DiscoverThe Beirut Banyan
The Beirut Banyan
Claim Ownership

The Beirut Banyan

Author: Ronnie Chatah

Subscribed: 167Played: 4,624
Share

Description

Storytelling and conversations, from Beirut and beyond. Subscribe from your preferred podcast platform. Support us through Paypal or Patreon.
429 Episodes
Reverse
A conversation with Lamia Moubayed - President of Institut des Finances Basil Fuleihan. Taped live at Aaliya's Books. A look back on Basil Fuleihan's legacy in addition to current efforts to promote fiscal awareness and responsibility, simplifying budgets for citizen access, public procurement and limited success stories, and a necessary 'militantism' from within that pushes for better civic engagement and public service. Check out the Institute’s website: ioflebanon.gov Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:49 The Institute 9:10 Basil Fuleihan 13:38 Anti-establishment sentiment 18:50 Tied to the Ministry of Finance 29:18 Citizen budget 40:14 'Militantism' 45:26 Procurement 1:05:25 Public investment 1:08:30 Oil revenue 1:15:36 Q&A
A conversation with Wael Taleb - journalist at L'Orient Today. Taped live at Aaliya's Books. A reflection on the nineteen year anniversary of March 14, 2005 and parallels of the rise and fall of political movements in Lebanon. Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:41 Part one: Defining March 14 22:22 Part two: Shifts into politics 45:28 Part three: October 17 1:08:49 Part four: Q&A
A conversation with Antoni Barakat and Karl Haddad - co-founders of Naqd Media. Looking back on Naqd Media's inception post-October 17, 2019, navigating social media narrative wars and gauging a younger audience by design, reasons for relaunching their website today (naqd.media) and a reflection on March 14, 2005. Follow Naqd Media on Instagram: [at]naqdmedia Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:53 Journey through politics 7:38 Defining Naqd Media 12:31 Social media 15:01 Serving a purpose? 19:16 Achieving goals? 22:50 Utility 28:25 Relaunched website 31:59 Intended audience 35:22 Business perspective 37:58 English & Arabic 40:06 Inclusive to the region
A conversation with Tylor Brand - author of Famine Worlds: Life at the Edge of Suffering in Lebanon's Great War. Tylor Brand received his Ph.D. from the American University of Beirut in 2014 and has taught at AUB, the American University of Sharjah and in his current position in the Department of Near and Middle Eastern Studies at Trinity College, Dublin. His book Famine Worlds: Life at the Edge of Suffering in Lebanon's Great War examines how people struggled to survive and to endure the traumas of life during the Lebanese famine of World War I. Famine Worlds is available for pre-order at Aaliya's Books. Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:56 Recent cliff 8:26 Adaptive strategies 14:10 Confluence of crises 26:58 Famine & geography 40:11 Social attitudes 50:32 Identity & suffering 1:07:27 Humanitarian aid 1:21:08 Q&A
A conversation with Ziad Akl - director of YASA - Youth Association for Social Awareness (YASA). An episode co-hosted by Wael Taleb - journalist at L'Orient Today. Covering road safety promotion, driving education and awareness, and achieving improved traffic conditions. Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 1:36 Lebanon traffic study 5:07 Driving chaos 8:10 Drivers license & plates 10:20 Lebanese driving test 11:14 Infrastructure vs culture 16:00 Maintenance 17:59 Engineering 21:04 Motorcycles & scooters 23:34 Public transport 33:26 Drunk driving 37:24 Driving at night 42:34 Post-war transport 45:03 Law enforcement 47:18 US driving test 53:11 Highway danger 56:59 Municipal vs national 1:02:13 Lessons not learned
A conversation with David Wood - senior analyst at Crisis Group. An episode co-hosted by Wael Taleb - journalist at L'Orient Today. Covering warfront expansion deeper into Lebanon, “cautious escalation” between Hezbollah and Israel and wider geopolitical developments.. Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps:: 0:00 Intro 1:53 Retaliation vs provocation 3:20 Calibrated responses 5:12 Resisting calls 8:27 Respective targets 10:55 Baalbek strikes 13:08 2006 in retrospect 15:58 Statements taken seriously 18:29 Invading Lebanon in history 24:12 Borders 28:55 Displacement 32:10 Palestine
A conversation with Richard Salame - journalist at The Public Source. An episode co-hosted by Wael Taleb - journalist at L'Orient Today. A discussion covering fact-checking and journalism in Lebanon, relative perspectives on public sourcing, a passion for the public sector and other topics ranging from reporting on the IMF staff level agreement to recurring civil employee strikes. Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:12 Western vs local ‘fact-checking’ 7:01 IMF staff agreement reporting 11:21 Hezbollah & possible IMF deal 17:39 Passion for public sector 21:43 Corruption in Lebanon 26:28 Public sector contracts & CDR 32:03 Public employment 37:22 Recurring strikes
A conversation with Albert Moukheiber - neuroscientist and clinical psychologist. An episode co-hosted by Wael Taleb - journalist at L'Orient Today. A discussion covering mental health, political agency, maladaptation to uncertainty and a wider understanding of narrative and identity. Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:38 Emotionally invested 7:37 An adaptive mind 9:47 Split personality 17:42 An uncertainty landscape 38:13 Mental health issues 52:30 SSRI in perspective 57:30 Political absolutism 1:06:31 Political maladaptation 1:15:33 Diminished leadership 1:23:21 Perpetual battlefield
THE INHERITOR (Ep.386)

