They have been at the forefront of local entities responding to the crisis, working on the ground to provide services to meet basic social and health needs, in addition to those related to transportation, economic development and safety.
The recent municipal elections have highlighted the crucial role municipalities can play in encouraging and facilitating the participation of various actors in peace building. Municipalities have initiated dialogue, consultations and campaigns to reinforce their role in conflict mitigation and developing relations at once with local communities and refugees.
The idea that strengthening the capacities of municipalities at the local level would contribute to preventing violence in conflict-prone villages and cities in Lebanon has been a recurrent theme during the recent municipal elections.
Certain municipalities have adopted innovative ways in responding to the needs of citizens and refugees, which have been welcomed by some and denounced by others. Other municipalities have adopted solutions of a more unilateral nature to problems relating to refugees, including curfews on “foreigners”.
We are convinced that more should be done to empower municipalities so that they are able to better respond to the crisis and to make sure that they are primary actors in the response strategy alongside the central government, humanitarian organizations and, of course, donors.