Analyzing the effectiveness of youth participation in post-disaster phases - The case of Beirut, LB by Rana Ayoub

MASTER THESIS

ANALYZING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUTH PARTICIPATION IN POSTDISASTER PHASES. The case of Beirut, Lebanon 2020/2021 Academic Year

Student: Rana AYOUB Master of International Cooperation in Sustainable Emergency Architecture Supervisor: Maria del Carmen MENDOZA ARROYO Date presented: 02/07/2021

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

Abstract The research work was conducted to find out the effectiveness of youth-led organizations in post-disaster response and reconstruction. The research is based on a literature review of academic work concerning the importance of youth participation, as well as a comparison of three case studies through interviews and an online survey. Four aspects were analyzed: the structure and role of youth in each LNGO, the level of involvement, the tools used, and their level of satisfaction and perception of the work they've done. Having the viewpoints of the organizations and the young participants helped me form conclusions regarding the efficacy of youth participation in LNGOs. The findings verify that youth-led organizations are key to a post-disaster response; they are the quickest to react and the fastest to help in a post-disaster situation. The most effective way for young people to develop the skills and values of active citizenship and civic engagement is through participation. The results suggest that humanitarian actors should work with young people to investigate opportunities for participation in decisionmaking and communal life.

Keywords: Youth Participation, Youth-Led Organizations, Tools of Participation, Role of Youth, Post-Disaster, Beirut Blast, Emergency response, Reconstruction

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

Acknowledgment A special thanks to my thesis supervisor Dr. Maria del Carmen MENDOZA ARROYO for her support and motivation throughout the whole process.

I also want to express my gratitude to my parents, brothers and friends, for their unconditional support. Prayers for the soul of my dear father, who passed away while I was writing this thesis. You’re my inspiration, I will always make you proud.

Last but not least, the completion of this study could not have been possible without the participation of the superheroes – the Lebanese youth. Without us, the country wouldn’t be able to stand-still. Your contributions are sincerely appreciated and gratefully acknowledged.

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................. 2 Acknowledgment .............................................................................................. 3 List of acronyms ............................................................................................... 5 List of figures & tables ..................................................................................... 6 Chapter I: Introduction ..................................................................................... 7 Research objectives and question .................................................................. 8 Research structure and methodology ............................................................. 8 Limitations....................................................................................................... 9 Chapter II: Theoretical framework ................................................................ 10 1. Man-made disaster impact on youth ........................................................ 10 2. Youth participation in post-disaster response ........................................... 11 2.1. Participation models .......................................................................... 11 2.2. Youth participation strategies ........................................................... 13 2.3. Tools of youth participation................................................................ 16 2.4. Benefits of a youth-led organization .................................................. 18 Chapter III: Case Study Analysis .................................................................. 20 1. Methodology ............................................................................................. 20 1.1.

Semi-structured interviews............................................................ 20

1.2.

Online survey ................................................................................ 21

2. Youth participation before Beirut Blast ..................................................... 22 3. Youth Participation in LNGOs after Beirut Blast ....................................... 25 3.1. Role of youth in LNGOs ...................................................................... 25 a.

Baytna Baytak .................................................................................. 25

Bebw’Shebbek ................................................................................. 26

NUSANED ....................................................................................... 28

3.2. Level of participation ........................................................................... 29 4

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

3.3. Tools of participation ........................................................................... 33 3.4. Level of satisfaction ............................................................................. 35 4. Discussions .............................................................................................. 39 Chapter IV: Conclusion .................................................................................. 41 References ...................................................................................................... 42 Annexes .......................................................................................................... 44

List of acronyms IASC: Inter-Agency Standing Committee ICT: Information and Communications Technology INGO: International Non-Governmental Organization LNGO: Local Non-Governmental Organization MENA: Middle East and North Africa MYCHA: Mena Youth Capacity-Building in Humanitarian Action NGO: Non-Governmental Organization NRC: Norwegian Refugee Council PTSD: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder ROTA: Reach Out to Asia SFCG: Search for Common Ground UN: United Nations UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNHCR: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees UNICEF: United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund UNOY: United Network of Young USAID: United States Agency for International Development Y-PEER: Youth Peer Education Network 5

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

List of figures & tables Figure 1 - Degrees of Citizen Participation, Arnstein’s Ladder (1969) .............. 12 Figure 2 - Degrees of Participation ................................................................... 13 Figure 3 - Age of the respondents Figure 4 - Gender of respondents ............. 22 Figure 5 - Collage representing the post-disaster immediate response by young volunteers ......................................................................................................... 24 Figure 6 - Reconstruction projects - before and after ....................................... 25 Figure 7 - Baytna Baytak Organization Chart ................................................... 26 Figure 8 - Reconstruction projects - before and after ....................................... 27 Figure 9 - Bebw'Shebbek Organization Chart .................................................. 27 Figure 10 - Reconstruction projects - before and after ..................................... 28 Figure 11 - NUSANED organization chart ........................................................ 29 Figure 12 - Type of Involvement ....................................................................... 30 Figure 13 - Temporality of participation in the post-disaster response according to surveyed ....................................................................................................... 31 Figure 14 - Participation associates ................................................................. 33 Figure 15 - Participation tools for youth ............................................................ 34 Figure 16 - Level of Satisfaction of respondents .............................................. 36 Figure 17 - Feelings shared by respondents on a personal level ..................... 38 Figure 18 - Feelings shared by respondents on community level..................... 38

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

Chapter I: Introduction The aftermath of man-made disasters is a catastrophic occurrence that disrupts and overwhelms entire communities, confronts every society, and affects millions of individuals. According to the Swiss Re group, which gathers data on global insured losses caused by both natural and man-made disasters, “the number of man-made disasters declined from 2019 to 2020 as a result of lower economic activity from lockdowns imposed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic” (Swiss Re, 2021). In 2020, there were 274 disasters, compared to 321 in 2019. When disasters strike, many youths are in proximity and are vulnerable to directly witnessing massive destruction, seeing dead or injured people, being involved in a building evacuation, losing a family, viewing physical damage or ruins, and/or participating in the emergency response. (Furr et al., 2010, p. 765) Defining 2 keywords is important as a frame for this research. Starting with ‘disaster’, in an extensive review of the disaster literature, Winkworth (2007) defines a disaster as having the following characteristics: “A situation created by major events rather than the event itself, and especially the social, economic, developmental and political consequences of events which is the key defining aspect of disasters. A disaster exceeds the capacity of the community to respond and requires a coordinated response by the State and other entities to help the community recover. Disasters are also events which are shared by a group of people who develop an identity that together they have been affected by a major catastrophe” (p.6). As a definition, the precise age range of individuals that fall into the category of ‘youth’ cannot be generalized. The major factors which appear to determine the age bracket are the context of the society and the domain under which the study occurs. This research study defines the demographic as young people aged between 15 and 29 years. According to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2020, it was defined by the Lebanese Ministry of Youth and Sport, and the United Nations agencies working with children and youth, youth associations in the Lebanese civil society, and experts, that youth represent 28% of the total population in Lebanon. Thus, young people can also be an element of opportunity and hope for the future of society. When youth are engaged, mostly whenever empowering and developing opportunities are provided, there are several benefits for society.

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

Research objectives and question This paper aims to focus on youth-led organizations as key to post-disaster response and reconstruction, specifically through their intervention in the built environment. Researchers typically conceive inclusion as a mechanism to underpin equal opportunities for minority groups in vulnerable situations and to provide an appropriate response to diversity. That’s why one of the proposed strategies to beat the identified gaps is to develop and strengthen the capacity of individuals, particularly vulnerable communities and groups. Furthermore, it is crucial to boost their participation and invest in young people through a youth-centered approach and involve them in decision-making in all phases of emergency response. The overarching objective of this study is to investigate the strategies and tools for effective youth engagement. In addition, assessing youth-led organizations engagement in a post-disaster situation, as well as how they were involved in the emergency and recovery process following the Beirut Blast tragedy. Finally, to investigate the benefits, limits, and potentials of youthled groups in the aftermath of a disaster. My main research question is: How effective are youth-led organizations in post-disaster response and reconstruction? Inevitably, in the search for answers, other interrogations unfold: -

What topics, engagement types, organization types, tools, and methods do young people most frequently employ?

