The Lebanese government estimates direct damage to infrastructure at US $3.6 billion. This includes approximately 107,000 homes either damaged or destroyed. Now that the conflict has cooled down, tensions of a new kind are heating up. According to The Financial Times, “the issue of how to compensate victims of the war and pay for reconstruction has become highly politicised as Hizbollah and the western-backed government of Fouad Siniora, prime minister, vie for supremacy.”

The same article in the FT lists assertions that the government is unwilling to help Shia and pro-Hizbollah areas of the country. With the Lebanese government, Hizbollah and foreign governments such as Qatar are providing compensation for the temporary accommodation and reconstruction of home and shops, but there is uncertainty about where the money is going and who gets how much.

With these concerns in the background, and the compensation and reconstruction processes getting underway, a focus on transparency and accountability is crucial.

The Lebanese Transparency Association (LTA) kicked off its transparency in post-war reconstruction and compensations campaign with a press conference on 21 August detailing recommendations for transparency. Mohammad F. Mattar, Chairman of the LTA, noted that: “issues at the practical level encumber the achievement of all planned objectives. It is thus necessary that Lebanese citizens agree on and are convinced of the importance of transparency, accountability, and integrity in reconstruction projects, not only to fight corruption, but also to attract more aid and investment to the country.”

Also speaking at the conference, Fadi Saab, Coordinator of the Economic Support Unit of the Chamber of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture of Beirut and Mount Lebanon, and Board Member of LTA, urged Lebanese citizens to claim their right for access to information that will lead to more transparency and efficiency in the public sector.

Indeed, this is the strategy of the LTA. Its campaign is based on a strategy of collecting information from those citizens directly or indirectly affected by the misallocation of resources in the aftermath of the war. In addition, this information will be compiled and analysed to be used in advocacy efforts with government officials, the donor community, the private sector and other organisations.

To collect information from those directly affected, the LTA has established a telephone hotline for people to report their complaints, as well as a special link on their website for the same purpose. To reach the people who do not select to call the hotline on their own, or who may be unaware of the initiative, the LTA is working to form and train a team of volunteers to conduct site visits in affected villages to directly approach citizens.

This information will be compiled and classified in the campaign's data bank to be internally assessed and analysed by the LTA's experts. This is expected to form the basis of a manual to be developed by the LTA to facilitate all administrative procedures in requesting aid, providing contact information of key institutions, a set of questions and answers on keeping reconstruction clean as well as success stories and lessons learnt. The manual additionally will serve as the basis for future advocacy work.

To increase public awareness of the campaign itself, its objectives and the issues at hand, the LTA will be hosting workshops and town hall meetings throughout the country, and is set to release a series of press statements to raise awareness, as well as send letters to embassies of governments who have contributed aid to Lebanon.

In addition to asking those who have experienced corruption to come forward with their experience, the LTA is asking all Lebanese citizens to sign a petition to be presented to the government on the last day of the campaign. The petition demands transparency and integrity in post war reconstruction and compensations from all relevant parties, and also demands full right to information as stated in Article XIX of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and a constructive national dialogue on corruption in Lebanon.

The LTA has trained a large number of young volunteers to collect signatures to the petition throughout the country. Itwas able to hit the target number of signatures for the campaign in its first two weeks.

For more information on this project, or to sign the petition, go to LTA’s website: www.transparency-lebanon.org.

All photos taken by Oussama Safa on 18 August 2006, four days after the cease fire. Mr. Safa toured the South of Lebanon with the Civil Campaign for Relief convoy.