QARAMA is a non-profit, non-governmental organization founded on the belief that every child, young individual and human being in the making is inherently entitled to receive the love, support, inspiration and motivation needed to thrive and grow into a change maker of the future.
At QARAMA, our mission is to implement international human rights standards to promote civil society, reinforce the rule of law, and most importantly, combat all forms of injustice. A passion project that has been 10-years in the making, QARAMA is on a mission to campaign for justice and dignity, and implement new methods and programs during these unprecedented times. We believe that every child deserves a future, and that all victim of violence, exploitation, injustice or any form of abuse should be protected, loved and supported. Our champions of human rights are these victims who are the real change makers. With them, we will make a difference.
We envision a world in which every person regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender, age, class, lineage, sexual orientation or geographical nationality enjoys equal human rights and equal opportunities to thrive and develop to the greatest extent of their individual talents and ambitions.
At QARAMA, we believe that our strengths are anchored in our willingness to be forthcoming concerning our finances and the actions we take. We recognize that transparency and accountability are the building blocks of trust and strength in our relationships with our partners, donors, and the individuals we help.
Therefore, we promise to publicly and continuously share our results and reports to the best of our abilities, and keep you informed on how we are fulfilling our promise to fight for and protect the dignity of everyone – especially at-risk minority children and youth – living in Lebanon.
QARAMA values its relationship with its members, donors, volunteers and other stakeholders whom we are partners with to enable us to achieve our purpose. The value of these reports is to recognize the importance of transparency and accountability, and facilitate the development and implementation of measures by QARAMA.
Union for Human Dignity Founder & President | Advocate of Human Rights and Freedom of Expression | TV Host
Joe Maalouf is a Lebanese public figure who proved himself as a human rights activist and a combatant of the parasitic corruption within all aspects of the Lebanese system, through his platforms on the radio, national television, and social media. With shows on Lebanon’s two leading television stations, Maalouf tackled complex political and social issues and broke boundaries when it comes to sensitive topics, as well as shed light on the human rights violations towards members of marginalized communities. The repercussions of several episodes of Joe’s shows were felt on a national scale, but also impacted his personal career, as he was fired twice from his position as editor and host due to the taboo nature of the issues he dealt with. His passion for fighting injustice and safeguarding children’s rights led to the founding of QARAMA, or the Union for Human Dignity, an NGO with a mandate to advance the agenda of human rights, child protection, youth empowerment and freedom of expression. Currently, Maalouf is working on a new television show, after having developed a format that is very youth-centric, participatory, and innovative within the Lebanese media ecosystem, and will air starting September 2021. • Appointed as Ambassador to The Union for the Protection of Juveniles in Lebanon (for the year 2019) • Chosen to participate in the World Press Freedom Conference (London). Watch this published video of his point of view on media freedom posted on the Foreign Affairs Committee Account (House Of Commons ) (July 2019) • Invited to participate in the International Conference on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Crisis Situations in Amsterdam on behalf of Lebanese media figures. (October 2019) • Invited to be a host and moderator at the Women on the Front Lines E-Conference (WOFL) in its 8th edition, organized by UN Women in partnership with the May Chidiac Foundation (MCF). (November 2020) • Invited to host and moderate two panels at the World Press Freedom conference (WPFC2020) in The Hague-Netherlands. (December 2020) • Contributed to the development, as well as led in moderation, of The Circle of Trust, a joint project between the British Council and QARAMA, funded by the European Union, with a focus on youth empowerment, building resilience, and fighting religious extremism.
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A Medical Doctor Graduate, Currently a hematology oncology fellow resident at Hotel Dieu de France Hospital (3rd year).
As a devoted social worker, Elias decided to put his expertise as a medical and social worker in Human Dignity Union. Medicine has always been about humanity and dignity, and with these principles, anything is possible.
Vice President | Board Member
Fighting for social justice and economic empowerment, Alia Mouallem is a Lebanese Lawyer who acts as a sympathetic guide and advocate in areas including women and children affected by domestic violence, sexual assault, and crisis intervention. An advocate of human dignity, freedom, equality, solidarity and respect, she bases her practice on empowerment research, social work research analysis or methodology. In addition, Alia is an active member of the European Union Women's Legal Taskforce.
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Maha is a mother of four who has always dedicated most of her time to help the marginalized. Maha thinks there is no higher calling in terms of a career than to be part of an organization and participate in any way possible to empower the society . Maha was deprived from her children for 7 years after getting divorced and was reunited with them because she never stopped fighting to get them back. Maha is passionate and committed to serve the society.
VIEW PROFILEDevelopment
Tarek Khalil is a graduate scholar and behavioral psychologist, and has worked in various fields encompassing direct care, communications, development, and research.
Tarek is a huge advocate for mental health and social change. He has been a part of and led a number of organizations and projects that focus on mental health justice, inclusivity, human rights, freedom of expression, and sociopolitical awareness.
Tarek's personal experiences, as well as his exposure to and engagement with diverse surroundings, cultures, and individuals around the world, have led him to believe that true change begins with the protection and empowerment of society's children and youth; and by cultivating empathy and resilience in them.
