H.E. Ms Sandra De Waele, Head of the European Union's Delegation to Lebanon, addressed the ArMA graduates during the graduation ceremony organised by the Global Campus Arab World. Here are some excerpts from her speech: 

"The fight for human rights and democracy knows many battles, and it sometimes feels like none of these battles are ever won for good. Freedoms that some of us had taken for granted are increasingly under threat, placed in the line of fire of populists, hardliners, and opportunists. This is a trend we see around the world, also in the EU".

"Civic space is shrinking, media freedoms are regularly questioned, personal freedoms are put to the test, and more importantly perhaps, the culture of impunity endures, with little to no accountability. 

And because of this, it is particularly inspiring to me to stand here before you today, Lebanon’s civil society actors and human rights defenders of today and tomorrow. The World and especially the Arab World needs people like yourselves, who are not afraid to fight the hard battles". 

"It is your responsibility to [...] advocate for greater understanding and respect for human rights", check out the video for the rest of Ms. De Waele message to the graduates of the ArMA programme. 

Graduation ceremony of the master’s in Human Rights and Democratisation, Institute of Political Science, 29th of September 2023, Medical Campus of Saint Joseph University of Beirut.