Which approaches are the foremost effective for achieving a better scale of impact? And how can they be implemented in emergency response?

How can youth-led organizations be active actors in post-disaster reconstruction? What makes them singular from other organizations?

Research structure and methodology My research is conducted first through the theoretical framework, that attempts to examine the psychological, physical, and cognitive effects of a man-made disaster on youth. Then, it translates to an understanding of various models of participation, strategies, and tools. Leading to the formation of youth-led organizations serving as a tool of empowerment and disseminating awareness in decision-making in their own contexts and environments. Moreover, to support my argument, I will explore the “Guidelines with us & for us: working with and for young people in humanitarian and protracted crises” developed by the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

(UNICEF) and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in 2020. Finally, several interviews, experiences, and surveys about the Beirut Blast are discussed in three case studies of local non-governmental organizations (LNGO). This helps to inform better the effectiveness of youth participation in such a context, the role of youth engagement, and the challenges that may hinder the process. Finally, another personal aspect that drove me to undertake this research is that I participated in the Beirut Blast immediate response with an LNGO, and I'd like to rationalize the work I did.

Limitations However, some limitations should be noted. Concerning the research methodologies, they were limited to three case studies related to Beirut Blast tragedy only, with data collected through semi-structured interviews and a comprehensive literature analysis. Interviews were also conducted remotely via Zoom, and one potential interviewers was only available for filling the questionnaire during the time selected to conduct research for this thesis. Additionally, concerning the quantitative data research, only a quarter of the survey respondents represent the chosen case studies. Due to time constraints, the scope of the research was limited to a single humanitarian response, the Beirut Blast. The results' relevance to other circumstances may be limited. Some other external circumstance may impact the organizational competence and how LNGOs engage with young people. These elements, however, were not examined in this study. Thus the research findings cannot be generalized.

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

Chapter II: Theoretical framework 1. Man-made disaster impact on youth Researchers discuss disasters as having both negative and positive effects. Along with the destruction of built and natural environments, disasters are socially vicious, economically costly, and politically challenging to deal with. The negative effects of disasters on people and community networks have been well documented in the literature, particularly in terms of the psychological, physical, cognitive, and social effects. Mental health professionals report similar consecutive reactions to disasters– “a period of heroic unity and mutual support followed by a period of disillusionment and anger”. Experts recognized young people as being vulnerable in post-disaster, as the effects of disasters on children and youth are often heightened in terms of their emotional and psychological distress and increased risk of mental illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “Today some 408 million youth aged 15–29, or 23 percent of the global youth population, are affected by violence or armed conflict” (Simpson, 2018, p.12). However, disasters can have positive impacts too, the struggle they live during the recovery post-disaster can produce notable change and positive growth by reconstructing or strengthening their perceptions of self, others, and the meaning of events. Consequently, in support of this position, evidence can be found in Tedeschi and Calhoun’s (1996; 2004) paper, which documented five areas of positive change that can result from disasters and that cause emergence of new opportunities and possibilities for them. On one hand, young people feeling stronger and more self-assured, their emotional growth is progressively increasing their well-being. Yet, perceived changes in themselves occur. “It appears that living through life traumas provides a great deal of information about self-reliance, affecting not only self-evaluations of competence in difficult situations but the likelihood one will choose to address difficulties in an assertive fashion” (I & Calhoun, 1996). On the other hand, another significant aspect of positive impact on youth is building deeper relationships and greater compassion for others. “When people are confronted with traumatic events, the continuing need for discussion of the consequences of these events can lead to persons becoming more self-disclosing than they may have been before” (I & Calhoun, 1996, p. 457). The acknowledgment of one's vulnerability might lead to more emotional expressiveness, readiness to receive aid, and hence the use of previously neglected social support. As was previously stated by Collins

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

et al. in 1990, an extended impact of the positive change in social relationships is due to increased affectivity toward others and coordinated efforts to build connections. Finally, feeling strengthened to meet future life challenges by reordering priorities and emphasizing their appreciation of life and spirituality. “Change in the philosophy of life regarded as positive by the respondent is another type of benefit reported by many persons affected by a disaster” (I & Calhoun, 1996, p. 457). In other words, recognizing meaning within the middle of trauma and its aftermath may allow young people to experience emotional relief and cause a replacement philosophy of life that alters basic assumptions that people hold about life. Given these points, this section first turned to a further understanding of the natural processes that affect individuals. Therefore, as youth battle with the aftermath of a disaster, they derive meaning to the event and face uncertain futures with more confidence, so we recognize their status during their participation and involvement in post-disaster response phases.

2. Youth participation in post-disaster response “We must all be advocates for bringing the voices of young people to the front lines of humanitarian action” (IASC, 2020). Articles 12, 13, and 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child state that children and young people have the right to express their own views freely; the right to freedom of expression; and the right to participate freely in cultural life and the arts. Therefore, young people affected by disasters must be actively involved in humanitarian preparedness, response, and recovery, and positively empowered by including them in decision-making. This chapter will outline the existing literature relevant to the concept of participation, as well as, the importance of investing in young people for a meaningful engagement. Following this, I will frame different typologies of youth participation and finally highlight the significance of youth-led initiatives/organizations and their benefits on the community during a post-disaster situation.

2.1. Participation models In recent years, researchers have begun to shift from seeing youth as resources for participatory action and research rather than an issue. Similarly, there are several different theoretical models regarding the typology of participation, Sherry Arnstein’s ladder of citizen participation is particularly well known (see Figure 1). This ladder

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

typology places the idea of youth participation firmly in place in youth practice and policy, yet it divides participation into 8 distinct forms that fall under three major categories: 1) non-participation, 2) tokenism and 3) citizen control. This typology is built on the assumption that there is a linear progression of activities that represent a better form of participation, with civil control being the highest. In particular, the distinction between tokenism and civil authority is of note, since of the activities that fall under tokenism (informing, consultation, and placation), consultation is an increasingly widespread form of participation within humanitarian and development activities, being used as a means of legitimating decisions, often after implementation. Meanwhile, placation involves allowing local participants the opportunity to advise power-holders (Arnstein, 2007, p.217). In terms of participatory activities practiced in these fields, the activities classified by Arnstein as tokenism appear to be more commonly practiced and considered participatory activities than those that fall under the category of citizen power (partnership, delegated power, and citizen control).

Figure 1 - Degrees of Citizen Participation, Arnstein’s Ladder (1969)

In contrast, Treseder (1997) offers an alternative model to the linear conception of participation, arranged in a circle demonstrating that they are different but equal, forms of participation (see Figure 2). Rather than adopting a ladder metaphor in Arnstein's approach, where each step is a step closer to the ideal of youth-driven participation, Treseder (1997) argues that in some circumstances, youth-driven involvement is problematic, and it is more practical to outline five sorts of distinct and equal forms of engagement. In his typology, the degrees of participation are represented as nonlinear nodes, indicating that one sort of participation is not more optimal than another. The five participation types included in his model are: 1) assigned but informed, 2) adult-initiated

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

shared decisions with children, 3) child-initiated and directed 4) child-initiated but shared decisions with adults, and 5) consulted and informed (Treseder, 1997).

Figure 2 - Degrees of Participation, Treseder (1997)

To focus on the participation of youth, I will base my research on these 2 aspects of participation. These typologies described above reflect an understanding of participation as a one-size-fits-all progression that should have the ultimate aim of empowering participants to engage in self-motivated activities. It should be noted, however, that the understanding of participation and how to incorporate participation into programs have developed since the publication of these models. “Participation must never be tokenistic or manipulative, and ethical and safety standards must be followed” (IASC, 2020, p. 34). There appears then to be an acceleration in the growth of consultation as a way to participate in decision-making, rather than in implementation or development operations. Having considered that, it is also reasonable to look at the different degrees of participation found in different phases of a project, and the context should be a deciding factor in which approach is most appropriate, or even applicable.

