*Anti-Racism Movement* (ARM) was launched in 2010 as a grassroots collective by young Lebanese feminist activists in collaboration with migrant domestic workers and community activists, following a racist incident at one of Beirut’s most well-known private beach resorts. 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 and action-based movement, and our projects grew in scope and scale. In 2012, ARM became a registered NGO with a growing team of staff and volunteers in order to increase its capacity to carry out more projects to fight racist discrimination, abuse and exploitation in Lebanon. Building on our philosophy that recognizes the importance of community-building work, ARM created the Migrant Community Centers (MCCs) which grew from one small center in 2011 in Beirut to centers in three major cities by 2016, in addition to an extra Sunday educational space.

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. We do most of our work through the centers in direct collaboration with migrant workers, especially migrant domestic workers. 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 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.

ARM’s mission is to decrease racist discrimination and abuse in Lebanon on the social and institutional levels by advocating for changes in the systems that perpetuate racist exploitative practices, through sensitization, awareness raising, advocacy, and community building for more just social and institutional frameworks in Lebanon. The MCCs’ mission is to make meaningful improvements in the quality of life of migrant workers in Lebanon and their capacity to self-advocate to advance their socio-economic rights, and to contribute to a strong and powerful migrant civil society, with a focus on women as leaders of change.

The main strategies we use in our intervention include: providing resources that sustain Migrant Domestic Worker community networks and support/empower MDWs, MDW activists & MDW-centered initiatives; mobilizing collaboration between local activists and MDWs; developing strong advocacy activities and campaigns for structural change; and collaborating with media, researchers, and educational institutions against racist abuse and exploitation in Lebanon.

Anti-Racism Movement (ARM) (LB) was launched in 2010 as a grassroots collective by young Lebanese feminist activists in collaboration with migrant domestic workers and community activists. In 2012, ARM became a registered organization with full and part-time staff in order to increase its capacity to carry out more projects to fight racist discrimination, abuse and exploitation in Lebanon. Building on our philosophy that recognizes the importance of community-building work, ARM created the Migrant Community Centers (MCCs) which grew from one small center in 2011 in Beirut to centers in three major cities by 2016, in addition to a Sunday educational space.