Episódios
-
A discussion on Beirut's municipal elections and Beirut Madinati 2025's platform.
With Lama Wazzan, Lina Jarrous, Kristy Asseily & George Kyriakos.
Co-hosted with Charbel Al Khoury.
The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.
Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:
@thebeirutbanyan
And check out our website:
www.beirutbanyan.com -
Kristy Asseily joins The Beirut Banyan to discuss her candidacy for Beirut's 2025 municipal elections.
Our discussion covers her recent return to Lebanon and passion for grassroots politics, Beirut Madinati's efforts in retrospect, and the short and long-term platform the list is advocating.
We also talk about voter engagement, communal concerns, municipal relations with the Muhafez, digitization efforts, learning from NGOs and why the municipality matters.
Kristy Asseily is a member of the National Bloc.
The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.
Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:
@thebeirutbanyan
And check out our website:
www.beirutbanyan.com
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:32 Professional background
3:13 Return to Lebanon
5:30 Municipal vs national politics
6:38 Decision to join National Bloc
8:26 Beirut Madinati in retrospect
13:23 Coalition disadvantage
15:03 Voter engagement
17:21 Sectarian concerns vs numbers
20:03 Striking names
23:22 Platform & financial audit
27:14 Starting small
30:45 Relations with the Muhafez
35:13 Collecting taxes
37:42 Digitization
40:59 Ghost projects
42:21 Accusations & false assumptions
44:17 Mobile app
47:53 Citizen forums
49:05 Bygone urban planning
53:17 Learning from NGOs
54:14 Reinvigorating the port
58:13 Vacancies & rent rates
1:01:26 Commute & accessibility
1:02:40 Political void & communal votes
1:08:15 Why the Municipality matters -
Estão a faltar episódios?
-
Please make sure to check out the video version: https://youtu.be/rKUnhF4hXU4
On displacement and refuge on both sides of the Green Line, the diversity we retain and a tribute to the city we call home fifty years after April 13, 1975.
With special thanks to Ali Hamed.
Videography by Alexy Chidiac. Soundtrack by Marc Codsi.
The podcast is made possible through donations. Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & X:
@thebeirutbanyan
And check out our website:
www.beirutbanyan.com -
George Wardini returns to The Beirut Banyan.
We look back to 1983 and discuss similarities in the relative calm Lebanon experienced following Israel's siege of Beirut and expulsion of Arafat from Lebanon.
We also examine post-2024 war developments and security risks related to attempts at disarmament, what the potential of a wider Arab-Israeli peace deal under the Trump administration could mean for Lebanon, the need for the government to make Lebanon's case against Iran's inclinations to hold onto Hezbollah as a proxy militia, and why caution over confrontation remains the preferred mode of governance.
George Wardini is the founder and director of PolyBlog.
The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.
Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:
@thebeirutbanyan
And check out our website:
www.beirutbanyan.com
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:59 What changed
6:17 Caution vs Confrontation
11:37 Question of disarmament
14:50 Trump & Iran
22:15 “Peace”
28:59 Conflicting message
35:11 Measuring success
38:47 Lebanon’s case
42:27 Current govt support
47:21 Abnormal state
51:09 Network of interests
53:04 Personal evolution -
البير كوستانيان: وحدها المحاسبة وإعادة الهيكلة تسترجع الودائع، لا بيع الأوهام
-
Nadim Shehadi returns to The Beirut Banyan.
In this episode we discuss the 2020 Eurobond default and the controversy surrounding that decision. We also look at fault lines formed between the banking sector and restructuring-advocacy groups and the wider story of the economic direction of the country.
Nadim Shehadi is an economist and regular contributor to Arab News.
The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.
Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:
@thebeirutbanyan
And check out our website:
www.beirutbanyan.com
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:47 The bigger story
2:58 Any banking sector
5:39 Individual action
12:45 Default
18:49 Fault line
24:08 The banks
33:11 A clear dichotomy
36:04 The Central Bank
43:23 The real question -
Albert Kostanian returns to The Beirut Banyan.
