Nizar Hassan

Nizar Hassan
Born
Nizar Hassan

Lebanon
NationalityLebanese
Alma materSOAS University of London, American University of Beirut
Known forCo-founder of LiHaqqi
AwardsOpen Society Foundations fellowship, International Labor Union Migration Journalism fellowship, Chevening Scholarship
Scientific career
FieldsPolitical Economy, Social Movements

Nizar Hassan is a Lebanese activist, journalist, podcaster and social researcher, focused on political economy and social movements, especially concerning Lebanon. He is co-founder of the Lebanese political organization LiHaqqi,[1] which ran candidates for the Lebanese general elections of 2018[2] and 2022,[3] having served as its spokesperson on multiple occasions.[4][5][6][3] He has been a regular author analyzing Lebanese political affairs for the newspapers L'Orient-Le Jour,[7][8][9] The New Arab,[10][11][12] The Daily Star[13][14][15] and Al-Arab,[16][17][18] with contributions to ROAR magazine,[19] Bretton Woods Project,[20] Al Bawaba,[21][22] BirGün[23] or Green Left.[24]

Education and research

Hassan studied Political Sciences and Media at the American University of Beirut and Paris Sciences Po.[25] He holds a master's degree in "Labor, Social Movements and Development" from SOAS University of London.[26] His dissertation analyzed class and power in the 2015-2016 Lebanese protests.[26][27] He has research works analyzing Lebanese political platforms,[28][29] workers exclusion,[30] the impact of the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon,[31] the 2019 Lebanese uprising,[32] and several short research analyses on various Lebanese issues.[33][34][35] He has worked as a researcher for several civil society organizations,[1] such as the Arab NGO Network for Development[36][37] or the Lebanese Center for Policy Studies,[38] and was selected as panel moderator at the World Bank's Civil Society Policy Forum.[39] For his work, he has received the Open Society Foundations fellowship,[1] the International Labor Union Migration Journalism fellowship[40][41] and the Chevening scholarship.[42]

Activism and social engagement

He is co-founder of the Lebanese political organization LiHaqqi,[1] the first organization to call for protests that triggered the 17 October Revolution.[43] LiHaqqi also ran candidates on the Lebanese general elections of 2018[2] and 2022.[3] He has served as its spokesperson in multiple occasions.[4][5][6][3] Within LiHaqqi, he served on the Public Affairs Committee, Organizational Council, and Economic Justice Working Group.[26] He is the co-host[44] of the Lebanese Politics Podcast[45][46] and the host of the YouTube channel Tafkeek,[47] funded by the Open Society Foundations.[1]

Political views and analyses

His political analyses have often been cited worldwide when analyzing Lebanese events,[48][49][50] especially after the Lebanese 17 October Revolution.[51][52][53] Referred to as a "protagonist in the contemporary Lebanese scene"[54] and "a central part of the grassroots movement in Beirut",[55] he supports progressive policies on multiple topics.[56] He considers current Lebanese financial crisis a "total economic and financial collapse"[57] because of the lack of access to "basic necessities". He speaks critically of the Lebanese political system, calling it "corrupt sectarian political establishment"[58] and "political clientelism",[59] criticizing the banking sector as "financial oligarchy"[60] and Hezbollah armed strength.[61] He has also been a critic of multiple Lebanese politicians, such as prime minister Saad Hariri,[5][62] prime minister Hassan Diab,[63] or Druze leader Walid Jumblatt.[6]

