Internship Updates

The first place 2007 BFIGG winner, Ms Hana Hamade successfully completed her three-month paid internship with the NSSF, where she worked on a project in collaboration with the World Bank. Ms. Hamade has submitted her required internship brief, detailing her complete internship experience.

The second place 2008 BFIGG winner, Ms. Houda Sahyoun, has recently successfully completed her two-month paid internship at Elecrticite du Liban, where she worked under the direct supervision of EDL Director, Mr Kamal Hayek. Ms. Sahyoun is in the process of preparing her brief and will submit it shortly.

Special dedication program aired on LBCI with Kalam El Nass and Marcel Ghanem

On 17 April 2008, LBCI aired a special dedication program with Kalam El Nass and Marcel Ghanem in the memory of martyr Basil Fuleihan. Also featured on the program were past and present BFIGG winners who discussed their winning papers and experiences as BFIGG winners. The 2008 winners took part in an academic discussion with the panel on the good governance ideas presented in their winning papers.

The 2008 Basil Fuleihan Innovative Good Governance (BFIGG) Competition

The second annual Basil Fuleihan Innovative Good Governance competition was launched in December 2007. The goal of the competition was to solicit innovative, sustainable ideas from young Lebanese people in the area of public reform. The final date for submission of papers was 29 February 2008. For the sake of impartiality, all competition entries were electronically assigned a number and were referred to by that number only from the time of submission and throughout the competition, until presentations were made before the Final Jury. A Selection Committee consisting of:

• Dr. Rashid Khalidi:
  Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies
  Director of the Middle East Institute
  School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
• Prof. Ronald Findlay:
  Ragnar Nurkse Professor of Economics
  School of International and Public Affairs, I
• Prof. Beat Burgenmeier:
  Directeur du Centre Universitaire d’Écologie Humaine et des Sciences de l’Environnement, Université de Genève

reviewed all submissions and chose by consensus the top five papers to be presented before the Final Jury.

On 22 March 2008, Mr. Nabil Dabbous and Mr. Ramzi Al-Hafez, acting as an Intermediary Committee, met personally with the five finalists chosen by the Selection Committee. The interviews took place at the offices of InfoPro in Beirut. Each applicant was allowed 30 minutes in which to present and discuss his or her competition entry. Upon completion of the five interviews, it was agreed by both judges that all papers submitted were authentic, original work and that the applicants showed a clear and solid knowledge of their subject.

The top five applicants then personally submitted their entries to the Final Jury on 27 March 2008 in the form of 30-minute PowerPoint presentations at the offices of the An-Nahar newspaper in Beirut. At the end of all the presentations, the jury unanimously decided that, as all five submissions were of the highest quality and of exceptional value, this year would also honor the fourth and fifth place papers with an “Honorable Mention” in addition to the first, second and third place papers. The members of this Final Jury were:

• H.E. Ghassan Tueni, MP and Publisher of An-Nahar;
• Ms. Frances Guy, HM Ambassador to Lebanon, British Embassy;
• H.E. Marwan Hamade, Minister of Telecommunications;
• H.E. Michel Eddeh, former Minister of Culture and Higher Education;
• Mr. Mohammad Mattar, Mattar Mouawad Majdalany el Khazen Law Firm;
• Mr. Maroun Asmar, Board Member of the Banque Méditerranée and Chairman of MIB Holding;
• Mr. Nader Al Hariri, Managing Director, Omnia Holdings;
• Mr. Ali Jaber, Managing Editor of Dubai Media Incorporated.

Owing to the exceptionally high quality of the winning entries and the growing international reputation of the BFIGG competition, it was decided jointly by the Chairperson and the BFF Board of Directors that the amounts of all the cash prizes would be increased. The first prize was increased to $12,500, the second prize to $7,500 and the third prize to $5,000. The fourth and fifth place “Honorable Mention” papers were also rewarded with a cash prize of $2,000 and $1,000 respectively. The winners of the BFIGG competition are as follows:

• First Place : Fadi S. Shayya for his entry
  Invigorating a Park in the City : Alternatives for the Good Governance of Horsh Al-Sanawbar in Beirut
• Second Place : Houda Sahyoun for her entry
  Innovative Good Governance in the Electricity Sector in Lebanon: Adaptation of the Electricity Governance Initiative (EGI)
• Third Place : Rebecca Semrani for her entry
  A Federal Lebanon? Agent for Good Governance or Cause of Dispute?
• First Honorable Mention : Nader Houella for his entry
  Promoting Good Governance through Academic Institutions: National Youth Movements
• Second Honorable Mention : Nadine Dib for her entry
  Council of Citizens

Paid internships have been secured for the first and second place winners in the Public Sector as part of the prize package.

