It is important to stand up for what we believe in. At least to me. Bringing constructive criticism to the table is what I firmly consider to be the way to go. How else would humanity evolve if we all simply went with the flow and objected to nothing? We wouldn't create anything new, nor propose anything different. What a boring way to live! Would that even be called living? I'm not so sure... However, one needs to make sure that rebelling does not become an act of commonly opposing just for the sake of disagreeing. When protesting is just about disapproving without proposing an alternative, it becomes more of a nuisance than a useful approach. Link to the fist.
As the calls were out for a protest this Sunday to preserve the habitat of the Bisri valley, home to various animals and an old religious stone structure, I cannot but be compelled to drive there for support. I inform my friends and we drive to Bisri around 11 am. The weather is cloudy but rain is not expected before the afternoon hours. As we reach the entrance, the security officers politely instruct us to leave our car there and enter on foot. We comply. The walk to where the activists are gathered seems close enough and walking in nature is always a joy in itself. On our way, I shoot some pics with my phone (see below). And it makes me sad that we are fighting off a project funded by the World Bank because some people are greedy and do not want to see beyond the material gains...
We soon reach the place where an activist is addressing people on TV. As he clearly explains, beyond the relocating of a historical structure, like the Great Temple of Abu Simbel in Egypt, the viability of this dam is very controversial. Everyone agrees that Lebanon has water and that this valuable natural resource is not properly managed. The problem to address is problematic water infrastructure and rampant corruption. Constructing a dam in Bisri will not provide the inhabitants of Beirut with tap water. The dam will be located on 2 seismic fault lines and the weight of the reservoir of water is a major concern. To read more about this, click here. My friend and I linger some more time around before we decide to drive to Saida for some food. As we are driving away, raindrops start to fall and I cannot help but feel sad for the nature that we keep ransacking. How long will mother Earth keep tolerating our foolish behavior?
