Time to Talk
By: Charbel Khouri
UALM – Australia
3/6/03
As international pressure mounts on Syria to end its occupation of Lebanon, time has come for the Lebanese to start sincere and open dialogue with each other. 28 years of Syrian domination of its smaller neighbor has meant that the lines of communication between the Lebanese have been severely disrupted. Many attempts at dialogue were systematically suppressed by the oppressive regime that viewed any agreement between Lebanese as a threat to its control.

With a Syrian withdrawal well on the cards, the Lebanese must be ready to take full control of their destiny. For this to happen a frank discussion must take place between all the various political and religious groups of Lebanon. This conference or meeting must take place now before the impending withdrawal so as to guarantee a smooth transition of power back into the rightful hands of the Lebanese. The most comprehensive way to achieve results is through discussion. Ideally the national conference should include any group or individual, who wants their opinion heard and who wants to play a role in the shaping of the new Lebanon.

Today, with hindsight we can look back and see that the political and social situation in Lebanon before the outbreak of hostilities was not perfect. We can also admit that yes, there was tension between groups, but was it enough to start and continue a bloody and ruthless war for 15 odd years? The answer is a resounding NO!

A conference that brings together the Lebanese will be paramount in building the solid foundations needed for the new republic. The convening of such a conference that promotes dialogue will contribute fundamentally to the process of healing through mutual understanding and respect that must be accomplished if Lebanon is to get back on its feet after 28 years of Syrian occupation.

A national conference will be an inspiration for reflective thinking upon the critical issues confronting the people of Lebanon. The highly respected theorist John Adams observed, “Dialogue is people truly listening to people truly speaking. When we all truly speak and truly listen, we can't help but generate greater shared understanding.” And this is what is needed in Lebanon today, true dialogue. The Syrian occupation has effectively eradicated any true dialogue and instead has been an obstacle on the road to true national consensus amongst Lebanese.

A meeting of all Lebanese from all political and religious persuasions is not a lofty goal and is quite achievable. This is nothing new for the Lebanese and even during the war in Lebanon; the Lebanese were searching for ways to resolve the conflict. As former Prime Minister General Michel Aoun quite accurately points out “Syria claims to sponsor reconciliation between the Lebanese, when in fact it prevents them from dialoguing and meeting. Syria continues to play the role of the pyro-maniac fireman, sowing discord between the Lebanese in order to secure the perpetual need for its presence.”

The question that arises is, Will the Lebanese be brave enough to meet? This is the $64,000 question. The Syrians are known to employ terror tactics to achieve their goals. Syria’s track record is as long as it is horrific and no doubt the traumatic scenes are still etched in the minds of the Lebanese. The memory of the atrocities alone might be enough to persuade some Lebanese from attending, others might receive threats and others might be arrested or even kidnapped. The Syrians will go to extraordinary lengths to make sure that a conference will not take place. Realistically, the attendees to a conference on Lebanon would probably be made up mostly from the Lebanese in the Diaspora since they don’t have the Syrian secret service breathing down their neck.

It is time for the Lebanese to decide on their own future and the first step on this journey is to free themselves from the shackles of the Syrian occupation. The majority of Lebanese want Syria to end its tutelage, but as of yet have not had a proper forum where they can discuss this issue that affects their daily lives. Lets hope that they can take advantage of the current climate and capitalize on the push for democratization in the region. Without true discourse, the Lebanese cannot really be free from Syrian hegemony because the Syrians will always play groups off against each other but only with understanding can the Lebanese repel the Syrian attempts at instability. So lets start talking.