Beyond Magazine Issue 9 Summer 2012

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MAGAZINE

BEYOND ALL ODDS

WIND POWER Akkar looks skyward for energy PLANT YOUR FEET HERE A walk through Europe’s finest gardens and forests ALL TALK? What politicians have or haven’t done for the environment

A WORD FROM THE GENERAL DIRECTOR

Finding Solace under the shade of a tree n the forest where I go when I feel oppressed and tired, I have realized lately that life is all about appreciation and gratitude. If one could appreciate and be grateful for nature and focus on all the beauties and splendors of the Earth, then more goodness ZRXOG Ă RZ DQG WKH ZRUOG ZRXOG VHHP D EHWWHU SODFH LQ ZKLFK WR live. However, if one complains and surrenders, then that is where his focus will be, and he will attract more negativeness to himself.

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In the forest where I go when I feel washed-out, trees have enhanced my vision of life by miraculously removing all feelings of stress. The whisper of trees has the power to bring back the good energy that the city had made me lose. In the depths of the forest, in which I RIWHQ FRQÀGH HYHU\ DSSDUHQW GLVDVWHU WXUQV LQWR WR WKH VHHGV RI QHZ choices and positive attitudes. All that I do is trust in this natural phenomenon as an unfailing truth and thank God for the many sacred gifts that He has given me. In the forest where I go when I feel bored and useless, the smell of pines has taught me to listen to the inner wisdom of my soul... and not the random opinions of others, to live by choice... not chance, and to pursue my quest for inner peace. As I sit under the shadow of a tree, I feel protected by its leaves. I regenerate in the shelter that Mother Nature has granted me and it is only in this moment of delight that I accept each chapter in my life story as vital to my growth and my journey toward the goal, no PDWWHU KRZ GLIÀFXOW WKDW HSLVRGH PD\ EH ,Q WKH IRUHVW ZKHUH , JR ZKHQ , IHHO LQVHFXUH DQG YXOQHUDEOH D JODQFH DW WKH WDOO PDMHVWLF WUHHV JLYHV PH FRQÀGHQFH DQG faith in myself. The sense of wonder becomes within reach and living takes on the meaning of focusing on what is, right here, right now, and that is happiness! If you, dear reader, haven’t visited the forest yet, you may have been living your life in a whisper. Just for today, take one step toward living out loud and free‌Pump up your volume, stand up for yourself, and go green and "Beyond"! In this issue, travel with us to see some of Europe’s most famous forests, such as the undisturbed forests of Romania, the beautiful forests in the High Pyrenees in France, and the pine forests in the Tatras Mountains in Slovakia. Stroll with us through some of France’s most enchanting gardens, such as the Luxembourg Garden in Paris and the Gardens of Versailles. See how German architect Jßrgen Mayer H is bringing architectural rebirth to Georgia. Closer to home, this issue deals with the problem of the pollution of the Litani River. We also look at how a local company, Hawwa Akkar, is encouraging the use of wind power in the North. We examine the progress of the Ministry of the Environment’s National Reforestation project. Finally, we evaluate the contribution (or lack thereof) that Lebanese political parties are making to the protection of the environment.

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CONTRIBUTORS

EDGARD CHEHAB With 17 years of experience in the environmental field, Edgard Chehab is a renowned name in local and regional green circles. He is the assistant resident representative and manager of the Energy and Environment Program of UNDP, Lebanon. He is also the advisor to the Ministery of the Environment. Beyond is lucky to have Mr. Chehab as its environmental consultant and dear friend.

DIANA BOUDARGHAM TANNOURY In her sixth contribution to Beyond, Diana Boudargham Tannoury continues to push her poetic license to the next level. With a master’s degree in international communications and international relations from Boston University, Mrs. Boudargham-Tannoury enjoys writing short stories and poems in the hope that her words will help raise awareness about nature’s fragility.

ALFRED MOUSSA

CLEMENT TANNOURI

A photography artist who has captured the nature, architecture, and people of 15 countries and 120 cities in five continents, Alfred Moussa has been taking his best shot since his tender years. He has contributed to Lebanon’s Ministries of Tourism and Environment and LBC International, among the many others. Mr. Moussa’s work has earned him nods from Photo Laureates, American Art Festival, Georgetown University, World Press Photo, and many more. He has organized shows and exhibited across Lebanon, Syria, Switzerland, and France. info@alfredmoussa.com

Clement Tannouri is an aerial photography specialist who has authored several gorgeous photography books including Cedar of Lebanon, Pledge of Eternity (2010), On Earth as it is in Heaven (2009), and Box of Moments (2007). Mr. Tannouri returned from France in 2004 to settle in his native Lebanon, where he started his own graphic design and advertising company. He has been capturing Lebanon’s grandeur ever since.

BASSAM KANTAR A seasoned Lebanese journalist, Bassam Kantar is the founding member of the Lebanese Environment Par ty (LEP). Kantar frequently writes about environmental and human rights issues. He strongly believes that the free press can, of course, be good or bad, but, most cer tainly without freedom, the press will never be anything but bad.

BEYOND ALL ODDS

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Owner and General Director Pascale Choueiri Saad

Co-owner Ronald Saad

Chief Editor

(C) ALFRED MOUSSA

THE BEYOND TEAM

Pascale Choueiri Saad

Responsible Director Tony el Hajj

Copy Editor Jody Jaffe

Chief Environmental Consultant Edgard Chehab

Environmental Consultants Bassam Kantar

Art Directror Pauline Hage

Coordinator Joelle Choueiry Makhoul

Guest Photographers Clement Tannouri, Belinda Ibrahim, Alfred Moussa, Kamel Jaber, Nada Karam, Cherine Yazbeck, Mich Tadros, Rita Kamel, Elie Bekhazi, Elie Georges, Eddy Yazbeck, Raymond Yazbeck, Charbel Adaimy

Illustration Raphaelle Macaron

Concept, Design & Research Department PhDeZigns

Translator Jody Jaffe

Contributing Writers Jody Jaffe, Alice Hlidkova, Christopher Kanal, Bassam Kantar, Ana Maria Luca, Alex Grey, Aline Sara, Cherine Yazbeck, Yousra Bustros, Diana Boudargham Tannoury, Lisa George

Printed by Chamas for Printing & Publishing Mazraa, Colombia Center This magazine is printed on recycled paper

Published by Five Stars Tourism s.a.r.l. Azarieh St. Azarieh Bldg. – Block 01 Beirut, Lebanon Tel: +961 1 994 006 , Fax: +961 1 994 007

All materials, content, visuals, and designs of Beyond magazine are protected by domestic and international copyright and intellectual property laws. Nothing cited in Beyond may be used or reproduced without our written approval. Full legal action will be taken against violators. 6

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COVER PHOTO BY CLEMENT TANNOURI

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THE EARTH IN FOCUS

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TOWARDS A CLEANER, GREENER SOUTH

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Former Spanish ambassador to Lebanon, Juan Carlos Gafo, talks to Beyond about his photography and much more

A Beyond interview with the Governor of the South, Nicolas Abou Daher

A project to help clean up the Litani River

ESSENCE 112

PLANT YOUR FEET HERE

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TOO MUCH HOT AIR?

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WIND POWER

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What politicians have or haven’t done for the environment

Akkar looks skyward for energy

HORIZONS 160

GEORGIA AWAKES

162

EAST MEETS WEST IN THE HIGHLANDS

170

HISTORY ON A GRAND SCALE

The Caucasian country is witnessing an architectural rebirth

The V&A Dundee brings Japanese spatial simplicity to the wild Scottish coast

Beyond checks out some of Europe’s most famous castles

WHEN YOU ARE DONE LEAFING THROUGH BEYOND, SHELVE IT AS YOUR TRUSTED GREEN COMPANION OR SEND IT FOR RECYCLING.

F I R M F O U N DAT I O N S

GREEN TALK

THE EARTH IN FOCUS Words ALINE SARA

– Last May, visitors could catch a glimpse of some 170 photographs taken by the former ambassador of Spain to Lebanon, Juan Carlos Gafo. The exhibit featured a variety of photographs taken by the diplomat during travels to more than 60 countries between 1992 and 2012. Beyond sits down with Ambassador Gafo to listen to his thoughts about photography, travel, Lebanon, and the country’s prospects of going green.

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Having lived and worked in Lebanon, what are your thoughts about efforts by both Lebanese civil society and the government to help improve the country’s situation? /HEDQRQ KDV D XQLTXH HFRV\VWHP EXW LW LV YHU\ IUDJLOH ,W KDV VLJQLILFDQW ZDWHU UHVRXUFHV EXW WKH\ DUH RIWHQ ZDVWHG 7KHUH LV D ODFN RI DZDUHQHVV ZKHQ LW FRPHV WR WKH HQYLURQPHQW /DWHO\ WKHUH KDV EHHQ PRUH DZDUHQHVV RI WKH LVVXH DQG PHDVXUHV DUH EHLQJ WDNHQ WR WDFNOH SUREOHPV VXFK DV VROLG ZDVWH PDQDJHPHQW DQG ZDWHU GUDLQDJH 6SDLQ KDV KHOSHG ÀQDQFH WKH FOHDQLQJ RI WKH 5DEELW ,VODQGV RII WKH FRDVW RI 7ULSROL :H DUH DOVR LQ WKH WKLUG SKDVH RI D ÀUH FRQVXOWLQJ SURJUDP ZLWK WKH 0LQLVWU\ RI 'HIHQVH WR KHOS WUDLQ ÀUHÀJKWHUV WR PDQDJH ZLOG ÀUHV Can you make a comparison between what you are seeing in Europe and the Middle East in terms of such efforts? (XURSH KDV D ORQJHU KLVWRU\ RI

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ECOCENTRIC INITIATIVES

TOWARDS A CLEANER, GREENER SOUTH – Beyond met with the Governor of the South, Nicolas Abou Daher, and talked about the sensitive environmental issues that the South is facing.

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USED TIRES

BURNING ISSUE Words ALEX GREY

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– The disposal of used tires is a serious issue in Lebanon. With the growing number of cars on our roads, the number of tires in need of disposal continues to rise year after year. At present, tires are simply dumped with no concern for recycling, leading WR RYHUÁRZLQJ GXPSVLWHV YDOOH\V IXOO RI XVHG UXEEHU DQG WKH RFFDVLRQDO ÀUH VWDUWHG E\ SROLWLFDO SURWHVWHUV Beyond recently sat down with UNDP’s Edgard Chehab to discuss the issue of recycling this ever-present environmental threat.

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ZLWK WKH EHVW RIIHU RQ WKH WDEOH VKRXOG JHW WKH FRQWUDFW 7KH PDUNHW ZLOO QRW PRYH XQWLO WKH JRYHUQPHQW SURYLGHV VXEVLGLHV LQ VRPH ZD\ 7KH PRQH\ PDGH IURP WKH ZDVWH LV VLPSO\ WRR OLWWOH AG: 7HOO PH DERXW WKH SURFHVVHV XVHG WR UHF\FOH WKH WLUHV EC: 7KHUH DUH ´FROG SURFHVVHVµ ZKHUHE\ WKH UXEEHU VWHHO DQG WH[WLOHV DUH VHSDUDWHG FKHPLFDOO\ 7KH WH[WLOHV DQG VWHHO KDYH D KLJK YDOXH EXW WKH YROXPH SHU WLUH LV VPDOO 7KH UXEEHU WKHQ QHHGV WR EH JUDQXODWHG DQG FDQ EH XVHG LQ WKH PDQXIDFWXULQJ RI FHPHQW $QRWKHU PRUH DGYDQFHG WHFKQRORJ\ LQYROYHV IUHH]LQJ WKH WLUH ZKLFK WDNHV PXFK OHVV WLPH )LQDOO\ WKHUH·V D KHDW EDVHG SURFHVV ZKHUHE\ WKH UXEEHU LV PHOWHG ,W·V PRUH SROOXWLQJ DQG ZH GRQ·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INTERVIEW

HOPE RISING +HDUWEHDW LV RQ D PLVVLRQ WR VDYH OLYHV

– Since 2005, Lebanese NGO Heartbeat has been saving the lives of children with congenital heart disease. Dr. Issam el Rassi gives Beyond a bit more input on the organization and its mission.

Words ALINE SARA

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Can you tell us a bit more about congenital heart disease? 2QH RXW RI HYHU\ FKLOGUHQ LV ERUQ ZLWK D FRQJHQLWDO KHDUW FRQGLWLRQ ZLWK DERXW WZR WKLUGV RI WKH FDVHV JRLQJ XQGLDJQRVHG :KHQ XQWUHDWHG D FKLOG ZKR LV ERUQ ZLWK WKH FRQGLWLRQ ZLOO GLH ,W DIIHFWV DSSUR[LPDWHO\ RQH RXW RI FKLOGUHQ EXW LI LW·V WUHDWHG WKHUH LV D SHUFHQW FKDQFH WKH FKLOG FDQ JR RQ WR OLYH D QRUPDO OLIH ,W LV DOVR LPSRUWDQW WR KDYH D SURSHU IROORZ XS ZLWK WKH FKLOGUHQ RQFH WKH\ XQGHUJR WKH ILUVW RSHUDWLRQ :H DOVR JXDUDQWHH VXFK D VHUYLFH

When was the organization founded and why? 2QO\ D IHZ \HDUV DJR FKLOGUHQ VXIIHULQJ IURP FRQJHQLWDO KHDUW GLVHDVH ZRXOG FRPH WR WKH KRVSLWDO :H ZRXOG LQIRUP WKH SDUHQWV RI WKH FRVW RI WKH WUHDWPHQW DQG WKH\ ZRXOG UDUHO\ FRPH EDFN 2XU PLVVLRQ LV WR WUHDW DOO FKLOGUHQ ZLWK WKH GLVHDVH E\ SURYLGLQJ WKHP ZLWK WKH QHFHVVDU\ IXQGV ,W LV TXLWH many children has H[SHQVLYH HVSHFLDOO\ IRU IDPLOLHV How ZKR VWUXJJOH ILQDQFLDOO\ Heartbeat treated so far and what is the cost? %DFN LQ D JURXS RI XV 6R IDU ZH KDYH RSHUDWHG RQ SK\VLFLDQV KDG QRWLFHG WKLV WUHQG PRUH WKDW FKLOGUHQ 7KH RI IDPLOLHV ZKR FRXOG VLPSO\ QRW FRVW LQFOXGLQJ KHOS IURP WKH DIIRUG WR WUHDW WKHLU FKLOG :H ZHUH JRYHUQPHQW FRPHV WR DPDWHXU PXVLFLDQV VR ZH GHFLGHG WR FRPELQH RXU WDOHQWV LQ PXVLF How do you raise funds? 7KH PDLQ VRXUFH RI IXQGLQJ FRPHV DQG PHGLFLQH LQWR RQH IURP RXU DQQXDO PXVLFDO FRQFHUW ,W VWDUWHG ZLWK D VPDOO FRQFHUW LQ DQG WKH JDOD GLQQHU ZKHUH ZH·YH 'HLU HO 4DPDU LQ ZKHUH ZH HYHQ KDG JLIWV DXFWLRQHG IURP UDLVHG RXU ILUVW IXQGV IROORZHG E\ &KULVWLH·V LQ (QJODQG 7KLV JDOD LV %,(/ LQ DQG WKHQ &DVLQR PRVWO\ DWWHQGHG E\ PDLQ GRQRUV GX /LEDQ 2QH WKLQJ OHG WR WKH DQG RXU SDUWQHUV LQFOXGLQJ WKH QH[W DQG ZH EHFDPH DQ RIILFLDO &KRXHLUL *URXS $wVKWL DQG 5RDGVWHU 'LQHU DV ZHOO DV RXU PDLQ RUJDQL]DWLRQ LQ

C ELIE BEKHAZI

What are your long-term goals? We have already expanded beyond Lebanon. We are realizing that children need help in neighboring countries…they are coming to us, and the experience of Heartbeat is providing these children with proper care. We are part of the Chain of Hope.

