The Lebanese society is rooted in a secular identity and religions are confined to the private sphere of personal beliefs

Reach agreement around a core set of values that celebrate diversity and build cohesion whiles making sure no community is marginalized

1.In political terms, secularism is the principle of the separation of government institutions and persons mandated to represent the state from religious institutions and religious dignitaries

2.While sectarianism is often labeled as religious, the reality is usually much more complex. Sectarianism has been defined as “the existence, within a locality, of two or more divided and actively competing communal identities, resulting in a strong sense of dualism which unremittingly transcends commonality”

3.Secularization involves the waning ability of religious authorities to shape mass views on such issues as abortion, divorce, and sexuality

4.Secularism guarantees the right of minorities to practice their faith

1.SACSECVAL in World Values Survey (WVS): Overall Secular Values

2.I_AUTHORITY in WVS: Overall Secular Values-1: Inverse respect for authority

3.V150 in WVS: Meaning of religion: To follow religious norms and ceremonies vs To do good to other people

1.Sectarianism in Lebanon dates to Ottoman rule. It was reinforced with the creation of the Republic in 1920, the 1926 constitution, and in the National Pact of 1943

2.In 1990, the Taef agreement, despite setting the goal of a secular Lebanon in the future, did not define the terms or timeline for achieving a secular state but instead further institutionalized Lebanon’s political sectarianism

3.In 2008 the Doha agreement took sectarianism to the next level

4.The Lebanese sectarian system is deeply rooted in its society and communities

5.Efforts by Lebanese civil society groups to push a secularist agenda have failed largely because of the multiplicity of their agendas and a lack of organization

1.Lebanese religious communities are linked to major clientelist political parties, local regional and international religious figures, as well as regional and international powers

2.Sectarianism in Lebanon is a structural existential issue ingrained in the local culture and local identities

3.Religious authorities, sectarian political parties and the regional balance of power prevents Lebanese society from becoming more secular and appeased

4.Most public support for abolishing the Lebanese confessional system is influenced by a sectarian calculus

5.Safeguarding the cultural specificities of citizens by monitoring laws and decrees, the performance of government and state agencies, and objecting to them if necessary

1.Taif 1989 (counter-productive) & 1943 pact

2.After the 2008 conflict: establishment of secular clubs in universities

3.April 2010:  “Laïque Pride” organized a march calling for a secular Lebanon

4.April 2010: “Laïque Pride” organized a march which involved 70,000 people in response to Hezb Ut-Tahrir’s demand of the establishment of an Islamic caliphate

5.March 2012: “Laïque Pride” organized a march that involved 600 people and university secular clubs preaching secularism

6.Starting 2014, several Lebanese judges questioned the interpretation of Article 534 of the Lebanese Penal Code, and refused to condemn homosexual relations

7.August 2016: “Laïque Pride” organized a protest in Martyr’s square in which Red Oak club (AUB) and secular club (AUB) participated

8.October 2019-Present: Lebanese Revolution

9.In 2020, Secular Clubs have won elections in most universities

1.Enact a unified Civil Code for the Personal Status Law (Institutional Change)

2.Establish the Lebanese Senate

• Plays a role in the ratification of crucial decisions and the appointment of senior state officials
• Participates with the parliament in the trial of presidents and ministers
• Is directly elected by the people simultaneously with the parliamentary elections
• Is equally divided between Muslims and Christians
• A high constitutional, legal, and cultural competence is required to run for membership

3.Review, reform and modernize school history curricula (Service provision)

4.Analyze the structural factors that make sectarianism more or less politically salient in Lebanon (Service provision)

5.Pass the Draft Law Prohibiting the Pre-Censorship of Cinema and Theatre (Institutional change)

6.Dismantle Lebanon's system of political confessionalism (Institutional Change); Cf. National narrative (O2.a) & Interreligious dialogue (O2.c)