Lebanese Ministry of Information
Minister of Information, Attorney Dr. Paul Morcos, along with Beirut Governor Judge Marwan Abboud, Beirut Municipality Head Engineer Ibrahim Zeidan, and Raphael Dabbane, founder of the Dabbane Group of Companies for Agriculture and owner of “Exotica” Company, on Monday visited the plot of land designated for the establishment of the Journalists and Media Professionals’ Garden, opposite the UNESCO Palace, at the Ministry of Education-UNESCO- Verdun intersection in Beirut.
Speaking from the site, Minister Morcos said: “We came to this location today for a coordination meeting, not to announce the opening of the public garden. Beirut Governor, Judge Abboud, is the primary supporter of the Ministry of Information’s initiative, in partnership with the Beirut Municipality and its council. We thank them for their support and for responding positively to the proposal. We are accompanied today by Exotica Company, headed by Mr. Raphael Dabbane, which will provide support alongside the private sector.”
Morcos added: “Our meeting today is a field visit, following our previous theoretical discussions. We will meet again next week, God willing, to finalize the implementation phases. We cannot specify a timeframe for completing the project, as this depends on the availability of engineering, agricultural, and technical resources.
The purpose of this coordination meeting is to assess the site firsthand and secure irrigation sources to ensure the garden’s sustainability, vibrancy and greenery. This is a primary concern for us, as we want to ensure that the work should not be merely a routine, official activity without proper follow-up.”
The Minister continued: “The idea was born as a sincere initiative toward media professionals, journalists, and photographers, and as a gesture of appreciation for their dedication and enthusiasm in covering every festival, celebration and event that matters to people, in both sound and image. Allocating designated spaces in honor of the media’s sacrifices is the least we can do. This initiative will be completed, God willing, across all governorates, and may also take other forms, such as naming streets and squares after pioneers in the spheres of journalism and media, and equipping rooms and studios for media professionals along the roads connecting the governorates, allowing for rest and for the possibility of conducting interviews.”
Morcos concluded by saying: “We hope to continue field coordination with the governor and the municipality to develop appropriate agricultural plans to begin work on this park and ensure its greenery and sustainability through proper irrigation and maintenance, in preparation for the opening, which will take place once the agricultural work is completed. This will include a study to prepare seating areas, a proposed timeline by agricultural engineers, and an assessment of how support and funding can be secured.”
Beirut Governor Judge, in turn, said: “We have committed to this project with the Beirut Municipality, and, God willing, we will continue to provide it with the necessary care after its completion, to the best of our ability and within the bounds of the law. We also hope to finish it and open it very soon.”
For his part, the Head of Beirut Municipality said: “We immediately responded to the Minister of Information’s request to coordinate with the Governor of Beirut to facilitate the work and implementation of this project. This is the least we can do to honor journalists and their sacrifices for the country.”
The owner of ‘Exotica’ Company said: ‘The issue of irrigation is our main concern, as gardens cannot maintain their greenery and vitality without water. We must therefore ensure the availability of nearby wells and identify their geographic locations. We have worked on the first phase, which involved preparing the basic maps and studying the land, and we at Exotica are ready to implement this initial phase. We will then move on to the next phase, which entails studying the required budget and working to find partners to help financing this beautiful project, one that befits Beirut and the Lebanese media.’”