2.2. Youth participation strategies In order to understand youth engagement in crisis response actions, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) report in 2014 supports the notion that youth participation occurs when youth are informed, consulted, provide leadership, and participate in decision-making. To ensure that youth are partners in the programs that serve them, a measuring feedback loop that incorporates indicators of such activities is critical. Youth involvement in post-disaster can take place at all phases including

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

design, implementation, and evaluation. While organizations often consult youth to assess their experiences and needs for design purposes, fewer include youth in actively participating or leading implementation or evaluation activities. Several resources talk about how to engage youth more effectively and others that provide information, such as the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines on Working with and for Young People in Humanitarian and Protracted Crises that were created and developed by UNICEF & NRC. The purpose of these guidelines is to serve as a guide for working with and for young people in humanitarian settings and protracted crises, in addition to recognizing the contributions they make towards improving all phases of humanitarian action from disaster risk reduction, to preparedness, to response, and finally to transition and recovery. For the purpose to engage young people in a meaningful way, whichever happens, youth need to be able to voice their views, raise their opinion and have access to safe spaces and responsive audiences. These guidelines, in particular, have focused on the voices of young people affected by conflicts and natural disasters. A young man stated during the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) consultation with young people in Jijiga, Ethiopia that “It's not only participation that's expected from us, but we also need to have our own programs run by young people" (IASC, 2020, p.26). Therefore, this requires investment in addressing harmful social norms, applying laws and policies that create an empowering environment, building skills and capacities of young people, and creating sustainable mechanisms and opportunities for participation. Thus, three strategic areas for meaningful participation. First, influencing law and policy that usually disregard the specific needs and rights of young people and where the socioeconomic and political context may exclude them from any required services. For that reason, humanitarian and development actors/agencies need to work, along with the government, for law and policy reforms openly responsive to the needs of youth. “Humanitarian actors should work to ensure that young people and decision-makers are ‘at the table’ together. Young people can also be supported into positions of leadership, through various dedicated and selforganized youth engagement platforms, such as youth advisory mechanisms, youth codecision boards, youth parliaments, and formal youth constituencies” (IASC, 2020, p.46). Nevertheless, when policies and legislation are in place, youth often come up against social norms that hinder their ability to participate. Secondly, it is also reasonable to look at building young people’s skills and capacities for participation. Evidence in support of this can be found in the “Doha Youth Declaration on Reshaping the Humanitarian Agenda”, where it indicates that involving

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

youth in training sessions, enhance disaster risk reduction education and enable them to communicate about prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery with their environment and more importantly equip them with the skills to be effective peacebuilders and agents of change within their community. For example, this point is also sustained by the implementation of a project aimed at preparing young people for humanitarian action in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It was initiated by the Education Above All Foundation and Reach Out to Asia (ROTA), under MENA Youth Capacity-Building in Humanitarian Action (MYCHA), where above 30 LNGOs from 15 countries have supported youth with technical advice, in-kind support, and funding for youth-led projects. Active participants in emergency preparedness and response in their local contexts were nominated by some agencies, which in their turn were assisting them through the application process. “Young people receive training in humanitarian practice and plan their own action initiatives to be carried out at the local level with the support of the nominating non-governmental organization (NGO). This approach has shown NGOs the value of engaging young people in their work, and that young people can develop their own innovative solutions to local challenges” (IASC, 2020, p. 51). Finally, engaging them by supporting mechanisms and opportunities for participation. Studies show that the most effective technique for young people to acquire skills and values of active citizenship and civic engagement is through participation itself. Therefore, in the interest of long-term effectiveness in their communities, they should start by engaging and working with existing networks and structures such as National Scout Organization, Y-PEER, National Red Cross, and Red Crescent Societies, etc. As a case in point, participatory action research with young people was conducted in Jordan, Lebanon, and the Syrian Arab Republic, and used by refugees, internally displaced persons, and young people in host communities to research problems that are essential to them and their society “This UNICEF program also strengthens United Nations (UN) and NGO partners' ability to support, guide, and mentor young researchers. Young people and coordinators learn how to conduct interviews and focus group discussions, then create and implement a research plan and gather data from groups of 10–20 people or their peers in the field. They send the data to UNICEF on tablets, and UNICEF helps the young researchers clean and analyze the data. They employ problem tree analysis to consider solutions to the issues that have been found”(IASC, 2020, p. 63). Given these points, it is obvious now that humanitarian actors should engage with adults, especially community leaders, in order to support and encourage young people in crisis contexts to safely participate in humanitarian response. Thus, relief organizations should seek to develop a methodology that evaluates all local youth initiatives, cooperating with both individuals and established networks. For that reason,

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

emphasizing youth movements and organizations inspire young people to contribute to the response efforts.

2.3. Tools of youth participation The concept of youth-led engagement – can be understood as a youth taking responsibility for creating benefits for an affected society– incorporates attitudes, behaviors, knowledge, and skills of individuals and organizations by engaging youth in a specifically directed course of actions during a humanitarian practice. The tools used to engage youth in social change initiatives include a wide range of organization types. Mona Harb (2018) identifies in her article, that there are three types of youth engagement. First, the ‘conformists’, who conform and privilege their sectarian belonging and choose to follow their sectarian political parties. Second, the ‘alternative groups’, who engage in professional NGOs specifically issue-based or rights-based NGOs against the corrupt elite. Lastly, the new ‘activists’, who prefer loose organizing centered on progressive and radical issues (p.80-81). Furthermore, many young individuals work alone rather than forming or joining a group. To put it briefly, the data collected by IASC in their guidelines confirm that youth engagement can occur either in a consultative way when adults invite youth to participate in decisions that affect otherwise will affect them directly, or collaborative way, where they are involved in exploring solutions, and sometimes can even influence decision making or planning processes. Adult decision-makers rarely consult or engage youth in a systematic and meaningful way in large-scale disaster situations, and many organizations believe that participatory processes including youth take too much time to design and implement. Typically, youth involvement activities are thought to be the duty of youth-led organizations, are considered separate programs, and rarely build on disaster-affected youth's existing knowledge and abilities. “Examples of youth involvement in natural disasters and crisis situations such as the 2004 tsunami, the 2007 cyclone in Bangladesh, the 2007 post-election violence in Kenya, the 2008 floods in Algeria, the 2008 cyclone in Haiti, and the 2012 typhoon in the Philippines demonstrate how youth have made valuable contributions to their families and communities in crisis situations” (Natalie Breazeale, 2013, p.4). Noting that, challenges may arise to integrating youth engagement in relief operations as a result of cultural views, social prejudices, and community members' fears, especially if aid groups do not already have a presence in the afflicted area. Nevertheless, Breazeale claims that involving young people in the planning stages of disaster relief efforts can assist organizations to identify and address risks that affect disaster-affected youth, as well as reach out to vulnerable

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

youth groups who might otherwise be overlooked. Even in the absence of a crisis, engaging youth in programs that gives advice, support, and life-saving information can give protection, reduce destructive tendencies, and potentially reverse terrible intergenerational cycles. “In crisis situations, including youth in relief efforts can provide an outlet for youth and mitigate the devastating impacts of the disaster while simultaneously

providing

opportunities

for

personal

development

and

empowerment”(Natalie Breazeale, 2013, p.5). Therefore, when a tragedy strikes, young people, who are frequently more at ease with emerging technologies, can use social media and mobile devices to mobilize their peers, spread crucial information, and track down missing community members. Likewise, social media is a tool to build global networks and connect young people in multiple locations. Young people are initial adopters of new technologies for economic and social reasons, and they are the main consumers of the internet and social media. For this reason, youth-led initiatives and organizations harness social media platforms to circulate information and give young people a voice. “They [the youth-led initiatives] represent innovative spaces claimed by young people for dialogue and participation. These spaces are creatively and predominantly occupied by young people, making online technologies an obvious priority for any strategy aimed at youth participation and inclusion. In lieu of often hierarchical and inaccessible conventional representative politics, young people use Information and Communications Technology (ICT) tools to democratize and facilitate their direct participation, voice, agency, and leadership” (Simpson, 2018, p. 55). Transparency, inclusiveness, and finding adequate channels to promote large-scale participation are likely to be key to successful participation. In addition to well-known youth organizations like those listed above, it's worth noting that smaller, local youth-led initiatives have had a good impact on their communities in the aftermath of disasters. Their presence in affected areas, as well as their knowledge of local traditions, can all aid in the successful implementation of projects. To sum up, young people can be powerful challengers of the status either through online mobilization and organization, or social critique and cultural expression. Even where these initiatives are not youth-led or mainly focused on young people, it is clear that youth are the key users and audience in a post-disaster response process.