In this short episode he candidly discusses a campaign to discredit his economic views and media reputation, debunks accusations of shadow funding and behind-the-scenes government orchestration regarding Kulluna Irada, dispels smear tactics increasingly used to sideline reform-minded advocates in government and civil society, and conveys a firmly held belief in solution-based policies - in particular the ongoing debate surrounding banking restructuring plans and fiscal policy.
Albert Kostanian is an economist and journalist, and hosts LBCI's Vision 2030.
The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.
Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:
@thebeirutbanyan
And check out our website:
www.beirutbanyan.com
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:12 Why are you here?
1:59 Why is there an increased discrediting campaign happening now?
5:23 Conspiracy theories & Kulluna Irada
8:42 Orchestrated attacks & social media misinformation
10:42 Reform-minded credibility -
On a wedding, a commemoration & a funeral.
And holding Nawaf Salam’s incoming government to a higher standard. -
POINT COUNTERPOINT - Episode 3An exchange on political affairs impacting Lebanon and the Middle East, with a unique vantage point from Beirut. Co-hosted by Michael Young (senior editor at Carnegie’s Middle East Center and editor of Diwan) and Bashshar Haydar (professor of philosophy at AUB) - both Beirut-based analysts sharing their nuanced perspectives while honing in on disagreements.Episode 3 covers three topics: (1) Nawaf Salam's cabinet formation process, a perception dilemma that has left his allies frustrated and Amal Movement's continued insistence on the Ministry of Finance; (2) the presidency so far, Joseph Aoun's mandate and the security reality dictated by the Israelis with international support that has allowed for the enforcement of 1701; and (3) the upcoming twenty year commemoration of Rafic Hariri's assassination, and how 'Sunni' and 'Shia' politics will play out with a diminished Iranian sphere of influence.Michael Young's article discussed during this episode:"Hezbollah Tries Making a Comeback":https://carnegieendowment.org/middle-east/diwan/2025/01/hezbollah-tries-making-a-comeback?lang=enBashshar Haydar's articles referred to can be accessed via his new column in Nidaa al Watan:https://www.nidaalwatan.com/author/1883-بشار-حيدرStay tuned for more episodes.The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal:https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirutOr donating through our Patreon page:https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyanSubscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:@thebeirutbanyanAnd check out our website:www.beirutbanyan.comTimestamps:0:00 Intro1:38 Cabinet formation process15:48 Presidency, security & ceasefire42:14 Twenty year Rafic Hariri commemoration
-
An episode on a new and unexpected duo: President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam.
Covering the dramatically shifting security climate that brought about rapid political change, Joseph Aoun's leadership and the consensus that ushered in his presidency, Nawaf Salam's clean slate and the majority vote that guaranteed his prime minister-designation, and freeing local governance from the Doha Agreement's forced national unity paralysis.
With Sarah Yassine, architect and political activist.
The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.
Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:
@thebeirutbanyan
And check out our website:
www.beirutbanyan.com
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
2:45 Joseph Aoun
6:58 Nawaf Salam
10:33 Current climate
17:03 Clean outsider
22:11 Constant pressure
28:25 Majority coalition
32:58 Unlocking the stranglehold
38:05 Dismantling the ‘Blocking Third’
40:58 Freeing the Ministry of Finance
43:01 Continued violence in the South
48:20 Independent voters & the South
57:15 A different Hezbollah -
An interview by the gifted Marie Jo Sader, a Paris and Beirut-based independent journalist and 2023 Lokman Slim Prize winner for her investigative work on the circumstances of Lokman Slim's assassination.
A discussion on the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, a retrospective on anti-Assad protests that shaped Lebanon in 2005 and wider implications for Lebanon, Syria and the region.
Follow Marie Jo Sader on X [at]mariejosader
The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.
Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:
@thebeirutbanyan
And check out our website:
www.beirutbanyan.com
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:22 Decades apart
3:17 Post Syria occupation journey
5:01 Signature elimination
6:59 Political reasons & calculations
8:27 Coordination between Syria & Iran
9:47 The Lebanese 'state'
12:38 Emotions of the moment
15:10 Notions of justice
17:14 Mohamad Chatah today -
Words shared on the closing evening of Aaliya's Books.
With Nadia Tabbara, Brother Michael, Wael Taleb, Ronnie Chatah & William Dobson.
For Niamh Fleming-Farrel, William Dobson & the Aaliya's community.
