“Uniting and supporting local communities, through celebration and beyond.”
Growing up, being Lebanese was and has always been a huge part of my identity. I was raised in a home that took pride in Lebanon and all it offered -- culturally, it has always been a country that thrives.
Being gone for the majority of the civil war, I came back and realized the old Lebanon was no longer. One could not ignore the discrepancies set within our society and the deterioration of nationalism, which unfolded into sectarianism. My country was no longer recognizable, the divisions were there for one to see in plain sight.
I realized people will always come together in celebration, which is how the idea came to life. So, I decided to create Beirut Celebrations, a non-profit organization that dedicates itself to organizing and managing events and street celebrations that target all societal aspects of post-civil war Lebanon. Over the years, Beirut Celebrations has taken pride in the street parades and festivals it has organized through the years.
Sadly, through these trying and turbulent times, we have had to switch our focus to more proactive causes. Causes that are more relevant towards today’s fragile Lebanon. In 2019, we branched out and created more necessary initiatives that aid the Lebanese.
I hope you enjoy our journey as much as I have,
Thank you,
—
Najwa R. Baroody
President &. Co-Founder