19 from 5:00-6:00 p.m. Beirut (10:00-11:00 a.m. EST).
The discussion will be held in English. Viewers may submit their questions for the panelists using the Live Chat feature on Facebook and YouTube during the event. For more information, please contact Alex Müller at alexander.muller@carnegie-mec.org.
Carnegie does not take institutional positions on public policy issues; the views represented herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Carnegie, its staff, or its trustees.
Event Speakers
Lydia Assouad
Former El-ERIAN FELLOW, Carnegie Middle East Center
Lydia Assouad was the El-Erian fellow at the Carnegie Middle East Center where her research focuses on public and political economics.
Toufic Gaspard
Gaspard is a former senior economic adviser to the Lebanese minister of finance and adviser to the International Monetary Fund.
Haneen Sayed
Former Senior Fellow, Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center
Haneen Sayed was a senior fellow at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center in Beirut. Sayed is an economic development professional, with more than 25 years at the World Bank.
Gregg Carlstrom
Carlstrom is a Middle East correspondent with The Economist.