C ELIE BEKHAZI

sponsor, Bank Audi. In addition, the organization is almost fully run by volunteers, who work on everything, from the organization of the event, to the actual performance during the concert. They are from all walks of life, high-school students to CEOs, medical students, doctors, designers, engineers, and more. The Casino du Liban provides us with its concert hall for the annual musical, free of charge.

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WORLD ARCHITECTURE

DOORS TO A BYGONE ERA 34

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(C) KAMEL JABER

Collection of old Lebanese doors

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(C) SEAN NEL

Aix-en-Provence, France 36 EMOTION

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Ʉɬ ўɑǸȽȝȐ ɜȣǸɜ 8ǸɜɤɑȐ ȇɄȐɕ ȽɄɜ

ȰȽɄȃȰѮ ǸȽȇ ɴȐɜ ȇɄȐɕ ȽɄɜ ȨȽɜɑɤȇȐѳ”

EMILY DICKINSON, LETTER TO MRS. J.S. COOPER, 1880

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WORLD ARCHITECTURE

Collection of old Mediterranean windows

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EMOTION

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(C) MALGORZATA KISTRYN

(C) GABRIELA INSURATELU

WORLD ARCHITECTURE

(C) BADZTUA

(C) RICHARD SEMIK

Mikonos, Greece

Khaoyai

40

The Netherlands

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(C) AMA

(C) TUPUNGATO

(C) ANDREI ORLOV

Bodrum. Tukey

Thailand

Morocco

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(C) JAVARMAN

(C) JAVARMAN

Burano, Venice, Italy

ѽ\ȣȐȽ Ʉɤɑ ȐɴȐɕ ɕȐȐ Ʉɤɑ ȣǸȽȇɕ ȇɄȨȽȝ ɜȣȐ ɬɄɑȰ ɄȘ Ʉɤɑ ȣȐǸɑɜɕѮ ɜȣȐ ȃȨɑȃȵȐ ɄȘ ɑȐǸɜȨɄȽ Ȩɕ ȃɄȹɉȵȐɜȐȇ ȨȽɕȨȇȐ ɤɕѮ

ɜȣȐ ȇɄɄɑɕ ɄȘ Ʉɤɑ ɕɄɤȵɕ цɴ ɄɉȐȽѮ ǸȽȇ ȵɄɨȐ ўȐɉɕ ȘɄɑɜȣ ɜɄ ȣȐǸȵ ȐɨȐɑɴɜȣȨȽȝ ȨȽ ɕȨȝȣɜѱѾ

MICHAEL BRIDGE

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(C) MURIEL LASURE

Provence, France

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(C) MURIEL LASURE

(C) RUTH BLACK

Chouf, Lebanon

ѽ ɑȐȐȇɄȹ Ȩɕ ɜȣȐ ɄɉȐȽ ɬȨȽȇɄɬ ɜȣɑɄɤȝȣ

ɬȣȨȃȣ ɉɄɤɑɕ ɜȣȐ ɕɤȽȵȨȝȣɜ ɄȘ ɜȣȐ ȣɤȹǸȽ

ɕɉȨɑȨɜ ǸȽȇ ȣɤȹǸȽ ȇȨȝȽȨɜɴѱѾ

HERBERT HOOVER

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Simply divine Beyond takes you on a global, spiritual journey

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BBEYOND BE BEY EYO EY ON OND ND ND ALL ALLL ODDS A OD DDS DD DS DS

4477

C CHEEONN LEONG

Kinkakuji, Kyoto, Japan

Angkor Wat, Cambodia

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C LUCIANO MORTULA

"Your daily life is your temple and your religion. When you enter into it take with you your all. GIBRAN KHALIL GIBRAN

Bagan, Myanmar, Burma

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C CHANTAL DE BRUIJNE

"Nature is a temple in which living columns sometimes emit confused words. Man approaches it through forests of symbols, which observe him with familiar glances. CHARLES BAUDELAIRE

C SIMON ZENGER

Sanctury of Truth, Pattaya, Thailand

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"You're just left with yourself all the time, whatever you do anyway. You've got to get down to your own God in your own temple. It's all down to you, mate. JOHN LENNON

GREEN JOURNEY / NATURAL SWIMMING POOLS

SWIMMING GETS REAL – One elegant, eco-friendly solution is the so-called natural swimming pool, which is recommended for health, environmental, and aesthetic reasons. One can get wet without smelling like cleaning products.

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atural pools, also called "green pools" or "organic" pools, require no chemicals such as chlorine to kill bacteria, and require no manufactured materials. They eliminate the need for chemicals and constant cleaning as their biological self-cleansing processes are completely effective. Impurities and harmful bacteria are transformed by plants and natural water organisms. They are constantly alive and evolving, changing with the seasons and allowing the plants to grow comfortably in their natural environment. A natural pool works with nature to cleanse the water organically. They utilize the natural purifying properties of plants and micro-organisms to sustain a clean and healthy eco-system.

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The risks of chlorine The chlorine used in most pools can have some negative side effects. Damaging effects on hair are well known and studies have linked inhalation of the chemical by swimmers to increased rates of asthma. In addition, urine and sweat in the water can react with chlorine to form toxic breakdown products known as chloramines.

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Hievre el Agua thermal spring in Oaxaca, Mexico

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C NCG

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C IMAGIX

Milky white and blue water of the Blue Lagoon, geothermal baths in Iceland

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C VINCENZO BERNARDI

Thermal water for bathing in Saturnia, Tuscany

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C FOTOKIK_DOT_COM

Excelsior Geyser pool in Yellowstone National Park in the State of Wyoming

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C SERGHEI STARUS

C JAROSLAW GRUDZINSKI

Carbonate travertines with blue water. Unique nature wonder in Pamukkale, Turkey

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C FOTOVETO

Thermal spring mineral terrace in Egerszalok, Hungary

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ALL IN THE MIND

Kherbet Kanafar

To all those who imagine themselves to be the center of the Universe, To all those who imagine themselves to be the pivot of history, To all those who think touched the ďŹ nger of God, To all those whose ego is king , Will you sit under this tree... By Yousra Bustros

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ECOTOURISM

WALK ON THE WILD SIDE

Lebanon’s mountain trail sets you on the path to adventure Words ANA MARIA LUCA Photos ELIE GEORGES

hose who are seeking hiking adventure should head for the incredible wild forest paths and country roads of the Lebanon Mountain Trail (LMT), a crosscountry path that takes you through 75 villages, nature reserves, a World Heritage site, ancient castles, monasteries, abandoned mills and Roman ruins, all the way from Qbayat, Akkar in the North to Marjaayoun in the South.

T C CHERINE YAZBECK

Lebanon Mountain Trail Association 7KH /07 ZDV DW ÀUVW MXVW D SURMHFW LQ WKH PLQGV of a group of Lebanese mountain lovers who thought of promoting hiking and eco-tourism in the Levant. On the map the trail turned out to be 440 kilometer long and breathtakingly beautiful. Two years later, the project, managed by EcoDit, a worldwide environmental consulting company, became the Lebanon Mountain Trail Association (LMTA) with funding from USAID. According to the Association’s spokesman Christian Akhrass, the LMTA is in touch with several trekking and hiking tour operators as well as municipalities along the mountain trail, and it also employs and trains over 50 local guides who accompany groups of tourists during their trips. “It is an opportunity for all these villages to promote their cultural heritage and nature, but it is also an opportunity for the local population to make some money by hosting tourists,” Akhrass said.

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ECOTOURISM

Adventure and amazing sights await you on the Lebanon Mountain Trail

Monasteries in the mountains as well as simple villagers also offer lodging to hikers.

True Walk”, as the hike is named, is also about promoting a cause – a different one every year.

The newest project on the LMT is the Baskinta Literary Trail, a 24 kilometer path that attracts tourists who want to follow the footsteps of acclaimed Lebanese poets and novelists such as Mikhail Naimy, Amin Maalouf, Abdallah Ghanem, Suleiman Kettaneh, Rachid Ayoub, and Georges Ghanem, and enjoy for three days the villages in the area.

“This year the True Walk raised awareness and funds for water conservation,” Akhrass said. He added: “We have 152 permanent springs along the trail, most of them located from mid-Mount Lebanon to the north. These springs must be protected.” Next year, the hikers will raise funds for protecting the routes of bird migration.

The True Walk While most hikers choose to spend a weekend exploring parts of the 26 sectors of the trail, once a year, in April, professional hikers from around the world meet to walk all the 440 kilometers in one month. It’s not just about beautiful nature, history and spending the nights with local families or in ancient monasteries along the trail. “The 74

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Maintaining the Lebanon Mountain Trail The Lebanon Mountain Trail project is not easy to maintain. Akhrass said: “We are working now on maintaining the trail and on cleaning it. We’re developing new training programs for the local guides and for the owners of the guesthouses. We also need to put marks on the trail, because it is not marked in the way that hikers are used to in other countries.”

BIODIVERSITY

DISAPPEARING ACT 7KH Ă€JKW LV VWLOO RQ WR VDYH WKH QDWLRQ¡V IRUHVWV Words ALEX GREY

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aro Haroutunian, project manager at the Ministry of the Environment’s National Reforestation Project, spoke to Beyond about the government’s ongoing attempts to deal with deforestation. The National Reforestation Project, launched in 2009, is the latest attempt to address this vital issue. Alex Gray: What are the main causes of deforestation in Lebanon? Garo Haroutunian: ,Q PRGHUQ WLPHV IRUHVW Ă€UHV have been a major problem. Another cause is climate change. The trees that live at the highest altitudes are disappearing and are being replaced by trees from lower altitudes. We’ve also had an infestation by an insect the larvae of which have HDWHQ WKH OHDĂ HWV RI WKH FHGDU WUHH AG: Tell us about the National Reforestation Project. GH: This is a project that is being implemented by the Ministry of the Environment in cooperation with the UNDP and the Global Environment )DFLOLW\ ,W¡V H[SHFWHG WR EH Ă€QDOL]HG E\ WKH HQG RI 2013. The major objective is to assist the Ministry in all matters of reforestation. AG: What lessons have been learned from previous attempts? GH: We have discovered that the major problem was that the Ministry was making decisions with regard to where to reforest without really involving the local communities as much as it could have, for example, by resorting to external sub-contractors. The municipalities are now part of the project, and they are undertaking the actual work of reforestation. Their local communities are going to be making money from the work, and their villages DUH JRLQJ WR EHQHĂ€W $V VRRQ DV ZH ODXQFKHG WKLV process, the number of applicants increased by around 100 percent. AG: What are the issues that you’ve encountered? GH: Our methods of approaching deforestation are still very basic, outdated, and very costly. We’re receiving help from international consultants and experts who are coming to Lebanon to train nursery owners. For example, we still plant out seedlings using plastic bags. These bags have been banned all over the world. People are now using containers that ensure the survival of a transplanted seedling. :H KDYH Ă€YH GLIIHUHQW SLORW VLWHV VFDWWHUHG DOO RYHU Lebanon, where the new techniques are being tested. We’re aiming to decrease the cost and increase the survival rate of the seedlings.

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AG: How can these new techniques reduce costs? GH: At present, the program obliges the subcontractor not to use any seedling younger than 1.52- years of age. Using the modern methods, younger seedlings can be used, which

means that you can avoid the cost of growing and maintaining them. Another idea that we’re testing is placing a gel that is high in water content in bags in the soil around the plant. As the gel breaks down, it releases water, meaning that the seedlings

don’t have to be watered on a regular basis. This should reduce the cost. Direct seeding, that is dropping seeds from helicopters, is another option. We’re replicating this in our tests to see if this is a viable option.

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Balaa Gorge, Lebanon

C ALFRED MOUSSA

The Balaa Gorge waterfall in Balaa, near Tannourine, drops 255 meters into the Balaa Gorge, which is a cave composed of Jurassic limestone. The cave and the sinkhole were discovered in 1952 by a French bio-speleologist.

LET’S ROCK

Beyond goes underground in a look at some of world’s most breathtaking caves Words JODY JAFFE

C PRILL MEDIENDESIGN UND FOTOGRAFIE

GREEN JOURNEY / CAVES

Shennong Xi Grotto The Shennong Stream is a tributary of the Yangtze River. Since the building of the Three Gorges Dam (completed in 2008) downstream on the Yangtze River, the water level of the Shennong has risen significantly. A scenic, vertical gorge that was previously visible has now been submerged. However, one can still see many smaller caves and gorges along the stream.

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C MORRBYTE

Ballybunion Caves, Ireland Ballybunion is a coastal town in County Kerry, Ireland. The beach is surrounded with dramatic cliffs with many shallow sea caves.

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Melissani Cave, Greece

C RICHARD BOWDEN

This cave is located on the island of Kefalonia. The cave is surrounded with forests and there is a mountain slope to the west. In Greek mythology, Melissani was the cave of the nymphs (minor female nature deities). The cave has a lake that is surrounded with trees and forests.

The cave city of Eski-Kerman was established at the end of the 6th century B.C. in order to strengthen the Byzantine Empire. It lasted until the end of the 14th century. Six catacomb monasteries once existed in the city.

C SAHARRR

Eski-Kerman, Crimea, Ukraine

C RADOSLAV STOILOV

GREEN JOURNEY / CAVES

Devetashka Cave, Bulgaria The Devetashka Cave is located 18 kilometers northeast of Lovech. It has seven holes in the ceiling through which sunlight penetrates and illuminates it central hall and its two fields. The entrance of the cave opens into a spacious hall with an area of 2,400 square meters. The cave was declared to be a natural landmark in 1996.

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C IRAKITE

Blue Caves, Zakynthos Island, Greece Zakynthos is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. Numerous blue caves are cut into the cliffs around Cape Skinari, and they are accessible only from the sea, by small boats.

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A FISHERMAN’S TALE Words ANNA MARIA LUCA Photos: ELIE GEORGES

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KH VHD LV YHU\ WLUHG Âľ 7RXĂ€T $VVDU VD\V DV KH sits next to his boat in the harbor of Batroun and sips a spirit from his glass. He looks WRZDUG WKH KRUL]RQ DQG UHOHDVHV D VLJK ´7KH sea is tired,â€? he repeats, and he feels it every day ZKHQ KH FRPHV EDFN ZLWK OLWWOH Ă€VK WR VHOO Assar says: “The sea suffers from neglect–from the people, from the government, from everybody. (YHQ ZH WKH Ă€VKHUPHQ QHJOHFW LW VRPHWLPHV Âľ Assar is a man of the sea like his father and his father’s father before him. He was only 9 and it was 1955 when he started diving for sponge with his father and his brothers and business was good.

