The Beirut Banyan

0:00 Intro

1:53 What brought you to journalism?

9:19 Linkage

14:08 The written word

21:52 Donations

25:09 Editorial

30:47 Cybercrime bureau case

42:31 Local vs regional issues

48:24 Intimidation

54:33 Switching roles

1:01:18 Radical

1:08:43 Q&A

We're with Lara Bitar for Episode 358 of The Beirut Banyan, recorded live at Aaliya’s Books.

Click to watch: https://youtu.be/2KZhlFMGi9A

We discuss her journey into journalism, creating The Public Source, an emphasis on marginalized communities and powerless voices, and an appreciation for long-form written word and analysis.

Our conversation includes what it means to be 'radical' as well as Lara's recent cybercrime bureau summoning.

Lara Bitar is Editor in Chief for The Public Source.

Special thanks to Samer Beyhum for his audio-technical support.

Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal:

https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut

Or donating through our Patreon page:

https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan

Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:

@thebeirutbanyan

And check out our website:

www.beirutbanyan.com

0:00 Intro

2:07 Targeting Megaphone

5:40 A sign of success?

9:11 A divided movement

19:40 March 14

24:40 The Lebanese Forces

29:06 Two ways to address

35:17 Leftist movement

40:32 Diaspora

44:30 Megaphone & the digital age

49:14 Q&A

1:06:43 Why Lebanon fell apart

1:23:20 'Sectarian'

We're with Jean Kassir for Episode 357 of The Beirut Banyan, recorded live at Aaliya’s Books.

Click to watch: https://youtu.be/HrvC8JSlSAM

We discuss his recent summoning, protestor pushback and state retraction, the key issues continuing to divide October 17 and momentum in forming a leftist party / coalition.

Our conversation includes a look at the diaspora's role in local politics while lobbying abroad, and a look back at political successes and reasons March 14 was initially able bridge the divide among previously opposing parties.

Jean Kassir is cofounder of Megaphone.

0:00 Intro

4:01 Thirty years ago

8:52 Today's ceiling

19:07 Inaccessible

23:24 Production house

38:22 A step back

44:01 Retraction

48:42 Sectarianism & March 14

59:40 What destroyed Lebanon?

1:04:25 Q&A

1:27:52 The role that we play

We're with Diana Moukalled for Episode 356 of The Beirut Banyan, recorded live at Aaliya’s Books.

Click to watch: https://youtu.be/Tz1NGf2FR2Q

We discuss the evolution of Daraj Media into a competitive media outlet, recent journalist summonings and attempts at lawyer censoring, state retractions as a result of public pressure, and today's journalism ceiling compared to the initial post-civil war years.

Our conversation includes a look back at Diana's career in Future TV, hesitation on identifiers like 'alternative media’, and a brief debate on why March 14’s momentum withered.

Diana Moukalled is a celebrated journalist in her own right and cofounder of Daraj Media.

Special thanks to Samer Beyhum for his audio-technical support.

Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal:

https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut

Or donating through our Patreon page:

https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan

Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:

@thebeirutbanyan

And check out our website:

www.beirutbanyan.com

0:00 Intro

2:07 Sectarianism

10:24 Metropole

23:23 Sovereignty

35:18 Falling apart

42:39 System

57:22 Dubai

1:04:22 Traumatized

1:19:27 Perspective

1:28:43 Q&A

1:35:43 Ras Beirut

1:51:03 Uncertainty about the future

We're with Nadim Shehadi for Episode 355 of The Beirut Banyan, recorded live at Aaliya's Books.

Click to watch: https://youtu.be/2LwriUwm4_k

We discuss communal power sharing in time, debate the importance of sovereignty over a set of ideas and consensus, a society slowly degrading and a cosmopolitanism on the decline.

Our conversation includes recent pieces Nadim has written for Arab News, revolving around impunity, trauma and international protection lacking in recent years.

Nadim Shehadi is a columnist and former executive director of LAU's New York campus. He is also the former director of Tufts University's Fares Center for Eastern Mediterranean Studies.

Special thanks to Samer Beyhum for his audio-technical support.

Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal:

https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut

Or donating through our Patreon page:

https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan

Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:

@thebeirutbanyan

And check out our website:

www.beirutbanyan.com

0:00 Intro

1:52 A return to sectarian discourse

7:46 Senate & federalism

23:00 'Change' & sectarianism

29:28 Post-elections

38:14 Culture & infrastructure

46:28 Resignation & boycott

1:01:11 Port blast investigation

1:10:24 Media figure

1:29:08 Q&A

1:58:36 Nine years ago

We're with Albert Kostanian for Episode 354 of The Beirut Banyan, recorded live at Aaliya's Books.

Click to watch: https://youtu.be/AYj36wcmKFQ

We discuss the post-October 17 political and economic landscape, the role of media and Vision 2030's impact on discourse and narrative, an anthropological take on culture and infrastructure and the lack of public utility that could bring more people together, and where the port blast investigation stands.

We also cover post-elections frustration and sectarianism in light of the time zone fiasco, including a look at why Taif's stipulation for a senate was never implemented and increased calls for federalism.

Albert Kostanian is an economist, host of LBC's Vision 2030 and chairman of Kulluna Irada.

Special thanks to Samer Beyhum for his audio-technical support.

Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal:

https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut

Or donating through our Patreon page:

https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan

Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:

@thebeirutbanyan

And check out our website:

www.beirutbanyan.com

0:00 Intro

5:15 How would you define yourself?

11:05 'Lebanon Shot Twice'

22:34 'Beirut Guilty Pleasures'

38:39 Television

54:40 Freedom

1:03:23 Career

1:13:19 Q&A

1:35:22 Prime

We're with Zaven Kouyoumdjian for Episode 353 of The Beirut Banyan, recorded live at Aaliya's Books.

