This research reflects the understanding, perceptions, motivation and experiences of 11 national and local organisations in Lebanon that are active and involved in humanitarian response. It is based on a desire to hear what they have to say in their own terms.
Using and adapting Grounded Theory for data collection and analysis, ALNAP conducted intensive interviews with the organisations, without applying a preconceived hypothesis to validate or refute and without pre-established questionnaires and assumptions as to who these organisations are, how they work and what they should be achieving. The aim of the research was to pose one question to research participants and actively listen to their answers: What are your experiences, motivations, practices and engagement in humanitarian response in Lebanon?
More than 300 pages of transcripts from interviews were analysed and coded line by line, to let the interviewees’ concepts, understandings and meanings emerge.
This report does not claim to represent the wide diversity of Lebanese civil society. Rather, it delves into understanding how these organisations conceive and implement actions and processes to support individuals and population affected by conflict, inequality, exclusion, discrimination, displacement and violence in Lebanon,showing common patterns and trends that have resonance among the organisations interviewed. Additional country profiling and contextual interviews with national coordination bodies and local think-tanks informed and triangulated the research.