(C) ELIE GEORGES

Pollution has ruined the sea He remarks: “Those were the good times, when we never had to worry about tomorrow, when we managed to live well. The sea was good to us. But they destroyed it. The pollution killed the sponge and all the vegetation. By the early 1980s there ZHUH QRQH OHIW 0DQ\ Ă€VK DUH H[WLQFW QRZ )DFWRULHV dump their residues in the sea, and the garbage goes to the sea. There is so much garbage and the sea can’t handle so much.â€?

TOUFIQ ASSAR

'LVUHJDUG IRU ODZV WKDW UHJXODWH Ă€VKLQJ Assar is not a man of many words, but he is full of VDGQHVV +LV VWRU\ LV WKH VWRU\ RI PDQ\ Ă€VKHUPHQ along the Lebanese coast who struggle to survive with no health insurance or social coverage. Fish have become scarce in the Lebanese waters because RI SROOXWLRQ DQG DOVR EHFDXVH RI LOOHJDO Ă€VKLQJ ZLWK complete disregard for the reproducing seasons. According to a study recently released by the /HEDQHVH 0LQLVWU\ RI $JULFXOWXUH PDQ\ Ă€VKHUPHQ XVH G\QDPLWH WR FDWFK Ă€VK ZKLFK NLOOV VPDOO Ă€VK and prevents them from growing and reproducing. $Q DVVHVVPHQW RI /HEDQRQ¡V Ă€VKHULHV DQG LWV H[WLQFW VSHFLHV RI Ă€VK LV RQO\ DYDLODEOH LQ VWRULHV WROG E\ PHQ such as Assar. “If it’s June, they wander the sea for sardines. July is for lou’os, October for balamida, while November and December are for tuna and marlin,â€? Assar says. $VVDU VD\V ´,Q WKH VSULQJ ZH VKRXOGQ¡W Ă€VK RXW RI respect for the sea. It’s our fault too, you know. We shouldn’t go on the sea in March and April when Ă€VK OD\ HJJV %XW ZH GR ZH KDYH QR RWKHU FKRLFH We have to live, don’t we?â€? He says this with regret, as he remembers how he used to feel humiliated when coming back with ten kilograms RI Ă€VK ´1RZ , KDYH WR KLGH WKHP DZD\ OHVW RWKHU Ă€VKHUPHQ VHH WKH JUHDW FDWFK DQG VWHDO P\ VSRW Âľ he jokes. He says: “The sea needs respect, and we are not treating it with respect. And this is how it WDNHV LWV UHYHQJH :H XVHG WR JR WR WKH VHD WR Ă€VK Now I go to the sea sometimes so people won’t think that I’m not working. But I am lucky if I FDWFK RQH Ă€VK RI HYHU\ NLQG Âľ

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SEA LIFE

A happy fisherman: Amer Ghandour

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HIGH AMBITIONS

OFF THE RAILS

The High Line, an elevated green park in the sky, has transformed Manhattan’s West Side.

Words CHRISTOPHER KANAL

A

gritty railway track in New York has been transformed into an elevated green park and has become, since opening, one of the city’s most intriguing attractions. The High Line in Manhattan, New York City, was built in the 1930s as part of a massive publicprivate infrastructure project called the West Side ,PSURYHPHQW ,W OLIWHG GDQJHURXV IUHLJKW WUDIĂ€F feet in the air from the streets of Manhattan’s largest industrial district. The High Line carried food into the meatpacking district. It was known as the “Lifeline of New York.â€? Prior to the High Line, the railway tracks on the streets below on 10th Avenue were so dangerous that it was nicknamed “Death Avenue.â€? No trains ran after 1980 and the High Line was abandoned in the 1980’s. The High Line went into

decay and disrepair and was rediscovered in 2000, after the photographer Joel Sternfeld captured the wild, surreal beauty of its abandonment. He captured an empty, serene, industrial wasteland in the sky RYHUJURZQ ZLWK ZLOGĂ RZHUV Friends of the High Line The City of New York wanted to tear down the High Line, but a group was formed, called “Friends of the High Line.â€? It lobbied hard to preserve and renovate the High Line. The project gained the mayor’s support in 2002 and a design team was soon assembled. The design team of landscape architects James Corner Field Operations, with architects 'LOOHU 6FRĂ€GLR 5HQIUR FUHDWHG WKH +LJK /LQH¡V public landscape. Construction on the park began in 7KH Ă€UVW VHFWLRQ IURP *DQVHYRRUW 6WUHHW WR West 20th Street, opened in June 2009. The second section, from West 20th Street to West 30th Street, opened in spring 2011.

(C) IWAN BAAN

Rail tracks hidden in layers of concrete The most outstanding features of the long and winding park are the preserved rail tracks that peek out through the layers of concrete that has been cut DZD\ LQ VWULSV 7KH )DOFRQH à \RYHU LV D UDLVHG SRUWLRQ that enables New Yorkers to look down on green areas landscaped to replicate hillsides. The High Line has been planted with 210 species of trees, shrubs and grasses. The new park is a breath of fresh air for the city’s inhabitants wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of the city below. Lush shrubbery, UHHG\ JUDVVHV DQG à RZHUV QRZ HQYHORS WKH +LJK Line. Farther down along the pathways, people sunbathe in the summer or relax on wooden chaise lounges. For an investment of just $115 million to convert the rusty tracks of the railway into a park, the City of New York says it has attracted an estimated $2 billion in private funds to this once decaying and abandoned neighborhood. At the southern end of the High Line, a new Whitney Museum is scheduled to open in 2015. Undoubtedly the ripple effect of the High Line will reach further QRUWK LQWR WKH DUHDV DERYH WK VWUHHW VWLOO ÀOOHG ZLWK abandoned warehouses and empty lots.

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A meandering pathway passes by old and new architecture in West Chelsea, between West 24th and West 25th Streets, looking South.

(C) IWAN BAAN

Falcone Flyover, an elevated pathway passes between historic warehouse buildings, between West 25th and West 27th Streets, looking North.

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GREEN JOURNEY / GARDENS OF FRANCE

VIVE LE JARDIN

France is home to many well-preserved public gardens Words JODY JAFFE

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(C) JOSE IGNACIO SOTO

LES JARDINS DU CHÂTEAU DE VERSAILLES The gardens of the Palace of Versailles occupy around 800 hectares of land to the west of the palace. In 1661, Louis IV commissioned André Le Nôtre with the design of the gardens. The work lasted for forty years. The beautiful fountains located throughout the gardens contribute to making them unique.

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LE JARDIN DU LUXEMBOURG The Jardin du Luxembourg is the second largest public park in Paris. It is the garden of the French Senate, which is housed in the Luxembourg Palace. The original garden was designed by Tomasso Francini in 1612. He was commissioned by Marie de Medicis, the widow of Henry IV and the regent for King Louis XIII. After the French Revolution, the leaders of the French Directory expanded the garden. The Ecole National Supérieure des Mines de Paris and the Odéon Theater are situated next to the Jardin du Luxembourg.

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GREEN JOURNEY

LES JARDINS DU CHÂTEAU DE VILLANDRY The Château de Villandry was built in 1536 by Jean le Breton, one of King François I’s finance ministers. Le Breton had served as ambassador to Italy, and he designed the gardens in the Italian Renaissance style. The Château de Villandry was the last of the castles to be built in the Loire Valley during the Renaissance period.

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LE JARDIN D’ANDRÉ LE NÔTRE IN CASTRES Le Jardin de l’Evêché (the garden of the bishop’s palace) in Castres was designed by André Le Nôtre, King Louis XIV’s landscape architect, in the 17th century. It was designed in the pure tradition of French classicism of that era. The essential features of the garden have remained unchanged for three centuries. It is a great source of pride for the people of Castres.

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(C) PACKďšşSHOT

LE JARDIN DES TUILERIES, PARIS The Tuileries Garden is situated between the Louvre Museum and the Place de la Concorde. The garden was originally created by Catherine de Medicis, the wife of King Henry II of France, as the garden of the Tuileries Palace, which she established in 1564. It became a public park after the French Revolution.

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PREPARE TO BE SEDUCED

/DYHQGHU LV WKH Ă RZHU RI PDQ\ FKDUPV Words JODY JAFFE

An herb with a history /DYHQGHU LV D Ă RZHULQJ SODQW LQ WKH PLQW IDPLO\ /DPLDFHDH The English word “lavenderâ€? is believed to be derived from the Old French word “lavandreâ€? (to wash), in a reference to the usage of infusions of the plant for washing purposes. The plant originated in the Old World, and its range extends from the Canary Islands, to southern Europe, to northern and eastern Africa, and to India. The plant is cultivated both for ornamental uses as well as for the extraction of essential oils. /DYHQGHU LV NQRZQ DV ´WKH Ă RZHU RI HWHUQLW\Âľ RU ´WKH Ă RZHU RI love.â€? Many people believe that lavender has the properties of an aphrodisiac. It has been said that Cleopatra used lavender to seduce Julius Caesar. It has been used for over 2,500 years. The Ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, and peoples of Arabia XVHG LW IRU PXPPLĂ€FDWLRQ DQG IRU SHUIXPHV 7KH 5RPDQV XVHG it for bathing and for cooking. 7KH ODYHQGHU Ă€HOGV RI 3URYHQFH Provence is a region in southeastern France, adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administration region of Provence-Alpes-CĂ´te G¡$]XU /DYHQGHU LV FXOWLYDWHG WKURXJKRXW D EURDG VWUHWFK RI upland Provence. Lavender represents the scent and color RI 3URYHQFH ZLWK Ă€HOGV RI EULJKW PDXYH DQG GHOLFDWH PDXYH under a blue sky. The rolling plateaus of Provence provide the ideal environment for growing lavender. Most of Provence has a Mediterranean climate, which is conducive to the cultivation of lavender. The two main areas of lavender cultivation are the Plateau de Sault and the Plateau de Valensole. Lavender blooms from late June to August, and it is harvested from midJuly to late August. Lavender festivals are held throughout the areas where lavender is grown in July and August. Soaps, HVVHQWLDO RLOV ODYHQGHU KRQH\ DQG GULHG Ă RZHU ERXTXHWV DUH offered for sale. There are even scented lavender bags. One can also visit the distilleries where the essential oils are derived from WKH Ă RZHUV RI WKH ODYHQGHU 1XPHURXV WUDYHO DJHQFLHV RIIHU special tours of Provence, which include visits to the lavender Ă€HOGV ODYHQGHU IHVWLYDOV GLVWLOOHULHV DQG HQFKDQWLQJ JDUGHQV Aromatherapy and infusions Lavender is widely used for manufacturing aromatherapy oils and fragrances. It is said to relieve muscle pain, headaches, PLJUDLQHV LQĂ DPPDWLRQ DQG LW DOVR KDV DQWLVHSWLF TXDOLWLHV ,W is known to promote easy digestion, rest, and relaxation. It is good for the skin: It is used on burns, infections, wounds, rashes, and wrinkles. When inhaled, the lavender scent helps to relax brain waves and reduce stress. Some studies have suggested that lavender aromatherapy may reduce agitation in patients who are suffering from dementia. Lavender infusions (herbal teas) are recommended for anxiety, distension, headaches, and rheumatism.

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C RON VAN ELST

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VIEW OF THE HILLTOP VILLAGE OF GORDES, PROVENCE, FRANCE

Gordes is a very beautiful old village, perched on the southern edge of the high Plateau de Vaucluse. The stone buildings built in tight against the base of the cliffs and those perched on the rocks above, including the 12th-century castle, are made of a beige stone that glows orange in the morning sun. The view from the village is a southern panorama out across fields and forests and small perched villages to the Montagne du Luberon.

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KEUKENHOF GARDENS OF THE NETHERLANDS Keukenhof is the world’s largest flower garden, spread over 32-hectares and attracting over 800,000 visitors each year. This number is very impressive since the gardens are only open for a few weeks each year during the spring season.

Despite the harsh winter weather, the biological activity has never stopped to proliferate in soils. Nearly seven million flowers are planted every Spring season.

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Diana Boudargham Tannoury 112

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Summer in wonder With each passing day I grow fonder of the colorful blooms sprinkled here and there on the world's canvas with a Master's flair in summer's warm embrace I grow younger Artists, painters, sculptors bow down, in awe of nature's creations, heavenly visions of a life they foresaw gold sunrises, strawberry sunsets, perfumed misty dawns birds and butterflies dancing over green grassy lawns O Summer how I have longed for thee, dew drops on roses blossoming with love, my senses drinking in doses nature's awakening, a beauty disrobing in the gentle sun after Her all men would run My lover's eyes I seek in this awakening For me I know so high his spirit would soar Awaiting our reunion, forgetting the pains I bore Bearing life to our love with a pain so maddening

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PLANT YOUR FEET HERE Beyond sees the wood for the trees in its SLFN RI (XURSH·V ÀQHVW IRUHVWV

Words JODY JAFFE

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Forests in the Pyrenees Mountains in France The Parc National des Pyrénées in the HautesPyrénées is rich with flora, fauna, and forests. The park extends for around 100 kilometers from east to west and covers a large part of the central French Pyrenees. The forests include beech, oak, chestnut, and pine trees. Forests in the High Pyrenees in France are composed of mixed beech, silver fir, and mountain pine trees.

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(C) RICHARD SEMIK

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Forests in Romania Forests cover around 13 percent of the surface area of Romania. Since almost half of the forests in the country have been managed for watershed conversation rather than tree wood production, Romania has one of the largest areas of undisturbed forests in Europe. The integrity of the Romanian forests is reected in the presence of the full range of European forest fauna,including 60 percent of all European brown bears and 40 percent of all European wolves. There are 13 national parks in Romania, where the forests are protected.

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Forests in Arnhem, the Netherlands The city of Arnhem, in the eastern part of the Netherlands, has embraced the concept of the urban forest. It is surrounded by an undulating forest landscape. In May 2009, it hosted the 12th European Forum on Urban Forestry. The city recognizes that green space management and maintenance depend on the commitment of the local residents. A resident who is satisďŹ ed with his green environment feels at ease in his city, and thus functions better.

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(C) JOOP SNIJDER JR.

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GREEN JOURNEY

Pine forests, Tatras Mountains, Slovakia The Tatras mountain range forms a natural border between Slovakia and Poland. They are part of the Carpathian Mountains. The Tatras Mountains occupy an area of 750 square kilometers, of which 600 square kilometers lie in Slovakia. The Tatras Mountains in Slovakia are covered with pine trees, and the region has been declared to be a national park. In summer, tourists enjoy hiking in the pine forests in the mountains.

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In Denmark, the beech tree is the most populous of all the forest trees. It marks the border between the European deciduous forest zone and the northern pine forest zone. In Denmark beech trees account for around 17 percent of total forest area. Beech trees are important for the production of wood, which is used in furniture, oors, and veneers. Plantation of trees is the primary method used to ensure the conservation of the beech tree forests.

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(C) CARSTEN MEDOM MADSEN

Beech wood forests in Denmark

GAZ DRILLING

A DILEMMA FOR NEW YORK

Will hydrofracking be approved and what will be the consequences? Words ALICE HLIDKOVA

The process The drilling company sets up the drill site by leveling ground, paving roads, and setting up equipment. The drill bores a well downward DQG WKHQ KRUL]RQWDOO\ IRU XS WR IHHW LQ each direction. While the drill bears downward, it punctures the natural aquifer, or water table. The process, called slick water hydrofracking, XWLOL]HV XS WR HLJKW PLOOLRQ JDOORQV RI IUHVK ZDWHU per fracking, and sand or other lightweight “proppants� (substances used to prop open the 124

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fissures caused by the well bore to allow the gas to seep through the pores in the shale).

