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After all the unfortunate events that have been hitting Lebanon, children of Lebanon are paying the price the most.
They hear grown ups complaining about the current socio-economic situation where there is no room anymore for their innocent dreams. While immigration is on the rise among the youth, young kids are living in a daily communal negativity cloud that is directly influencing the way they perceive Lebanon and their sense of patriotism.
This year, Public Matters Lebanon (PML) chose a very particular topic for its awareness campaign. It decided to tackle Patriotism, knowing that primary school age group is the most sensitive period for patriotic upbringing.
The film tells the story of four children who have been pretend-playing ‘soldiers’ over their roof top in their home-made military camouflage tent, decide to go on a ‘secret mission’ and trespass the gate of the Lebanese Military Academy so that they finally discover what’s behind its walls where the enlightenment begins.
Along their adventurous journey and before they get busted, we get a real lesson in patriotism.
The campaign focuses on the concept of building understanding and awareness that leads to love and appreciation for Lebanon rather than conventional and rhetoric emotions that have no strong foundations, and would eventually weaken patriotism.
PML has chosen the Lebanese Army to collaborate with since it is the most influential institution when it comes to Patriotic awareness. Indeed, it is believed that children learn respect to their nation, develop love for their Motherland, understand the notion of sacrifice from the Military. Leaders-to-be children are shaped by watching leaders in the military deal with their cadets.
Why collaborate specifically with the Military Academy?
This year, the top cadet in the Military Academy is a female and the narrator of the video campaign is intentionally a little girl, as an extension of the Military academy’s acknowledgement that men and women have equal opportunities in the Lebanese army.
This year also, a 5-day camp was successfully hosted inside the Military Academy for the civilian school students. This event depicts the importance of integrating the younger generation in a sound patriotic upbringing.
“The challenge of this campaign is to show that children, if given their right spot in their community, they can be effective. But the ultimate objective is also to invest in children’s curiosity, model ethical leadership and humbleness and highlight the importance of understanding our country’s history, sacrifices and achievements in order to achieve an ‘incorruptible patriotism’,” reads a press statement from PML.
The awareness video, titled “we consciously love you” (in Arabic '3an wa3i men hebbak'), was directed by Nassif Al Rayess and produced by Public Matters Lebanon, the first NGO to refuse all sorts of grants and who focuses on developing the two main skills in a child: Empathy & Leadership.
