Final Project - In completion of the requirements of the EdX MOOC "The Future of Work: Preparing for Disruption."

1. Renewing the Social Contract in
Lebanon
Source: Vectorstock.

2. Vulnerable Persons: Listing
• Children (UNICEF, OCHA and REACH 2014-2015)
• Women (especially pregnant women and widows; UNICEF,
OCHA and REACH 2014-2015)
• The Elderly (Yan, 2019)
• Palestinian Refugees (300 000; OCHA 2019)
• Syrian Refugees (roughly less than 1 million registered;
OCHA 2019)
• Host Communities
OCHA. “About OCHA Lebanon.” UN OCHA. 2019. https://www.unocha.org/lebanon/about-ocha-lebanon
UNICEF, OCHA and REACH. “Defining community vulnerabilities in Lebanon: Assessment Report.” UNHCR. 2014-2015. https://data2.unhcr.org/en/documents/download/44875
Yan, Victoria. “Lebanon’s Elderly Deeply Vulnerable.” The Daily Star Lebanon. January 17, 2019. https://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2019/Jan-17/474258-lebanons-
elderly-deeply-vulnerable.ashx
Source: Imogen Lambert, 2016.
Source: Mohammed Zaatari, 2019.

3. Analysis
Based on the sources mentioned in the prior slide, this is an overview of the situation in Lebanon:
• Children: a lot of children live in poverty, not having access to proper schools and pre-schools.
Whilst quality of education in general is very good in Lebanon, some public schools are
neglected and unfit to host students (no licenses, no heating, poor infrastructure and level of
teaching).
• Women: women are barely covered by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF). Pregnant
women at times cannot afford seeking proper healthcare. Widowers make up 34 percent of
women and often head households, noting that many of them are not in the workforce. A lot
of laws that are in place still degrade women.
• The Elderly: there are no pensions for old age. Some elderly are left on their own, due to
either having no family or being neglected by their children. Healthcare and survival are their
biggest issues.
• Refugees: tensions exist between them and host communities over jobs and resources. No
proper integration or conflict resolution mechanisms exist. Refugees are over 1 million and a
half and live in poor conditions at all levels.

4. Proposal: Renewed Social Contract Components
• When it comes to children, Early Childhood Development
programs should be developed, with special care to
education and health.
• As for women, they should be covered as equally as men
within the NSSF. Free pre-natal healthcare should be given
along with longer maternity leaves. Controversial laws
should be eliminated. Widows should be helped and given
more special care by the government and NGOs.
• A pension system, free healthcare and community programs
focusing on the elderly should be developed to make them
feel integrated and cared for.
• More integration, increased dialogue and conflict resolution
programs should be elaborated in order to ensure healthy
relationships between refugees and host communities.
Source: Human Rights Watch, 2015.