By the Community, For the Community: Lebanon’s Development for People and Nature Maximizes Impact Through Deep Listening

Note: The following article was written prior to the recent escalation of the crisis in Lebanon and might not reflect the most recent developments. The Development for People and Nature Association (DPNA) has launched an emergency appeal to deliver urgent humanitarian assistance to those affected, including food, water, medical supplies, and other essential resources. Support their vital efforts. 

With airstrikes leaving hundreds dead and forcing thousands from their homes, the mission of Lebanon’s Development for People and Nature Association—to build an equitable, non-violent democratic society—has never been under greater threat. “We are not an emergency organization at all. We use innovation for change,” says DPNA’s Hikmat Faour. “But we must work together to help each other.”

DPNA’s shift to providing emergency care is not easy. However, the organization remains more committed than ever to meeting the needs of the communities it supports. And with extensive community networks, partnerships with local, regional, and international organizations and a model based on deep listening and learning from the people it serves, the organization is well-equipped to address both immediate needs and long-term development.

No one knows what will happen tomorrow. We are in deep water, and we are seeking to be a lifeboat.

The Sustainable Development Goals Framework

Guided by core principles such as equality, dignity and human rights, DPNA works to advance those principles via a wide range of projects—from youth empowerment to refugee support—in different parts of the country, in both cities and rural areas, and with an equally wide range of donors and partners. However, what all projects share is that they are linked to at least one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For example, with support from France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Gestion Citoyenne 2.0 program—which is engaging young people and other citizens as active members of the democratic process—targets four SDGs: Goal 3 (decent work and economic growth), Goal 10 (reduced inequalities), Goal 11 (sustainable cities and communities), and Goal 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions).

And with funding from ESTDEV, the Estonian Centre for International Development, its Women Empowerment program targets Goal 4 (quality education) and Goal 8 (decent work and economic growth) by working with young women to build digital literacy as a means of contributing to the well-being and economic stability of Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian communities.

An Inclusive, Community-based Approach

Rather than impose pre-determined solutions on communities, all DPNA projects are developed based on extensive research into what those communities actually need. So before designing a project or approaching donors for funding, the organization conducts surveys, launches awareness campaigns, holds townhall meetings and engages with communities via both on field and social media.

DPNA also takes a highly inclusive approach in the way it executes its projects. “We work with all ages, from three-year-olds to 35-year-olds and older,” says Faour. “We work with women who are marginalized and women who have suffered from violence.”

Moreover, DPNA treats the people its programs serve not simply as beneficiaries but as active participants in social progress, by running training through its summer camps and workshops that equips volunteers from the community to become agents of change.

Passing the Torch

A key focus for DPNA is youth development. At its summer camps, activities range from painting and drawing to cooking, music, and sports, while personal development sessions and workshops help young people to develop the relationships and skills they will need later in life. Meanwhile, through its youth empowerment programs, young people acquire the tools they need to become community leaders capable of running projects that meet the needs of their own communities.

For Abed Bakir, a biology student, participating in a DPNA youth empowerment project motivated him to go further. So, in 2019, at the age of 20, he joined DPNA’s Saida youth committee. “The organization is well known in our area and it’s quite active on social media,” he says. “Seeing how they work, the energy they give people and everything they provide encouraged me to join.”

Bakir was also inspired by his uncle, one of the founders of the first organization in Saida set up to support people with disabilities. Through DPNA’s Saida youth committee, Bakir also advocates for people with disabilities. And having been a recipient of DPNA’s training and capacity building, Bakir and others like him are now passing on those skills by becoming trainers themselves.

Our approach is pretty unique,” says Bakir. “We believe that the people we’re working with can be future leaders.

A Shift in Funding Strategy

DPNA has long counted some of the world’s most prominent development organizations among its partners and donors. These include international agencies such as UNICEF and World Vision and government entities such as the United States Agency for International Development and the British Council.

Many of the grants these organizations make to DPNA are spread over several years, enabling the organization to create long-lasting positive impact on people’s lives. However, these grants are also time-bound and tied to specific projects, rather than funding DPNA’s ongoing overheads and operational costs.

Meanwhile, DPNA now faces a new challenge: finding funds to provide humanitarian services to Lebanese families affected by the current conflict. “We’re working on an emergency plan,” says Bakir, who explains that in two schools, DPNA is providing families displaced by the bombings with shelter, hot meals, bedding, medical care, and other essential services.

“The need is too big,” says Hikmat. “So now we’re communicating with the community itself to ask if they can give mattresses, blankets and other supplies. We need to do that as we don’t have our own funds for this.”

To meet both operational and emergency funding needs, DPNA has started working with Myriad USA, where it has created an American Friends Fund and is working to develop its website. The relationship will enable DPNA to start receiving tax-deductible gifts from U.S. donors who want not only to support its ongoing work but also to respond to the current crisis. “The Lebanese people are facing big challenges,” says Faour. “But we need to continue our work.”