Podcast Release: Cultural Heritage- A Bridge to Peace?

Image Description: Tripoli's Citadel, Part of an Active Restoration Project in Lebanon Discussed in the Podcast

Fight for Humanity is pleased to announce the release of three podcast episodes exploring the protection of cultural heritage during armed conflict and the important role cultural heritage can play in strengthening social cohesion and supporting peacebuilding efforts in conflict-affected areas. Produced by students from the University of Geneva, these podcasts tell the complex stories of Fight for Humanity’s work protecting heritage across the globe. Each episode features interviews, historical context, and real examples of our work, and explains why a focus on culture is a powerful way is to help communities rebuild after armed conflict.

“At Fight for Humanity, we see the protection of cultural heritage as part of the fundamental rights of communities. The protection of cultural heritage is an obligation of parties to a conflict under international humanitarian law,” says Mehmet Balci, Fight for Humanity Co-Director in one episode.

The first two episodes discuss our work in Lebanon, where Fight for Humanity is restoring a historic citadel in Tripoli and simultaneously supporting at-risk youth through intergroup dialogue and job training. The third follows our efforts in Syria, where Fight for Humanity has implemented programs to protect historical sites and artifacts, helping to rebuild the social fabric of vulnerable communities in the Northeast.

Read descriptions of individual episodes below or listen now on your preferred streaming platform.

Spotify: Link Here

Youtube: Link Here

Deezer: Link Here

Apple Podcasts: Link Here

Amazon Music: Link Here

Episode One: The Citadel of Tripoli (Part One)

“The project Rooting for the Future, in Tripoli, Lebanon, goes far beyond simple

restoration. Built on three core pillars — heritage restoration, social cohesion, and '

youth training — it ultimately strives toward a greater ambition: peace. How can a monumental site and a small group of committed actors help shape a more hopeful future for Tripoli?

Settle in, get comfortable, and dive into this compelling conversation with our two guest speakers: Samar Karam and Fadi Abi Allam.”

Episode Two: The Citadel of Tripoli (Part 2)

“Welcome back!

This is part two of our first episode exploring the Tripoli Citadel.

The project Rooting for the Future, in Tripoli, Lebanon, goes far beyond simple

restoration. Built on three core pillars — heritage restoration, social cohesion, and

youth training — it ultimately strives toward a greater ambition: peace.

How can a monumental site and a small group of committed actors help shape a more

hopeful future for Tripoli?

Settle in, get comfortable, and dive into this compelling conversation with our two guest

speakers: Samar Karam and Fadi Abi Allam.”

Episode Three: The Citadel of Tripoli (Part 3)

“For over a decade, a wide range of actors have fueled chaos in and around Syria, triggering a devastating humanitarian crisis. Beyond the human toll, the war has also led to the destruction of countless cultural heritage sites. Yet amid this turmoil, a small number of dedicated actors have worked tirelessly to safeguard what many divided communities still share: their cultural heritage.

In 2020, Fight for Humanity, ALIPH Foundation, and their local partner Orient Association conducted a project combining restoration work with efforts to address local unemployment.

How can the protection of heritage become a foundation for future peace? To explore this question, settle in, get comfortable, and dive into this compelling conversation with our guest speaker Mehmet Balci.”

The podcasts were put together by group students Antonin Deschoux, Baptiste Grandjean, Lúcio Pierre, and Elen Ohanessian. The team interviewed Fight for Humanity team members and associated experts and edited these interviews together with relevant background and context. They also helped plan a panel discussion on the same themes. Read more about that event here.