The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.
Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:
@thebeirutbanyan
And check out our website:
www.beirutbanyan.com
Timestamps
0:00 Intro
0:09 Nadia Tabbara
5:59 Brother Michael
12:45 Wael Taleb
17:57 Ronnie Chatah
28:31 William Dobson -
An episode on the fall of the Assad regime and its implications on Syria and Lebanon.
Covering the rapid collapse of the Assad regime, identity formation in the wake of over half a century of minoritarian rule mired by tyranny, where Iran stands in the near future and a wider ambition for the region carried by hope.
With Bashshar Haydar, professor of philosophy at The American University of Beirut.
The Nidaa al Watan article mentioned is accessible here: https://www.nidaalwatan.com/article/297082-الهوية-الوطنية-لسوريا-ما-بعد-الأسد
The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.
Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:
@thebeirutbanyan
And check out our website:
www.beirutbanyan.com
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
2:37 Carried by hopes
6:50 Many reasons for Assad’s end
11:31 The last stretch of the regime
20:29 Turkish ambition
24:58 Dictatorial security machine
28:07 Minority rule
31:05 Intervention
38:07 Arab nationalism & myth
41:51 We are people who suffered
48:40 Forced identity
55:00 Political Islam
1:06:51 Druze border villages & Golan Heights
1:08:27 Israeli military measures
1:12:34 The problem of peace & Israel
1:14:02 Back to Lebanon
1:21:55 The Iranian regime moving forward
1:26:23 Less pessimistic than usual -
Recorded Thursday, 5 December 2024. Three days before the Assad regime's fall.
An episode for Syria & Lebanon. Hosted by Ralph Baydoun (founder of Influeanswers) with George Wardini (director of PolyBlog) and Ronnie Chatah (host of The Beirut Banyan).
Ralph Baydoun leads the discussion and posits 'resistance'-focused counter narratives to neutrality and sub-state disarmament discourse. The conversation includes the potential for Israeli settlements in southern Lebanon, communities allegedly abandoned by the state, liberation as a so-called just means for continued armed struggle, the Lebanese army's limits in offensive and defensive measures, and how ideology and misinformation leads to false assumptions.
Make sure to check out and support Ralph Baydoun's Patreon channel: https://www.patreon.com/Perspectiveleb
Follow Ralph Baydoun on IG: [at]perspectiveleb and George Wardini on IG: [at]polyblog.lebanon
The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.
Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:
@thebeirutbanyan
And check out our website:
www.beirutbanyan.com
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
2:48 Up to the Litani
8:17 Ultranationalism
13:03 Settlement literature
17:25 Vulnerability
22:18 Dreams & religion
28:40 Constant war in Lebanon
30:02 Indefensible borders
37:13 Abandoned by the state
42:27 Sectarianism & sacrifice
51:45 The Syrian regime
53:47 Foreign involvement
1:00:21 Expansion & retreat
1:03:51 Liberation in itself
1:07:14 In the name
1:11:59 Warlike reasons to fight
1:14:45 The Lebanese army
1:16:41 A winning argument
1:21:51 Resistance -
Outtakes from an interview on my New Lines piece following Hassan Nasrallah's death titled "Dust Over Dahiyeh".
Link to article:
https://newlinesmag.com/spotlight/hassan-nasrallah-the-killing-of-a-killer/
The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.
Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:
@thebeirutbanyan
And check out our website:
www.beirutbanyan.com
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:05 Why did you title your recent piece in New Lines Magazine,
"The Killing of a Killer"?
0:59 Why is there no feeling of satisfaction?
2:16 Is this a particularly Lebanese experience?
2:37 How do you see Lebanon right now?
4:13 Is this a long war?
6:26 What do you think of Netanyahu's comments to Lebanese?
8:51 Is Netanyahu's rhetoric dangerous for Lebanese?
10:10 Can you criticize this war without risk?
11:44 Do you sense an atmosphere of intimidation?
14:06 Can you differentiate security problems from politics?
15:44 What are 'red flags' for criticism?
16:30 Is Hezbollah popular today in Lebanon?
18:22 Can Israel eradicate Hezbollah?
