The 7th edition of the Leader’s Academy (LLA) descended upon the Chouf and Aley district, engaging with 24 reform minded candidates for municipal elections and activists seeking alternatives to traditional sectarian political parties.

The workshop, titled LLA 101 Economic Foundations of Prosperity, delved into municipal-level solutions for a spectrum of issues plaguing the district. Over the course of the workshop, participants collaboratively crafted a comprehensive paper outlining key policy suggestions. A central tenet of the paper advocated for enhancing the authority of municipalities over essential services such as electricity, water, and solid waste to enable them to attract competing companies.  Attracting private companies emerged as a solution to establish solar farms, rehabilitate water distribution networks, and manage waste sorting facilities. In exchange, these private entities would contribute to the municipal coffers, allowing the establishment of an effective municipal police force to combat littering and safeguard the district’s properties and installations. To ensure the actionable implementation of these recommendations, a dedicated committee was formed.

The workshop marked a significant milestone for LIMS as it successfully transitioned to relying on internal resources exclusively. All speakers and moderators were associated with LIMS, providing the organization with heightened control, flexibility, and autonomy. This shift is crucial, particularly in light of the current war in the south that demands a high degree of agility. The feedback from the workshop was overwhelmingly positive, with the majority of participants expressing high satisfaction.

In a parallel effort, LIMS extended its reach launching the LLA 201 Connect to Prosperity Webinars for North Lebanon’s 3rd district. The first session commenced with a review of the recommendation paper drafted during LLA 101. Participants, eager to amplify impact, suggested edits to the paper and proposed to reach out to activists who were unable to attend LLA 101. The collective brainstorming also focused on effective strategies for disseminating the findings of the recommendation paper to a wider audience. As the Leaders’ Academy continues to empower and inspire, these initiatives stand as testament to the potential for positive change at the grassroots level.

Click to check full album of LLA101- Mount Lebanon 4 Workshop on Facebook