Ramy Shukr
Address: First Floor, Sabbagha Building, Mar Mitr Street, Achrafieh, Beirut, LebanonTel: +96181828716
www.facebook.com/ARMLeb/
twitter.com/ARM_Leb
Specialist areas of work and services:
Description:
The Anti-Racism Movement (ARM) works on documenting, investigating, exposing and fighting racist practices through multiple initiatives and campaigns.
Experience, Background and Services:
The Anti-Racism Movement (ARM) is a grassroots movement created by young activists in Lebanon in collaboration with migrant community leaders. ARM was launched in 2010 following an incident at one of Beirut’s most well-known private beach resorts (Sporting Club). ARM activists, using a hidden camera, filmed the administration’s blatant acts of discrimination and segregation. The video quickly spread online, and ARM’s efforts to bring this issue to light were lauded by many. Interest grew in this small volunteer-based movement, members increased, and our projects grew in scope and scale. In 2012, ARM became a registered NGO with full and part-time staff, in order to increase its capacity to carry out more projects.
The Migrant Community Centers (MCCs) are currently ARM’s largest project. Established in Beirut in 2011, in Saida in early 2016, and in Jounieh in late 2016, the MCCs are free and safe spaces tailored to migrant workers and evolving according to their needs, where they can meet, learn new skills, work together, and access information, resources and assistance. Since their creation, they have been offering free classes and other educational, social, and capacity-building activities, such as language classes, computer classes, health awareness sessions, rights education, advocacy training, cultural exchange events, social gatherings, and various national holiday celebrations. The MCCs also serve as a hub where initiatives are launched, a space to have celebrations and get-togethers, and a casual space for migrant workers to spend time with each other. MCC’s operations are run by general coordinators and migrant community leaders, in collaboration with members of ARM.
ARM’s goal is to decrease racist and discriminatory attitudes and behaviour among the Lebanese population, and to support changes in the institutions that perpetuate discriminatory and exploitative practices, through sensitization and awareness raising. MCC’s goal is to make meaningful improvements in the quality of life of migrant workers in Lebanon and in their capacity to self-advocate, and to contribute towards a strengthened and powerful migrant civil society. The MCCs serve to engage, enable, empower, and mobilize migrant communities to advocate for their rights and to decrease discriminatory attitudes and behaviour. Our work focuses mostly on people of Asian and African origin, with a special focus on women migrant domestic workers. Our theory of change shifts the positionality of migrant workers from beneficiaries and recipients of services to leaders and agents of social change in Lebanon. The MCCs provide the space, tools, resources, and capacity for MWs to self-organise and lead awareness and rights-based campaigns in order to help end discrimination and exploitation, and guarantee protection, rights, and access to justice. In parallel, ARM’s advocacy efforts tackle social issues related to racism, and aim to shift social norms by stigmatizing undesirable attitudes and behaviours, and building support for policy change.
- Advocacy
- Campaigns & Awareness
Description:
The Anti-Racism Movement (ARM) works on documenting, investigating, exposing and fighting racist practices through multiple initiatives and campaigns.
Experience, Background and Services:
The Anti-Racism Movement (ARM) is a grassroots movement created by young activists in Lebanon in collaboration with migrant community leaders. ARM was launched in 2010 following an incident at one of Beirut’s most well-known private beach resorts (Sporting Club). ARM activists, using a hidden camera, filmed the administration’s blatant acts of discrimination and segregation. The video quickly spread online, and ARM’s efforts to bring this issue to light were lauded by many. Interest grew in this small volunteer-based movement, members increased, and our projects grew in scope and scale. In 2012, ARM became a registered NGO with full and part-time staff, in order to increase its capacity to carry out more projects.
The Migrant Community Centers (MCCs) are currently ARM’s largest project. Established in Beirut in 2011, in Saida in early 2016, and in Jounieh in late 2016, the MCCs are free and safe spaces tailored to migrant workers and evolving according to their needs, where they can meet, learn new skills, work together, and access information, resources and assistance. Since their creation, they have been offering free classes and other educational, social, and capacity-building activities, such as language classes, computer classes, health awareness sessions, rights education, advocacy training, cultural exchange events, social gatherings, and various national holiday celebrations. The MCCs also serve as a hub where initiatives are launched, a space to have celebrations and get-togethers, and a casual space for migrant workers to spend time with each other. MCC’s operations are run by general coordinators and migrant community leaders, in collaboration with members of ARM.
ARM’s goal is to decrease racist and discriminatory attitudes and behaviour among the Lebanese population, and to support changes in the institutions that perpetuate discriminatory and exploitative practices, through sensitization and awareness raising. MCC’s goal is to make meaningful improvements in the quality of life of migrant workers in Lebanon and in their capacity to self-advocate, and to contribute towards a strengthened and powerful migrant civil society. The MCCs serve to engage, enable, empower, and mobilize migrant communities to advocate for their rights and to decrease discriminatory attitudes and behaviour. Our work focuses mostly on people of Asian and African origin, with a special focus on women migrant domestic workers. Our theory of change shifts the positionality of migrant workers from beneficiaries and recipients of services to leaders and agents of social change in Lebanon. The MCCs provide the space, tools, resources, and capacity for MWs to self-organise and lead awareness and rights-based campaigns in order to help end discrimination and exploitation, and guarantee protection, rights, and access to justice. In parallel, ARM’s advocacy efforts tackle social issues related to racism, and aim to shift social norms by stigmatizing undesirable attitudes and behaviours, and building support for policy change.