Basil Fuleihan Innovative Good Governance (BFIGG) competition winners announced at Press Conference on April 17, 2008

The winners of the 2008 Basil Fuleihan Innovative Good Governance (BFIGG) competition were announced on Thursday 17 April 2008 at a press conference held at the Press Syndicate, Corniche Mazraa, Beirut.

The event also commemorated the third anniversary of the passing of the martyr and Deputy Dr. Basil Fuleihan.

The names of the five 2008 winners were announced for the first time and cheques and trophies were presented to them. Trophies were also presented to the 2007 BFIGG winners. Members of the Screening and Selection Committees and members of the Final Jury from 2007 and 2008 were present. Remarks by Mrs. Yasma Fuleihan were read.

2008 BFIGG Launched in December 2007

The Basil Fuleihan Foundation in collaboration with the Middle East Institute of Columbia University announced the launch of the second annual Basil Fuleihan Innovative Good Governance competition.

The competition seeks to solicit innovative ideas from today’s student generation in the area of good governance initiatives. This competition encourages the general public to become involved in the arena of municipal reform and to develop and express its view of innovative ideas and practices in relations to its vision of good governance.

The competition was officially launched in Lebanon in December 2007, and the deadline for submissions was 29 February 2008. A Screening Committee consisting of good governance experts and academics initially review competition papers. Papers are evaluated and the most interesting, innovative and well-developed ideas are chosen to progress.

Those competition entries are then submitted to a Selection Committee, comprised of distinguished academics and professionals from Columbia University, the Middle East Institute, School of International and Public Affairs of Columbia University, as well as l’Université de Genève. Based on their expert recommendations and opinions, they select the top five competition papers to be submitted to the Final Jury.

The Final Jury members, consisting of prominent political figures, businesspeople and scholars, are charged with the task of determining the first, second and third place winners. The winners receive a trophy and a cash prize, with the first and second place winners also earning the prospect of implementing their winning ideas with a paid internship in a relevant institution.

2007 Basil Fuleihan Innovative Good Governance (BFIGG) Competition

The Basil Fuleihan Innovative Good Governance competition was launched in May 2006, with the goal to solicit innovative, sustainable ideas from young Lebanese people in the area of public reform. The final date for submission of papers was 28 February 2007. For the sake of impartiality, all competition entries were electronically assigned a number and were referred to by that number only from the time of submission and throughout the competition, until presentations were made before the Final Jury. A panel of good governance experts consisting of Ragheda Jaber, Bijan Azad, Salah Sadek and Akram Zuhairi, acted as a Screening Committee and made a preliminary evaluation of all submissions.

Subsequently, Mr. Nabil Dabbous and Mr. Ramzi Al-Hafez, acting in the capacity of an Intermediary Committee, met personally with the top six applicants of the BFIGG competition chosen by the Screening Committee.

The interviews took place at the law offices of Mattar Mouawad Majdalany el Khazen, Starco Center, Beirut. Each applicant was given 30 minutes in which to present and discuss his or her competition entry. Upon completion of the six interviews, it was agreed by both judges that all papers submitted were authentic, and that the applicants showed a clear and solid knowledge of their individual submissions. This Committee further eliminated one paper, leaving the top five submissions in the running for first, second and third places.

The top five submissions then went on to present their entries to a Final Jury. This final screening process took place on Tuesday 10 April at the offices of the An-Nahar newspaper, Beirut. The five finalists personally presented their papers to the jury in individual 30-minute sessions. At the end of all the presentations, the jury deliberated and selected the first, second and third place winners.

The members of this final jury were:

• H.E. Ghassan Tueni, MP and Publisher of An-Nahar;
• Mrs. Mona Hammam, United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Representative in Lebanon;
• H.E. Marwan Hamade, Minister of Telecommunications;
• H.E. Michel Eddeh, former Minister of Culture and Higher Education;
• Mr. Mohammad Mattar, Mattar Mouawad Majdalany el Khazen Law Firm;
• Mr. Maroun Asmar, Board Member of the Banque Méditerranée and Chairman of MIB Holding;
• Mr. Ali Jaber, Managing Editor of Dubai Media Incorporated.

It was jointly decided by the Chairperson and Board of Directors of the BFF that, because of the exceptionally high quality of the winning entries, the second place prize should be increased to $5,000, and the third place prize to $2,500. The first place prize remained at $10,000.