Dimock PA

(C)NRDC

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s a resident of New York for twenty years, I am concerned about hydrofracking. The New York Times has recently reported that the Department of Environmental Conservation is planning to approve the natural gas extraction drilling method in the state, though no decision has been made. Governor Andrew &XRPR D 'HPRFUDW LQ KLV VHFRQG \HDU LQ RIĂ€FH remarked: “I’ve said all along that the science is going to dictate,â€? leaving residents worried about their backyard groundwater.

Saunters tap water

Toxic additives Following the injection of both the water and the proppants, chemical-based additives are used to accelerate the process at the cheapest cost. These additives include diesel fuel, biocides, EHQ]HQH DQG K\GURFKORULF DFLG &RPSDQLHV UHVLVW disclosing the type and amount used, assuring that they use “small amounts.â€? However, some FKHPLFDOV HVSHFLDOO\ EHQ]HQH DUH WR[LF DW DQ\ OHYHO RI H[SRVXUH )RU H[DPSOH LI EHQ]HQH Ă€QGV its way into the water table, under which lies the shale with a layer of bedrock in between, it is possible that people’s drinking water supply will be tainted. Dangers of hydrofracking Slick water hydrofracking differs from conventional natural gas drilling in several ways. First, it uses more water and a “slick waterâ€? mixture that is pumped into the shale to fracture the rock and release the gas. Second, it is more toxic. Finally, it increases the environmental impacts: Drilling causes surface and subterranean damage including forestland and biodiversity loss, groundwater and surface water contamination,

(C) NRDC

(C) NRDC

(C) NRDC

Dimock PA

(C) NRDC

Truck traďŹƒc in Dimnock PA

Gas drilling operations in Dimock

KDELWDW DQG VSHFLHV GLVWXUEDQFH URDG WUDIÀF DQG noise pollution. Hydrofracking is used in the U.S. Unfortunately, this method is being used in the largest deposit of Marcellus shale in the United States, as well as in other areas of the country. This deposit extends for 48,000 square miles, from eastern Ohio to the Catskills and south through northern and western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Formed 48 million years ago when North America was still covered by an ocean, the Marcellus basin deposit is estimated to hold as much as 500 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and 80 billion barrels of oil. Czech Republic opposes hydrofracking 7KH &]HFK 5HSXEOLF XQGHUVWDQGV WKH ULVNV DQG LW is opposed to hydrofracking. In May, it placed a moratorium on hydrofracking. Bulgaria, Germany, and France have become co-signers. Meanwhile 9HUPRQW EHFDPH WKH ÀUVW VWDWH LQ WKH 8 6 WR SDVV legislation banning hydrofracking within its borders. I hope that New York, of which I am a resident, will take takes similar action.

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GREEN ISSUES

TOO MUCH HOT AIR? Lebanese political parties talk about the environment, but appear to do nothing. Words BASSAM KANTAR Translation JODY JAFFE

– Do the Lebanese political parties place the issue of the environment on their agenda? Do they strive to fulfill their promises to improve and protect the environment? Beyond tries to answer these questions.

erhaps the practical and most realistic test of the concern of Lebanese parties with the environment is monitoring the activity of members of Parliament within the Parliamentary committees with regard to draft laws about the environment. These draft laws aim at reviving the environmental sector. It is evident that the parliamentary committees, including the Committee on the Environment, are not working with the required effort to have these draft laws UDWLĂ€HG E\ 3DUOLDPHQW

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platforms, which are full of references to the environment. The March14 Parliamentary bloc’s platform provides for “putting a limit to the deterioration of the environment and the conditions of life in Lebanon.â€? The Future Movement’s platform provides for “ensuring WKH FLWL]HQ¡V ULJKW WR D KHDOWKIXO HQYLURQPHQW so that a green Lebanon will be left in trust to IXWXUH JHQHUDWLRQV Âľ +L]EXOODK FDOOV IRU ´UDWLRQDO management of water resources and the use of new methods for producing energy that are suitable for the environment.â€? The Free Patriotic Movement’s platform talks about “the HQYLURQPHQW QDWXUDO UHVRXUFHV WKH RUJDQL]DWLRQ of land, and environmental awareness in schools and universities.â€? Lebanese environmental DVVRFLDWLRQV DUH MXVWLĂ€DEO\ SHVVLPLVWLF DERXW WKH implementation of these platforms. Implementation is another matter Has any Lebanese political party proposed a detailed plan for public transportation? The EXGJHWV IRU VFLHQWLĂ€F UHVHDUFK LQ /HEDQRQ GR QRW FRYHU UHVHDUFK LQ WKH Ă€HOG RI UHQHZDEOH HQHUJ\ Has any Lebanese political party studied these important issues in its meetings? Are the rank and Ă€OH RI WKHVH SDUWLHV DZDUH RI DQ\ HFRQRPLF FRVW that they are bearing because of the non-existence of clean and renewable energy in Lebanon?

(C) BASSAM KANTAR

Demonstrations in Beirut

Man’s relationship with nature It is difficult for the Lebanese political parties to truly understand the relationship between the environment and politics. They will not be able to understand this relationship until they understand man’s relationship with nature. It is a relationship that resembles that between the fetus and its mother. Just as we choose to save the life of the mother if we choose between saving her life and that of the fetus, because of the fact There is no meaning in the environment being that she will be able to bear another child if she a paragraph in the platform of a political party remains alive, the political parties have to choose LI LWV UDQN DQG ÀOH DUH QRW FRQYLQFHG WKDW WKH the “health of nature” over the health of interest environment is a priority. The principal reason groups. In nature there is no first or second, but for the environmental deterioration and the rather an integrated system and a network of life. production of waste is increasing production and The priority goes to treating everything that excessive consumption. Therefore, we have to re- upsets the system and whatever threatens life examine methods of manufacturing and of living and its sustainability. as well as systems of production and consumption. Destroying the environment pays The majority of the political forces still find in the destruction of the environment the least expensive way to achieve quick gains. Inserting the environment in the platforms of the parties is meaningless, in light of the non-existence of party members who support the environmental issue as a fateful issue and as a matter of life or death for the environment.

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WIND ENERGY

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: Akkar looks skyward for energy

– As Lebanese politicians continue to haggle over how to get more electricity from fossil fuel, a cheaper and cleaner energy source is being neglected.

Words BASSAM KANTAR

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RI +DZD $NNDU $OEHUW .KRXU\ HPSKDVL]HG the importance of this project for the region of Akkar, as it will meet the region’s energy demands at very low and constant prices.

Hawa Akkar takes the plunge In a remarkably optimistic atmosphere, Hawa Akkar s.a.l announced last month the launching of its Wind Farm project. The general manager

Khoury confirmed that Hawa Akkar would provide energy to around 60,000 homes, with a production capacity of 60 megawatts. During his speech, Khoury said that this project would strengthen the region’s economy and tourism.

or the first time in Lebanon the private sector has taken the risk of investing in renewable energy while the legislation WR RUJDQL]H WKH LQYHVWPHQW KDV QRW \HW EHHQ ratified

C BASSAM KANTAR

Wind turbine in Ain Hazir telecommunication station in Mount Lebanon

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C REUTERSPAUL DARROW

Wind turbines were officially opened by Sprott Power Corporation in Amherst, Nova Scotia ,CANADA

Advantages of wind power The wind power sector is booming in the entire world year after year, because of its low cost and because it is environmentally friendly. The electricity generated from wind power has a fixed price, as it is not linked to the high prices and dwindling quantity of oil. It also contributes to reducing harmful emissions. Danish company Vestas wants to build wind turbines in Lebanon Hawaa Akkar’s project will be based technically on the Danish company Vestas. The worldleading manufacturer of wind-powered electricity generating turbines has been seeking to invest in Lebanon for the past five years. Vestas has played a major role in the growth of the renewable energy sector. It has produced over 43,000 turbines for clients in 65 countries around the world. It has done more than any other company to harness power from wind. Its turbines produce over 44 million megawatthours of electricity annually, meeting the needs of 21 million people. Last year, the Lebanese Ministry of Energy and Water published a “Wind Atlas” that showed

that Lebanon was suited for wind-generated power, with several areas enjoying particularly favorable conditions – especially in the north and on the Lebanese slope of Mount Hermon in the southeast, from Chebaa along the western ridge to Rashaya. Rayan Kassis, Vestas’s director of development for the Middle East, said that its proposals envisaged establishing several wind farms, consisting of 80-meter high turbines at a density of some four per square kilometer, and could potentially give Lebanon the capacity to generate 6.1 gigawatts of electricity. The cost per kilowatt/ per hour would be about two-thirds that of generating thermal electricity. Legislative obstacles The Lebanese government committed itself at the 2009 Copenhagen Climate Summit to increasing the proportion of energy that it produces from renewable energy in Lebanon to 20 percent by 2020. Practical steps to achieve that target have yet to be taken. Moreover, there is the continuing controversy over Lebanon’s Electricity Law No. 462, which was adopted in 2002 but has yet to be implemented, and which has many loopholes in its provisions that deal with renewable energy. BEYOND ALL ODDS

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BIOHAZARD

SEARCHING FOR A CURE (IIRUWV DUH XQGHUZD\ WR GHFUHDVH WKH ULVN RI PHGLFDO ZDVWH EHFRPLQJ D ELRKD]DUG

Words ALEX GREY

A

longside the serious issue of municipal waste management in Lebanon, hospital, or medical, waste is another issue that needs to be addressed. At present, hospitals are struggling to deal with infectious materials and, frighteningly, such waste is often dumped along with traditional municipal waste. Beyond’s Alex Gray recently sat down with Samar Khalil, Project Manager at UNDP, to discuss plans to deal with the situation. Alex Gray: What’s the current situation with regard to hospital waste management in Lebanon? Samar Khalil: Firstly, 75 percent of healthcare ZDVWH LV QRW KD]DUGRXV LW¡V VLPLODU WR PXQLFLSDO waste. Secondly, around 20 percent of medical ZDVWH LV LQIHFWLRXV KD]DUGRXV ZDVWH 7KLV VKRXOG EH WUHDWHG E\ VWHULOL]DWLRQ $W WKH PRPHQW ZH

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have five centers that can collect the waste and treat it in autoclaves and then dispose of it safely. There are also two hospitals with their own treatment centers and the authority to VWHULOL]H WKHLU RZQ ZDVWH AG: What is happening to the untreated infectious materials? SK: They are being placed in with the regular municipal waste. It’s very worrying. AG: :KDW DERXW WKH UHPDLQLQJ ÀYH SHUFHQW RI WKH waste generated by hospitals? SK: ,W LV KD]DUGRXV QRQ LQIHFWLRXV ZDVWH VXFK DV mercury from thermometers, chemicals used in the laboratories, and waste that needs special treatment. The waste that requires special treatment consists of expired pharmaceuticals, waste generated by the treatment of cancer, and pathological waste. What we’re recommending is establishing a temporary

safe storage facility for the waste and working on PLQLPL]LQJ WKH DPRXQW RI ZDVWH WKDW LV JHQHUDWHG Once we have the waste stored in safe conditions, we can either export the waste to countries that can treat it, or we can develop a national plan in the long run. AG: At what stage are you? SK: We have a decree, which sets the requirements for treatment and classification of the waste. We’re aiming to reduce the amount of waste and the difficulty of dealing with the waste. For example, we’re issuing guidelines on transportation of waste, how to handle it, and the operation of treatment centers. We’re also working on the phasing out of mercury in the healthcare sector. We’re also looking at management, segregation, and transportation of waste inside the facilities. We’re creating a

unified code by which all hospitals can abide. We’re not only creating a legal framework. We’re also establishing two model facilities, where others in the field can study and benefit from their experiences. We’ve developed material and trainings based on the skills and competencies needed for staff to safely deal with waste. AG: How would describe your progress? SK: We’re progressing, awareness is improving, people have been trained, and the legal framework LV WKHUH 7KH PDLQ SUREOHP LV WKH ODFN RI ÀQDQFLDO assistance from the government. Hospitals have to pay around 75 cents per kilogram to treat the waste. The Ministry of Public Health’s tariff per patient isn’t enough to cover the costs at present. Anything that the government could do to offer financial incentives would help. BEYOND ALL ODDS

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CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

GDT Ghanem Development & Trading Co

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WHO WILL THEY BE NEXT TIME?

?

FIND OUT NEXT ISSUE

NEW GREEN BEGINNINGS

GREEN INITIATIVES

TAKES TO THE ROAD – An exhibition raises funds to make environmental awareness mobile Photos CHERINE YAZBECK

reen Cedar Lebanon has held an exhibition at Sophie’s Choice, in the Beirut Souks, presenting nature photographs by Clément Tannouri, Raymond Yazbeck, Alfred Moussa, Michèle Tadros, Nada Karam, Bélinda Ibrahim, and Eddy Yazbeck.

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Initiated by the founders of Green Cedar Lebanon, Pascale Choueiri Saad and Lara Hanna Debs, the goal was to raise money to buy a bus that would be a mobile laboratory for raising awareness among private and public teachers about environmental issues. The 136

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exhibition will travel to places around the world wherever there is a large Lebanese community. Clément Tannouri: Respect for Mother Nature Clément Tannouri wished to contribute to this project as he strongly believes that “‘each one of us has the mission to add his knowledge and time to build strong ties to nature and we have to pass down to future generations this respect for Mother Nature.” He adds that “‘we keep on living in our comfort zone when many virgin lands are being destroyed by man. Some companies for the sake of money and investment

are devastating much of our green areas. Our emblem, the cedar, has to be preserved despite the strong pressure by holdings and global companies’. Nada Karam captures the beauty of remote regions The photographer, Nada Karam, aims at capturing subtle moments shared in quiet moments in Taanayel or more remote regions of Lebanon. She says: “I have discovered the wealth of green, genuine regions that led me to respect even more every piece of my homeland.” She admits that nature photography is “the affair of loners as it takes a lot of time to capture the perfect image and it takes more than one try to be able to get the right click!” Sophie Salameh supports environmental issues Sophie Salameh chose to host the exhibition as she strongly supports events aiming at safeguarding the environment. Sophie’s Choice is a concept boutique operated by four partners: Sophie Salameh, Dina Azar, Rana Gebbara, and Lara Debs. The latter is Pascale Choueiri’s partner in Green Cedar Lebanon. The café restaurant serves healthful food and displays rare brands by creative international designers. If Sophie is promoting green Lebanon, it’s mainly because she fears that green Lebanon might soon become a utopia and no longer a reality.

Pascale Choueiri Saad and Lara Hanna Debs

Belinda Ibrahim: The search for virgin regions Belinda Ibrahim, journalist, author, and photographer has noticed that she won’t be able to shoot the same photographs in coming years. “I wanted to take the same picture of a tree that I had shot in 2006, yet it was impossible, as in the surrounding areas the environment had totally changed, and I have experienced the same in many other locations,” she points out. Nowadays, one has to drive far from the city in order to be able to find a virgin region. Green areas have been reduced to a trickle and soon we might find green spaces trapped in-between concrete and malls.

