As part of raising awareness about current social and educational issues, and their relation with human dignity, the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) organized a seminar entitled "Education in Lebanon and Human Dignity" on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at the MECC headquarters in Beirut. It was attended by specialists and researchers from various fields.

The seminar, which was broadcasted live on the MECC, began with a welcoming word by Professor Laure Abi Khalil, Coordinator of the "Dialogue, Social Cohesion and Preservation of Human Dignity" projects at MECC, in which she said: "Protecting education in Lebanon is not a financial issue… it is a matter of values. It is a societal battle that no one can fight alone."

She continued, "I present to you three fundamental messages from which we need to proceed: First, education is the cornerstone of human dignity and an inalienable right. Second, the school is not a service company… but a national project for building a cohesive society. Third, the teacher is the focal point – and education will not flourish without the teacher's advancement."

Then, the Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC) Professor Michel Abs, delivered a speech entitled "Between Education and Dignity: A Society in Crisis," in which he pointed out that today "there is a race between the forces that want to make education a mean of equal opportunities for all segments of society, and consequently a mean of human dignity, and the forces that are indifferent to this issue."

He added, "If science and education, followed by vocational specialization, do not provide equal opportunities for Lebanese citizens to learn and build their future, and consequently, if education does not become a mean of social mobility, then it is certainly not a mean of ensuring human dignity."

Afterwards, the first session, entitled "Education in Lebanon and the High Cost of Living," began, moderated by Dr. Nahed Rawas, a Professor at the Institute of Social Science at the Lebanese University.

During the session, Father Youssef Nasr, General Coordinator of the Union of Private Educational Institutions in Lebanon and Secretary General of Catholic Schools, spoke about "The New Educational Reality After the Economic Crisis." As well as, Professor Alice Azar Wazir, Director of Beirut Baptist School, addressed the topic of "Between the Right to Education and School Sustainability: A Difficult Equation in Light of the Lebanese Crisis." Then, Professor Bechara Gabriel Habib, Coordinator of Orthodox Educational Institutions, spoke on "Effective Schools and Tuition Fees."

The second session, entitled "Education Between Right and Preserving Human Dignity," was moderated by the Journalist Lea Adel Maamary, Coordinator of Media and Church Relations at MECC.

Throughout the session, Mrs. Ghada Feghaly, President of the "Moumken" Association, presented an overview about the "Moumken Program to Support Public Schools in Lebanon." From her side, Dr. Hoda Slaiby, Professor and Researcher at the Institute of Social Science – Lebanese University, spoke about "Education and Human Dignity: Between Natural and Positive Rights."

Dr. Sahar Hammoud, Professor and Researcher at the Institute of Social Science – Lebanese University, also presented an approach to "Educational Justice to Face Social Exclusion." Moreover, Dr. Ghaleb Al-Ali, a Lecturer at the Lebanese University, addressed the topic of "Equal Opportunities for Quality Education and the Economics of Education."

At the end, the attendees issued several recommendations for building fair and rational educational policies. The recommendations were at the state and public policy levels to consider education as a fundamental and non-negotiable national right, not a class or sectarian privilege, to strengthen the public school as a guarantee of educational justice and dignity, to enhance confidence in the private school by preparing a national plan to monitor tuition fees in private schools, and to approve a national tax policy that supports education and educational grants.

Additionally, recommendations were directed to schools and the education sector to promote the "effective school" model with a supportive and inclusive educational environment, integrating the concept of well-being related to school mental health as an educational right, not an institutional luxury, and investing in the continuous development of teachers' skills.

The recommendations also included protecting human dignity within the educational system by strengthening the role of the school as a space for building citizenship and social justice, consolidating collective partnerships to save education, and rejecting all forms of discrimination in schools.

Hence, the seminar provided an opportunity to exchange views and experiences, with participants emphasizing the need for education to uphold human dignity and guarantee equal opportunities for all.