LOGI: Empower experts & citizens
Campaign successfully funded on: 09 May,2015
This project has been successfully funded with $10,985 (110%)
Short Summary
Lebanon could potentially have large oil and gas deposits, which belong to all Lebanese citizens!
If the sector is well managed it could significantly improve Lebanon's economy and the quality of life of Lebanese citizens. But if mismanaged, Lebanese citizens could be left worse off and Lebanon's economic and social challenges aggravated.
Our objective
The good news is there are many Lebanese experts around the world that can contribute and help develop a sustainable oil and gas industry in Lebanon.
This is why we are launching the Lebanese Oil & Gas Initiative (LOGI): a new, independent non-governmental organization (NGO) based in Beirut. It is the first initiative of its kind which aims to develop a network of Lebanese experts from across the world and provide them with a platform to inform Lebanese citizens and influence decision makers on the key issues facing Lebanon’s oil and gas industry.
Why is this important for Lebanese?
High corruption, weak rule of law and limited technical expertise in Lebanon are high risks which can lead to what experts call the "oil curse". If these risks are not mitigated the impacts can have negative economic, social and even political implications on the future of Lebanon.
LOGI will take the lead in promoting transparency, accountability and sound governance in order to mitigate those risks. The end goal is to help Lebanon maximize the economic and social benefits of its oil and gas wealth.
What will LOGI do?
LOGI will lead research on several topics related to: governance, infrastructure, job creation, environmental protection, revenue management, and fiscal policy. It will develop different products including draft laws to present to parliament, policy memos and briefs to educate policymakers, training and workshops, infographics and videos, as well as traditional media and social media campaigns to mobilize and raise awareness of Lebanese citizens.
Who is the team?
Georges Sassine is a Harvard University alum and an energy policy expert with a wide range of experience with several multinational companies. He has been widely published commenting on energy, transparency and public policy issues including the Financial Times, CNN, the Huffington Post, Annahar, L’Orient le Jour, the Daily Star and others.
Karen Ayat is a Partner and Contributor to Natural Gas Europe - a leading platform that provides information and analyses of natural gas developments. Karen emerged as a key expert on the geopolitics of the Eastern Mediterranean and her work has been widely published, mainly by Natural Gas Europe and Energy Tribune. She holds a Bachelors of Law from Université Saint Joseph in Beirut, and an LLM degree in Commercial Law from City University London.
Jeremy Arbid is an energy and public affairs analyst focused on Lebanon’s oil and gas industry. He is currently a journalist covering economics and government policy for Executive Magazine in Beirut. He holds a Master in Public Administration from the American University of Beirut, and a bachelor in Political Science from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Research fellows: several research fellows are helping LOGI launch various research projects including 4 Harvard University master students, and an ESCP Europe Business School graduate.
- LOGI's Advisory Board is formed from several high level executives and experts spanning multinational energy companies, an international energy law firm, a world renowned think tank, academics from top universities, as well as experts from global NGOs focused on transparency in the oil and gas sector.
Publications:
- Georges Sassine's publications and interviews on Lebanon's energy sector: http://www.georgessassine.com/building-lebanons-energy-infrastructure/
- Karen Ayat's publications on the Eastern Mediterranean geopoltical developments: http://www.naturalgaseurope.com/search?q=karen+ayat
- Jeremy Arbid's publications on Lebanon's economy and petroleum sector: http://www.executive-magazine.com/author/jeremy-arbid
For more information about LOGI's mission and team please visit: www.logi-lebanon.org
What We Need
This is an independent initiative from Lebanese to Lebanese. Your support will be vital to help us kickoff this effort and make it a reality.
We are trying to raise $10,000 to develop LOGI's website and finance our first research projects.
- Website development: The website will cost around $5,500 to develop and will be an important tool for Lebanese citizens to get informed on a variety of topics facing Lebanon's oil and gas industry through several infographics, dynamic animations, videos, detailed reports and a database of all analyses and news articles on oil and gas in Lebanon.The content will be developed in both English and Arabic.
- First projects: The first projects that LOGI will be undertaking will include policy briefs on Lebanon's export infrastructure strategy, and fiscal policy strategy. These studies will be presented to the Lebanese government and parliament. It will cost around $4,500 to hire consultants to help draft the reports, hold media events and round tables to launch the findings and print high quality documents to circulate to the 128 members of parliament, 24 ministers and high level public servants in relevant ministries.
We practice what we preach!
LOGI aims to advocate for transparency in Lebanon's oil and gas industry, and will thus be fully transparent in its own operations. We will be providing funders with a monthly report of all expenses and progress. Once the full website is published, all of LOGI's financial and administrative activities will be made available to the wider public.
Other Ways You Can Help
We are relying on your support to spread the word! Please share this campaign link online and by email, and encourage your friends to donate and join our cause!
From the LOGI team: Thank you very much for your time, interest, and support!
There are no updates for this project yet.
Beirut, LebanonHarvard University and American University of Beirut graduate specialized in energy and public policy. Co-founder of the Lebanese Oil and Gas Initiative (LOGI)
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