19:57 Is Lebanon's destiny doomed to failure? -
POINT COUNTERPOINT - Episode 2An exchange on political affairs impacting Lebanon and the Middle East, with a unique vantage point from Beirut. Co-hosted by Bashshar Haydar (professor of philosophy at AUB) and Michael Young (senior editor at Carnegie’s Middle East Center and editor of Diwan) - both Beirut-based analysts sharing their nuanced perspectives while honing in on disagreements.Episode 2 covers three topics: (1) Trump's election win and what that means for US policy towards Lebanon; (2) the example of 1982 and drawing parallels between Western support for Bachir Gemayel's presidency and Joseph Aoun's current status as a potential consensus candidate; and (3) examining preconditions for internal strife and why the likelihood for a return to civil war is low.Michael Young's articles discussed during this episode include:"Trump or Harris? It's pointless to ask who's better for the Middle East" - The Nationalhttps://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/2024/11/06/donald-trump-kamala-harris-middle-east-foreign-policy-israel-gaza/and "Is Hezbollah Moving In?" - Diwanhttps://carnegieendowment.org/middle-east/diwan/2024/10/coming-to-a-neighborhood-near-you?lang=enStay tuned for more episodes.The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.Please help support The Beirut Banyan by contributing via PayPal:https://www.paypal.me/walkbeirutOr donating through our Patreon page:https://www.patreon.com/thebeirutbanyanSubscribe to our YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:@thebeirutbanyanAnd check out our website:www.beirutbanyan.comTimestamps:0:00 Intro1:53 Donald Trump's election win20:16 The Example of 198243:04 The Potential for Civil Strife1:04:34 Outro
-
From a panel that took place in late November 2013, with the presence of Switzerland and Austria’s then-ambassadors to Lebanon.
Including some of my father’s last words on the fundamental need for neutrality, 1701’s necessity, what neutralization actually means and how it worked (albeit briefly) in the 1950s & 60s.
We should have no role in regional war other than shielding ourselves from its rippling effects.
There are ideological voices today ranging from frustrated academics with fringe access to politics to propaganda-fuelled journalists blinded by hate that are insisting our fate should remain tied to Gaza while making their case for Hezbollah.
Ignore them. -
On all that is happening in Beirut's southern suburbs, southern Lebanon and the region vis-a-vis Israel and Iran. Along with absent Lebanese diplomacy and the upcoming port blast anniversary.
The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.
Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:
@thebeirutbanyan
And check out our website:
www.beirutbanyan.com -
Recorded Monday, 29 July.
Reflecting on escalation between Hezbollah and Israel and deliberately staying in Beirut throughout the conflict.
With predictions on post Majd Al Shams retaliation by Israel and a potential response by Hezbollah, along with thinking through worst case scenarios and red lines that have yet to be crossed.
Also includes a look part on August 4, 2020 and the upcoming port blast's fourth year anniversary.
With Georges Haddad & Giulia Cingolani - both employed in the humanitarian and development field.
The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.
Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:
@thebeirutbanyan
And check out our website:
www.beirutbanyan.com
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
2:47 The airport
7:29 False comfort
12:27 ‘Here’ is fine
18:30 The red line
25:54 Messages to the contrary
31:16 Worst-case scenario
33:34 Buildup to 2006
40:09 Port explosion
44:45 Palestine
52:52 Connect to Gaza -
Reflecting on the ongoing Hezbollah-Israel war in southern Lebanon and its impact on daily life away from the battlefield.
Looking back on periods of relative calm vs manageable instability, the long-term political and societal impact of failed governance, false economies and tourism destinations like Batroun, and an acceptance of impunity and injustice on the port blast's upcoming anniversary.
With George Wardini - director of PolyBlog.
The podcast is only made possible through listener and viewer donations.
Please 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 YouTube channel and your preferred audio platform.
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:
@thebeirutbanyan
And check out our website:
www.beirutbanyan.com
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:47 Relative normalcy
4:51 Relative anxiety
10:13 Targeted strikes
13:16 Familiar terrain
16:51 Failed state
19:42 Batroun
22:32 Static
26:37 Regime survival
31:47 The long term
34:58 Violence wins
37:13 Port blast & paralysis
39:36 Hezbollah undeterred - Mostrar mais
