Former Social Affairs Minister Nayla Moawad says partnership between civil society groups and municipalities needed to boost local development

The Building Alliance for Local Advancement, Development, and Investment (BALADI), a program which is funded by USAID, organized a signing ceremony for a memorandum of understanding on boosting rural tourism in the Barouk region.

The signing ceremony was attended by President of the Rene Moawad Foundation and former Social Affairs Minister  Nayla Moawad, USAID Director Caroline Bryan, Chouf governor Marylin Kahwaji, Barouk Municipality head Elie Nakhle and a number of municipal and political officials.

Moawad praised the USAID’s initiative, highlighting the importance of local development in regions that have long suffered from state negligence.

“The Rene Moawad Foundation has a special interest in education that represents the cornerstone of any sustainable economic and social development particularly today when growth is directly entwined with knowledge and education,” Moawad said.

Moawad added that the foundation plays in addition to its executive function, a supervisory role concerning the implementation of municipal development projects.

“The importance of the Baladi project lies in its role as an intermediary between municipalities and civil society groups. In the absence of a true partnership and cooperation between these two sides, rural development wouldn’t be possible.”

Moawad said the foundation has implemented development projects in Akkar, Zgharta, Tripoli, Jbeil, Metn, Kesrwan and Koura regions.

The project in the Barouk region will create more than 25 job opportunities, allow farmers to sell their agricultural produce and boost rural tourism, helping small local enterprises such as restaurants increase their revenues,  Moawad added

USAID Director Caroline Bryan said the MOU highlighted the importance of the Barouk region on the environmental and cultural level.