The Department of Communication Arts in the School of Arts and Sciences will organize a public presentation and peer review for the capstones of the students enrolled in the Communication program for Spring 2020.

Schedule:

10:00 a.m.-10:30 a.m: Maria Issa - Buying Local Lebanese Products

10:30 a.m-11:00 a.m: Ameena Mahmoud Ali - The Lebanese Youth’s Perception of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon

11:00 a.m-11:30 a.m: Salaam Halila - “We are more than stereotypes”

11:30 a.m-12 noon: Rawane Imad Itani & Ghaidaa Jamal Hreiby - The Case of Wildlife Trafficking in Lebanon

Abstracts:

Buying Local Lebanese Products - by Maria Issa

Lebanon is facing an immense economic crisis and severe measures should be taken to save the country from a total financial collapse. Industries are striving to survive with the US shortage and the new banking rules. One attempt to save the country’s economy is to support Lebanese businesses and buy local goods. In this study, we aim to identify the reason behind working, middle and upper class Lebanese choosing not to buy local. We surveyed students from the Lebanese American University to determine the barriers that are stopping our target audience from buying local products. The study suggests that they do not believe that Lebanese products have the same quality as foreign goods. They also consider local products as lacking in variety and diversity. Based on the results, a strategic communication campaign promoted buying local products through only online methods due to the current pandemic. 

The Lebanese Youth’s Perception of Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon - by Ameena Mahmoud Ali

After the Israeli occupation in 1948, Palestinians found refuge in Lebanon. They have been denied from basic human rights because of Lebanese government’s opposition to their permanent residency. A lot of factors such as how media, people, and politicians remember the civil war have resulted in creating certain beliefs about Palestinian refugees in Lebanon. The aim of this project is to research, design, and facilitate an effective communication campaign that raises awareness among undergraduate students from Lebanon at LAU in Beirut on the living conditions of Palestinian refugees. This paper will address two research questions. First, what opinions do Lebanese undergraduate students at LAU maintain about Palestinian refugees in Lebanon? Second, how can a communication campaign raise awareness on the facts and rights of Palestinians, as well as opportunities for solidarity, in Lebanon among Lebanese undergraduate students at LAU? Studying the previous literature and campaigns will ensure a communication campaign that is effective in design and implementation.

“We are more than Stereotypes” - by Salaam Halila

“We are more than Stereotypes” is a communication campaign aimed to break stereotypes Arabs have on each other and help celebrate cultural differences instead. The issue addressed by this campaign is how most Arabs sometimes perceive each other only based on their stereotypes and cannot see beyond them. Thus, the idea behind the campaign is to stray away from the negative stereotypes we tend to associate some Arab countries with, and instead, appreciate the diversity, beauty and uniqueness of each culture. After conducting focus groups with individuals from some Arab countries that are present at LAU, I collected enough information to answer my main research questions; What are some of the stereotypes most Arab countries are associated with and how can we tackle them? The findings of the focus group allowed me to create an online campaign that celebrates the beauty and diversity of some Arab cultures, beyond their stereotypes. 

The Case of Wildlife Trafficking in Lebanon

By Ghaidaa Hreiby and Rawane Itani

CAPSTONE ABSTRACT: This project is about wildlife trafficking, a problem that is often left unaddressed by the media, citizens and even policy-makers in many countries including Lebanon. Secondary research was conducted to get more information about wildlife trafficking in Lebanon, the region, and the world. Previous work and campaigns that have been done on the subject were also reviewed. Afterwards, an online survey was conducted among students from the Lebanese American University (Beirut Campus) to get a deeper insight on the awareness and attitude of our target audience towards this problem. Based on this primary and secondary research, an online magazine was created, and an online campaign was planned and implemented in order to increase awareness about the issue among LAU students. NGOs Animals Lebanon and Lebanese Wildlife both contributed to this project with interviews and feedback, alongside the LAU Animal Care Club which allowed us to use its Instagram page for the campaign.

Academic Supervisor: Dr. Gretchen King