The Beirut Banyan

Rida Mawla returns for a special conversation on the personal, including the challenges of physical intimacy, limited sensation, the desire for companionship and elevation of emotions, and the strength through confidence that comes with acceptance.

The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.

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Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

2:37 In the beginning

4:27 Spinal cord injury

6:40 Muscle mass

10:04 Physical intimacy & sensation

18:48 The sexual element

26:02 Relationship

28:41 Emotions

35:25 Acceptance

38:36 Positivity

With Elissa Samaha in a conversation about the benefits of physical therapy, addressing mental health through recovery and needed patience during post-injury rehabilitation.

Special thanks to Centre de Réhabilitation Laetitia Hatem - Hopital Mgr Cortbawi - Réseau USJ - HDF for supporting this episode.

The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.

Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:

@thebeirutbanyan

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www.beirutbanyan.com

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

2:04 Background

3:13 What is physiotherapy?

4:41 "Movement is key"

5:37 Why did you choose physiotherapy?

9:12 Psychological aspect

10:37 "It's a very long procedure"

11:24 Mental & physical

13:10 Necessity

14:59 Consequences of not doing physiotherapy

17:24 "It's a recovery session"

18:41 How do you see my progress?

22:11 Your hair

With Monika Borgmann in a conversation about dramatic changes impacting Lebanese politics & judicial process, victims' coalition related to political assassinations, a recent Lokman Slim Foundation event held at the Beirut Bar Association and reopening cases otherwise shelved for years on end.

The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.

Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal:

https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut

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https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.

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@thebeirutbanyan

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www.beirutbanyan.com

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

3:09 Lokman Slim event

5:34 Expectation

8:36 Manara for Justice

10:30 Backwards vs Forwards

12:06 Ministry of Justice

14:51 Beirut Bar Association

16:33 Hezbollah in 2025

21:20 Victims coalition

22:05 Reopening cases

25:56 Hassan Nasrallah’s death

28:06 Peace through details

With Giulia Cingolani in a conversation about dependence and immobility, trying to remain positive through post-surgery difficulty, navigating Beirut and an acceptance of life-changing circumstance.

The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.

Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal:

https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut

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https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan

Subscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.

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@thebeirutbanyan

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www.beirutbanyan.com

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

1:01 Post-surgery

3:10 Staying positive

6:19 Recovery

7:33 Beirut

10:03 Blame

12:53 Scooters

15:08 Rehabilitation vs Hospital

19:27 Interruption dance

19:53 Acceptance

With Najat Aoun Saliba in a conversation about friendship, loss, resolve & recovery.

The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.

Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal:

https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut

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@thebeirutbanyan

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Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

1:45 Reflection & friendship

8:24 Commuting & risk

9:38 Lawlessness

10:43 Losing a loved one

13:08 Determining your future

14:40 Raison d’etre in life

16:59 Minister vs MP

19:44 Competency

22:17 New voices

With Nadim Shehadi in a conversation about his recent Arab News piece:

"Reviving May 17 Agreement could be a solution for Lebanon"

https://www.arabnews.com/node/2607526

The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.

Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:

@thebeirutbanyan

And check out our website:

www.beirutbanyan.com

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

2:37 Lokman Slim event

5:21 1983

7:20 May 17 Agreement in retrospect

16:46 No push for internal disarmament

21:50 Tom Barrack's speech

With Rida Mawla in a conversation about looking at life differently and ongoing recovery.

The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.

Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.

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@thebeirutbanyan

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www.beirutbanyan.com

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

3:59 What happened

14:28 A journey

16:36 Looking at life differently

23:17 Mental stability

28:10 Physical pain

32:09 Immobility

35:15 Help

40:09 From bed to chair

A discussion on Beirut's municipal elections and Beirut Madinati 2025's platform.

With Lama Wazzan, Lina Jarrous, Kristy Asseily & George Kyriakos.

Co-hosted with Charbel Al Khoury.

The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.

Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:

@thebeirutbanyan

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www.beirutbanyan.com

Kristy Asseily joins The Beirut Banyan to discuss her candidacy for Beirut's 2025 municipal elections.

Our discussion covers her recent return to Lebanon and passion for grassroots politics, Beirut Madinati's efforts in retrospect, and the short and long-term platform the list is advocating.

We also talk about voter engagement, communal concerns, municipal relations with the Muhafez, digitization efforts, learning from NGOs and why the municipality matters.

Kristy Asseily is a member of the National Bloc.

The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.

Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:

@thebeirutbanyan

And check out our website:

www.beirutbanyan.com

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro

0:32 Professional background

3:13 Return to Lebanon

5:30 Municipal vs national politics

6:38 Decision to join National Bloc

8:26 Beirut Madinati in retrospect

13:23 Coalition disadvantage

15:03 Voter engagement

17:21 Sectarian concerns vs numbers

20:03 Striking names

23:22 Platform & financial audit

27:14 Starting small

30:45 Relations with the Muhafez

35:13 Collecting taxes

37:42 Digitization

40:59 Ghost projects

42:21 Accusations & false assumptions

44:17 Mobile app

47:53 Citizen forums

49:05 Bygone urban planning

53:17 Learning from NGOs

54:14 Reinvigorating the port

58:13 Vacancies & rent rates

1:01:26 Commute & accessibility

1:02:40 Political void & communal votes

1:08:15 Why the Municipality matters

Please make sure to check out the video version: https://youtu.be/rKUnhF4hXU4

On displacement and refuge on both sides of the Green Line, the diversity we retain and a tribute to the city we call home fifty years after April 13, 1975.

With special thanks to Ali Hamed.

Videography by Alexy Chidiac. Soundtrack by Marc Codsi.

The podcast is made possible through donations. Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & X:

@thebeirutbanyan

And check out our website:

www.beirutbanyan.com