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

2.4. Benefits of a youth-led organization To maximize the benefits of investing in young people building and sustaining peace, such investment must be premised on a “do no harm” approach, which ensures that the core attributes of youth peace work are carefully preserved, supported, and harnessed. As Simpson (2018) noted in the independent progress study on youth, many LNGOs are often severely underfunded and heavily dependent on volunteerism (p.60). Their most commonly stated goals were “empowering youth to develop their skills in understanding conflict resolution”, followed by “reducing violence and promoting a culture of peace in communities” (UNOY Peacebuilders and SFCG, 2017, p.19). They also aspired to play a key part in restoring or maintaining social cohesion within divided communities, as well as changing the typically negative ways in which communities frequently regard their youth, aiming to alter perceptions from a widespread mistrust of youth to revealing youth as positive and constructive social agents. The benefits of the participation of youth-led organizations in post-disaster recovery phases are invaluable. Training youth for active and significant participation has directly benefited their skill-building in addition to many other benefits. Therefore, researchers have focused on the importance of young people’s participation in postdisaster, and have outlined many such international examples of this in their literature. For instance, Peek (2015) has argued that to improve children’s resilience to disasters, “we must improve their access to resources, empower them by encouraging their participation, offer support, and ensure equitable treatment” (p.1). Her research has shown that young people are interested in participating post-disaster and that many continue with engagement efforts even after opposition from decision-makers. She says of young people that they're innovative, creative, have a lot of energy, a lot of power, and they often have time, which adults don't always have. When young people are excluded from decision-making and regeneration efforts post-disaster, this has consequences. While she still believes it is essential to recognize young people’s vulnerability after a disaster, she believes that not allowing them to participate in the response and recovery efforts can make them feel worse. Without involving the affected community and those whose lives will be affected by the decisions, there is no such thing as truly “efficient” participation. Furthermore, there are several benefits to mobilizing youth in an emergency response situation and reconstruction, many of which became apparent through the participatory programs conducted by youth-led organizations.

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

 One of the most cited benefits is the inherent capacity of youth to contribute towards effective action through their communication skills, flexibility, and willingness to learn.  In addition to speaking the local languages, studies show that youth can succeed in reaching their peers due to a shared perspective and intimate knowledge of the local context, allowing them to build a quick connection.  Young people were cited as being flexible about changing their attitude and behavior, and willing to suggest changes to the activities to better suit their community.  There is a notable emphasis on their dedication and sincerity towards learning, both from the perspective of the supervisors and other volunteers, which greatly facilitated the post-disaster process. It can be seen from the above analysis that engaging in volunteer activities also helps to further build capacity, with the skills, experience and confidence acquired benefitting youth in seeking further employment with humanitarian and development agencies. Furthermore, working experience in the context of a disaster response is leading to the empowerment and capacity-building of the youth involved.

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

Chapter III: Case Study Analysis 1. Methodology In order to gather needed information, the research methodology firstly held a literature review of academic work concerning the importance of youth participation or the frameworks that could be used to understand the strategies and benefits of youth participation in post-disaster. To support the background of Beirut Blast youth participation, secondary data, such as the World Bank Group survey, was used to capture a quantitative result about youth participation and volunteering after the Beirut Blast. Then, to answer my research question, primary research was adapted through my case studies. Data collection will be conducted through semi-structured interviews with 3 LNGOs that started working in the immediate emergency response of the Beirut Blast and are still working in the recovery phase for the betterment of the built environment. As well as, an online survey filled by Lebanese youth, for evidence on how the disaster affected their participation.

1.1.

Semi-structured interviews The qualitative methods employed included two semi-structured interviews with

the president of Baytna Baytak and the vice-president of NUSANED, which were conducted through Zoom Meeting during the first week of June 2021. For reasons of availability, a questionnaire was submitted to the third LNGO Bebw'Shebbek co-founder. The LNGOs were chosen based on their founding date and methods of engagement (see Table 1). The 3 interviewees were from the board of directors of each LNGO. Depending on the participants' availability, each interview lasted between 30-40 minutes. The interviews were conducted in both English and Arabic. The interview questions focused on youth involvement in assessment, planning, and decision-making processes throughout their response (see Annex A).

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

Organization

Foundation

Participation

Interviewee

Contacted

Name

Date

Method

Name

Position

via

Baytna Baytak

March 2020

Youth-initiated & Maroun directed

Karam

Bebw’Shebbek August 2020 Adult-initiated shared

President

Mariana

Co-founder WhatsApp

decisions Wehbe

Instagram

with youth NUSANED

May 2020

Adult-initiated,

Rana Samara Vice-

youth are

Jubayli

E-mail

president

consulted Table 1 - Case Studies Background, author (2021)

1.2.

Online survey As for the quantitative methods, an online survey created with Google Forms was

conducted from June 12 to 16, 2021. It was shared with the 3 LNGOs mentioned above through WhatsApp, Instagram and E-mail, as well as my friends who participated in the Beirut Blast response and reconstruction. The survey targeted 90 users aged above 15 years old. This targeting allowed me to rapidly recruit participants who are digitally savvy. The survey consisted of 16 questions (see Annex B), including questions to identify respondent demographics (age & gender); measuring how the August 4 explosion impacted their participation; level of involvement, tools of their participation, their satisfactions and perceptions towards the humanitarian response, and effectiveness of youth-led organizations that are involved in reconstruction efforts. Some of these were checkbox questions, in which respondents could select various answer possibilities from a list of options, particularly when questioned about their level of satisfaction and community perception of their work. The average time taken to complete the survey was between two and three minutes. As mentioned before, 90 young people participated in the survey, as can be seen in figure 6, the vast majority of respondents (92.4 percent) were between the ages of 15 and 29 (see Figure 3). Another 7.7 percent were aged between 30 and 35. Over half (63.7 percent) of respondents were female (see Figure 4). It should be noted

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

that the quotes utilized in the data analysis come from young individuals who have worked with LNGOs or INGOs. 7.70% 13.20% 36.30% 36.30%

42.90%

15-19

20-24

25-29

63.70%

30-35

Figure 3 - Age of the respondents, author (2021)

Female

Male

Figure 4 - Gender of respondents, author (2021)

2. Youth participation before Beirut Blast Lebanon is a small country in the Middle East, with a total population estimated at approximately 6.83 million inhabitants. In comparison to the world average, the Lebanese society is young, with a high percentage of youth. According to some statistics, youth aged between 15 and 30 years old consist 28% of Lebanon’s population. In 2021, Lebanon is still healing from the aftermath of the civil war (1975-1990) where mounting challenges are encountered, including sociopolitical and economic instability, as well as a weak and corrupted government in which various warlords are still attempting to rule the country. As a result of these obstacles, young people have been motivated to stand out and take action in NGOs in order to serve their country. Undeniably, voluntary work has cultural roots in Lebanon’s society, associated with the value of solidarity and the social duty of involvement in the local community. In general, 57% of the Lebanese have done volunteer work, but not necessarily regularly or within the framework of an organization (AbouAssi, 2006, as cited in AbouAssi, 2015). Furthermore, even before the time of its civil war (1975-1990), Lebanon was home to a big number of NGOs, as a consequence of the legal regulations that make it relatively easy to establish an NGO without direct government oversight facilitate this in large part. Any group of individuals can decide to establish and set up an NGO, then go register it with the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities (MoIM), which issues a number that legalizes the NGO’s existence. Also, they can secure funding from various local and international sources and carry out activities in a broad spectrum of areas and domains

