Ambassador of Lebanon to Argentina Visits LERC,
Awards Dr. Hourani
Jan. 7, 2014
The Lebanese Emigration Research Center (LERC) team at Notre Dame University-Louaize (NDU) welcomed the Ambassador of Lebanon to Argentina Mr. Antonio Andary for a gathering.
The gathering was attended by Fr. Walid Moussa, President of NDU; Dr. Antoine Farhat, Interim Vice-President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Ghazi Asmar, Assistant Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies; Dr. Fawzi Baroud, Assistant Vice-President for Information Technology; 
Dr. Guita Hourani, LERC Director; and members of the LERC team.
Dr. Hourani welcomed the Ambassador and all the attendees, and went on to praise Mr. Andary’s efforts toward strengthening the ties between emigrant and resident Lebanese. She also recapped the cooperation between the Lebanese Embassy in Buenos Aires and the Center. In turn, Fr. Moussa stressed the importance of the Ambassador’s efforts and the willingness of the University and the LERC to continue cooperating for the benefit of all Lebanese.
Both Dr. Farhat and Dr. Asmar also greeted the Ambassador and expressed their willingness to cooperate on any matter pertaining to academic affairs. Mr. Souheil Matar, Vice-President for Public Affairs and Communications at NDU, had welcomed the Ambassador prior to his visit.
Ambassador Andary gave a brief overview of the Lebanese community in Argentina and
illustrated the various efforts that he worked on during the year since his appointment. He mentioned the establishment of two organizations: the “Women Friends of Lebanon” and “The Argentinean-Lebanese Friendship Association,” whose main mandate is to support the Embassy’s activities and projects. Mr. Andary praised the LERC for its continuing mission, concerning Lebanese migration, and he praised the vital collaboration of the LERC’s Liaison Officer in Argentina Dr. Walter Muller Moujir, who is rendering indispensable support to compliment the Embassy’s efforts.
The Ambassador concluded by stating that we should not to give up on our migrants and their descendants, because they are the “second lung that Lebanon breathes through.”
At the end of the meeting, Ambassador Andary acknowledged Dr. Hourani’s valuable
cooperation by presenting her with an Appreciation Award. He also donated to the LERC Library 31 books , covering various topics pertaining to the Lebanese community in Argentina.
Following the meeting, Ambassador Andary, Fr. Moussa, and the attendees visited the Lebanon Migration Nucleus Museum along with Dr. Hourani and the LERC’s Chief Indexer and Archivist Ms. Liliane Haddad.
After their tour, the Ambassador wrote the following comment in the Gold Book, “All thanks and gratitude is due to Notre Dame University and the Lebanese Emigration Research Center for the monumental effort they are undertaking to maintain the relationship between resident and migrant Lebanese.”
In conclusion, Ambassador Andary expressed his willingness to contribute more material to the Center’s collections.
Jasmin Lilian Diab, LERC