On why I envy Jihad El Hokayem

I envy Jihad El Hokayem….

There I mentioned it.

All proper, a small disclosure, I do know Jihad personally. On a sure Wednesday evening, in the midst of the pandemic, I wrote him a message “you aren’t my favourite human being tonight” – you see I used to be serving to him fill some very difficult funding papers. However particulars apart, my admiration for him is boundless. Am critical.

On this wreckage that’s Lebanon right this moment, right here he’s a beacon of positivity – not of naivete – however of laborious work, perception, assist for the kids, and motivation for a brand new era. All this anchored in an unbelievable humility and deep-encrusted values.

All of it amazes me. And right here he’s once more, as president of “Rethinking Lebanon” an NGO rooted within the nation and targeted on the youth, out with a brand new marketing campaign. Positive, the nation is bleeding younger individuals immigrating both for research, or work, or establishing themselves in new cultures and nations all through the globe. Really a working joke is that Lebanon’s largest export is “26 yr previous educated individuals”, and the unhappy bit is that it’s true. 

And he nonetheless sees it with a optimistic eye. He nonetheless entices those that left to go “with a mission”. Once more, what’s with all of the crises and agitation and problems with the land, he nonetheless sees the great factor in something. Even this, even the mass immigration of the youth of the nation, he’s nonetheless in a position to spin it underneath a superb gentle, and ensure they’ve a “mission” to unfold.

I envy Jihad.