The current economic and social crisis in Lebanon highlights the importance of youth initiatives with a futuristic and targeted vision for solutions. Young people have become increasingly aware of the important role they can play in the development and improvement of society. With their energy and experience,
young people from all different social groups--regardless of their nationality, race or religion--are joining together to manage this crisis and to help build a better society.

In Lebanon, the rentier economy is near collapse, and the absence of the state since the Lebanese Civil War period has created huge economic and social challenges. The rentier economy is unable to provide enough jobs to meet people's needs.

Habaq Movement promotes collective initiatives and activities--such as encouraging food crops in public spaces--making them open and available to the whole community. It believes in a social economy based on solidarity and partnership, creating new interactions and social roles while trying to build a sustainable local economy. Habaq Movement is an agricultural reclamation cooperative aiming to recuperate abandoned agricultural land around the country, set up working teams, and provide alternative solutions for local communities. Habaq believes in the right to food, taking a food sovereignty approach to its activities, especially in support of local markets, and advocates sustainable agricultural practices and rural development at state and local government level.

Habaq is currently providing training on ecological agricultural practices and food sovereignty issues, with the aim of contributing to the establishment of a food sovereignty movement in Lebanon. It has already conducted workshops in 10 locations around the country. One of Habaq's main achievements to date is to link agricultural initiatives between Lebanese and refugee populations.

Habaq's mobilization and advocacy are based on social media to link various farmers with young social initiatives that could enable the development of agriculture in the country and relink the youth with agriculture and rural areas. Based on this process and in collaboration with partners, Habaq is creating a digital database of land available for community initiatives, which will be later linked to an agricultural almanac.

Links: www.facebook.com/habaqmovement

Habaq Movement is an agricultural reclamation cooperative aiming to recuperate abandoned agricultural land around the country, set up working teams, and provide alternative solutions for local communities. Habaq believes in the right to food, taking a food sovereignty approach to its activities, especially in support of local markets, and advocates sustainable agricultural practices and rural development at state and local government level. It promotes collective initiatives and activities, believes in a social economy based on solidarity and partnership, and aims to build a sustainable local economy.