The Beirut Call, coming out this April, is one of Nabad’s latest projects in Lebanon. This anthology offers a collection of first-hand accounts by artists, scholars, poets, and activists exploring the aftermath of the Beirut port explosion on August 4th of 2020. Over 20 voices have come together for this publication and proceeds from The Beirut Call will help NABAD continue to fund artists, art NGOs, and locally-owned creative enterprises in Lebanon. 

For this publication, Elyssar Press has partnered with the nonprofit Nabad, an outgrowth of the Dar al-Kalima University. We hope this blog serves as a mere introduction to the powerful and critical work that Nabad enables. 

Please share this article with a friend or anyone who is interested in the way art and social change empower communities and mold a more equitable society. 

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After the Beirut port explosion, the city of Beirut and all of its citizens experienced trauma. As professor and activist Dr. Chrabieh illuminates, this “ wounded country, and particularly its capital Beirut, need their arts and culture to thrive in order to create a foundation of national understanding, across borders, sectarian belongings, and generations; the arts communicate snapshots of times that can be preserved and interpreted long after the events have passed and languages have been forgotten.”

To support the critical work that Nabad is doing, please consider donating directly to their organization, as well as marking your calendars for the release of The Beirut Call. Proceeds from this upcoming anthology will continue to support cultural change and artistic expression.

You can also follow Nabad on Facebook and Nabad on Instagram, for updates and more.

*from Dr. Chrabieh’s introduction of The Beirut Call, to be published in April 2021. 

Read the full article HERE.