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

that may not benefit the government. Therefore, youth groups were mobilized into interest-based NGOs in the 1990s, keeping themselves separate from the more identitybased NGOs that dominated the war scene. It should be noted that, in their article, Tran & AbouAssi (2021) highlighted why Lebanon is a suitable venue to look into the substantial presence of local NGOs since the war, which continue to function autonomous or in cooperation with international NGOs: “Lebanese Local NGOs play an active role in public life including their delivery of basic public services, environmental protection, and human rights advocacy, especially in the presence of a constrained public sector (AbouAssi 2013; Haddad 2017). NGOs in Lebanon – and to a similar extent, International Non-Governmental Organizations INGOs – operate under a legislative framework enacted in 1909 during the Ottoman era (AbouAssi 2015)” (p.7). Between the years 2005 and 2011, Lebanon’s situation can be summed up in these 4 parts: assassinations, war, conflicts, and influxes of Syrian refugees. In the midst of all of these crises, young people became mobilized in several of the NGOs that were primarily concerned with promoting citizenship, social cohesion, conflict resolution, human rights, rebuilding, and environmental issues. Likewise, in 2020, a huge explosion in Beirut Port struck Lebanon on 4 August, has killed 207 people, injured thousands, and destroyed thousands more buildings and livelihoods. For that reason, the explosion is considered one of the strongest non-nuclear explosions of history. It is important to acclaim that, before the explosion, from October 17th, 2019 a series of social protests against the corrupted government were taking place. Since then, Lebanon is still facing a deep economic crisis, increasing poverty, and a critical social crisis where public services have collapsed, intensifying the urgent and critical need for action. In 2020, the morning of Beirut Blast, volunteers from all over Lebanon rushed the damaged neighborhoods armed with brooms and shovels, helmets and gloves, and assisted in removing debris, cleaning up glass, rescuing items, and providing support to residents and shop owners (see Figure 5). Their energy triggered hope in the city where time seemed to have stood still. Due to many initiatives, the explosion led to the mobilization of youth-led organizations, mostly concerned with humanitarian aid, reconstruction, and community service.

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

Figure 5 - Collage representing the post-disaster immediate response by young volunteers, author (2021)

Statistics show that at least 384 organizations have recorded entries in the Lebanese army’s official registry to signal their interest to participate in the Beirut reconstruction (Ibrahim, 2019). The findings of the World Bank Group survey of the Beirut resident’s perspectives on August 4 blast indicates that although residents perceived their futures as bleak, they showed solidarity with the community. Moreover, it was proven that youth were more likely to participate in volunteering efforts, with 44 percent of those aged 18-24 volunteering (World Bank Group, 2020, p.10). Understanding the context of my case studies was critical in order to analyze the data that arose. In the following chapter, I will provide a brief description of three different LNGOs that were involved in the Beirut Blast emergency response and are still involved in the reconstruction phase, which will help in analyzing the effectiveness of youth participation through the lens of the organizations and youth themselves.

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3. Youth Participation in LNGOs after Beirut Blast Through the case studies in this chapter, I will compare the results of my interviews and the survey to assess youth participation in the post-disaster response through four topics of analysis: 1) the role of youth in the LNGOs, 2) the level of their involvement in each, 3) the tools used, and 4) the level of youth satisfaction with participation. The contributions of the three LNGOs, as well as the responses of the online survey's young respondents, will aid in the development of the data analysis. In this section, I'll analyze four topics: the structure and role of youth in each LNGO, the level of involvement, the tools used, and finally their level of satisfaction and perception of the work they've done. Having the perspectives of the organizations and the youth participants will assist me in drawing conclusions about the effectiveness of youth participation in LNGOs.

3.1.

Role of youth in LNGOs a. Baytna Baytak

/bayt●na●bayt●ak/ (n. Arabic): Our house is yours (your house) Baytna Baytak is a youth-led civic organization, launched in March 2020 in order to ensure safe housing for professionals who are working at the forefront of fighting COVID-19, by a dynamic and forward-thinking group of activists. Following the tragedy of Beirut Blast, on August 5th, they expanded their mission in order to provide support for emerging needs and to respond from housing repairs and restoration to minor, moderate, or even severe damages. (see Figure 6)

Figure 6 - Reconstruction projects - before and after, shots by Baytna Baytak team (2021)

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The president and executive director of the NGO, Maroun Karam, is a 30-yearold civil and digital activist, aiming to support the community and empower 130 young engineers, architects, artists, painters, and administrators, who take a leading part of the organization team (see Figure 7), eleven of them participated in the online survey. He mentioned that they all started by volunteering, but when they committed with the donors, they were offered full-time jobs. Therefore, the plan starts by going on the streets and assess the needs of the community, and then assign the project to the project director and project manager, aged between 25-30 years old. The project manager takes complete autonomy to run the project with his team. As shown in the organization chart below, youth are involved in all positions in the work departments.

Figure 7 - Baytna Baytak Organization Chart, developed by the author based on the interview & the data available on the NGO’s website (2021)

b. Bebw’Shebbek /beb●w●sheb●bek/ (n. Arabic): A door and a window Bebw’Shebbek was born in the aftermath of the Beirut Blast, on August 9th, 2020. It should be mentioned that Bebw’Shebbek is an initiative under an NGO called United Lebanon Youth Project (ULYP). As its name means, Bebw’Shebbek aims to repair the doors and windows of the affected houses (see Figure 8). The NGO is split into two major parts: the administration team and the teams on the ground. The administration team deals with the finance and budgeting, BOQ approvals and quality check, dispatch, social media, reporting to donors, etc. The teams on the ground deal with the contractors, follow up on the reconstruction work from start to end, collect demographic and socioeconomic data from the tenants, and report back to the administration team on the progress.

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Figure 8 - Reconstruction projects - before and after, shots by Bebw'Shebbek team (2021)

All volunteers hail from design or engineering backgrounds as these majors study the elements that make up a functional living space. In the beginning, Bebw’Shebbek was operating in crisis mode- “Quick decisions had to be taken and an immense amount of responsibility was shouldered by me and Nancy Gabriel, a co-founder. As the team of fresh graduates adapted to their roles, the immediate pressure was alleviated they began to take the reins” said Mariana Wehbe. Bebw'Shebbek is currently run by 30 members and 12 teams, ranging from recent graduates to young professionals (see Figure 9). It should be noted that nine of them took part in the online survey.

Figure 9 - Bebw'Shebbek Organization Chart, developed by the author based on the interview & the data available on the NGO’s website (2021)

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c. NUSANED /nu●sa●ned/ (v. Arabic): We Support NUSANED is a humanitarian community-based and volunteer organization. It started as an initiative in December 2019, just two months after the October 17th revolution uprising in Lebanon. In January 2020, the co-founders and a couple of their peers started fundraising to rehabilitate houses in the suburbs. In May 2020 it became a registered adult-initiated organization, the board is made up of 7 members from the private sector, their age is between 40 and 50 years old. As the vice president and project leader, Ms. Rana Samara Jubaily, mentioned in our interview via Zoom Meeting, NUSANED has immediately started preparing the emergency response plan after the Beirut Blast and they are still working in the reconstruction phase under the “ROOFS THAT SHIELD” program (see Figure 10). In August 2020, clean-up operations were conducted by 220 volunteers and in collaboration with 6 NGOs.

Figure 10 - Reconstruction projects - before and after, shots by NUSANED team (2021)

They started by reaching out to university students and clubs that they already know in order to get support on the ground. “The mobilization of youth was essential as volunteers and now they have a young team who is working with them” mentioned Ms. Jubaily. Nevertheless, since they focus on supporting and creating job opportunities, some of the young volunteers were very qualified and deserved to be part of the NGO’s economic cycle. According to the NUSANED organizational chart, the team currently consists of 50 people, with 55 percent being shelter officers and 45 percent being

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

volunteers (see Figure 11). 92 percent of them are young architects and engineers who are in charge of assessing needs and working in the supervision team. NUSANED counted for only four of the online survey respondents.

Figure 11 - NUSANED organization chart, developed by the author based on the interview & the data available on the NGO’s website (2021)

3.2.