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The exhibition

Wadi Al Arayech, CLEMENT TANNOURI

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HORIZONS

Bekaa, MICH TAD

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GREEN INITIATIVES

The exhibition

Jbei, BELINDA IBRAHIM

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HORIZONS

Juzur al Nakhil, Tripoli, ALFRED MOUSSA

Bekaa, EDDY YAZBECK

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Taanayel, NADA KARAM

Kornet Sawda, RAYMOND YAZBECK BEYOND ALL ODDS

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WEB NEWS

MouseTrotter.com Ultimate travel convenience

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– Lebanon’s leading travel agency, Wild Discovery, part of Johnny R. Saadé Holdings, has recently launched MouseTrotter.com, a booking portal that allows customers to book flights, transfers, accommodation and, very often, excursions all over the world via the Internet. Beyond recently sat down with Mousetrotter.com’s project manager, Nadine Abi Abdallah, Marie Harfouche Breiss, technology development manager and Johnny Modawar, group marketing manager to talk about Lebanon and the region’s first complete online travel portal.

Alex Grey: Why did you decide to offer an online booking portal? Nadine Abi Abdallah: There was no online search engine for booking accommodation and flights in Lebanon and the region. Although the demand for online booking was tangible, there was no system that blended both tickets and hotel booking. So we decided to launch MouseTrotter.com. People have long been searching online for the best prices, but we noticed a constant problem of trust when it came to paying online. Thanks to our link with Bank Audi, payment is secured and the client can have full confidence. AG: How would you describe the difference between MouseTrotter.com and your traditional services? NA: The difference between Wild Discovery and MouseTrotter.com is both the level of service and advice needed. MouseTrotter.com’s users already know what they want, while the people who come to Wild Discovery’s offices require information about various options and offers along with the expertise of a travel consultant.This is the main difference.

Johnny Modawar: When customers choose to go online, they have direct access to last-minute deals. This promptness allows a quick access to information that is quite difficult to implement through a traditional travel agency. MouseTrotter.com’s clients are much more deal-oriented and quick in making transactions. This has directly to do with the basic nature of the needed services, most of the time a simple ticket and /or hotel booking. AG: What is the customer’s experience like when using the site? NA: We wanted a site that offered a total package to clients. Some sites will give you hotels or flights. Only really big international providers can offer the entire package. We have created a complete portal that is secured and user friendly AG: So, how does it work? Marie Harfouche Breiss: The system searches through different providers to find the best available rate for the client. Other sites are based on one provider. We are aiming to work with more than 10 providers to be sure that the system displays the widest choice and competitive prices AG: How is this different from what’s happening in Lebanon? MHB:. Other companies are trying to do something similar, but they are not yet able to follow the fastmoving technology. We had to find a developer who knows the travel industry well. The technology we are using is new to the region. Other existing local sites provide hotel booking only, while we offer all travel services including tickets, transfers and tours to the final consumer in one platform. AG: You can also book excursions? NA: Yes, excursions are also available on MouseTrotter.com. In the future, we’ll be offering complete packages, including accommodations, airline tickets and tours. We’re hoping to reach this step by the end of 2012. Since the beginning, our system has been designed in different phases and it will continuously evolve.

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Eco-shopping takes root online “I remember our fascination with Aleppo’s souks, Turkey’s cultural authenticity, and Tripoli’s soap industry,” she said. Eco-shopping online Though other Lebanese entrepreneurs have tapped into the online business, Aachab Online is unique in the sense that it sells organic and ecofriendly products. The concept lies in the idea that eating healthfully goes hand-in-hand with organic principles. “We’ve created this initiative, especially after having noticed that over the past century, eating habits have gradually changed, and most of us have been consuming less healthful food in light of the market becoming industrialized and thus highly processed,” the founders say on their website.

– Pascale Moussawbah and her brother Elian are among the most recent local entrepreneurs to hop on Lebanon’s organic-friendly bandwagon. Words ALINE SARA

ate last February, Moussawbah, who works in public relations with a focus on online digital media, launched Aachab Online, an unprecedented form of Lebanese ecoshopping. The Web-based venture sells such things as locally grown thyme, dried fruit and nuts, green tea, and hand-crafted soap. It also delivers worldwide.

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Moussawbah told Beyond: “One day I woke up to a musing, an accumulation of abstract interpretations, things that I have seen, and that complement inspiration from people and faces that have deeply touched me. I then thought of re-creating the idea in an e-store.” Shorty afterwards, and in the company of her brother, her newest business partner, the family business took off. “The idea is rooted in our childhood experiences,” Moussawbah said, noting that it comes from years of visiting surrounding countries with her parents. 146

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A curious and aware clientele During the interview with Beyond, Moussawbah spoke of the type of clientele that is attracted to her business, noting that it attracts a certain “nouveau niche market,” in which consumers have “a unique taste mixed with a heightened sense of individuality.” “Though products are on the expensive side, buyers do not necessarily belong to a traditional demographic segment, but rather have a sense of curiosity, awareness, and enough buying power to shop online,” she said. What’s more, and perhaps especially enticing, particularly to the Lebanese expatriates, is that the company caters to both the local and international markets by delivering worldwide. When asked about the more general eco-trend in Lebanon, Mousawbah replies that it is catching on and those business enterprises are trying to incorporate the trend into their corporate social responsibility plans. At the same time, she remains wary of their intentions. “When talking about the environment in mass media, it is always related to corporations trying to look socially responsible without actually integrating a greener way of life and sustainability into their shortand long-term plans,” Moussawbah said. A need for funding Despite this, she reckons that there are a number of Lebanese initiatives that want to genuinely promote wholesome living for individuals. They need more governmental support. The entrepreneur needs more funding to increase the accessibility of such products to a wider market. For the time being, organic food remains accessible to only certain subset of the local consumer market.

ART & BEYOND

Feed your head

Dutch designer Marije Vogelzang connects eating with ideas Words CHRISTOPHER KANAL

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esign means creative thinking,â€? says Marije Vogelzang, artist, product designer, sculptor, party organizer, and chef. She adds: “It doesn›t mean material. It doesn›t mean giving shape. Giving shape is the next step in communicating an idea. It’s a tool.â€?

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‘I call myself an eating designer,’ the 32-year-old tells me from her Amsterdam studio/restaurant, explaining why she wants to explore new ways to experience food from food printed with messages in edible ink, to marshmallow installations and crockery made out of sugar. “What is the closest you can get to human beings?� she asks. She replies: “Food. I work with food in its purest essence. I work from the verbs of eating, harvesting, cooking, sharing, transporting etc. All these things are more interesting than merely shaping the food.�

Eat Love The mix of intelligent design, surreal storytelling, and delicious food, matched with Vogelzang’s lively, VOLJKWO\ HOĂ€Q SHUVRQDOLW\ KDV PDGH KHU YHU\ VRXJKW DIWHU Her clients include the city of Rotterdam, the Dutch embassies in Rome and Dakar, BMW, and fashion brand Hermès. Vogelzang has lectured in places from Tokyo to %HLUXW ,Q VKH SXEOLVKHG KHU Ă€UVW ERRN Eat Love, describing her highly individual, idiosyncratic philosophy that coincided with a series of “Eat Loveâ€? dinners. Proef offers eccentric creations 7KH Ă€UVW 3URHI RSHQHG LQ 5RWWHUGDP LQ ,W VHUYHV food with a conceptual approach. Vogelzang moved to Amsterdam in 2006 and opened her second Proef, a studio where she works on her projects and which she occasionally rents out as a banqueting space. If you visit Proef you can get involved in her eccentric creations and eat salads whose ingredients were grown in the dark. Dishes resemble works of art. If you order asparagus soup, it comes served in a glass jar with a bunch of cotton wool sprouting herbs that you cut off away for garnish. Proef hosts themed seasons. In November 2010 Proef hosted The Arabia evenings complete with an appearance by Kamal Mouzawak of Beirut’s Souk el Tayeb organic farmers’ market, who had worked with Vogelzang before on a food design project that brought Beirut’s communities together. Bringing people together Vogelzang became interested in food as a material while studying industrial design at the Design Academy (LQGKRYHQ LQ )RU KHU Ă€QDO \HDU SURMHFW DW WKH Academy, Vogelzang designed a funeral. Everything was white – the food and even the clothing. She remarks: “I just did it because I thought it was fun 148

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White Funeral Dinner

actually. I think that food has healing qualities and sharing food brings people together.� Humor is another way to bring people together at the table. At one dinner Vogelzang organized, she cut the plates in half. On some plates she placed two servings of Parma ham, on others two servings of melon. Without instructions she let the guests discover that if they want to have a full meal, they would have to share half-plates. This achieved what Vogelzang wanted – everyone eating and interacting together. www.proefamsterdam.nl

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A taste of the real Bekaa Eco-restaurant Tawlet Ammiq is set to entice diners eastward

Words & Photos CHERINE YAZBECK

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he Ammiq Eco-Restaurant project, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, was designed in collaboration with Al Chouf Cedar Society and A Rocha. A Rocha is an international Christian RUJDQL]DWLRQ WKDW HQJDJHV LQ VFLHQWLĂ€F research, environmental education, and community-based conservation projects. Located in the village of Ammiq, in the Ammiq Wetland in the West Bekaa, this environmental concept features an architecture that contributes to the conservation of natural resources and the biodiversity of the region. Encouraging eco-tourism Partly destroyed by an earthquake in 1956, the village of Ammiq is nowadays part of a biosphere reserve that aims to preserve the “cachetâ€? of the Bekaa valley. Kamal Mouzawak, founder of Souk el Tayeb and the manager of Tawlet Ammiq, said: “The project encourages ecotourism by creating a space where tourists and locals can discover a new way to enjoy these forgotten villages through local food. It also sustains the local economy by supplying jobs for villagers and bringing into light their ancestral know-how through food heritage.â€? Tawlet Ammiq is not only a restaurant. The complex encompasses workshop spaces and meeting rooms that will eventually attract corporate entities to develop projects in a natural environment. The end goal is eventually to allow as many people as possible to enjoy a safe and authentic environment. Ecological construction The building in itself is an example of ecological construction techniques that take into account the VSHFLĂ€FLWLHV RI WKH UHJLRQ VXFK DV WKH VRLO DQG FOLPDWH

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&DQDGLDQ ZHOOV SDVV IUHVK ÀOWHUHG DLU WKURXJK XQGHUJURXQG pipes with the purpose of cooling it before it enters the main dining room. This technique takes advantage of the lower temperatures below the ground surface. Solar chimneys take the place of mechanically-driven fans and increase the natural ventilation of buildings by using convection of air heated by passive solar energy. The performance of the building’s thermal envelope exceeds by more than 30 percent the requirements of the thermal standards for buildings in Lebanon. Large glazed bay windows allow ample day lighting and a breathtaking YLHZ RI WKH %HNDD 9DOOH\ ZLWKRXW VDFULÀFLQJ WKH WKHUPDO integrity of the building. Vines grown in front of the dining room bay windows prevent the sunrays from overheating the space. Photovoltaic cells feed electricity into the EDL grid when the generated electricity is not being used by the facility. Solar hot water heating is used. There is a gas boiler. Gas is a cleaner fuel than diesel, contributing to lower atmospheric pollution and lower greenhouse gases emissions. The restaurant has a green roof with a terrace that includes an irrigation system. The eco-restaurant Tawlet Ammiq is an avant-garde concept in Lebanon. It is designed to protect the natural resources of the region, provide work for local women, and to offer a new food venture anchored in a location that fully protects the environment. It sets a high standard for future eco-restaurants in the country.

ECOTOURISM

Find your inner Guru

Design Hotel’s Papaya Playa on the Mexican Mayan Riviera prepares for a spiritual and adventurous journey. Words CHRISTOPHER KANAL

apaya Playa on the Mayan Riviera was born in December last year. It was one of the first pop-up hotels in the world. Design Hotels founder Claus Sendlinger looked far and wide for a place to create an authentic, holistic experience, and found it in Tulum, Mexico. Eightyfive cabanas have been refurbished by the Design Hotels’ creative team on a 900-meter stretch of virgin beach facing the turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea. “Our idea was to create a transitory, yet deeply culturally-rooted experience, and we couldn’t have dreamed up a better place to make this happen,” explains Sendlinger.

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Berlin-based Design Hotels and a group of likeminded partners have created a communal playground offering a white canvas for a community seeking reconnection with nature and with themselves. Berlin-based creative agency, Mamapapacola – which is known for its offbeat ideas in design – has been tasked with filling the project with memorable stories. Its work started with an ideas session in Tulum many months ago, and extended to connecting Design Hotels with restaurants and clubs. Pop-Up Ashram Spiritualism is high on the agenda for the next phase of the project. The new moon of September 15, 2012 marks the launch of a seven- week Pop-Up Ashram in what could be an extraordinary reinterpretation of a yoga retreat set on the idyllic shores of Tulum. This spiritual Burning Man will be a space for guests to test the waters of their spirituality with a full 152

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program of conscious exploration offered, ranging from ceremonies from indigenous Mayan elders to transcendental music and art. There will be an openair yoga studio on the beach and yoga, meditation, healing workshops and Tibetan bowl sound baths. The mantra for the Pop-Up Ashram is: “The only Guru is inside you.”

Renewable energy Guests stay in simple but luxurious cabanas, half of which come with private bathrooms. The cabanas range from large Casitas on the oceanfront to small but cosy Jungle Cabanas. Playa Papaya will soon be 100 percent renewable. Energy will come completely from renewable

sources from waste wood and vegetable oil collected from around Tulum. The hot water is solar heated while all the water consumed will be collected, treated and re-used. All of the food served at the resort is from the local area, while the hotel is beginning to grow its own produce. BEYOND ALL ODDS

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Communal experience With ‘community’ at the core of the physical and experiential concept, the “Papaya Playa Project” sets the stage for a spiritual and adventurous journey that is worth sharing. At the heart of the Papaya Playa project is the emphasis on the communal experience. Integration here is about being hyper-local with an international mindset. The Pop-Up Ashram is a natural 154

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progression of the Papaya Playa philosophy that could lead to further explorations into spirituality and ecological and personal self awareness – a fascinating departure from any guest experience before it. http://www.papayaplayaproject.com www.designhotels.com

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(C) ELIE GEORGES

Time travel

Sextantio is a boutique hotel experience with a difference

Words CHRISTOPHER KANAL

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hen Swedish-Italian entrepreneur, hotelier, and philanthropist Daniele Kihlgren opened Sextantio Albergo Diffuso in 2005, he brought back to life an abandoned fortress village. 6H[WDQWLR $OEHUJR 'LIIXVR UHGHĂ€QHG WKH ERXWLTXH hotel concept. The hotel, spread around a village in the Italian Apennines, looked back hundreds of years and became a cultural restoration project as much as a luxury retreat. Old local traditions were revived with craftwork made by villagers. A new relationship was established with the rustic local communities and farms. On arrival to Sextantio Albergo Diffuso you are presented with an iron key. You enter rooms that seem largely unchanged over the centuries with stone walls and heavy wooden furniture. However modern luxury is not far away in the 27 rooms scattered around the YLOODJH ZLWK EHORZ Ă RRU KHDWLQJ DQG KLGGHQ HOHFWULFDO wiring. The caves of Matera It was not long before Kihlgren, together with his partner Margareta Berg, was asked to do a similar project in the Basilicata village of Matera in Southern Italy, renowned for its incredible caves. The caves, or “sassi,â€? are a series of dwellings carved into the stone face of the Gravina Gorge, on which the village is perched, and have dramatic views across hillsides dotted with ancient caves, villages, and Byzantine churches. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the caves were home to farmers seeking refuge from natural perils. The hotel lies in the Gran Sasso area that has been inhabited for WKH SDVW \HDUV 3LHU 3DVROLQL¡V LFRQLF Ă€OP The Gospel According to St. Matthew ZDV Ă€OPHG DURXQG 6DVVL di Matera. Mel Gibson shot part of The Passion of The Christ here recently. The eighteen-room property known as Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita, has recently opened. It was developed in the oldest part of the cave, La Civita. Renovating La Civita Again Kilhgren focused on La Civita as a cultural renovation project and strove to preserve the history of the rough interior spaces. Abandoned for decades, the caves were renovated using traditional, local tools and

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construction materials. In order to provide its guests with proper standards of luxury, the site was meticulously taken DSDUW HQWLUHO\ ZLUHG DQG SLSHG DQG ÀQDOO\ UHDVVHPEOHG with each stone replaced in its original location. La Civita’s 18 rooms are spacious and they are hidden under archways. They are open and full of light. Every room has a different layout. A few have curved ceilings six meters high. Modern comforts subtly abound from eggVKDSHG EDWKV WR EHORZ à RRU KHDWLQJ DQG FDUHIXOO\ GHVLJQHG minibars. Antique furniture has been carefully sourced locally and refurbished. Facing the dramatic backdrop of the Park of the Murgia DQG LWV PDJQLÀFHQW URFN KHZQ FKXUFKHV WKH DUHD LV dotted with over 150 ancient Byzantine churches, one of the most beautiful being the Crypt of Original Sin, which was discovered only recently on a cliff in a vineyard Kihlgren has developed a lodging experience that is entirely unique. It is a prehistoric experience reborn for the 21st century. www.sextantio.it 160

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WORLD HERITAGE

History on a grand scale Beyond checks out some of Europe’s most famous castles Words JODY JAFFE

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(C) BORIS STROUJKO

Johannisburg Castle in Aschaffenburg, Germany The Johannisburg Castle (Schloss Johannisburg) is one of the most important examples of German Renaissance architecture. It was built between 1605 and 1614 by George Ridinger. It was constructed under the auspices of Johann Schweikhard von Kronberg, the archbishop of Mainz. Since 1972, parts of the town’s archives and art collections have been housed in the castle’s museum.

