Years of conflict, neglect, and political marginalization have left deep scars on Tripoli’s most vulnerable neighborhoods, particularly in areas like Beb El Tebbeneh and Jabal Mohsen, where state institutions have long been viewed with suspicion or outright hostility. For many young people growing up between the frontlines of former clashes, public officials existed only on television or in the context of security operations. This disconnect didn’t just breed mistrust, it created space for radical ideologies to take hold, offering identity where the state offered none.
In response, MARCH has committed to a long-term approach that redefines the relationship between marginalized communities and the state, not through policy, but through presence. One of the clearest examples of this took place on August 21, 2025, when Tripoli’s newly elected mayor, Mr. Abdel Hamid Karimeh, visited Kahwetna, MARCH’s cultural café during one of the inter-communal engagement activities that are continuously conducted by MARCH to bring the pre-conflicting communities of Jabal Mohsen, Beb El Tebbeneh, Mallouleh, Mankoubin and others together. The mayor showed his presence as a recognition of MARCH’s youths’ efforts in the area.
The mayor was welcomed by MARCH’s team and the café’s youth beneficiaries, many of whom are former fighters & ex-convicts. During his visit, Mayor Karimeh took time to listen to the life testimonies of at-risk young men and women who had once been caught in cycles of violence and radicalization. He also watched a short documentary that chronicled their journey from conflict to civic engagement.
Following the screening, the mayor addressed the group, underscoring the importance of hope, accountability, and youth leadership in rebuilding Tripoli. He committed to supporting Kahwetna as a vital civic space, pledging logistical and municipal coordination to ensure that the center and the youth continue to thrive.
The visit continued with a guided tour of Kahwetna’s vocational hub, where young people acquire practical skills in fields ranging from woodworking and digital embroidery to dental assistance.
The communal lunch was even prepared by the youth themselves, bringing together community members from both sides of Syria Street around one table. Once a symbolic dividing line, the space now hosts conversations, friendships, and shared experiences.
This kind of trust-building is not abstract. When young people believe in the responsiveness of institutions, they are more likely to turn to them in moments of difficulty rather than disengaging or retreating into alternative, sometimes radical, forms of belonging. What began as a visit became a signal, a small but powerful disruption of the cycle of absence and resentment that has long shaped Tripoli’s civic reality.
This visit was a shift in narrative. For youth who have long felt neglected or misjudged by those in power, seeing the mayor walk through their space, listen to their stories, and speak directly to their experiences offered more than recognition. It offered a different kind of engagement, one where presence replaces distance, and dialogue begins to undo years of silence. These are the moments where institutional trust begins to take root not in promises, but in action. And when that trust starts to grow, so does the hope that future problems will be met not with withdrawal or resentment, but with connection, accountability, and shared responsibility.