Social Worker
Sarah is a psychologist currently finishing her master’s degree in clinical psychology. She works as an educational psychologist at The Supporters, and as a clinical psychologist at the Red Cross dispensary. Sarah' s passion for working in the humanitarian field is reflected through her activities, she has been a red cross volunteer for over five years, a member of the youth committee in Al Younbouh and engaged with many other NGOs. Since working in child protection is one of her main interests, she has been visiting juveniles in prison Roumieh for more than 4 years and is currently practicing this mission as a social worker in Qarama.
VIEW PROFILESenior Case Manager
Wael Gharzeddine has a Doctorate in Pharmacy and is the owner of a pharmacy. He has more than 15 years' experience in community pharmacy and medical promotion. Because of his special interest in mental health, his published thesis is titled "Drugs Used in Suicide". He is also currently pursuing a master's II degree in Clinical – Adjustment Psychology.
Wael has a 2-year experience in addiction treatment and rehabilitation. He is a volunteer for the national line of psychological support and suicide prevention. He usually works with marginalized individuals from ages of 6 to 21 years old ranging from detainees, orphans to victims of abuse
Social Worker
Fatima has a Master degree in “Sociology of Family”.
She has held several roles in the protection of minors and unsecured children for several years. She has worked under the law 422/2002 with many official/ judiciary departments for the care of the underage implicants with criminal records and physical abuse, handling their cases through investigations/ interrogations sessions, to courts attendance and other processes.
Fatima is a mother of two. She was raised in Italy and speaks 4 languages.
Trainee
Ahmad is a Master student in Clinical Psychology at the Lebanese University. He holds a Bachelor of Sciences in Psychology and earned a certificate in “Life and Managerial Skills Training”. He is currently working at the Military Hospital as an Assistant Psychologist. His interest in protecting the innocent brought him to Qarama to help those who are in need. Aside from his experience in Psychology, Ahmad holds a Bachelor of Military Sciences and has been a full time helicopter pilot since 2014. Ahmad is also very passionate about music. He’s in his 4th year, studying Oud at the Lebanese Conservatory.
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To Shirine, working in the psychology field has been her lifelong calling. It is through this field that she believes she can help, support and add valuable addition to people’s life in society and make them rediscover their true selves and thus change for the better. Her skills and experience include working with all psychic conditions, with a specialty in addiction related settings.
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Lara holds a BA in psychology from Beirut Arab University and currently pursuing her masters in clinical psychology at Lebanese University, and earned a certificate in "Psychological First Aid (PFA)". She is a volunteer in the Lebanese Red Cross Youth department and facilitator in the "Humanitarian values and principles" program. In addition to that she is an advocate for gender equality, and LGBTQ+ community rights.
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Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and how it affects behavior. So Sahar chose this major because it helps her gain a deeper understanding of what is related to human’s attitude, why do people think and act as they do and how do they learn and change over the different stages of their lives. In addition, studying psychology gave her better understanding about herself and others, because learning about human behavior will help you in daily life, by enhancing the communication and interactions with others. It can also improve the skills in conflicts and problems solving which is one of her aims on her journey of self development.
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Rihab started listening and helping people with their life problems in high school. She went through two other careers (nursing and special education) in Step Together before studying psychology. She has always been interested in human interaction and behavior and has been interested in working with special needs children. She ended up working in this field and loved it to become a special educator since 10 years. She is passionate about humanity and loves to help others; Psychology may be the better field of endeavor to enter.
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Hawraa holds a BA in Psychology from the Lebanese University (LU), and currently pursuing her Masters in Clinical Psychology. She found her passion in humanitarian work, which made her volunteer for the Lebanese Red Cross. She joined LRC’s Emergency Medical Service teams back in 2020 and completed multiple training in medical and psychological first aid. In addition, she is a member of the Psycho-Social Support (PSS) committee at her LRC station, which provides physiological support to EMTs through stressful times and after difficult missions and incidents. Finally, Hawraa expanded her experience with children through her internship with Amal Foundation as an activity organizer, and Dar Al Hanan as case manager. One of her most inspiring internship was at Roumieh Central Juvenile Prison as a case counselor.
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Nada is a currently pursuing her master's in clinical psychology at the Lebanese University, and has worked in the fields of special education and art therapy. She enriched her experience via local and international trainings in both psychology and arts. She holds a master’s degree in interior design class 2012, and was a vocational interior architecture and graphic design instructor since 2016. She worked on several interior design projects inside and outside Lebanon. Also she is an artist since the age of 15 and became a professional portrait artist and children story illustrator. She is a medical technician volunteer in red cross since 2016. Nada is looking to build on and improve her sense of humanity in a scientific and systematic way, through being a trainee with Qarama in order to build a firm foundation for creating a good future psychologist.
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Mohammad is a master's student pursuing in general psychology at the Lebanese University, and holding bachelor's degrees in both Military Science and Psychology. He has undergone extensive trainings concerning human rights, prison guiding, risk assessments for the past few years. He aspires to finish his studies in Masters of Psychology in order to be ready and able to help all people, especially those who suffer from psychological problems that hinder them in continuing their daily lives; and thus he aims to put all of his previous experiences, knowledge and studies into the service of any person in need of support. Here lies the secret of Life and the essence of living.
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