(C) ROB WILSON

WORLD HERITAGE

(C) FCARUCCI

The Malahide Castle in Ireland The Malahide Castle is located nine miles north of Dublin. It dates back to the 12th century, when the knight Richard Talbot began the construction of a castle on lands that were granted to him by King Henry II of England. The castle was home to the Talbot family for 791 years. In 1975, Rose Talbot sold the castle to the Irish State.

The Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria This castle was built by King Ludwig II of Bavaria in the 19th century. King Ludwig II was a great admirer of German composer Richard Wagner, and it is said that the castle was inspired by Wagner’s operas. King Ludwig II commissioned the castle as a retreat as an homage to Richard Wagner. It is an example of Romanesque Revival architecture.

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(C) MAUGLI

Château de Chenonceau, France The Château de Chenonceau is situated in the Loire Valley. It was built sometime in the 11th century. The current castle was designed by the French Renaissance architect Philibert De l’Orme in around 1555. It is an architectural mixture of late Gothic and early Renaissance styles. After the Château de Versailles, Chenonceau is the second most visited château in France.

Hluboká Castle in Hluboká nad Vltavou, Czech Republic This castle was originally built by the Czech King Premsyl Otakar II in the 13th century. It was reconstructed four times. The Schwarzenberg family acquired the castle in 1661, and it designed the castle in Neo-Gothic style in 1871. The final reconstruction was inspired by England’s Windsor Castle. BEYOND ALL ODDS

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(C) MSKORPION

(C) Olena Mykhaylova

Reichsburg Castle in Cochem, Germany This castle was built originally in around the year 1,000 A.D. It was destroyed during a French siege in 1688, during the Nine Years’ War. In 1868, the ruins were purchased by Berlin businessman Louis Fréderic Jacques Ravené, who had the castle reconstructed in the Gothic Revival style.

The Moszna Castle, Poland This castle is located near Opole, in Upper Silesia, Poland. It dates back to the second half of the 17th century. The central part of the castle is an old Baroque palace, which was partially destroyed by fire in 1896. It was reconstructed in its original form by Franz Hubert von Tiele-Winckler. Today the castle serves as a public health care center.

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(C) S.BORISOV

The Alhambra in Granada in Spain The Alhambra Palace or Castle (in Arabic, “al-qala’a al-hamra” or the “red fortress”) was built out of red clay in the mid 14th century by the Muslim rulers of the Emirate of Granada in al-Andalus. After the Christian reconquest in 1492, the Alhambra began to fall into a state of disrepair, and parts of it were occupied by European rulers. European travelers and scholars “rediscovered” the Alhambra in the 19th century, and reconstruction began. The Alhambra is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

(C) BIGMIKEPHOTO

Castel Mareccio, Bolzano, Italy Mareccio Castle is located near the center of the town of Bolzano in South Tyrol. Italy. The oldest tower was built in 1194. In 1477, Sigmund Römer purchased the structure and proceeded to reconstruct the medieval castle in a Renaissance style. Today, the castle is no longer inhabited. It serves as a venue for fairs, concerts, and conventions.

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Hohenschwangau Castle in Bavaria This castle was the childhood residence of King Ludwig II of Bavaria. It was built by his father, King Maximillian II of Bavaria. Hohenschwangau Castle was built on the ruins of a fortress in southwestern Bavaria, which dated from the 12th century. Impressed by the beauty of the surrounding area, Maximillian ordered the reconstruction of the fortress in 1833. It was completed in 1855 and renamed the Hohenschwangau Castle.

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(C) ENRIQUE MOYA

Château d’Azay-le-Rideau, France This French Renaissance castle was built between 1515 and 1527. It was built on an island in the Indre River in central France, and its foundations rise directly out of the water. The most impressive feature of the castle is its central internal staircase.

GREEN ARCHITECTURE

Recycled pavillion at Villa Romana, Florence, Italy

Italians with green designs on Lebanon Words CHERINE YAZBECK

– A talk with the two architects behind Avatar Architettura: Nicola Santini and Pier Paolo Taddei Can you tell me more about your background? N.S.: After art high school, I studied architecture in Florence, where I also obtained my Ph.D. in urban planning and architectural design. I have been painting since I was a child. 170

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P.P.T.: After attending art high school I studied architecture. Why did you create this partnership and what is your greatest achievement? N.S. & P.P.T.: We came up with this partnership in 2001. Our aim was to produce experimental works flirting with architecture and art. A fresh French-Lebanese company called Kann Design asked us to design a new furniture collection with

(C) AVATAR ARCHITETTURA PROJECTS

recycled materials that were produced in Lebanon. We were happy to present the first recycled wooden collection of furniture in the market. What brought you to Lebanon? N.S.: Our friend and colleague Charbel Maskineh has studied architecture in Florence. I visited him in Lebanon and discovered a complex and dynamic country so full of interesting contradictions. Do you consider green architecture a niche or the future of architecture? N.S.: Green architecture is not the future; it is happening now! The design of real green architecture requires a holistic approach in the design phase together with a careful consideration of the context, sun orientation, climatic conditions, and available natural resources. P.P.T.: Sustainable architecture should be the starting point for every kind of project.

NICOLA E PIER PAOLO

Is green design idealistic or is it realistic? N.S.: In Beirut, green design is idealistic. The city is being destroyed by an uncontrolled construction. Everybody is aware that there’s an urgent need for the implementation of green architecture. BEYOND ALL ODDS

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GreenUp. Modular system for green roofs and gardens

Rolling Houses art installation for public space, Nuit Blanche, Florence 2011

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ARCHITECTS OF CHANGE

Green Housing in Baabda, Beirut

P.P.T.: It’s not idealistic. I think that it’s pragmatic. Our habitat, pollution, and waste must be addressed in a global way.

furniture pieces for Kann Design and we have a project with Poltronova, a company that made the history of Italian design in the 1960s.

You have exhibited at L’Atelier. Do you believe that such exposure can raise awareness of recycling and green behavior? N.S.: The exhibition at L’Atelier in Mar Mikhael is the expression of a sincere interest in the environment and in art.

What is your personal assessment of the environment in Lebanon? Keeping on doing architecture in the same way will destroy the environment and will eliminate the chance to have a liveable city for future generations. There are many small actions that can be taken and feasible solutions for improving the existing situation.

P.P.T.: Such exhibitions are necessary to attract people›s attention. What are your current projects in Lebanon? We are working on a space devoted to everything that is green, in partnership with other Lebanese professionals. We are designing new recycled

What projects would you like to execute in Lebanon? We would like to make Beirut rooftops green. In the meantime our goal is to create super-sustainable and really green residential and office buildings. BEYOND ALL ODDS

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GREEN ARCHITECTURE

Reststops Gori - Georgia

Georgia awakes

The Caucasian country is in the midst of an architectural rebirth Words CHRISTOPHER KANAL

resh from completing the incredible Metropol Parasol in Seville, which brought international recognition, Jürgen Mayer H is now busy at work in *HRUJLD (YHU VLQFH KLV ÀUVW ODQGPDUN building, the Stadthaus Scharnhauser Park in 2002, which won the Mies Van Der Rohe Award 2003 for an Emerging Architect, the Berlin-based architect has continued to surprise us with celebrated projects, including the Danfoss Universe in rural Denmark and the Dupli Casa private residence in Ludwigsburg, Germany. “I’m really happy about being able to blur different boundaries of disciplines such as design, art, architecture, and urban planning,” Mayer explains, describing the work of his cross-disciplinary studio.

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Asserting national identity The Metropol Parasol project is what led Mayer to Georgia. He received a call from the Georgian government, which was interested in rebuilding public spaces in the capital, Tbilisi. In less than three 174

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(C) JESKO MALKOLM JOHNSSONďšşZAHN, BEKA PKHAKADZE (C) J. MAYER H.

Mestia Police Station

\HDUV - UJHQ 0D\HU + KDV FRPSOHWHG ÀYH EXLOGLQJV LQ Georgia, with an additional six under construction. In Georgia, architecture has become a critical way of asserting national identity, particularly following the country’s disastrous war with Russia in 2008. Georgia is in the midst of a huge transition driven by the country’s ambitious president, Mikheil Saakashvili.

Sarpi Border Checkpoint

landscape. In the same town Mayer also designed a small airport terminal that was built in three months. The airport is a wonderful abstract black and white building that rears up from the ground like a snake and that looks as though it has just landed itself. Mestia also boasts a police station in the old town designed by Mayer H. The building has unusually-shaped windows that run IURP WKH Ă€IWK VWRU\ GRZQ WR WKH JURXQG Ă RRU DOORZLQJ for large quantities of natural light to illuminate the space. The architect used a pre-fabricated and textured concrete on the building that combines its unusual form with the more traditional stone façade found on the older buildings.

Mayer H’s projects in Georgia One of the most striking Georgian projects is a border crossing at Sarpi, on the shore of the Black Sea between Turkey and Georgia. The building surreally resembles a giant jigsaw puzzle. The building juts and recedes with a SURĂ€OH WKDW LV LPSRVVLEOH WR PLVV 'ULYHUV SDVV EHORZ LWV cantilevering terraces. Meanwhile, the tower is used as A major ongoing project for Mayer H is the design and a viewing platform, with multiple levels overlooking the building of a system of 20 rest stops for the new Georgian highway that will run through Georgia and water and the steep part of the coastline. serve as a connection between Azerbaijan and Turkey. Completed in 2011, the House of Justice and Civic The striking concrete designs are located on selected Centre in the medieval city of Mestia sits in the remote scenic viewpoints. “Buildings should provoke and mountainous region of Svaneti. The small building’s participate in certain moments of communal life,â€? angular shape contrasts beautifully with the dramatic explains Mayer. BEYOND ALL ODDS

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East meets west in the highlands Kengo Kuma’s upcoming V&A Dundee brings Japanese spatial simplicity to the wild Scottish coast.

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ward-winning Japanese architect Kengo Kuma’s new outpost for the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in Dundee on the west coast of Scotland is a bold and ambitious design that combines cutting-edge technology with a harmonious spatial awareness. Kuma, 58, who once said that his work “recovered the tradition of Japanese buildings to reinterpret them for the 21st century,” is renowned for buildings that were designed to integrate themselves with their environment. The new V&A Dundee, which is due to be completed in 2015, is no exception. “Our philosophy will be perfectly realized in the Dundee project, especially the way it works in harmony with nature,” explains Kuma from his Tokyo office. A living room for the city The 15,000 square meter project will be built on a newly constructed site on Dundee’s waterfront. It will accommodate up to 860 visitors and 76 staff members. It is an iconic design that will transform the waterfront. The development will reconnect Dundee and the river through the introduction of a series of public spaces and a reshaped waterfront. “The project will become the new ‘living room’ for the city,” Kuma says adding that “the building is designed for people to establish an individual relationship with it.” How spaces connect Kuma’s main characteristic is his focus on how spaces connect. Kuma reveals that the V&A design references Shinto shrines in its use of space: He says: “We interpret the project as a gate

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that frames the nature beyond and we recognize this spatial connection as having a resemblance to Shinto shrines. We believe that the notion of nature that exists beyond the gates can be applied to the rich Celtic culture in Scotland.” Sustainability The architect has described his architecture as a frame to nature. Kuma’s buildings explore particular post-modern themes, namely nature and its relationship to historical tradition. Sustainability features strongly in his work. “I interpret sustainability as a mannerism between human embodiment and substance,” says Kuma, who tells me that the V&A project strives to maximize the use of natural ventilation. Japanese design philosophy is predisposed to being greener by a more inventive use of limited resources and the maximization of spatial opportunities. Kuma explains how he has applied this to the V&A design through using locally-sourced materials and developing the design at detail level. “This careful and meticulous attention to detail and choice of material reflects a Japanese design philosophy that is predisposed to being sustainable,” Kuma explains. Erasing architecture Kuma once famously said that “I want to erase architecture” through dematerialization. “The will to erase architecture can be interpreted as being in opposition to erecting an architecture that has no relationship with its surrounding environment,” he says. Indeed the twisting profile of the new V&A Dundee, inspired by the Scottish coastal rock landscape, will surely generate a delicate, dynamic relationship with the river and the city.

(C) PEY INADA (C) PEY INADA

New York Rooftops Greening

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GREEN ARCHITECTURE

A capital idea

Paris’s mayor is committed to green architecture.

