Closing Civic Space in Lebanon: What Is at Stake?

As Lebanon struggles to emerge from years of deep political and economic turmoil, voices calling for transparency, accountability, and significant reform are coming under increasing pressure. Independent platforms promoting reform, informed public debate, and civic rights are now facing a wave of smear campaigns across social media and traditional news outlets. These attacks reflect a broader trend of shrinking civic space, which Lebanon has frequently experienced, alongside much of the Arab region.

 This panel will explore what these growing pressures mean for Lebanon’s prospects of reform. How might they shape the new government’s approach to the country’s overlapping crises. And what is at stake for independent actors and the future of civic space in Lebanon.

 To address these issues, the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center is hosting a virtual panel discussion on Thursday, April 11, at 4:00 PM, EEST Beirut time (UTC+3) / 09:00 AM EST. The speakers are Diana Moukalled, co-founder and managing editor of Daraj, Diana Menhem, managing director of Kulluna Irada, Jean Kassir, co-founder and managing director of Megaphone, and Ayman Mhanna, executive director of the Samir Kassir Foundation.

 The event will be held in Arabic and moderated by Mohanad Hage Ali, deputy director for research at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center.

 This panel is part of a broader series of discussions that aim to explore Lebanon’s path forward at a pivotal moment in its history, one marked by the emergence of new leadership, the convergence of multiple crises, and the mounting challenges that continue to shape the country’s future.

Viewers are invited to submit questions to the panelists via the live chat feature on Facebook and YouTube. For more information, please contact Najwa Yassine at najwa.yassine@carnegie-mec.org.