Public Gatherings: “Ground to Dust” Exhibition | Gathering 2: Panel Discussion “Mapping State-Owned Land Against Privatization”

Panel Discussion with Petra Samaha, Mohamad Zbeeb, and Ali Noureddeen.
Moderated by a member of Public Works Studio

All events will begin with a half-hour tour of the exhibition led by members of Public Works Studio.

In light of the ongoing financial and economic collapse, recent mainstream public discourse has been focused on the privatization of public assets as a means to save the state from imminent bankruptcy. Some have even gone so far as to propose that this be done through a fund that would enable banks to seize these various assets, including real-estate properties. The very real threat of the privatization of state assets follows a history of national policies that systematically alienated or neglected the public sphere. In the face of this discourse, Public Works Studio conducted an in-depth study of state-owned lands, which constitute our natural environment, provide a source of livelihood and housing for a wide range of people, and are directly linked to our diverse ways of living throughout the Lebanese regions. The research, based on the records of the Ministry of Finance, is a tool to initiate a strategic debate against privatization and to launch a path that seeks to preserve the public sphere as a fundamental right for future generations.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗰 𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗿𝘂𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿. 𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘀. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺𝘀, 𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗢𝗩𝗜𝗗-𝟭𝟵 𝘃𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱 (𝟮 𝗱𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀), 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲*, 𝗼𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗖𝗥 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆.

*𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗖𝗥 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟭𝟭 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗼𝗹𝗱