Freedom, justice and solidarity are the basic principles underlying the work of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS). The KAS is a political foundation, closely associated with the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU). As co-founder of the CDU and the first Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Konrad Adenauer (1876-1967) united Christian-social, conservative and liberal traditions. His name is synonymous with the democratic reconstruction of Germany, the firm alignment of foreign policy with the trans-Atlantic community of values, the vision of a unified Europe and an orientation towards the social market economy. His intellectual heritage continues to serve both as our aim as well as our obligation today.
In our European and international cooperation efforts, we work to create the ability for people to live self-determined lives in freedom and dignity. We make a contribution that helps Germany to meet its growing responsibilities in an increasingly interconnected world and we encourage people to lend a hand in shaping the future along these lines.
With more than 70 offices abroad and projects in over 120 countries, we make a unique contribution to the promotion of democracy, the rule of law and a social market economy. To foster peace and freedom we encourage a continuous dialog at the national and international level and strengthen the exchange among different cultures and religions.
Human beings in their distinctive dignity and with their rights and responsibilities are at the heart of our work. We are guided by the conviction that human beings are the starting point in the effort to bring about social justice and democratic freedom while promoting sustainable economic activity. By bringing people together who embrace their responsibilities in society, we develop active networks in the political, social and economic spheres.
In particular, we seek to intensify political cooperation in the area of development cooperation at the national and international levels on the foundations of our objectives and values. The guidance we provide on the basis of our political know-how helps to shape the globalization process along more socially equitable, ecologically sustainable and economically efficient lines.
The country programme Lebanon engages with topics of political, social and economic relevance including political reforms and participation, transparency, accountability, socio economic development, entrepreneurship and innovation.
The KAS Lebanon office conducts a diverse array of activities such as the implementation of seminars, workshops, and forums for dialogue and debate, the hosting of conferences with high-level experts from the region and beyond as well as publishing research about the most pressing and timely political issues in Lebanon.
Concretely, it is the mission of the country programme in Lebanon to:
- contribute to the political, economic, and social development in Lebanon;
- promote knowledge about the functioning of political institutions and processes;
- inform about relevant political, economic, and social topics and offer a forum for the discussion regarding the former;
- strengthen German-Lebanese and Euro-Lebanese relations.
We pursue these goals in collaboration with a multitude of local partners. Those may be academic institutions, think tanks, civil society associations, private sector organisations, governmental bodies and political parties, amongst others.
In addition to this, as of 2023, the programme’s mandate was extended to deal with issues of flight and migration in the Levant region. Especially the repercussions of the civil war in Syria are felt throughout the region and need to be addressed if tenable solutions for greater stability and prosperity ought to be found.
In this regard, the KAS Lebanon office seeks to further knowledge about root causes of flight and migration, internal displacement, sustainable measures for reconciliation between host and refugee communities, re-integration and conflict transformation. In doing so, it is our goal to contribute to the cultivation of pluralistic societal values, interreligious and intercultural dialogue as well as co-existence in Lebanon, Syria and beyond.
We invite you to take a closer look at our website where you can find ample information about our project, partners and activities in Lebanon and the region.