C MARIEďšşHÉLĂˆNE CONTAL

Words ALICE HLIDKOVA

Wine and Culture Center of Saint-Christol- near of Montpellier. Architect, Phlippe Madec, Global Award for Sustainable Architecture 2012

I

n presenting the 2010 budget for the City of Paris, Mayor Bertrand Delanoe spoke of his desire to turn Paris into a true “eco-capitalâ€?. His commitment to sustainable development has earned the French capital second place among the European PHWURSROLVHV LQ WKH ´JUHHQ FLWLHVÂľ FODVVLĂ€FDWLRQ Climate Plan This is largely thanks to the proposed Climate Plan, which calls for a 25 percent increase in clean energy use by 2020. The mayor anticipated the revitalization of urban highways, such as the two roads running along the Seine River, which connect the western and eastern parts of the city. The riverfront will become a green pedestrian area with recreational space. Buildings will adopt renewable sources of energy, making the

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city’s architectural make-up more sustainable. One such initiative is the École Maternelle, designed by Eva Samuel Architects and Associates. A year after Delanoe’s public commitment to making Paris a greener FLW\ WKH VFKRRO LV WKH Ă€UVW WR FRPSO\ ZLWK WKH &OLPDWH Plan. Featuring sky windows, ventilation chimneys, solar screens and thermal bridges, the gray multi-form structure adopts Northern European design concepts. Not just Paris Marie-HĂŠlène Contal, director of the French Architecture Institute in Paris, explained that sustainable planning and development stretches beyond Paris. The French are becoming environmentally conscious. Lyon, Bordeaux, Grenoble and Nantes have launched “eco-quartiers,â€? a mix of green energy

C CITECHAILLOT

and transport coupled with sustainable architecture: eco-construction and housing typology—duplexes and triplexes with green houses on balconies, collective storage for bicycles, and access to rooftops from gardens. Key leaders include Françoise-Hélène Jourda, an awardwinning architect who is a Chevalier de l›Ordre de la Legion d'Honneur, and a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters, and Philippe Madec, prominent architect and former scholar at Columbia University in New York &LW\ ´, DGPLUH ÀUVW WKHLU FRXUDJH LQ SURPRWLQJ VXVWDLQDEOH architecture for the past 20 years, which has not been easy,” Contal says. “Their ability to combine innovative typology and eco-technologies without making the structures look too narcissistic has been impressive,” she adds. Germany and Austria lead in innovation Altogether sixty architects in France are turning cities into

An ecological architecture that has learned from the german movement... and opened in France its own path: A little Market Hall in Lyon. Architect, Françoise-Hélène Jourda, Global Award for Sustainable Architecture 2007

green houses, following the example of other northern European metropolises. “The innovative wind blows from Germany and Austria, leaders in the new green housing technology,” remarks Contal, who is very much aware of the *HUPDQ LQÁXHQFH LQ WKH IRUP RI ´SDVVLYH KRXVHVµ WKDW XVH wood rather than concrete as their medium. In the past, the mono-culture of concrete depressed urban centers. Luckily, both countries have succeeded in combining green-building industry development with architectural creativity, turning them into leaders of eco-construction. Southern France has a different approach “However, the ecological and technical aspect of VXVWDLQDEOH GHVLJQ LV GLIÀFXOW WR UHSOLFDWH LQ 6RXWKHUQ France,” Contal adds. Modern cities of Marseille and Toulouse don’t worry about the rising price of heating. Buildings are isolated, and exposed to the sun. Instead

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GREEN ARCHITECTURE

Renovation in France In Nantes, an olf biscuit industry , LU, is transformed into a multi-cultural center. Architecte, Patrick Bouchain et LoĂŻc Julienne, Global Award for Sustainable Architecture 2009

they are concerned with global warming and the rising price of cooling. Old Mediterranean areas as Corsica and Provence, for example, keep heating costs down. The architecture utilizes large, thick, adjoined buildings, with “thermal inertâ€? courtyards to provide cooling and shadow. Therefore, architects who are defending ecological approaches of natural ventilation, open courtyards, and WKH UHWXUQ RI VWRQH DQG EULFN KDYH WR Ă€JKW WKH XUEDQ UXOHV of the South. French wish to preserve national heritage The relationship between green architecture and city planning is fairly new, and slowly growing. Whereas the German green movement began with a revolutionary construction industry, the French adopted citytransport policies in support of public space renovation. Decisions to demolish old districts and renovate housing, transport and public space did not always mesh with the French mentality of preserving national identity and cultural heritage. Sustainable development must involve the citizens Jana Revedin, an architect working in Germany, Austria 180

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and Italy, and a professor teaching in Sweden shared a broader European perspective. She says: “Sustainable development also includes the political, social and cultural needs of society. It is the architect’s goal to work for equity, democracy and the appropriation of the public ground by the people.â€? She refers to the practice of civic engagement and the multidisciplinary approach of Northern Europe – Sweden, Norway, Denmark or Finland. Citizens are invited to take part in making decisions regarding urban planning. “We have to learn from the European North, where dialogue, discussion and compromise are the tools and no star-attitudes or arrogant design-despotism may nest,â€? Revedin says. Architects have to also learn from Southern Europe’s FXOWXUDO DVSHFW RI VXVWDLQDELOLW\ GHĂ€QHG E\ LQQRYDWLYH FUDIWVPDQVKLS DQG Ă€QHVW GHWDLOLQJ 5HYHGLQ UHPDUNV ´,I ZH IXOĂ€OO WKH VLPSOH HYHU\GD\ QHHGV RI PHQ RXU architecture necessarily becomes sustainable by being understood and accepted by the people‌In this way beauty is a logical consequence, not a design conceit.â€? To conclude, what becomes aesthetically pleasing to the eyes of the society will be naturally protected and sustained.

C CITECHAILLOT

Nantes, Le Lieu Unique.

CPHLIPPE MADEC

College and Dormitory in Montepllier. Architect, Phlippe Madec

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C MICHEL DENANCÉ C MICHEL DENANCÉ

The top of the tower (June 2012)

A clear-cut masterpiece Renzo Piano’s Shard in London was designed from the outset around principles of sustainability and individual interaction. Words CHRISTOPHER KANAL

T

he tallest building in Europe opened in London on July 2012. Designed by Italian Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano, The Shard sits on the banks of the Thames River and has inspired a considerable urban regeneration beneath its shadow in the local borough of Southwark. Piano is renowned as one of the world’s leading sustainable architects. His California Academy of Sciences, built in 2008, is widely acknowledged as one of the most eco-friendly buildings in the world.

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The 1,016-feet Shard's tapered spire-design and glass panelling have already made it an iconic landmark for the capital. The structure itself is made up of multiple facets of glass that narrow into a point at the top, but do not touch, instead opening up to the sky. The concept was generated by the irregular site plan, and the open top allows the building to breath naturally. A vertical city 7KH 6KDUG ZLOO HYHQWXDOO\ FRQWDLQ RIĂ€FHV H[FOXVLYH residences, a luxury hotel, restaurants, and a viewing

Panorama (June 2012)

JDOOHU\ RQ Ă RRUV 7KH VN\VFUDSHU LV SDUW RI D WZR million square feet development in Southwark called London Bridge Quarter. The Shard and its sister development, The Place, are linked with London Bridge Station through a new central plaza and transport links.

principles of low carbon and increased efficiency. The building’s triple skin intelligent façade minimizes the effects of solar gain, while allowing maximum use of natural light, while 95 percent of construction materials and 20 percent of all steelwork came from recycled sources. Its instantly recognizable façade stands out as an impressive The tower was inspired by the church spires and the example of reducing energy demand. The exterior’s PDVWV RI VKLSV WKDW RQFH Ă€OOHG WKH FLW\ DQG WKH ULYHU specially designed 11,000 glass panels reduce heat Piano envisioned The Shard as a “Vertical City,â€? from the sun by 95 percent, protecting occupants a mixed-use, dense development that is open and from the sun but also decreasing the need for accessible to the public and yet luxurious, exclusive, energy- hungry air conditioning. The Shard was and central enough to be a highly desirable address also built to house a combined heat and power for companies and residents. Piano says that he wants (CHP) plant, to adjust to the varying energy the Shard to provoke an individual, poetic dialogue demands of spaces within the building. CHP works ZLWK /RQGRQHUV ´,W ZLOO UHĂ HFW WKH FKDQJLQJ PRRGV RI like an on-site power plant and involves the local WKH ZHDWKHU UHĂ HFWLQJ WKH VN\ DQG WKH OLYHV RI SHRSOH generation of heat and electricity, resulting in around itâ€? the architect explains. efficiency savings through the reduction of transmission losses. Light comes deep into the Sustainable design building, saving on artificial lighting and air From the outset Piano and his team designed the conditioning. “I can use technology to create a Shard to be as sustainable as possible and applied miracle,â€? Piano says. BEYOND ALL ODDS

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GREEN ARCHITECTURE

No more shocks

Words CHRISTOPHER KANAL

– Chile’s Elemental is a partnership between an architect, an oil company, and a university championing urban design solutions for Latin America’s poor.

I

Designing an earthquake-resilient city In February 2010, an earthquake devastated the Chilean city of ConstituciĂłn and left 80 per cent of its 50,000 inhabitants homeless. In the weeks that followed, Elemental was asked to come up with a master plan to design a new, earthquake-resilient city. In just 90 days, ZRUNLQJ ZLWK WKH SXEOLF DV ZHOO DV SROLWLFDO RIĂ€FLDOV 0U Aravena and his team produced a design that was ready for construction. The project is due to be completed EHIRUH WKH SUHVLGHQWLDO HOHFWLRQV LQ Mr. Aravena explains: “In ConstituciĂłn there was no time for abstract diagnosis. People had no homes, so the normal sequence of analysis, design, and proposal didn’t apply.â€? He worked with many ministries to coordinate the design of the project, a third of which was IXQGHG E\ WKH SXEOLF 7KH QHZ FLW\ ZLOO KDYH units and include a forested area by the sea to reduce the force of a tsunami. Hailing from a country with very few natural resources, Mr. Aravena has reduced design to its foundations to produce architecture for WKH PDVVHV WKDW LV VXVWDLQDEOH DQG HIĂ€FLHQW Building low-cost residences Aravena set up Elemental after being invited to teach at Harvard in 2000. It was here that he met his business partner, AndrĂŠs Iacobelli, a transport engineer studying public policy, and began to wrestle with the problem of providing housing for Chile›s poor. Originally just a research and a testing project involving Harvard DQG WKH 3RQWLĂ€FD 8QLYHUVLGDG &DWyOLFD GH &KLOH universities, it became an investment and building company run by the latter along with the Chilean Oil Company COPEC, the CEO of which sits on the board of Aravena›s architecture practice. 184

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(C) ELEMENTAL

t is about standing outside architecture and looking DW VRFLHW\ DQG WUDQVODWLQJ D QRQ VSHFLĂ€F SUREOHP LQ D VSHFLĂ€F ZD\ Âľ VD\V $OHMDQGUR $UDYHQD WKH \HDU ROG &KLOHDQ DUFKLWHFW EHKLQG (OHPHQWDO a unique collaboration of architects, engineers, DQG VRFLDO ZRUNHUV WKDW LV UHGHĂ€QLQJ DUFKLWHFWXUH¡V UROH as a proactive force for social good.

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Projects with social value (OHPHQWDO LV D VRFLDOO\ RULHQWHG ´IRU SURĂ€WÂľ DVVRFLDWLRQ providing low-cost structures that are half built as a core DQG WKHQ FRPSOHWHG E\ WKH UHVLGHQW ,WV Ă€UVW SURMHFW FDPH in 2003 when Mr. Aravena was asked to create housing for 100 families in Iquique, northern Chile. Each family had just $7,500 in government subsidies. Elemental decided against building a high-rise as that would have prevented the families expanding, and instead built half a house for each family, providing the roof, kitchen and bathroom, and a simple concrete structure with gaps that allowed the owners to insert new rooms and create their own individual home when possible. The award-winning architect’s practice has developed an irresistibly unconventional urban design approach that has never been more relevant. “Our muscles are as designers,â€? says Mr. Aravena. He adds: “Our priority now is projects that have wider social value. This is our contribution.â€?

(C) VÍCTOR ODDÓ / ELEMENTAL (C) VÍCTOR ODDÓ

(C) ELEMENTAL

Sede Social house

PRES Constitucion

(C) RAMIRO RAMIREZ

Innovation center, Ancleto Angelini

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ART & BEYOND

Trash revisited Words ALINE SARA Photos ART WASTE CONTEST 2012

– A contest in Byblos last May engaged primary, middle, and secondary school VWXGHQWV LQ WKH ÀJKW IRU D EHWWHU HQYLURQPHQW

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RU WKH Ă€UVW WLPH LQ /HEDQRQ WKH =HUR :DVWH Contest engaged Lebanon’s youth in a competition with a special twist – creating art out of trash. The event, which was sponsored by UNESCO and organized by Contra International, a Lebanese company that since 2005 has been working on renewable and sustainable energy, stressed the importance of recycling and active citizenship. The event in Byblos was part of a larger, long-term initiative to educate Lebanese youth about the issue. Zero Waste During an interview with Beyond, Contra ,QWHUQDWLRQDO¡V <YRQQH (O +DMM RQH RI =HUR :DVWH¡V project managers, said that “the intention is multifold,â€? noting that the endeavor intended to both breed children’s creativity and nourish their commitment to protecting the environment. Over the course of the year, students were asked to collect and segregate their WUDVK EHIRUH FUHDWLQJ WKHLU Ă€QDO SLHFHV RI HFR IULHQGO\ art. Meanwhile, organizers created a points system, according to which the more you recycled, the more you could reward yourself with the purchase of ecofriendly prizes. Turning garbage into art The collected garbage was then used to get creative, as anything from cork screws to coat hangers, to bottles to old batteries, was made into art. Participating students told Beyond that they were thrilled with the project. “We feel we are not only competing but helping our country,â€? said Joey Sleiman, a 12 year old from Valley International School, while sharing his amazement with the beautiful trash-turned-art. His classmate, ten-year old Elie Abou Jaoude, explained with delight the intricacies of his creation, a giant, ecofriendly version of the well-known Birkenstock sandal. 7KH VDQGDO ODQGHG KLP Ă€UVW SODFH LQ WKH SULPDU\ VFKRRO FRPSHWLWLRQ ZKLOH KLV VLVWHU \HDU ROG -R\ FDPH LQ second, with a bottle-shaped sculpture as big as she is that was made out of cork screws. Among the most captivating pieces was a spectacular PHUPDLG VWDWXH WKH VHTXLQV RI ZKLFK ZHUH UHĂ HFWHG through the use of CD-ROMs, while its hair consisted of old computer wires and cables. The piece was

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concocted by high school students from Jamhour. Some students fabricated pieces with a functional value – such as lampposts. =HUR :DVWH LV EDVHG RQ IRXU NH\ SLOODUV HFRQRPLF development, education, environmental sustainability, and personal advancement. As such, it makes children at a young age take responsibility for their actions, an essential concept, given that in Lebanon, people so frivolously toss their trash out the window. Every little difference counts Nadine Nawfal, the art teacher at Valley School ,QWHUQDWLRQDO ZDV RYHUĂ RZLQJ ZLWK MR\ DV VKH WROG Beyond about her enthusiasm about the event. She joined the project at the last minute, and saw her students whip up their pieces of art in only a few days. “It is about showing them that every little difference counts, and contributes to the greater management of the predicament,â€? Nawfal said. “I am so proud of them,â€? she added.

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Lake of enchantment – Salt is a contemplative art show by Murray Fredericks that brings out the power of silent nature. The curiosity of the photographer presents a beautiful, panoramic, and uncanny vision of the wilderness.

Words CHERINE YAZBECK

(C) MURRAY FREDERICKS

ART AND BEYOND

P

hotography is a sublime communication technology. It uses a technique whereby it reveals in the most philosophical way, the inner world of a human being, depicting the many lives that he experiences. The evanescent visual experience of Salt LV UHPLQLVFHQW RI VRPH PDJQLĂ€FHQW Turner portraits of Mother Nature. It sublimates the living landscape and transforms it into a journey through peace and devotion.

