The Syrian war is just one of the recent events that have affected and weakened the local communities living in the northern Bakaa region in northern Lebanon. The violence spread to Lebanese territories when ISIS and other extremist groups became active in Lebanese cities near the Syrian border. In addition, waves of Syrian refugees have exacerbated old political and social conflicts.In the northern Bakaa region lies the village of Al-Fakiha. Its community is composed of different sects, families, and nationalities. The divisions between these groups have held the village hostage, as the community has been unable to elect a municipal council. When ISIS attacked the city of Arsal in 2014 and made it a stronghold near Al-Fakiha, the situation in the village worsened, contributing significantly to the continuation of sectarian violence, unrest, hate speech, discrimination, segregation, and racism. The people of Al-Fakiha suffer from state neglect, as they are deprived of many basic needs such as limited services, healthcare, open spaces, cultural programs, and education, in addition to weak, if not non-existent infrastructure. With the recent inflation in the Lebanese economy and the severe economic crisis, the situation has become even more precarious, as families are unable to secure basic needs such as education, nutrition, heating, and transportation. This situation deeply affects marginalized communities in the villages.

Who are we? We are a group of individuals from Al-Fakiha within Baalbek-Hermel, coming from diverse backgrounds. We are a group that carries out this research under a voluntary framework and we do not represent any party or entity. Our aim through this research is to study the safe and open spaces in Al Fakiha as part of the Civic Horizons program. We, as a group of people with diverse backgrounds living in Al Fakiha and its suburbs, emphasize the concepts of coexistence and cooperation to make it a model and a starting point in building an integrated, cohesive, and successful community. The goal? This research is participatory and involves engaging new perspectives from the community, including marginalized groups and those whose voices are usually not heard (such as youth, women, people with disabilities, refugees, etc.) to gain a deeper understanding of the research topic, along with decision-makers in the town. Due to the diversity within the research team, participatory research allows us to reach respondents who do not usually participate in public life in the town, reaching diverse groups in terms of age, gender, backgrounds, orientations, and sectors, comprehensively conveying everyone's voices. The success of the research will provide a clear picture of the town's reality and needs based on opinions, focusing on public and safe spaces needed in the town. The information is gathered transparently and added to the research results to be shared with organizations, municipalities, and entities concerned with working on these results. How? The research included questionnaires shared with participants through a link. We also conducted focus group sessions with groups of participants to gain a broader understanding of the research. In addition, our team documented photos and videos to support the opinions of participants who wanted to share their views via video after obtaining their consent. We organized tours within the town to study and discuss the importance of public spaces and their reality in the town with the residents and the civil society in Al Fakiha. The research started on November 1, 2022.

Community members expressed feeling comfort, safety, enjoyment of freedom of expression, and integration within civil society organizations, at home (52%), and among friends and family. However, challenges persist in public spaces due to issues such as inadequate parks and limited educational facilities. According to community members, the town of Fakiha is in need of significant infrastructural and social enhancements, including public parks (22%), universities (16%), municipal services, electricity (12%), sports clubs (10%), libraries (9%), and accessibility for individuals with special needs (7%).

The leading families in Fakiha shape decision making dynamics and decide over the most important issues in the community. Yet for over 5 years now, Fakiha hasn’t had a municipality because of the conflict that arose between the main leading families over the leadership of the municipal council. As this conflict lingers on and none of the families agrees to compromises, projects are not being implemented and decisions are not being taken at community level regarding infrastructure and community needs. This has affected the insurance of safe and open spaces within Fakiha.

In order to gain a deeper understanding of the research findings, we further detailed the analysis and divided the data based on the diverse backgrounds of the storytellers. The segregated analysis provides valuable insights into how different backgrounds influence factors driving actions in the community and engagement with civil society organizations. Notably, age, gender, working status, education level, and perceptions of marginalization all shape respondents' motivations and actions. This nuanced understanding can guide targeted approaches for addressing community issues and enhancing engagement.

The first category we looked at is that of age groups. We identified three age groups. Age group 1 is composed of people aged under 18 years. Around 27% of participants belong to this age group. Their main motivation stemmed from concerns about the school environment and teachers, and from the desire for change. These participants often felt marginalized due to their age. Age group 2 is composed of people aged from 18 to 30 years. 20% of the participants formed this group. Their motivation was driven by concerns regarding the economic situation, lack of municipal support, and reports of corruption and theft. Many in this group actively participate in civil society organizations. Age group 3 is composed of those over 30 years. They represent around 36% of the participants. Their motivation lies in issues related to the Syrian crisis, political decisions, and the desire to be heard. This group showed the highest level of trust in civil society organizations. In addition, 17% did not provide a response.

The second category was divided according to gender. Around 43% of participants identified as female. Their motivations were influenced by gender-related factors, such as the importance of empowering women and girls. They were more likely to actively participate in civil society organizations. 40% of participants identified as male. Economic anxiety and political decisions were primary drivers for this category. They displayed a moderate level of trust in civil society organizations. Around 17% did not provide an answer.

The third category used was that of levels of Education. Around 23% of the participants had completed higher education (University and Technical Institutes). Their motives were mostly related to national and regional issues. They showed a high level of confidence in civil society organizations. 30% of participants had completed secondary education (high school). Economic concerns and personal experiences played a major role in their motives. The interaction with civil society organizations was moderate. Around 27% of participants have a basic level of education (lower than high school). Their motives were diverse, and included economic, social, and political concerns. This group showed a lower level of interaction with civil society organizations. 20% of the participants did not provide an answer.

The fourth category is that of employment. 50% of the participants indicated that they are currently employed. Their motives revolved around their professions, economic situations, and social injustice. The active interaction with civil society organizations was relatively high within this category. Around 23% of the participants were not currently employed. Their motives were more diverse. This includes concerns related to education, marginalized groups, and economic difficulties. The level of interaction with civil society organizations varied, with some of them not participating at all. Around 27% of the participants did not provide an answer.

The fifth category along which data was analysed is that of marginalization. Around 53% of the participants believe that marginalized groups, including people with disabilities, women, and children, face difficulties in being heard. Their motives often focused on addressing these injustices and disparities. Interaction with civil society organizations was relatively higher in this category. Around 23% of the participants did not perceive significant difficulties faced by marginalized groups. Their motives were more focused on broader issues in society and politics. Interaction with civil society organizations varied among this group.

The citizen’s relationship with civil society Levels of Participation: participants expressed varying levels of engagement with civil society organizations. While around 46% admitted to having no interaction, about 33% participate in activities, around 13% consider themselves active, and around 8% receive support from such organizations.

Building trust between the community and civil society organizations is crucial. It is recommended that organizations actively include young people, listen to their concerns and facilitate open dialogue. This can help reduce the gap between what organizations say and what they do and enhance community engagement, and strengthen safe and open spaces.