The winners of the Basil Fuleihan Innovative Good Governance competition were as follows:

• First Place : Hana Hamadeh for her entry
  Implementation of Good Governance reforms in Lebanon: The Lebanese National Social Security Fund (NSS)
• Second Place: Latifa Reda & Mohammed Hamad Al-Ghanim for their entry
  Establishing Concrete Models of Good Governance in Lebanon through Practical Approaches for Political Reform: A Comparative Approach
• Third Place: Nader Houella for his entry
  Promoting Good Governance through the Media: from the TV and Radio reaching to the Public and School Classrooms

A televised round table discussion was taped at the studios of LBC on Saturday 14 April 2007, highlighting the winning competition entries as well as discussing good governance in general. The show, hosted by Marcel Ghanem, featured a panel of prominent Lebanese public figures and also included the participation of the first, and third place winners of the BFIGG competition (the second place winner was unable to attend). A documentary of the contributions Basil Fuleihan made to Lebanon's economic landscape was screened. This documentary not only covered the professional accomplishments of Dr. Fuleihan, but also touched on the more personal aspects of his life. This latter part of the documentary was accompanied by Mrs. Yasma Fuleihan reading a poem which she had written specifically to accompany the video.

As part of the prize package, the first place winner, Ms. Hana Hamade, received a three-month paid internship working on a project in the NSSF in collaboration with the World Bank.

Consumer Protection Law

The Basil Fuleihan Foundation participated in a workshop held during the Lebanon Opportunities annual conference on 21 June 2006 at the Dbayeh Conference Center. The Consumer Protection Law, which was authored by Dr. Fuleihan, was the subject of the special session dedicated to the late Minister and MP.

Trade Liberalization in the Arab World: Multilateralism vs. Regionalism

The launching of `Trade Liberalization in the Arab World: Multilateralism vs. Regionalism, ´ written by Dr. Basil Fuleihan and published by Dar An-Nahar took place on 19 May 2006. To launch the book, a conference featuring a distinguished panel of speakers was held under the patronage of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora at the Assembly Hall at the American University of Beirut. Speakers included:

• H.E. Mr. Sami Haddad, Lebanese Minister of Economy and Trade;
• H.E. Dr. Mohamad El Jasser, Vice Governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency;
• Mrs. Yasma Fuleihan, Chairperson of the Basil Fuleihan Foundation.

Basil Fuleihan Innovative Good Governance Award

The “Basil Fuleihan Innovative Good Governance Award” (BFIGG), a research paper competition to solicit innovative ideas on good governance, was launched on 3 May 2007. The BFIGG was born from the collaboration between Mrs. Yasma Fuleihan, Dr. Bijan Azad and Ms. Ragheda Jaber as part of the Lebanon Development Marketplace (LDM) project launched in 2006 with the theme Youth in Governance : Shaping the Future. The objective of the BFIGG research paper competition was to solicit innovative, sustainable ideas in the area of public reform and good governance from young people between the ages of 18 and 30. These ideas had to have potential for implementation in Lebanon or have already been implemented (in or outside Lebanon) and could be replicated in other settings.

Commemorative Postage Stamps

Telecommunications Minister Marwan Hamadeh unveiled new commemorative postage stamps to honor former Economy and Trade Minister Basel Fuleihan on Wednesday, April 19th in Beirut. Mr. Hamadeh addressed a news conference, stating that the three stamps "symbolize Basel the university student and high-class professor, the economic expert and economy minister, and the martyr of Lebanon and its independence."

The Telecommunications Ministry wants to mark the second anniversary of Basel Fuleihan's death in its own way," Hamadeh said. "Through the issuance of these stamps, we wanted to remember Basel Fuleihan as the martyr of bright Lebanese youth," he added. "Fuleihan was a symbol of Lebanese youth through his culture, education and ethics."

10th anniversary of the Basil Fuleihan Economic and Financial Institute

A ceremony commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Basil Fuleihan Economic and Financial Institute was held October 30th at UNESCO Palace. Notable representatives of Lebanon's private and public sectors, as well as a delegation from the French Industry, Finance and Economy Ministry, attended the commemoration, entitled "Ten Years of Oxygen, Ten Years of Perseverance".

The Institute was co-founded in 1996 by Dr Fuleihan and then Minister of Economy, and current Prime Minister, Mr. Fouad Siniora. The main goal in the formation of the Institute, which was a favorite personal project of Dr Fuleihan's, was to establish a training institute that served as a model for training and enabling civil servants to better assist the Lebanese citizens.

