Director of the Khaddit Beirut American University of Beirut

2020 - 2022

Despite the people’s efforts, Lebanon’s fight against a corrupt government was dramatically highlighted by the explosion in Beirut on August 4, 2020, which exposed the ongoing cycle of impunity and neglect. As a scholar and activist, I knew that returning to business as usual was not an option. Recognizing the need for collective mobilization, I joined with my colleagues to establish Khaddit Beirut (KB) (The Shake-Up of Beirut), an initiative focused on developing a systematic and community-driven roadmap for Beirut’s recovery. Two years later, KB was recognized by AUB as Scholar Activits For Impact and Learning (SAIL) for Change.

Scholar-activists from diverse fields came together to create scalable models in Community Education, Inclusive Businesses, Community Health, Environmental Health, and a Gaming Academy. Working collaboratively during times of crisis not only strengthened our solidarity and resilience but also helped us navigate challenges, share emotions, and celebrate milestones together. The recognition we received through scholarly publications, coupled with the positive feedback from numerous AUB faculty members, convinced the administration to formally acknowledge our efforts. This led to the establishment of the Scholar Activists for Impact and Learning for Change Cluster at AUB (SAIL for Change), a dedicated initiative to promote evidence-based community work beyond the university’s walls.