Aradeek Supports

Preserving the Old,
While Searching for the New

"It really saddens me to see beautiful old buildings in Beirut being torn apart one after another," says Bilal El Houri. "That's not the Beirut I want. Why can't we preserve old neighborhoods? Why can't we protect them?"

One person may be unable to save Beirut's historic architecture alone, but Houri has found a way to preserve some of Beirut's old heritage - using new technology. Every day he posts several photos of the city on his website, Old Beirut. The images from the 1800s to the 1970s, mostly black and white, include buildings, streets, and squares, some familiar and some so altered by time that they are unrecognizable.

In one of Old Beirut's images, a sepia-tinted photo of the Place de L'Etoile from 1930, the area is clearly much changed....Continue Reading

Aradeek Supports SEAL & Their Efforts

Social and Economic Action for Lebanon ("SEAL"), a 501 c (3) non-profit, non political organization, was founded in 1997 in New York City by a group of Lebanese-Americans wanting to take action against the severe social and economic problems facing post-war Lebanon.

SEAL's mission is to improve the standards of living of the lower segment of the Lebanese population while bypassing the political, religious and social hurdles that Lebanese society faces today.

To accomplish its objectives, SEAL combines philanthropy with economic development to help under-privileged yet capable individuals in Lebanon become financially self-sufficient. We invest in people, irrespective of their background, religion or political affiliation. More specifically, we provide financial grants to low-income individuals to help them jumpstart or expand their business. This results in the creation of new jobs and improved standards of living for these individuals, their families and respective communities.

Since its inception - often in conjunction with local non-government organizations (NGOs) - SEAL has researched potential projects throughout Lebanon and has funded projects in industries ranging from farming to tailoring and embroidery, sea salt production, industrial tools and business education.

The Lebanon

Max Milligan

The book contains Milligan's natural photos of Lebanon; places, people and animals.Many have described the book as a new, different look at Lebanon.

What makes Milligan's pictures unique is that they are naturally lit without using flash or filters. He has an artistic eye that is perfect for capturing the anything in their habitat. He has published around four books and two are in progress.

A portion of proceeds from book sales go to support a Lebanese charity.