Level of participation

The data analysis process begins with determining the efficiency of the methods employed by the selected local groups, as well as whether young people can safely take the lead in the initiatives. I'll begin by evaluating and comparing the level of participation of young people in assessment, program planning, and decision-making in each LNGOs based on the interviews and survey findings. As well as the level of participation of the LNGOs with aid agencies. The response to the blast has mostly come voluntary from the people themselves. Within a few days, fantastic initiatives were launched. These included delivering a live data-enabled map that tracks, traces, and assigns rebuilding efforts, centralized survey assessment tools, engineering teams, orders for building materials suppliers, and many others. According to the online survey conducted to this research, a large number (83.3 percent) of them stated that they have volunteered to help in the aftermath of the explosion (see Figure 12). Citing a variety of organizations and initiatives with which they were involved, including civil society organizations, local and

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

international non-governmental organizations, scouts, religious and community groups, and personal initiatives. During the immediate response to the disaster, the 3 interviewed organizations reached out to volunteers, and the majority were from a young age. For example, the Bebw'Shebbek team is made up of volunteers. They have their eyes and ears on the ground, and they were the front-liners, they are the ones who got to know the beneficiaries and their stories. They come back to their office teams and share their observations which - according to the interviewees- is very important because the site visit details and stories of the affected people are hardly obvious in the needs assessment. Conversely, in September 2020, Baytna Baytak and NUSANED paired the volunteers up and deciphered those who are qualified, and quickly migrated them to work in the site supervision teams. They had a great impact in offering job opportunities for young people. The vice-president of NUSANED stated a very essential point by saying: “For Beirut Blast, of course, the energy of the youth and their expertise was essential to our operations from day 1. Whether it was GIS experts or students. Again, it was a private initiative reaching out to our networks and calling out to the younger generation, really, and they were the energy that moved a lot of NGOs including ours”.

How were you involved? 2.2% 3.3%

11.1%

83.3%

Volunteer

Administration structure

Donor

Others

Figure 12 - Type of Involvement, author (2021)

According to the results of the interview questionnaire, youth can make a significant contribution at all stages of humanitarian work. According to a man (25-30) who responded to the survey, “Youth helped to a high extent in post Beirut blast”. Yet, this can be seen also in the survey responses (see Figure 13), where it clearly illustrates a high percentage of participation of young volunteers in the post-disaster response phases, especially in the immediate response in August (16.5 percent) where streets clean-up and aid support took place. As well as, young people and young organizations, continued working in the recovery and reconstruction phase. In May,

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

only 13% of the respondents are still engaged in the reconstruction processes with LNGOs. “Even if my experience didn’t last long enough, helping was the greatest experience” (Female, 15-20). A young female who participated in the first two months of the response, said “I think that if there weren’t any perseverance and immediate response from young individuals and NGOs, things would have been way worse and would have taken much longer time to clean and reconstruct” (Noha, 25-30).

20%

For how long were you involved in the response process?

15%

10%

Figure 13 - Temporality of participation in the post-disaster response according to surveyed, author (2021)

Young

people

"absolutely

everything"

"Baytna

Baytak"

and

"Bebw'Shebbek". The board members' and teams' relationship is collaborative. They participate in the decision-making process throughout the project timeline, beginning with the case study, when they receive the rehabilitation project through the hotline or by assessing the needs on-site visits, and ending when the reconstruction work passes quality control and finally when the unit is deemed complete. These two LNGOs delegate all leadership and trust to their youthful staff. “Currently, there is a horizontal hierarchy where the administration team makes decisions amongst one another. When they reach a consensus, they come to me for a final decision” declared the co-founder of Bebw’Shebbek. Weekly meetings are held at Baytna Baytak to keep the board of directors up to date on the project's development. Whereas the NUSANED organization chart requires a somewhat different method of coordination, it is more like a consultative approach. The young team, directed by an adult, was performing the first evaluation; after the unit was authorized for rehabilitation, a more senior team would accompany the contractor since they needed knowledge when discussing Bill of Quantities BOQ and money, and not all of the kids had experience in those areas. According to NUSANED's vice president, "as a team in the office, we help them in good implementation decisionmaking". The culture was always: if you have a problem on the ground and don't know

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

how to handle it on your own and can't make a choice, come to us. However, you have the authority to do so”. The office teams in 3 LNGOs are almost identical, with the main distinction being that the team leaders are made up of youthful, 20 to 30-year-old people, whereas in NUSANED is made up of older, more experienced people. It should be noted that five of the survey participants stated that the Lebanese people showed greater competence in responding to a crisis than official institutions, and that LNGOs demonstrated that they are making a difference in the country rather than the government. For instance, a 25-30 years old woman mentioned “Any type of organization is better than our government”. Also, a young volunteer in one of the LNGOs stated that “Some of the NGO’s in Lebanon are politicized and/or run like a business. But it’s the young people who keep driving the NGO’s forward. We might have radical ideas. But we all want things that our government should be providing us, instead we’re the ones working harder than them, to try & provide a brighter future for the next generation” (Male, 20-24). Finally, the involvement with aid agencies differed to some extent. On the second day of the blast, Baytna Baytak started by creating a basecamp “Men-Taht-El-Radem” or “From-Under-The-Rubble” a joint project with 3 other LNGOs. Later on, they had a transparent collaboration with another NGO called “Together LiBeirut” aiming to intervene in livelihood projects. Additionally, they have regular meetings with The World Bank Group (WBG), United Nations (UN), and European Union (EU) in order to develop the “Reform, Recovery and Reconstruction Framework” (3RF). As for Bebw’Shebbek, collaborating with other NGOs is an important part of their philosophy. “We learn from one another and cultivate a culture that should be modeled in our country”. Some initiatives and organizations we’ve collaborated with include: BeBeirut, Beirut Heritage Initiative, Let’s Play (Playgrounds), Rashet Kheir, Beit el Baraka, Nation Station, Min Bee La Beebe, Rotary Club Beirut Hills Achrafieh. Finally, the Lebanese army has set up the emergency room fair which allocated zones for different NGOs to operate, NUSANED was allocated 3 zones in Achrafieh by the end of August. In September, the UN sector also divided the city and also allocated zones to different LNGOs and INGOs. Thus, NUSANED was a part of the shelter cluster in Beirut managed by UNHCR. They also collaborated with 25 LNGOs and 4 INGOs. On a different scale, one respondent noted how chaotic the collaboration amongst NGOs in the post-disaster response was.

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

3.3.

Tools of participation

After examining the level of participation of youth in the post-disaster response phases, it is critical that I emphasize the tools and techniques utilized during the disaster response to interact with young people and community members. To begin, of the 90 survey participants, 88 took part in the post-disaster response. Slightly more than two fifths went with their friends (41 respondents), more than a third engaged with LNGOs (34 respondents) and less than a fifth participated with INGOs (15 respondents) such as Scouts Organizations, Caritas, Red Cross and others (see Figure 14). 50% 40%

46% 38%

30% 17%

20% 10% 0% LNGO

INGO

Friends

Figure 14 - Participation associates, author (2021)

On the other hand, social media is a tool used by all three LNGOs to engage with young people. Young people are the first to accept new technology for economic and social reasons, and they are the most frequent users of the Internet and social media. This is why youth-led organizations and young groups use social media to disseminate information and recruit new members. It can be determined by their participation on the NGOs' social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. As a result, when asked how respondents learned about an NGO's efforts during the Beirut Blast humanitarian response, 72.7 percent said "through social media", less than a fifth said "by phone", and others said "via phone or through the organization's website" (see Figure 15). The relevance of youth and new technologies was stressed by a young female respondent she said “From the first day after the Blast, my friends and I walked down to the streets to help, and meanwhile we saw how certain LNGOs were looking for volunteers on Instagram, and that is how I came to volunteer in one of them. It was a great yet hurtful experience” (Female, 25-29).