A continuous journey of exploration Lake Eyre has been the subject of study of local inhabitant Murray Fredericks for almost a decade now. Whenever Christopher Columbus would focus on the horizon, he was sure that there was something beyond the range of his vision. Whenever we take a look at Fredericks’ artwork, we perceive magic that lies behind his breath-taking images. The journey of exploration seems endless, and the theme is a neverending story between the analyst and his object, the universal beauty of nature.

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(C) MURRAY FREDERICKS

The Australian wilderness Intimate scenery, an aesthetic sign evoking the sublime in photography, creates timeless moments WKDW à RZ LQ WKH RXWHU VSDFH SURGXFLQJ IHHOLQJV RI extreme serenity. Lake Eyre is located in the deserts of central Australia and is the lowest point in the country, at approximately 15 meters below sea OHYHO ,W ÀOOV XS RQ UDUH RFFDVLRQV 7KHUH LV D ODUJH endorheic system surrounding the lakebed, the ORZHVW SDUW RI ZKLFK LV ÀOOHG ZLWK WKH FKDUDFWHULVWLF salt pan caused by the seasonal expansion and subsequent evaporation of the trapped waters.

INTERVIEW

Shoring up support

– In Watercolor, Mazen Jannoun takes us on a journey along the Lebanese coast. Through his photographs, Jannoun explores the coastline from north to south, in a plea to protect the natural beauty that unites all of us Lebanese. During an interview following the publication of the book last May, he talked to Beyond about his project. Words ALINE SARA

What is the intention behind your book? Are you trying to raise awareness about the plight of the Lebanese coast? Some things are better shown visually rather than in writing; a good example is Lebanon’s coastline and its declining state. We have been neglecting our land and sea, so I’m showing the result of our neglect. Unfortunately, in Lebanon, we still lack the charisma of documentary and photo-reportage news publishing, so I decided to try a book instead, thinking that it might capture the attention of the public. I hit the bull’s-eye, and Tamyras, the publisher, which endorsed the project, as well as the partners, BankMed and Sukleen, all seemed to agree. L’Institut Français du Liban is promoting the photo exhibition in IF centers around Lebanon to help increase public awareness. Tell us a bit more about how you did the project. For how long did you collect the images? Did you use shots that you had taken in the past?

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(C) MAZEN JANOON

The July 2006 War froze the project until I resumed it while continuing my commercial work in late 2007 until the summer 2011. From the beginning, the idea was simple: to walk along the beach and to explore the shores, meet the people, and then find the best way to make the results visible.

What are your favorite parts of the Lebanese coast? In the North, Al Arida on the border with Syria is a marvelous place to explore all the way southwards until Al-Minyah. In the South, it is Al-Naqura around the UN headquarters from the border with occupied Palestine all the way northwards until Al-Mansouri and then Tyre, which are marvelous expanses of rocky /sandy bliss. What do you think of the appropriation of public beaches by private owners who charge high

entrance fees? What about the alarming pollution threats and toxic hazards? I think that anyone who provides a service has the right to charge a fee. Unfortunately, providing services at public beaches is lucrative for the private sector because our governmental institutions are incapable of providing a regulated marine service for bathers and for the ecosystem. Instead, the private sector steps in and charges entry fees, under the rubric of promoting luxury, while nearby the beach is covered with trash. What do you think should be done to help preserve our coast? The perfection of the entire public school system is our only chance for becoming a civilized nation in a few decades. To make an impact as individuals, the trick is to enroll our children in public schools and to perfect the public educational system. Nothing else can improve Lebanon.

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(C) MAZEN JANOON

(C) MAZEN JANOON

INTERVIEW

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ART & BEYOND

Talent, naturally ² /DVW -XQH %\EORV %DQN KHDGTXDUWHUV LQ $VKUDĂ€HK KRVWHG DQ H[KLELW HQWLWOHG La BeautĂŠ du Printemps, in which artist Rawia Zantout recreated the vibrancy of both a natural and political spring in oil on canvas. She talks to Beyond about her life as a painter as well as the exhibit.

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(C) RAWIA ZANTOUT

Le chemain des fleurs 120X110 Huile sur toile

Tell us a bit about your background. Where did you grow up? How did you get into painting? I was born in Beirut in 1971. I am married with three children. In 1979, I fled Lebanon with my parents because of the war, and settled down in the south of France, where I stayed for 20 years. I went to school at the Centre International de Valbonne. I went to college in Nice, where I studied graphic advertising before switching to business and finance at the University of Southern Europe in MonteCarlo, Monaco. My passion for art made me take extensive private lessons in drawing and painting in parallel with my studies. In 1999, I returned to Lebanon and took painting courses with famous artists Helene Karam and Oumayma Soubra.

Can you tell us about the art that has influenced you? I am deeply influenced by Impressionist painters such as Monet, Renoir, Degas, Pissaro, and Manet. My work mirrors a world of recreation and natural beauty. I have a great deal of ambition in art. I choose my own world and my own style. Since I grew up in the south of France, my memories drive me involuntarily to this part of the world that I love. One day I might go contemporary but until now something restricts me; I just don’t know what….. I have participated in several international and local exhibitions, including Nice’s Le salon de

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(C) RAWIA ZANTOUT

ART & BEYOND

Le chemin de la petite maison 125X125 Huile sur toile

graphisme in 1990, a collective exhibition at WR VKRZ WKH ZRUOG WKDW WKH $UDE VSULQJ LV D Ă€HOG RI Atelier Oumayma Soubra in 2000, le Salon de Ă RZHUV WKDW ULVHV LQWR IUHHGRP /¡LPPRELOLHU HW GH GHFRUDWLRQ LQ %LHO LQ DQG Christmas exhibitions in Saifi, among others. Can you tell us a bit more about Tammana and what it does? What is the theme behind this exhibit in My career in art started with kids’ art. Today, I own particular? Beyond is primarily considered with “Mishmash Kids’ Club,â€? a club that teaches children all the environment. Do you frequently portray kinds of activities and organizes birthday parties. images of nature or the environment in your art? Tamanna turns tears into laughter. I think that explains The exhibit has two objectives: to somewhat reconnect my attachment to this organization, which helps people with nature, and to show the world how children who are battling serious illnesses. I hope that irresistible it is and also remind the world that saving this exhibition will spread joy and a smile among them. the planet and its nature is important. I am also trying It is a gesture of hope, empathy, and care.

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(C) RAWIA ZANTOUT

La maison enямВeurit 50X60 huile su toile

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(C) RAWIA ZANTOUT

ART AND BEYOND

Le champs de Lilac 135X115 huile sur toile

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(C) RAWIA ZANTOUT

Les nympheas 125X170 Huile sur toile

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Un arbre fruitier en eurs (150X125)

GRREN ISSUES

C RITA KAMEL

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Open up

Calls for Beirut’s largest green space to go public Words JODY JAFFE

– A group of NGOs are demanding the opening of Horsh Beirut to the public.

he Lebanese Skateboarding Association (LSA) is calling for making Horsh Beirut, the largest green space in Beirut, open to the public. LSA is an NGO that was established in 2011. It is being joined in this endeavor by several NGOs, including the Lebanese Physically Handicapped Union (LPHU), Beirut Green Project, React, the Environmental Part, the Green Party, NAHNOO, Greenpeace, Na-am, Save Beirut Heritage, and Beirut Rotary Club. The LSA’s initiative is called “Horsh Beirut all over Beirut.â€? The LSA says: “Horsh Beirut‌is a public property and belongs to all. Yet, it has been closed to the public for more than twenty years, and only a few people are granted access to it.â€? It notes that “after completing the renovation of Horsh Beirut ten years ago, the Municipality of Beirut has not yet opened it to the public, and has never provided a legitimate and acceptable reason for this decision.â€? The LSA says: “We will never stop campaigning for our right to public spaces in Beirut. Having access to public green spaces is essential, especially in crowded and polluted cities like Beirut. It is a basic social and public health need, and provides an essential

T

space for interaction among citizens who are usually separated by political and sectarian divides.â€? The event The “Horsh Beirut all over Beirutâ€? event will be held RQ -XQH IURP S P XQWLO S P There will be a picnic in Ain Mreisse, facing the Hard Rock CafĂŠ. The other locations include: Gemayzee, Furn al-Shubbak, Mar Mikhael, Wata al-Msaytbe, Sassine Square, Raouche, al-Tayyouna, Hamra facing VERO MODA, Hamra facing Estral, and the National Museum. Participants are encouraged to bring picnic baskets and skateboards. “Let’s remind all those responsible that opening Horsh Beirut is our RIGHT, by signing the petition,â€? LSA says. We need a public skate park LSA wants the Municipality of Beirut to open Horsh Beirut to the public, and also to establish a public skate park (for skateboarding) within Horsh Beirut. The LSA wants to have a place for safe skateboarding that is accessible to all Lebanese youth. “Skateboarding is a healthful, positive recreational choice for our young and young-at-heart,â€? LSA contends. “Traditional sports participation is in steady decline, whereas skateboarding is growing,â€? it says. LSA argues that “skateboarders need skate parks.â€? Skateboarding in the streets is very dangerous. “Skateboarding youth are exposed to serious accidents in the streets at an alarming rate because they lack appropriate places to skateboard,â€? LSA points out. The municipality of Beirut has approved giving the LSA a limited space next to courts at Horsh Beirut IRU D RQH PRQWK WULDO DV D Ă€UVW VWHS WRZDUGV EXLOGLQJ D permanent skate park. Good for youth and good for the community “A public skate park will provide opportunities for residents of different generations, faiths, and social backgrounds to mix and to strengthen community bonds,â€? it adds. Hence it will help to strengthen connections among different members of the community, regardless of their social background. Beirut is in need of such type of activities, because too often its residents are separated by confession or SROLWLFDO DIĂ€OLDWLRQ

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(C) JULES ASSI

Let’s get this sorted

– Though a cliché, it’s true that education is the key when dealing with environmental issues the world over. Taking this idea to heart, an initiative SODQQHG E\ FRQVXOWDQF\ ÀUP 6XVWDLQDEOH Environmental Solutions aims to tackle the issue of sorting waste in schools in Sidon and the surrounding area. Beyond sat down with Naji Chamieh and Jules Assi of SES to discuss their ambitious plans. Words ALEX GREY

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Alex Grey: What does the project entail? Naji Chamieh: :H KDYH DURXQG VFKRROV in the region around Sidon, including Ain El Helweh and Jezzine, where we want to organize seminars for teachers to train them how to sort waste at the source. We’ve distributed 720 colored bins to the schools, divided between paper, organic waste, and other recyclables. For every 150 students there are four, 120-liter bins, so we’re covering 27,000 students. The idea is to go in at the beginning of the school year and train around 180 teachers. We’ll organize awareness seminars to teach them about recycling, solid waste management, landfilling, sorting, and

(C) JULES ASSI

composting. They can then go back to the school and teach the students and other teachers how to do sorting at the source. AG: Once the training is completed, what happens? NC: Once the sorting has been done, we will work with the local contractor that is collecting the waste from the schools. The contractor can then sell the recyclables, and perhaps some of the revenues can then go back to the schools and be invested in environmental projects.

are performing best. We’ll also be following up with the contractor to understand how it can profit. AG: With whom are you working? NC: We’ll be doing the training with the schools ourselves. The solid waste contractor in Sidon will be taking care of the collection. The municipality has been very positive. BankMed is also heavily involved in financing us. The UNDP have overseen the process.

AG: How will this work financially? NC: We needed to get the private sector on board, as only AG: What are the benefits of the program? LW FDQ GR LW HIĂ€FLHQWO\ DQG VPRRWKO\ 7KHUH¡V QRW PXFK JA: What’s new about this project is the training money to be made in solid waste. It’s a cost to society, so of the trainers. We’re encouraging them to manage only through economy of scale is there a way forward. it themselves. They’ll be in charge of the sorting $IWHU WKH Ă€UVW ZHHN RI RSHUDWLRQ ZH¡OO KDYH D EHWWHU LGHD DV at the source. We’ll also be training them in the to how much money the private sector can make. We’re management of the sorting process. aiming to recycle the majority of the paper waste, the plastics and the cans; we believe that it can be done quite NC: %HFDXVH WKHUH DUH VFKRROV ZH¡OO EH DEOH WR easily. This is going to be an excellent pilot project to allow analyze the collection to understand which schools us to understand the economics of it all. BEYOND ALL ODDS

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Illustration RAPHAELLE MACARON

Beyond Kids is coming soon...

MUSIC WITH A MESSAGE

Conya Doss

An R&B singer raises awareness of humanitarian issues

Words LISA GEORGE

W

ith the April release of her highly anticipated sixth album, Pocket Full of Purpose, multi-award winning artist Conya Doss is quite busy performing for her loyal fans in the U.S and Europe. Despite this hectic schedule, Conya continues her hat-switching act that includes being a mom, teacher, mentor, and philanthropist, keeping her close to her life’s calling of giving back and paying it forward. The global water crisis As a philanthropist, Conya felt compelled to raise awareness of the global water crisis, which affects billions of people. With over 3.5 million people dying each year from water-related diseases and nearly one billion people – about one in eight – lacking access to clean water, Conya had to get involved. Her song ´'RHVQ¡W +DYH WR %H 7KLV :D\Âľ IURP KHU Ă€IWK DOEXP Blu Transition ZDV XVHG LQ WKH VKRUW Ă€OP VXEPLWWHG to the Water Day Film Festival earlier this year. Conya said: “Things that we complain about are minute when you get to travelling the world and see that people don’t have access to safe water, which can cause diseases. If we can do our part to raise awareness, then we need to.â€? 7UDIĂ€FNLQJ LQ SHRSOH Not stopping there, Conya wrote and sang “Pray for Rain,â€? a soon-to-be-released single, to raise awareness IRU UHVFXHG FKLOG YLFWLPV RI KXPDQ WUDIĂ€FNLQJ LQ Haiti, with all proceeds going to the project. With WKH WRWDO PDUNHW YDOXH RI LOOLFLW KXPDQ WUDIĂ€FNLQJ estimated to be over $32 billion a year and affecting millions of vulnerable populations such as orphans, poor, runaways, and women, Conya knows that her part is small. With this effort, she is walking the same

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HORIZONS

philanthropic path as Ricky Martin, Ashton Kutcher, Lucy Liu, and Nicole Kidman, and the Grammy Award-winning artist Common. Joining forces with $LUOLQH $PEDVVDGRUV ,QWHUQDWLRQDO D QRQ SURĂ€W organization that actively provides humanitarian aid and relief to children and families in underprivileged communities worldwide, Conya will travel to Haiti this summer. Be yourself As a musician, she encourages listeners to stay true to their authentic selves, celebrate individualism, and remember that true love can be found. Through her transparent musical creations and evolution, Conya invites everybody to be introspective, challenge status quos when necessary, and truly live. Throughout her career, which spans over a decade, Conya Doss has kept it real, laying down tracks to which everyone can relate, and continuously receiving notable nods from the industry. With Pocket Full of Purpose, she takes listeners on a sojourn to lands where love reigns and individualism is celebrated with songs such as “Don’t Change,â€? “Where Do We Go From Here?,â€? “Here For You,â€? and “I’ll Say Yesâ€?. Lady Doss loves making music so much that she has a tattoo of a note with a heart on her arm. Conya Doss, also known as “The Queen of Indie Soul,â€? can be found at www.conyadoss.com and @conyad on Twitter. Her music is sold on her website, Amazon, iTunes, CD Baby, MySpace, Rhapsody, and BandCamp.

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