When discussing the aims of the 17 October Revolution, which he called "uprising of dignity",[64] he expressed support for an interim[65] government of independents from traditional parties to fight corruption[43][66] and save the country, "not save capital".[67] He also supported taxing millionaires to alleviate the financial crisis.[43] He argues "the revolution has not failed"[46] although it did not "achieve a lot".[68]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Nizar Hassan | Open Society Fellowship". www.opensocietyfoundations.org. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  2. ^ a b "The possibility of a single alliance: Lebanon's opposition groups ponder how viable a united front is in upcoming polls". L'Orient Today. 2022-02-04. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  3. ^ a b c d "As Lebanon's political class fails, Beirut's streets are stirring once again". Middle East Eye. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  4. ^ a b "Lebanon agrees reforms after days of protests". Financial Times. 2019-10-21. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  5. ^ a b c Azhari, Timour. "Saad Hariri renamed as Lebanon PM a year after stepping down". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  6. ^ a b c "Weeks after blast, Lebanon patronage system immune to reform". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  7. ^ "Nizar HASSAN". L'Orient-Le Jour. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  8. ^ "Diab's government is not what Lebanon needs". L'Orient Today. 2020-02-20. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  9. ^ "Le retour de Hariri, ou la promesse d'un échec annoncé". L'Orient-Le Jour. 2020-10-31. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  10. ^ Hassan, Nizar (2021). "Nizar Hassan articles". english.alaraby.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  11. ^ Hassan, Nizar (2020-07-28). "Oligarchs crashed the economy, Lebanese are paying the price". english.alaraby.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  12. ^ Hassan, Nizar (2019-10-18). "Lebanon burns with hope and fury". english.alaraby.co.uk. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  13. ^ Hassan, Nizar (2021-05-07). "Nizar Hassan | Author's Page". www.dailystar.com.lb. Archived from the original on 2021-05-07. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  14. ^ "Officials warm to garbage plan, residents still cold". 2021-04-17. Archived from the original on 2021-04-17. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  15. ^ "Protest ongoing as police clear Ministry of Environment". 2020-11-08. Archived from the original on 2020-11-08. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  16. ^ Hassan, Nizar (2019). "Nizar Hassan articles". The Arab Weekly. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  17. ^ "China opens new shipping line to Tripoli | Jacob Boswall". AW. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  18. ^ "Lebanon's reform hopes remain elusive despite blast, protests |". AW. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  19. ^ Hassan, Nizar (2019-10-26). "A look at Lebanon's ongoing historic uprising | ROAR Magazine". roarmag.org. Archived from the original on 2022-03-26. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  20. ^ "An IMF bailout for Lebanon can make things worse". Bretton Woods Project. 2020-10-06. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  21. ^ "Lebanon: Political Scandals, Chouf Fires and Mass Protests". Al Bawaba. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  22. ^ "Searching for home? Infamous Lebanese croc moves to the UK". Al Bawaba. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  23. ^ "Ayaklanan Lübnanlılar ümit ve öfke dolu". birgun.net (in Turkish). Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  24. ^ Hassan, Nizar (2019-11-01). "Behind Lebanon's historic uprising". Green Left. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  25. ^ "Nizar Hassan | Linkedin". Linkedin. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  26. ^ a b c "Webinar: Activism and Social Movements in Lebanon after the 2019 Uprising | Finnish Institute in the Middle East". Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  27. ^ Hassan, Nizar. "Lebanon's 2015 Protest Movement: An analysis of class (and) power". Academia.
  28. ^ "LCPS - Where do Lebanese Political Groups Stand on Policy Questions? An Analysis of Electoral Platforms". LCPS. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  29. ^ "LCPS - Analysis of Platforms in Lebanon's 2018 Parliamentary Election". LCPS. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  30. ^ Hassan, Nizar; Barjas, Elham (2019). The Effects of Workers' Exclusion: Building the Case for Abolishing Article 7 of the Labour Law. Oxfam GB Lebanon.
  31. ^ Atallah S, Sánchez DG, Hassan N, Mahdi D, Mourad J (2018). Introductory Chapter: Analytical Framework for Improving Urban Resilience in Lebanon's Districts Impacted by the Syrian Refugee Crisis. Beirut: Lebanese Center for Policy Studies.
  32. ^ Hassan N (2022). "The Power and Limits of Blocking Roads: How the October Uprising Disrupted Lebanon". In Karam JG, Majed R (eds.). The Lebanon Uprising of 2019: Voices from the Revolution. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 978-0-7556-4442-1.
