Sometimes called the Switzerland of the Middle East because of its concentration of financial institutions, its diverse population, and its reputation as a popular resort destination, Lebanon is using public-private partnerships to help fuel a new surge of prosperity and serve as a model for economic recovery in the region. Public-private partnerships enlist the help of the private sector to supply infrastructure assets and services that have traditionally been the sole responsibility of the government. According to the International Monetary Fund, “An infusion of private capital and management can ease fiscal constraints on infrastructure investment and increase efficiency. Reflecting these advantages, public-private partnerships are taking off around the world.”

 

Socioeconomic Revival for the Lebanese People

The Partnership for Lebanon was launched by U.S. business leaders in September 2006 to provide critically needed resources for reconstruction efforts in Lebanon and to help build a better future for the Lebanese people. The partnership is led by five companies: Cisco, GHAFARI, Intel, Microsoft, and Occidental Petroleum.

Working through public-private partnerships and with the Lebanese people, the partnership is focused on expanding the reach of education and workforce training, creating jobs, building technology infrastructure, and using technology to connect communities with the services and resources they require.

The Partnership for Lebanon concentrates on five key areas:

• Connected communities: Working to enable full-service online community access points across the country by giving citizens local portals for access to job training, healthcare, education, and other resources.
• Workforce training and education: Placing qualified Lebanese interns in top businesses in the United States and Lebanon to improve their prospects and plant the seeds of economic growth among Lebanese youth. Furthermore, since the initiative began, Cisco has increased the number Cisco Networking Academies from 22 to 46.
• Job creation/private sector revival: Creating jobs and careers within Lebanon to help halt the country’s brain drain, particularly in the small and midsize business sector.
• IT infrastructure: Helping Lebanon modernize its network infrastructure by improving the speed and efficiency of Internet traffic and by providing an economical foundation for better communications and e-commerce.
• Relief and response: Contributing funds and working with several NGOs to rebuild homes, rehabilitate schools, and expand workforce training programs.

 

Progress This Year

IT Infrastructure

• On January 11, 2008, Cisco experts presented the National Broadband Strategy to the Lebanese Minister of Telecommunications, the Telecom Regulatory Authority, and the public.
• On April 1, 2008, an Internet exchange point (IXP) was established that connects seven Internet service providers in the country. The IXP functions as an on-ramp to the Internet and a point for carriers to exchange traffic.

Connected Communities

• Cisco and partners completed Phase 1 of a pilot project to connect five Lebanese communities affected by the recent conflict. All five Connected Community Centers were able to implement relevant and useful projects using IT as a medium, including a toolkit for small-to-midsize businesses, a popular portal for teenagers called Lebteen, a portal for government information and frequently requested forms, and Cisco Networking Academy IT Essentials programs.

Workforce Training and Education

• Sixteen interns completed their internships at Cisco in October 2007, and 58 interns are in the process of finishing internships in Lebanon and the United States.
• Cisco opened 16 new Networking Academy sites in Lebanon, bringing the total to 46 as of July 31, 2008.

Private Sector Revival

• Cisco invested $500,000 in Berytech Fund SAL, an entrepreneurial start-up committed to providing incubation, support, and hosting opportunities for promising Lebanese enterprises in the fields of technology, multimedia, and health in exchange for an equity investment.
• In June 2008 the company launched the Cisco Rural Enterprise Development for Information Technology (CREDIT) program, a $1 million micro-credit fund for IT investments in rural Lebanon. Working through a local Lebanese microfinance institution that serves the IT sector, CREDIT will disburse loans from $1500 to $7500 and offer training in business and entrepreneurship skills to 300 beneficiaries. Candidates for the loans include recent Cisco Networking Academy graduates and graduates of other institutes who want to start rural IT businesses. Relief International, a global NGO, will manage the project.
• The Partnership for Lebanon also launched an Executive Mentorship pilot program that pairs promising CEOs of small and midsize Lebanese businesses with Cisco and other industry executives for guidance and knowledge transfer. The first Lebanese CEO has been identified and will be mentored by two Cisco executives.

Crisis Relief

According to Land Mine Monitor, Lebanon is contaminated with an unknown number of antipersonnel and antivehicle mines, as well as cluster submunitions and other unexploded ordnance. These weapons pose a serious threat to local populations and to economic growth. In partnership with the Marshall Legacy Institute, Cisco is sponsoring two dogs trained to detect mines and similar devices.