“Social Justice in Times of Crisis”
Video - MECC in Its Second Monthly Webinar
Towards Human Dignity Preservation and Social Capital Rehabilitation
The Middle East Council of Churches held its second monthly webinar entitled “Social Justice in Times of Crisis”, on Thursday evening 25 August 2022, with the participation of experts, specialists and students from many countries in the region. This webinar, which was broadcasted live on the MECC Facebook page, is part of a series of monthly seminars launched by MECC last June, and comes within the framework of the “Human Dignity Project” as part of the work of a department that is being developed in the Council under the name of “Dialogue and Social Cohesion-Social Capital Rehabilitation”.
The webinar began with an opening note from the MECC Secretary General Dr. Michel Abs, who expressed his happiness to meet again with colleagues, friends and people concerned with culture. He said that what is happening is fateful and historical in the ME countries and this particular time. Dr. Abs also welcomed the participants and lecturers, and introduced the MECC mission in social, development and educational work and all fields that would restore social cohesion and help societies to preserve its structures and future. He stressed that the series of seminars will gradually help to work towards the preservation of human dignity, especially that these seminars are considered a key in rebuilding and rehabilitating the social capital, because our countries are gradually losing the meaning of dignity.
Then, the lectures started and were moderated by Dr. Chawki Attieh. The first session was entitled “Towards Social Justice in the Arab Countries: The Role of Decent Work Opportunities and Comprehensive Social Protection Systems”, with Dr. Mary Kaawar, Former Minister of Planning and International Cooperation in Jordan, and Former Director for East Africa at The ILO. During the session, Dr. Kaawar presented a regional context of her topic at hand, in addition to the reality and structure of the labor market in the Arab countries and the challenges and structural problems it faces. She also tackled the orientation of the social protection and its systems.
As for the second session, it revolved around “The Financial and Monetary Crisis and The Elements of Social Resilience”, with Dr. Bashir El Murr, Head of Economic Sciences Department at the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration at the Lebanese University. He explained the reality and historical path of the current crisis, taking also about the economic and social impact of this crisis and its repercussions. Dr. El Murr concluded his session by presenting the components of social resilience.
The webinar’s English commentator was Dr. Lubna Tarabey. It ended with with a session for discussion among the participants, during which Dr. Michel Abs praised the importance of the two presented lectures.