 Mrs Yasma Fuleihan, who attended the ceremony honoring the efforts of her late husband, remarked, "Of all of his projects and accomplishments, Basil was especially proud of the work done by the Institute so to not participate in this celebration and honor his contribution to it, would be unthinkable to me….Basil worked diligently toward the progress and development of his beloved country Lebanon, and the best way to honor his sacrifice is by continuing his work. Every program sponsored by this Institute, every publication, every symposium and conference organized by this Institute, and every training seminar does just that - it continues the work Basil started with Prime Minister Siniora ten years ago with the ultimate goal of making Lebanon stronger."

 Mr. Francois Cope, France's Budget and Administrative Reform Minister, reflected on the contributions made towards reforming and strengthening the Lebanese economy by former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and Dr. Fuleihan, stating, "Ces hommes sont tombes en heros dans la force et la grandeur de leur vision et de leur devouement au service de leur pays et, pour reprendre Ie mot du President de la Republique franaise que je cite: «ces hommes etaient des batisseurs inspires, des visionnaires du Liban de demain, des militants inlassables de la reconciliation des Libanais et de la construction d'un Etat souverain, independant, libre et democratique»".

Mr. Cope expressed his country's desire to continue Lebanese-French economic cooperation. "France is keen on helping Lebanon's reconstruction and supporting it in the Paris III (international donor conference) to be held in January," he said.

The Basil Fuleihan Seminar for Burns

The memory Dr. Basil Fuleihan was honored with the occasion of "The Basil Fuleihan Seminar for Burns – State of the Art in Burn Treatment" held this past November in Beirut. Over 500 delegates from 28 countries attended the conference, which was organized by the Mediterranean Council for Burns and Fire Disasters (MBC), the International Association for Humanitarian Medicine (IAHM) and the Lebanese Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery (LSPRAS) and included scientific seminars paneled by prominent specialists in the above fields as well as a separate Civil Defense session directed toward civil defense and fire brigade personnel.

Mrs. Yasma Fuleihan spoke at the opening ceremony about her and her family's very personal experiences with burn trauma during Dr. Fuleihan's 64 day struggle to overcome his injuries at the Percy Burn Hospital in Paris. In her speech, she reflected on the power of love, prayers and support in conjunction with medical science. "These 64 days taught me lessons in courage, in reaching out and helping others, in faith and acceptance of God's will as you accept the inevitable in life. As long as there is struggle there is hope. Medicine does not have all the answers, the human heart does. My goal was to convince the doctors not to give up as long as there was hope, the slimmest ray of hope," she said. Mrs. Fuleihan elaborated that she tried to persuade the doctors caring for her husband to grasp the more human side of medicine. "The doctors were talking math, I was talking faith, love and philosophy. With time, they started to believe the philosophy, they became believers and started to fight like me. I learned that the doctors should listen to the loved ones of the victims, math does not work all the time, we should not give up on people easily."

Also speaking at the opening ceremony were several medical professionals who attended to the Fuleihans when they were at the Percy Burn Hospital. Dr. Henri Carsin, a leading specialist in the field of burn treatment, was invited to participate in the seminar by Mrs. Fuleihan who met Dr. Carsin while he was the leading burns specialist caring for Dr. Fuleihan. Dr. EH Mansour, a family friend who came from his home in the United States to Paris upon hearing of Dr. Fuleihan's injuries to assist in his treatment, gave his remarks on the topic of the psycho-social approach to burn injury. Ms. Anne Laure Seyeux, a psychologist at the Percy Burn Hospital, who is trained to assist family members and loved ones of burn victims, and the patients themselves, how to best cope with their emotions as well as the ongoing treatment, was also in attendance at the bequest of Mrs. Fuleihan and spoke of the psychological condition of burn patients.

In combination with the academic aspects of the seminar, a public information campaign aimed at raising awareness about fire prevention and burn treatment/prevention was organized with the assistance of a leading television station in Lebanon. This successful campaign provided a vital community service that was genuinely well received by the Lebanese public, as evidenced by the number of schools and other organizations that were compelled to hold their own special assemblies and meetings on the topic in the weeks following the campaign.

IC Basil Fuleihan Award

The profound respect and admiration felt by the people of Lebanon for Dr. Fuleihan transcended religious, economic and social boundaries. His commitment to taking a leading role in the service of his community and country can serve as an example to all. It is in this spirit that the IC Basil Fuleihan Award was born.