THE INHERITOR (Ep.386)

2024-02-1116:28

A quick take on Saad Hariri's current visit, Rafik Hariri's legacy 19 years following his assassination and assuming positions of power under Hezbollah-led paralysis. Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com
A conversation with Mohanad Hage Ali - deputy director for research at the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center. An episode co-hosted by Wael Taleb - journalist at L'Orient Today. A discussion on Hezbollah's calculations in the South, regional diplomacy underway and Lebanon's position vis-a-vis the ongoing Hamas-Israel war. Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 2:25 We are all learning 5:31 Increasing danger 10:31 Active & reactive 13:58 Israeli public opinion 17:30 Hamas’ rhetoric 22:31 Back to Lebanon 30:48 Hezbollah’s capabilities 36:09 Houthis 39:10 Israel & the region 42:21 Hezbollah-Iran relationship 59:10 Regional negotiations 1:06:33 Parallels 1:18:56 ‘Pacifying’ force 1:26:11 Battlefield role
Welcoming Wael Taleb

Welcoming Wael Taleb

2024-02-0604:49

Welcoming Wael Taleb to The Beirut Banyan. Wael will co-host upcoming episodes covering ongoing Hezbollah-Israel clashes, constraints rubbing against free expression, and topics that range from a determined stand-up comedy scene to mental health awareness. Find Wael on Instagram: [at]wael.ramzi.taleb & Twitter/X: [at]waeltaleb23 Wael Taleb is a journalist at L'Orient Today. Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com
VOLUMES (Ep.384)

VOLUMES (Ep.384)

2024-02-0505:23

A quick take on words shared and promises made during commemorations of political assassinations, and the stark reality that no local solutions are available to hold Hezbollah's hitmen to account. Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com
STABILITY (Ep.383)

STABILITY (Ep.383)