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

How did you hear about an NGO activities during Beirut Blast response? 72.70%

80% 60% 40% 20%

15.70% 5.60%

4.50%

1.50%

0% E-mail

Phone

Website

Social Media

Other

Figure 15 - Participation tools for youth, author (2021)

The vice president of NUSANED emphasized the fact that they communicated with youth because they were vibrant and digitally aware. Besides that, NUSANED developed an application where anyone can access it and fill a form to join the volunteering team. Members are contacted via email, but in Baytna Baytak and Bebw’Shebbek they are contacted via WhatsApp as well. After considering young people's use of social media, it's also adequate to explore the tools used to communicate with affected community members. All of the 3 LNGOs teams directly reached out to affected people by visiting the damaged buildings and assessing their needs, as well as they opened their hotline for the community. “We received inquiries through our hotline, WhatsApp, Instagram, E-mail, Facebook, and even word of mouth” (Bebw’Shebbek). The 3 organizations talked to tenants, home, and shop owners, but on top of that Bebw’Shebbek talked with school principals since some of their projects included schools and playgrounds. During our interview, the interviewees highlighted how young people were very welcomed by the beneficiaries and very well received on the ground. It was a consultative yet trustworthy relationship because the beneficiary needs are taken into consideration and the organizations are helping to improve it. “Youth-led initiative are effective in building stronger communities” stated a young man (25-30) who still work for a LNGO in the reconstruction phase. Communication was so easy, because older people have hope in youth, and they believe that they will make a change in the country. Even though there was mismanagement between the NGOs who were helping on the ground “Most of the beneficiaries were very trustworthy” as mentioned by one interviewee. Maroun, from Baytna Baytak, stated that they ask contractors from the same street to strengthen the community engagement in the rehabilitation work of a house or shop. Furthermore, Baytna Baytak and NUSANED also concentrate on team building and development, the team attends weekly meetings and monthly training. For instance, in the aftermath of the

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

Beirut Blast, Baytna Baytak learned about effective communication with children & families, as well as briefings about contracting and sustainability. The president of Baytna Baytak stated “We target to empower our team of young engineers and community members because these individuals will make a change in this world” and he continued by saying: “And this happens by training them such as “the positivity workshop” we’re having next week. Training is very significant to strengthen their capabilities and skills. We see the gaps that we lack in our teams and we work on improving them for a better result”. NUSANED also emphasized the level of support they give to their team by saying: “Several training for young people on how to handle things, we were always there to support them in decision-making, but definitely they were part of it. Training were held because not everyone was experienced to take decisions”.

3.4.

Level of satisfaction

Following an analysis of the tools for engaging young people in their work with LNGOs and affected individuals, it is critical to assess their and the LNGOs' level of satisfaction with the humanitarian response and reconstruction. We would be able to understand their point of view through quoting interviewers as well as survey respondents from each LNGO. First, Maroun stated, “At first, they were so pleased, and they felt so helpful to their community. But today, with all of the economic and social challenges they face, their friends and the environment are discouraging them since they are unaware of the magnitude of their work's impact”. On the other hand, all eleven participants from Baytna Baytak acknowledged their satisfaction with the job they had completed. Evidently, five of them agreed that “Youth and non-governmental organizations have had the most significant impact on the ground”. And their participation in this LNGO empowered them and gave them hope to continue what they’re doing for their country; “Youth organization gave us hope to continue” (Female, 30-35). A young man also made a key point when he said, "The Beirut explosion was a wake-up call, and everything changed after it, both intellectually and emotionally, hope was given to the community. LNGOs raced to assist, and my participation with them allowed me to express my feelings and sadness, which was a turning moment in my life” (Male, 20-24). As for Bebw’Shebbek, the interviewer highlighted that throughout the winter storms, they had not received a singular complaint on water intrusion or shaky/broken glass, which she believes is a testament to the work they do and the satisfaction of the families. The majority of Bebw'Shebbek survey participants stated that they are highly satisfied with the work they have done, especially in the context of assisting others; “It is always a great endeavor helping my people and my country” (Male, 20-24). Only one person said it was a wonderful experience, but he wasn’t very satisfied with the work

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done. Another very satisfied young female remarked how, given the context of the Beirut Blast tragedy, young people tend to adopt increasingly radical and autonomous ideas in opposition to the political and social power structure. “The elder generation is comfortable in their cocoon and has lost all hope” she said. “Young people are more radicalized” (Female, 20-24). Finally, NUSANED's vice president expressed her opinions, by stating "I think it was a great learning experience for them”. Also, she added “Earning financial satisfaction in the midst of our country's economic crisis. Also, giving a chance for students and recent graduates to practice and gain experience”. In this study, it was interesting that just four NUSANED members participated in the survey, but all of them were pleased with the job they had done, and one young man stated that “if the NGOs had not been present, Beirut would still be in rubble” (Male, 20-25). These results are comparable to those expressed by survey respondents. When asked how satisfied they were with their efforts in humanitarian relief, the majority said they were extremely satisfied (see Figure 16). Proof can be found in the majority of the participants' shared thoughts in the last question of the survey, they highlighted that they were the main catalyst of the response instead of their government. “For sure, the youth are the only hope for a better country that’s what we saw after Beirut blast. I was so satisfied because we were the only ones that managed to help the affected people, while our government was absent” (Male, 20-24). Another participant expressed her feelings by

saying

that

“Volunteering

there

was

very

satisfying!”

(Female,

15-19).

To what extent are you satisfied with your work in the humanitarian response? Extremly Satisifed 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Not Satisfied 0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

Figure 16 - Level of Satisfaction of respondents, author (2021)

In contrast, a minority of the participants expressed feelings of dissatisfaction and frustration due to the context they are living in; “The traumatic experience left a trace that

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

can never be erased. People can never recover from this disaster. Our job is limited and no matter how much money is spent to rehabilitate the damaged shelters; it will never be enough. Losses are in billions whereas findings did not surpass few millions. The economic crises make it harder on the affected individuals as they are to deal with trauma, COVID-19 and financial instability at the same time” (Male, 20-24). Others stated that they did not participate as much as they should have due to some circumstances. Similarly, a young woman conveyed her disappointment by saying: “Overlap and duplication of services was frustrating. No coordination between organizations in the field and supply of required services. Irrelevant supply of services such as food distribution weeks after the blast. Lack of strategy of response and limited geographical coverage” (Female, 25-29). On another note, when asked how their engagement in the Beirut Blast humanitarian efforts made them feel, respondents were given the opportunity of selecting as many alternatives as they wanted. It was remarkable that all of the participants had a strong sense of compassion for others, which was accompanied by emotions of empowerment and strength, or dissatisfaction and insecurity (see Figure 17). It was also extremely essential to note that the majority of the young respondent’s participation had a favorable influence on their personality. Some expressed feelings of pride, saying: “I am proud of myself because I had the opportunity to aid those in need, and I appreciate how Lebanese people stand for one other even in the worst circumstances with a smile on their faces" (Female, 20-24). Others shared motivational and positive sentiments, such as: “What, we the youth, did in the Beirut Blast was very helpful for our country. Seeing all of us helping people in need was the greatest/saddest experience. While working in the NGO, I really felt that we can really make a change in our country. We were effective and efficient and even if my experience didn’t last long enough, helping was the greatest experience” (Female, 20-24). Others shared feelings of empowerment and frustration at the same time, stating: “I’m so glad that we helped as much as we can. I learned to appreciate everything and to be more thankful. At the same time, I was devastated and shocked” (Female, 25-29).

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

How did your participation make you feel? 70% 65.90%

60% 50% 40%

41.80%

38.50%

30%

27.50%

20%

22.00%

10% 7.70%

4.40%

8.80%

1.10%

Figure 17 - Feelings shared by respondents on a personal level, author (2021)

Similarly, when young people were asked how the impacted community made them feel during their participation in the immediate response and reconstruction procedures, the majority of them stated that youth provided the affected community sentiments of optimism and hope (see Figure 18). “Older generations in this country have already lived - and are still living - a lot of terrible days. After all, youth have hope” (Male, ages 25-29). Others mentioned how the community was very collaborative and open to help, how the Beirut Blast brought the Lebanese community closer together, and how youth were able to aid everyone and be the key to all generations. “People who were affected by the Blast saw hope in us and felt loved since we were helping without asking for money” (Female, 25-29). In contrast, only 3.3% indicated feelings of discouragement from the devastated community.