The award was conceived as a tribute to both Dr. Fuleihan’s memory and to his life’s work of community service. It is presented each year to a graduating IC student who best embodies the principles and characteristics of a future community leader. The trophy awarded to the graduate is adorned with a plaque that reads: "In Recognition of

• Distinguished Academic Record
• Exemplary Attitude and Conduct
• Service to the Community
• Outstanding Contribution to School Life"

In 2005 the award was inaugurated with the presentation being made at the graduation ceremony by Mrs. Yasma Fuleihan to Khairat Al-Habbal. In 2006, the award was presented to graduate Nathalie Flora Allam.

The AUB ceremony

The American University of Beirut held a special ceremony in August 2005 to honor four AUB graduates who were killed as a result of the February 14th attack on Former Prime Minister Hariri’s motorcade. Dr. Basil Fuleihan, and three other AUB alumni, Rawad Haidar, Dr. Rima Bazzi, and Mazen Zahabi, were remembered in poignant speeches given by family members before a large gathering who had come to pay their respects.

Mrs. Yasma Fuleihan spoke of her husband Basil, who majored in Economics at AUB. “A year ago I would never have imagined, even in my wildest dreams, or nightmares to be more accurate, that I would be standing here, in the place Basil loved the most, and talking about my loss, my children’s loss and our family’s loss,” she said. Mrs. Fuleihan reflected on her husband’s accomplishments and remarkable devotion to Lebanon, ending her speech by sharing a painful memory of that dreadful St. Valentine’s Day. “Instead of roses, I received his burned body.”

“Today, we are gathered to remember four heroes and martyrs that will not be forgotten for their contributions to the world,” said AUB’s acting president George Tohme. “A tree will be planted carrying four names on its branches, symbolizing four doves of peace and hope for a better future,” he announced.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the family members of the honorees unveiled the tree, which has been planted on the campus grounds, to the press and public.

The Dr. Basil Fuleihan Award for Young Leaders

The Arab Economic Forum (AEF), organized jointly by Al-Iktissad wal Amal Group and the Central Bank of Lebanon, and in collaboration with the Lebanese Banks Association and IFC, witnessed the launching of the Dr. Basil Fuleihan Award for Young Leaders.

The first recipients of the annual award were Dr. Jihad Azour, Lebanese Minister of Finance, and Sheikh Tarik bin Faisal Al-Qasimi, Head of Commercial and Tourist Development for Sharjah, UAE

The prizes were presented to the winners by Mrs. Yasma Fuleihan, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Saniora, Sheikh Saad Hariri and Mr. Raouf Abu Zaki, General Manager of Al-Iktissad wal Amal Group

The 2005 AEF conference, entitled “Martyr Sheikh Rafic Hariri Conference” observed the launching of two awards, the first one being the “Sheikh Rafic Hariri Award for Investment Pioneers in Lebanon”, as well as the “Dr. Basil Fuleihan Award for Young Leaders”.

Memorial Service, Sursouk Palace

On Tuesday April 18, 2006, a memorial service was held in the garden at Sursock Palace to mark the passing of one year since the death of Basil Fuleihan. The service was held in the garden because Basil Fuleihan loved the outdoors, and nature was an aspect of the many milestones of his life, including his wedding, which took place on a mountain under the clear blue sky, and his children’s baptism, which took place in the same garden at Sursouk. The garden also symbolizes the hope that although Basil Fuleihan is no longer with us, his contributions, like seeds, can be nurtured and flourish in the future. The service was attended by prominent Lebanese and international politicians and dignitaries. Speakers included Rev. Dr. Habib Badr, MP Bahia Hariri, Dr. Ghattas Khoury, Mr. Ross Mountain, Mr. Suhei Korban and Mrs. Yasma Fuleihan.

Dedication of Basil Fuleihan Square

On Sunday, April 16, 2006, the city of Beirut paid tribute to Basil Fuleihan by dedicating a square to his memory during a ceremony that included a candle-light march. The rally, which was organized by the Basil Fuleihan Foundation, started at 6 pm Sunday, April 16, 2006, from Nijmeh Square in Downtown Beirut and ended at the square facing the Monroe Hotel. The square was renamed “Basil Fuleihan Square” in honor of the slain former Economy Minister. Fuleihan’s widow, Yasma, relatives, friends and politicians including Prime Minister Fouad Siniora, lit candles in front of a plaque in the square. After Basil Fuleihan was injured in the attack on former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri’s convoy on February 14, 2005, hundreds of Lebanese from all sects gathered in the square, where for 64 days, they maintained a vigil and offered prayers for his recovery. The renaming of the square symbolizes the idea that although the candles that were lit in his honor have long gone out, the hopes that they represented will never be extinguished.

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