The city of Aley witnessed an important and distinctive cultural event,1. with the opening of the Development and Growth Office at the Cultural Center affiliated with the Aley Municipality. The opening was attended by a number of figures, most notably the representative of the Sheikh Aql of the Unitarian Druze community, Head of the Culture Committee of the Druze Council, Sheikh Imad Faraj, Democratic Gathering member MP Akram Chehayeb, represented by Ms. Salma Chehayeb, representatives of international donor organizations, most notably “World Vision” and ”50/50″, in addition to representatives of political parties, mayors, mukhtars, school principals, and associations and clubs.
The ceremony began with the Lebanese national anthem and a welcoming speech by media coordinator Najwa Maksad Jaber.
This was followed by a speech by Dr. Mona Akl, a member of the Aley Municipal Council and the official director of the Cultural Center, where she provided a brief presentation on the center’s activities and its achievements in the cultural and development fields, based on strong partnerships with supporting organizations. She extended her thanks to the World Vision organization, represented by Fares Samaha, which is considered an important partner in establishing the Development and Growth Center.
During the ceremony, video presentations were shown that documented the center’s work, which reflects a vision based on strengthening cultural and social cooperation in the region. She also provided an explanation regarding the organization of a training course on project management and how to plan, write, and submit projects to donor organizations.
Additionally, Diana Al-Hani and the representative of the head of the 50/50 organization, media personality Joelle Abou Farhat, spoke about the efforts exerted by the organization to empower and enhance the role of women in society. They reviewed the importance of the project implemented by the organization in cooperation with the Civil Thought Forum for Development association and the Aley Municipality, praising the prominent role played by Dr. Akl in the success of this project.
For his part, the Mayor of Aley, Mr. Wajdi Murad, praised the efforts made and stressed the importance of cooperation between the municipality and donor organizations to enhance local development and promote
developmental activities, expressing his aspiration for further constructive cooperation and future successes.
After cutting the opening ribbon, the attendees toured the office’s sections, learning about its goals and future plans.
