As the upcoming municipal elections approach,we rallied our efforts behind a fifth session of our ongoing capacity-sharing programme for incumbent municipal officials and prospective candidates,with a vision to foster a cadre of capable and accountable local leadership. DRI’s André Sleiman held three training sessions on effective decentralisation. The first session took place in Chekka,North Lebanon,on 7 October,with 50 activists and municipality representatives. On 21 October,we brought together around 25 participants from Beirut and various localities of the South.
The day-long training sessions introduced 30 trainees to the principles of sustainable goveance,public accountability,and proactive participation in local politics. Anchored in theory and application,we focused on the importance of decentralisation,delving into its core principles,mechanisms,challenges,and success factors.
Lina El Alam,a participant originally from Rmeish on the southe Lebanese border,said she planned to run as an independent candidate for the municipality of Saida. Her mission,she told us,is to promote a participatory political environment for women and young people. “Each municipality has its distinctive character and challenges,” El Alam told peers. “In Saida,we suffer from a pressing waste management problem which we can effectively be solved through decentralised decision-making that reflects the region’s resources and needs.”
Through a hands-on approach,peer-to-peer reflection,and experience exchange,participants gained an in-depth understanding of decentralised policy-making and its impact on effective local goveance. A second training session tackling the same themes followed on 28 October in Tripoli,bringing together 30 trainees from Lebanon’s northe localities.