By Amin Nehme – President, The Lebanese Development Network
(Learn more about Amin Nehme)
The Lebanese migration has formed over the centuries an essential socio-economic withstand in Lebanon in peacetime or even in times of crisis .
In a simple review of the strategic nature of the relationship with this segment of the Lebanese people, the numbers remain the best proof for not only the importance of its conservation but at the level of setting it as a priority in order to activate a progressive process with all its available possibilities.
At a glance on the size of the remittances in the past three years, we find that the level of the numbers had not changed according to the declining economic situation in the world, but that this level maintained its stability with some minor differences.
In the year 2010, remittances accounted for about 7,619 billion compared to 7,612 billion in 2011, with 7.578 in 2012, equivalent to about 20% of the rate of GDP.
These figures, though shown with their simple variation, but they indicate the importance and effectiveness of this segment of the Lebanese with the support it represents on the material, moral, economic and human development.
On the other hand, despite the importance of these figures with whatever they constitutes being a major supportive element of living and the cornerstone for a large section of the Lebanese, but they are regarded in their entirety as proceedings’ contributions.
Hence the call for an initiative to draft a partnership integrated between the Diaspora and the productive economic sectors in Lebanon on one hand, and the civil society institutions on the other hand in order to frame this income in sustainable socio-economic projects. However, the returns may be allocated efficiently to benefit the greatest number of Lebanese by keeping the profile of its social support and consequently constitute the best opportunity for investment for the participants.
The organization of this enormous migrant energy in a systematic process of rationalization would establish the foundation of an unprecedented social front and constitutes in return a unique model in the constant search for alternatives.