  33. ^ "LCPS - How Has the August 4 Explosion and its Aftermath Affected the Revolution?". LCPS. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  34. ^ "LCPS - What Are the Main Challenges and Opportunities Lying Ahead for the October 17 Movement?". LCPS. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  35. ^ "LCPS - Why Did the October 17 Revolution Witness a Regression in Numbers?". LCPS. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  36. ^ (www.dw.com), Deutsche Welle. "Lebanon: New aid package is unlikely to lead to reform | DW Learn German". DW Learn German. Retrieved 2022-08-27.
  37. ^ Bazzi, Zahra; Hassan, Nizar. "An IMF bailout for Lebanon can make things worse". Arab NGO Network for Development. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
  38. ^ "Connecting Resistances - Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung". www.rosalux.de (in German). Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  39. ^ "Civil Society Policy Forum 2020" (PDF). World Bank. 2020. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  40. ^ Law, Tom (2017-10-08). "ILO Migration Journalism Fellowship Programme 2017/18". Ethical Journalism Network. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  41. ^ "ILO Migration Journalism Fellowship Programme". www.ilo.org. 2018-03-09. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  42. ^ "Nizar Hassan's profile". researchgate.net. 2019. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  43. ^ a b c "Interview with Lebanese activist Nizar Hassan: Beirut's ruling elite may be down, but they are not yet out - Qantara.de". Qantara.de - Dialogue with the Islamic World. 11 December 2019. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  44. ^ "Lebanon Protests | Human Rights Watch". www.hrw.org. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  45. ^ "The Lebanese Politics Podcast". SoundCloud. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  46. ^ a b "Lebanon's Revolution Started a Year Ago, and It's Not Over Yet". www.vice.com. 19 October 2020. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  47. ^ "Tafkeek - YouTube". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  48. ^ Osseiran, Sune Engel Rasmussen and Nazih (2020-08-13). "Beirut Explosion Unleashes Public Anger at Hezbollah, Lebanon's Most Powerful Group". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  49. ^ "Analysis | Just when it seemed Lebanon couldn't get worse, it did". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  50. ^ "Lebanese outrage over Soleimani statue unveiled in Beirut". Middle East Monitor. 2021-01-06. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  51. ^ Yee, Vivian (2019-10-23). "Lebanon Protests Unite Sects in Demanding New Government". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  52. ^ 🇱🇧 Can Lebanon's protesters win lasting change? | The Stream, Al Jazeera English, retrieved 2022-08-02
  53. ^ Kareem Chehayeb; Abby Sewell. "Why Protesters in Lebanon Are Taking to the Streets". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  54. ^ "Incontro-Intervista con Nizar Hassan". casa del contemporaneo (in Italian). Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  55. ^ Jørgensen, Emil (2019-10-26). "Uofficielt talerør for Libanons oprør: "Eliten gør alt for at splitte os" | Globalnyt". globalnyt.dk (in Danish). Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  56. ^ "Lebanon's protests continue to gain momentum - Al-Monitor: Independent, trusted coverage of the Middle East". www.al-monitor.com. 20 October 2019. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  57. ^ "Lebanon is on the verge of a 'total economic and financial collapse'". Il manifesto global. 2021-12-18. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  58. ^ Ahwach, Diala (2021). The struggle over narrative in Lebanon post the October uprising (PDF). Friedrich Ebert Stiftung.
  59. ^ Kristensen, Mai Valentine (2020-07-27). "Grupper som Hizbollah står i vejen for Mellemøstens demokratibevægelse. Desværre er folk som Ali afhængige af dem". Zetland (in Danish). Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  60. ^ "Lebanon's crisis could end up empowering Hezbollah". Lebanon's crisis could end up empowering Hezbollah. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  61. ^ Off, Carol; Howden, Chris (2020-10-26). "October 23, 2020 Episode Transcript". CBC Radio. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  62. ^ deutschlandfunk.de. "Inflation, Hunger und Staatskrise - Der Libanon vor dem Kollaps". Deutschlandfunk (in German). Retrieved 2022-08-27.
  63. ^ "Een revolutie, maar wat dan? 'We vechten met een zeskoppig monster'". MO* (in Dutch). Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  64. ^ Yee, Vivian (2019-10-26). "Lebanese shake off sectarianism to sing a song of revolution". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  65. ^ "United by Disgust, Lebanon Demos Search for Shared Future". Asharq AL-awsat. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  66. ^ Neumann, Julia (2019-12-10). "Aktivist über Krise im Libanon: "Die Parteien schützen das System"". Die Tageszeitung: taz (in German). ISSN 0931-9085. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  67. ^ "Hariri refuses to head new Lebanon government as tensions rise". Arab News. 2019-11-26. Retrieved 2022-08-02.
  68. ^ "LCPS - Has the October 17 Revolution Accomplished Anything At All?". LCPS. Retrieved 2022-08-27.