
Can you provide a brief introduction of yourself?
Hello everyone, my name is Nadia Khouri Accad. I live and work in Lebanon, although I am originally Jordanian. I have
a background in international development studies and went on to do further specialization in public health and psychosocial support, particularly in the context of humanitarian crises and forced migration. For most of my career, I have worked at the community level with Tahaddi Lebanon, a local organization in Beirut focused on alleviating the burdens of extreme poverty through providing access to specialized early childhood and primary education, health services and legal support. Tahaddi works in a neighborhood that has a large Dom community. Currently, I am an instructor at the Lebanese American University (LAU) where I teach in the fields of well-being science and poverty studies.
What are the primary challenges and obstacles that the Dom community faces in Lebanon?
I prefer not to speak on their behalf, however, as a practitioner who has worked alongside Dom communities, I have seen the challenges many Dom face with regards to access to education, appropriate healthcare and work opportunities. Some of these challenges are related to widespread and detrimental discrimination, stereotyping and misperceptions regarding the Dom within wider society. In addition, for quite a few families, it is also related to their legal status in Lebanon as a proportion of Dom have yet to gain full nationality. Instead, they often have the official status of a stateless person. This “stateless” status is inherited from one generation to the next thus ingraining marginalization and limiting life opportunities and choices.
Based on your experience, how can the participation of Dom individuals be increased in programs aimed at ending poverty?
In my view, when programs are well designed in the sense that they meet the priorities identified by Dom families and are accessible both relationally and physically, participation rates are high. For example, when Tahaddi developed a long-term program related to legal status that aimed to address the issue of statelessness, which was identified by the community as being a core issue they struggle with, participation rates were immediately high. I also believe in the value of long-term programming that works on multiple levels. This increases the likelihood of impactful change and thus builds trust.
From your perspective, how do civil society organizations collaborate with and support the Dom community in their initiatives throughout Lebanon?
Civil society organizations have an important role to play in addressing the structural factors that perpetuate poverty and marginalization whether amongst the Dom or other communities. This includes working across social groups to address the widespread stereotyping and discrimination, as well as the legal barriers Dom individuals face. This can be done through targeted research, advocacy, and direct service. In addition, civil society organizations are vital in ensuring that those most at-risk don’t fall through the cracks by providing access to essential health, legal, education, livelihoods, and psycho-social services. As Lebanon’s state of crisis moves into yet another year the number of families at-risk is only increasing and the threat of negative multi-generational consequences is becoming very real, and very challenging to reverse. However, repeatedly, I have been fortunate enough to see how impactful a single individual or well-design program can be in bringing about change! Together we can create the momentum needed to ensure more just societies in our part of the world.
Hello everyone, my name is Nadia Khouri Accad. I live and work in Lebanon, although I am originally Jordanian. I have
a background in international development studies and went on to do further specialization in public health and psychosocial support, particularly in the context of humanitarian crises and forced migration. For most of my career, I have worked at the community level with Tahaddi Lebanon, a local organization in Beirut focused on alleviating the burdens of extreme poverty through providing access to specialized early childhood and primary education, health services and legal support. Tahaddi works in a neighborhood that has a large Dom community. Currently, I am an instructor at the Lebanese American University (LAU) where I teach in the fields of well-being science and poverty studies.
What are the primary challenges and obstacles that the Dom community faces in Lebanon?
I prefer not to speak on their behalf, however, as a practitioner who has worked alongside Dom communities, I have seen the challenges many Dom face with regards to access to education, appropriate healthcare and work opportunities. Some of these challenges are related to widespread and detrimental discrimination, stereotyping and misperceptions regarding the Dom within wider society. In addition, for quite a few families, it is also related to their legal status in Lebanon as a proportion of Dom have yet to gain full nationality. Instead, they often have the official status of a stateless person. This “stateless” status is inherited from one generation to the next thus ingraining marginalization and limiting life opportunities and choices.
Based on your experience, how can the participation of Dom individuals be increased in programs aimed at ending poverty?
In my view, when programs are well designed in the sense that they meet the priorities identified by Dom families and are accessible both relationally and physically, participation rates are high. For example, when Tahaddi developed a long-term program related to legal status that aimed to address the issue of statelessness, which was identified by the community as being a core issue they struggle with, participation rates were immediately high. I also believe in the value of long-term programming that works on multiple levels. This increases the likelihood of impactful change and thus builds trust.
From your perspective, how do civil society organizations collaborate with and support the Dom community in their initiatives throughout Lebanon?
Civil society organizations have an important role to play in addressing the structural factors that perpetuate poverty and marginalization whether amongst the Dom or other communities. This includes working across social groups to address the widespread stereotyping and discrimination, as well as the legal barriers Dom individuals face. This can be done through targeted research, advocacy, and direct service. In addition, civil society organizations are vital in ensuring that those most at-risk don’t fall through the cracks by providing access to essential health, legal, education, livelihoods, and psycho-social services. As Lebanon’s state of crisis moves into yet another year the number of families at-risk is only increasing and the threat of negative multi-generational consequences is becoming very real, and very challenging to reverse. However, repeatedly, I have been fortunate enough to see how impactful a single individual or well-design program can be in bringing about change! Together we can create the momentum needed to ensure more just societies in our part of the world.