A Conversation with Tracy Chamoun

03/23/21 • 43 min

Today, Ricardo sits down with Tracy Chamoun for a special conversation. Tracy Chamoun is the scion of one of Lebanon’s most famous dynasties and the first woman to found a political party in the Arab world - the Liberal Democrats Party of Lebanon. In this conversation, she talks about her plans and hopes for her country, and about coming to terms with the murder of her father, his second wife and their young children during the Lebanese civil war. Tracy was appointed as ambassador of Lebanon to Jordan on 19 June, 2017 and became one of the first officials to resign from her position following the devastating explosion at Beirut port that killed at least 158 people and injured more than 6,000. She decided to run for presidency in 2022.

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A Conversation with Nidal Al-Ashkar

In this episode, Ricardo sits down with Nidal Al-Ashkar for a very special conversation. Nidal Al-Ashkar is among the most influential women to shape the cultural landscape of Lebanon and the Arab world. Much of the development of theatre in Beirut is attributed to her efforts, which culminated in the establishment of “The Beirut Theatre Workshop” in the late 1960s and the “Arab Actors” theatre company in the mid-70s. In 1994, after renovating a historic cinema in Beirut and making it available to Lebanese civil society, she founded there a cultural centre, Masrah Al-Madina, which quickly became the epicenter for cultural and artistic events in Beirut. Nidal tapped into the world of theatre, poetry, politics and many other art forms.

Next Episode

A Conversation with President Michel Aoun

In this very special episode, Ricardo sits down with President Michel Aoun for a conversation that took place at the most critical time in Lebanon’s history. Michel Aoun was then the President of Lebanon elected on 31 October 2016 on the 46th electoral session of the Lebanese parliament, breaking a 29-month deadlock. The encounter took place on the eve of the centenary proclamation of the nation of Lebanon and less than a month after Beirut blast killed at least 190 people, injured thousands, destroyed the city and left thousands of citizens homeless. Lebanese, who underwent decades of accumulated crises, endemic corruption and mismanagement by an entrenched ruling class, were all waiting to hear what the most controversial President was about to say.