An initiative following a recent war brought together young people from Chiyah and Ain El Remmaneh—two communities long shaped by fragmentation and unresolved grievances from the Lebanese Civil War. Instead of allowing mistrust to deepen, young people chose dialogue, collaboration and collective action.

Through mentorship, shared learning and sustained engagement, they challenged entrenched perceptions, built relationships across community lines, and strengthened their ability to bridge divides.

In two connected Youth Connect Live sessions, we explore why the young people chose this path, how they did it, the challenges and breakthroughs, and the lasting impact of their work in rebuilding trust and enabling social cohesion.

To help you prepare, here are some reflection prompts you may want to think about before joining. We would also love to hear your thoughts and questions – share them with us here

  • Have you ever changed your perspective about a person or group after getting to know them better? What made that change possible?
  • What strengths can emerge when people with different experiences come together to work toward a common goal? Have you seen this in your own life?

Maria El Jalbout is an International Relations graduate from Holy Spirit University of Kaslik and an active contributor to community initiatives across Lebanon, including environmental projects and Youth Connect. Her work centres on supporting young people and strengthening community resilience.

Professionally, she works in the maritime cargo shipping sector and alongside this, she is pursuing a second degree in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence to expand her skills in technologies that can drive inclusive, data informed solutions and bring communities together.