How did the affected people make you feel? 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

71.40% 63.70% 53.80%

3.30% They saw "HOPE" in me/us

They were They were They were responsive to collaborative discouraging my/our help me

0.00% They negleced me/us

Figure 18 - Feelings shared by respondents on community level, author (2021)

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

4. Discussions The results support the hypothesis that youth-led organizations play an important role in post-disaster response and reconstruction. The findings show that young people and youth-led organizations are mutually dependent; one cannot function without the other. When examining the youth participation in LNGOs, the structure described in the case studies was classified according to Treseder’s degrees of participation discussed previously. This research put in evidence IASC (2020) claim that participation should not be tokenistic or manipulative. In addition to the traditional and cultural obstacles, and a top-down administration, a tokenistic participation that limits young people's participation in events is stifling the process of youth participation. The interviews and survey findings are aligned with a claim made in a 2014 in USAIDs’ report, which states that youth participation occurs when young people are informed, consulted, provided leadership, and participate in decision-making. As this study has shown, there are features of youth engagement that lead to a more successful response, both within the capability of the youth themselves and the implementing organizations. From an organizational point of view, they were able to mobilize youth immediately after the tragedy. Despite having started their operations a few months before the Beirut Blast, NUSANED and Baytna Baytak were able to adjust to a long-term humanitarian response by adapting the response priorities into activities that became in line with the needs of the built environment. In addition, Bebw’Shebbek was founded immediately after the Blast for the purpose of repairing doors and windows. The three LNGOs used their resources and networks to manage a response that engaged young people in many aspects of its strategy. Moreover, moving on to the youth themselves, three elements stood out as having contributed to the organization’s success: their availability, adaptability, and engagement within local communities. These qualities enabled the volunteers to contribute to the organization's emergency operations in a way that adult volunteers or international employees could not. Combining both points of view from the case studies analysis, three key findings will be discussed. First, in a youth-initiated organization, collaborating with youth at different level of the project assessment, planning, implementation and decision-making will help them gain more skills and will emphasize their role in their community. Above that, in adultinitiated organization, consulting them, giving them leadership and managing their duties would have a direct influence on the social component, particularly after a disaster. Second, advocating young people’s skill development through technical education, training, and development will help bridge the skills gap and, eventually, help them widen their impact on the community. As the interviewers proved it, building young people skills

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

and capacities by providing training sessions will support them morally, mentally, and professionally. As a result, the tools used in connecting with training networks and structures will immediately boost the youth’s efficiency and motivate them to continue working in humanitarian efforts. The young generation is the most proficient at devising new and technology methods of accelerating certain processes, which justifies the use of social media by both LNGOs and youth for mobilization purposes. Third, the analysis showed that both LNGOs and young people are satisfied with the work they are doing. They are having a positive impact on their communities by empowering and fostering stronger intergenerational relationships. The positive emotions expressed by survey respondents regarding their level of satisfaction are consistent with Peek’s (2015) work, which affirms the importance of understanding young people’s fragility in the aftermath of a tragedy, and believing that encouraging them participating in response and reconstruction efforts can make them feel much better. These results indicate that youth-led organizations were effective in the immediate aftermath response of the Beirut Blast because of their powerful energy and determination to improve their neighborhood; they were the first to react and the first to aid. Some of them, however, lack structure, consistency, and management. Furthermore, youths are excellent volunteers, they are dedicated and driven to assist, but they lack experience and professionalism. Yet, this could be the cause for the lower youth participation in the reconstruction phase. For instance, increased LNGOs collaboration would contribute to a more efficient interventions and support young people in building their profession. Furthermore, in order to acquire the trust of young people, LNGOs should be politically autonomous and endeavor to influence legal and policy reforms that are openly responsive to the concerns of youth.

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

Chapter IV: Conclusion This research aimed to tackle the broader issue of youth participation effectiveness, in particular how youth might contribute to improve the effectiveness, scalability and operational tasks of humanitarian response to a disaster. The main research formulated was: How effective are youth-led organizations in post-disaster response and reconstruction? Therefore, answering our research question we can conclude that their participation has a significant effect on the society, the LNGO, the community, and on themselves, with a strong correlation between the stakeholders and participant’s self-reported satisfaction with their work. Especially when young people were engaged in the decision-making process throughout the projects’ planning and implementation. However, youth-led organizations can sometimes lack a good structure, consistency, and experience. Thus, the findings imply that humanitarian actors should collaborate with young people to explore more opportunities for decision-making and community life engagement. Finally, the research suggests that, while young people's participation does impact humanitarian works, it is also important to consider the wider social and political context in which this occurs: youth-led organizations should be transparent and should work on influencing law and policies, in order to gain young people’s trust and engagement. The generalizability of the results is limited by the number of case studies, particularly when comparing new organizations, founded few months before or few days after the tragedy, with varying levels of skills and resources. Further research should take into account the temporality of foundation and reasons that may prevent organizations from engaging with youth. As this research has shown, there are aspects of youth participation that contribute to a more effective response, both within the capacity of the youth themselves and the implementing organizations. It is worthwhile to investigate how these approaches can be disseminated within aid agencies in order to fulfill justifications for the effectiveness of youth participation.

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

References AbouAssi, K. (2015). Public Administration and Policy in the Middle East. Public Administration and Policy in the Middle East. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-49391553-8 Arnstein, S. R. (2007). Journal of the American Institute of Planners A Ladder Of Citizen Participation. November 2012, 37–41. Collins, R. L., "lhylor, S. E,, & Skokan, L. A. (1990). A better world or a shattered vision? Changes in life perspectives following victimization. Social Cognition, 8, 263-285 Furr, J. M., Comer, J. S., Edmunds, J. M., & Kendall, P. C. (2010). Disasters and Youth : A

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Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

Annexes Annexe 1: Questionnaire / semi-structured interviews Name: Age: Profession: Organization Name: Organization Foundation Date: Position: Interview Date: Interview made via:

1) Describe the structure of the organization, how many leaders and members, their age, etc. 2) What type of projects were you involved in? Are your projects youth related? 3) Describe the timeline of your interventions after the Beirut Blast. 4) How do you take decisions in the group? Describe the hierarchy. 5) How was the community involvement? Who are you talking to in the community? 6) How was your relationship with the community? What was the way of communication with the community members? 7) In the emergency/reconstruction phase, are you talking with youth or also to everybody. (because youth can relate to youth more) 8) What are young people’s preferred communication channels? (members) 9) How many youth organizations were active after the explosion? At least in the same neighborhood that your organization is working in, how many other organizations there were? 10) Did you engage with the existing aid agencies? If yes, how? 11) Did you face any limitation because of the pandemic? If yes, cite them please. 12) Are young people (members) involved in humanitarian response decisionmaking? If so, through what mechanisms and at what stage of the decisionmaking process? 13) How will young people be involved in the assessment and program planning? Can they safely take the lead? 14) What opportunities exist to engage/include these young people in the work/activities that the humanitarian clusters/working groups are doing, so that they are recognized as part of the response?

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

15) To what extent do you think young people are satisfied with the humanitarian response? 16) Other notes.

Annexe 2: Online Survey Youth-led Organizations in Post Beirut Blast Humanitarian Actions “I am on a daring quest to collect the right data for Master Thesis about young people who participated in the Post Beirut Blast Humanitarian Actions! I'd really like to find out your thoughts about this topic by answering this survey. Thank you for helping me out!”

1) What is your age range? o

15-19

20-24

25-29

30-35

Other …

2) What is your gender? o

Female

Male

Other …

3) Did you participate in the Beirut Blast post-disaster response? o

Yes

4) If no, why not? Short answer text 5) Who did you go with? o

Group of friends

Local NGO

International NGO (Scouts, Caritas, UNagencies, …)

6) After the Beirut Blast, are you still committed with an NGO in the reconstruction phase? o

Yes

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

7) If yes, specify the NGO Short answer text 8) Was this NGO established... o

Before the Beirut Blast

After the Beirut Blast

Not applicable, I didn’t participate with an NGO

9) How did you hear about an NGO activities during Beirut Blast response? o

E-mail

Phone

Social media

Website

Other …

10) How were you involved? o

Volunteer

Administration/coordination structure

Donor

Other

11) How did your participation in the post Beirut Blast response make you feel? o

Stronger & self-assured

Greater compassion for others

Empowered & self-satisfied

Strengthened

Insecure & uncertain

Hopeless & incompetent

Independent

Frustrated

Other …

12) How did the affected people feel about you? o

They saw HOPE in me/us

They were responsive to my/our help

They were collaborative

They were discouraging me/us

They neglected me/us because of my/our age

13) For how long were you involved in the response process? (Temporality of your response) August 2020 ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ May 2021

Analyzing the Effectiveness of Youth Participation in Post-Disaster Phases | Rana AYOUB

14) To what extent are you satisfied with your work in the humanitarian response? Not satisfied ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ Extremely satisfied 15) Finally, do you consider youth-led organization effective in the Beirut Blast response? o

Yes

Maybe

16) Following the previous two questions, please share your thoughts. Long answer text 17) If you want to be informed about the results of my research, enter your email here Short answer text

Analyzing the effectiveness of youth participation in post-disaster phases - The case of Beirut, LB

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