2024-02-0216:41

On the third commemoration of Lokman Slim's assassination... What stability means when looking back on the port blast aftermath and political assassinations. A word that implies improvement while doing the opposite - accepting a country's security fate tied to Iran's regime survivability. Help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirut Or donating through our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyan Subscribe to our podcast from your preferred platform. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter: @thebeirutbanyan And check out our website: www.beirutbanyan.com
Reflections on Mohamad Chatah with former UK Ambassador to Lebanon Tom Fletcher. Make sure to watch 'TEN YEARS' that includes conversations with family, friends and colleagues that reflect on Mohamad Chatah's life and career, a decade after his assassination: https://youtu.be/_jAM77Vz7bk?si=69WFPNc6MDKIY-yT Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:02 Business of diplomacy 2:13 Fellow diplomat 3:17 Showing off vs transactional 4:56 Influence towards outside players 6:26 Stability 10:17 Beyond the next corner 12:28 Risks involved 14:11 International Contact Group for Lebanon 15:39 Ambassadors & influence 16:53 Twitter 18:06 How would you describe him? 19:15 Pushing back against standard narrative 20:44 Gap he leaves behind
Reflections on Mohamad Chatah with former US Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman. Make sure to watch 'TEN YEARS' that includes conversations with family, friends and colleagues that reflect on Mohamad Chatah's life and career, a decade after his assassination: https://youtu.be/_jAM77Vz7bk?si=69WFPNc6MDKIY-yT Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:02 Looking back 3:04 Stopping by 5:08 July 2006 War 7:15 Bigger picture 8:52 Dinners vs Masterclass 12:37 UNSCR 1701 15:34 Strategic Vision 17:15 Day of assassination 18:27 Principled & integrity 19:44 Serving in vs serving for Lebanon
Reflections on Mohamad Chatah with former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. Make sure to watch 'TEN YEARS' that includes conversations with family, friends and colleagues that reflect on Mohamad Chatah's life and career, a decade after his assassination: https://youtu.be/_jAM77Vz7bk?si=69WFPNc6MDKIY-yT Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:45 Central Bank Vice Governor & Lebanese Ambassador to U.S. 6:10 Senior Advisor for Foreign Affairs 12:51 STL & UNSCR 1701 21:34 July 2006 War 25:57 2006 - 2008 29:51 Assassinations, Doha Agreement & Finance Ministry 42:32 Months leading up to assassination 55:29 Aftermath
Reflections on Mohamad Chatah with Malek Mrowa, member of the Democratic Renewal Movement (Tajaddod). Make sure to watch 'TEN YEARS' that includes conversations with family, friends and colleagues that reflect on Mohamad Chatah's life and career, a decade after his assassination: https://youtu.be/_jAM77Vz7bk?si=69WFPNc6MDKIY-yT Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:02 Nassib Lahoud 2:45 Common cause 5:00 Civil society 13:40 Mathematical equation 15:08 Shared history
Reflections on Mohamad Chatah with former President Michel Sleiman. Make sure to watch 'TEN YEARS' that includes conversations with family, friends and colleagues that reflect on Mohamad Chatah's life and career, a decade after his assassination: https://youtu.be/_jAM77Vz7bk?si=69WFPNc6MDKIY-yT Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:02 Looking back 3:53 Problem-solving 9:04 Buildup to Baabda Declaration 12:24 Pursuing neutrality 15:35 On his own? 17:49 Characterization 21:00 Months leading up to assassination 24:11 How would you describe his loss? 26:16 Any comparison in history?
Reflections on Mohamad Chatah with Kataeb Party leader Samy Gemayel. Make sure to watch 'TEN YEARS' that includes conversations with family, friends and colleagues that reflect on Mohamad Chatah's life and career, a decade after his assassination: https://youtu.be/_jAM77Vz7bk?si=69WFPNc6MDKIY-yT Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:02 Looking back 3:26 Role within March 14 5:48 Problem-solving 8:24 Aligned positions 11:04 His thought process 13:49 Seeing through the problem 15:57 Any comparison? 20:13 Characterization
Reflections on Mohamad Chatah with Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea. Make sure to watch 'TEN YEARS' that includes conversations with family, friends and colleagues that reflect on Mohamad Chatah's life and career, a decade after his assassination: https://youtu.be/_jAM77Vz7bk?si=69WFPNc6MDKIY-yT Timestamps: 0:00 Intro 0:09 Looking back 7:12 Friendship 8:55 Shared interpretation 10:55 His role in March 14 14:42 International relations 17:00 Mountain, valley & coast 21:28 Letter to Rouhani 24:16 Any comparison? 27:25 Last words
loading
Comments 
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store