Click to watch: https://youtu.be/MACRiI2FpO8

A bittersweet, emotionally intense and exceptionally honest episode.

We discuss two of Zaven's books, 'Lebanon Shot Twice' and 'Beirut Guilty Pleasures' and reflect on his illustrious television career.

We also cover shifts in digital media and examine Zaven's own thoughts on his role within the political/media 'establishment' at length.

Zaven Kouyoumdjian is a media expert, talk show host and published author. Check out his books at Antoine Library.

A special thanks to Wael Abifaker for his audio-technical support.

Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal:

https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut

Or donating through our Patreon page:

https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan

Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:

@thebeirutbanyan

And check out our website:

www.beirutbanyan.com

0:00 Intro

6:21 Post-elections

16:21 Independent

25:47 Social media

32:20 Jamil Al Sayyed

41:02 Charbel Nahas

1:02:56 Curiosity in politics

1:08:29 Syria in the background

1:16:52 2000

1:24:53 2005

1:28:56 July 2006

1:38:11 May 2008

1:41:13 2019

1:48:45 The last chapter

2:02:02 Q&A

We're with Jad Ghosn for Episode 352 of The Beirut Banyan, recorded live at Aaliya's Books.

Click to watch: https://youtu.be/RJFu2kRmgrg

The discussion we shared is exactly why I podcast.

We covered our thoughts on independent journalism and an expanding alternative-digital media space, political persuasion through long-form narration, and our own respective lives growing up in post-civil war Lebanon (and how that shaped the words and phrases we use regularly that evolve over time).

Jad Ghosn is an independent journalist and podcaster. Check out his channel Reflections with @JadGhosn

A special thanks to Wael Abifaker for his audio-technical support and to Aaliya's Books for hosting the event.

Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal:

https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut

Or donating through our Patreon page:

https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan

Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:

@thebeirutbanyan

And check out our website:

www.beirutbanyan.com

0:00 Intro

3:28 Exhausting for you?

8:02 Psychology

13:29 Responsibility

18:21 Measuring success

23:33 Limit

30:12 Young men

39:40 Communal anxiety

48:40 Positive trend

52:25 Q&A

1:23:14 Suffer in silence

We're with Mia Atoui for Episode 351 of The Beirut Banyan, and the third of a live series at Aaliya's Books.

Click to watch:

https://youtu.be/gRfx6ySwj-4

Our conversation covers mental health and men's health awareness, a positive trend of accessibility towards psychology and therapy's benefits in recent years, and the differentiation between communal and sectarian anxieties as they relate to individual agency.

We also talk about measuring success, where limits are drawn and an acknowledgement of the majority that suffer in silence.

Mia Atoui is a clinical psychologist, cofounder and president of Embrace.

A special thanks to Wael Abifaker for his audio-technical support and to Aaliya's Books for hosting the event.

Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal:

https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut

Or donating through our Patreon page:

https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan

Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:

@thebeirutbanyan

And check out our website:

www.beirutbanyan.com

0:00 Intro

1:27 Why are you here?

10:13 Policy & planning

19:27 Not in parliament

29:16 Vertical farming

36:59 Solar energy

39:20 Medical coverage

49:27 Research center

1:02:26 Q&A

1:28:18 Incentive

1:38:22 The system

We're with Ziad Abi Chaker for Episode 350 of The Beirut Banyan, and the second of a live series at Aaliya's Books.

Click to watch: https://youtu.be/KQKaqNhqENo

Our conversation covers policy and planning expectations in the near term, potential benefits of remaining in civil society while outside parliament, vertical farming and solar energy prototypes along with incentives meant to maneuver poor governance.

We also talk about Gemmayze in time, medical coverage in face of inflation and a research center burned to the ground and currently under reconstruction.

Our discussion ends with a back and forth over expectations for system change in our lifetime.

Ziad Abi Chaker is an industrial and environmental energy and is an expert in waste management.

A special thanks to Wael Abifaker for his audio-technical support and to Aaliya's Books for hosting the event.

Link to 'Beirut Planting Roofs':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ov2KNOx1zC4&list=FLvYryHbfb8z0w3616ZUQfww&index=28

Link to 'An Incinerator for Beirut? A Documentary':

https://youtu.be/ee88DvyvXQY

And link to MTV Podcast's 'Private Sector & Public Policy' episode:

https://youtu.be/Evpqg_7SeEo

Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal:

https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut

Or donating through our Patreon page:

https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan

Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:

@thebeirutbanyan

And check out our website:

www.beirutbanyan.com

0:00 Intro

4:15 Gemmayze

11:23 Roman Beirut

24:39 Late Ottoman Era

54:30 1950-1970

1:16:58 Pop Quiz

1:27:21 Q&A

We're with Charles al-Hayek for Episode 349 of The Beirut Banyan, and the first of a live series at Aaliya's Books.

Click to watch: https://youtu.be/gxNpGaQCKUk

Our conversation covers three different eras encompassing Beirut's role in history as a regional hub for trade, knowledge and a metropole for emerging political ideas and more, including the Roman era, late-Ottoman years and two decades of post-independence history.

We also talk about Gemmayze in time, pluralism that once defined our part of the world and the centrality cosmopolitanism played in hosting minorities seeking refuge in modern Lebanon.

Charles al-Hayek is a public historian/consultant and runs the 'Heritage and Roots' page on Instagram.

A special thanks to Wael Abifaker for his audio-technical support and the entire team at Aaliya's for making this first live episode special.

Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal:

https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut

Or donating through our Patreon page:

https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan

Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:

@thebeirutbanyan

And check out our website:

www.beirutbanyan.com