The Gibran Third International Conference took place on January 4 - 6 2018 in Lebanon. The title of the Conference was “Gibran in the 21st Century: Lebanon’s Message to the World.”

 

In describing the Conference, May Rihani, Director of the Kahlil Gibran Chair for Values and Peace wrote:

Two universities, one in Lebanon one in the United States;
Two Entities, a Center for Lebanese Heritage and a Gibran Chair for Values and Peace;
Two poets and authors, one living in Lebanon and one living in the United States have decided to celebrate Gibran.
The Center for Lebanese Heritage at the Lebanese American University (LAU) and the Gibran Chair for Values and Peace at the University of Maryland, joined efforts, a year ago, to plan, organize and deliver the Third International Conference on Gibran entitled, "Gibran in the 21st Century: Lebanon's Message to the World."
The first two International Conferences were in the USA, at the University of Maryland. We decided the third one should be in Lebanon.
Gibran Invokes a renewed and deeper dialogue between East and West: This Conference is a manifestation of that grand idea.
Gibran was about a vision of the connectedness of all human beings regardless of race, religion, creeds, and cultures: This Conference will discuss that.
Gibran was about the power of poetry, literature, art, and music as vehicles of reaching out to the Other: This Conference will address these issues.
Gibran was about the revival and reform of Arabic literature to which he and his fellow authors of the Pen League in New York were dedicated: This Conference will examine these efforts and will facilitate a visit to the two museums of the two more prominent voices in this arena- Gibran's museum in Besharri and  museum in Freike. 
Finally, Gibran was about a spiritual journey: I am sure this Conference will inspire and enlighten us all."

 

May RihaniMay Rihani, Director of the Gibran Chair delivers her opening remarks at the third International Gibran Conference in Lebanon.

This Conference had twenty scholars from Lebanon, the United States, Italy, and Australia discuss the contributions of Gibran to humanity. In the opening ceremony, both Henri Zoghaib, the Director of the Center for Lebanese Heritage at LAU, and May Rihani, the Director of the Gibran Chair for Values and Peace at UMD, framed the Conference and welcomed the audience. Dr. Philip Salem was the keynote speaker and highlighted the universal values of Gibran; he spoke of love, justice, and the inner journey. Dr. Salem's speech was titled The Gibran Who Is Still Alive. In his opening remarks, he said, “we are gathered here today not to talk about a dead man, but to speak about the man who is still alive. The man who still lives with us.“

 

The panels of the Conference discussed Gibran the multifaceted pioneer, the relevance of Gibran’s spiritual values, the impact and influence of Gibran, Gibran the visionary, and the ongoing discoveries about Gibran. 
Among the international panelists were Professor Roger Allen (Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, University of Pennsylvania), Rev. Paul-Gordon Chandler (author, interfaith advocate, art curator at CARAVAN arts, USA), Professor Wail Hassan (Professor of Comparative Literature and English, University of Illinois), Glen Kalem (filmmaker from Sydney, Australia), Tania Sammons (writer, curator, and publisher on Mary Haskell and Gibran, USA), and Francesco Medici (scholar and researcher from Italy).

 

 

Philip SalemKeynote speaker Dr. Philip Salem delivers his speech at the Third International Gibran Conference in Lebanon.

The panels took place during the first two days. On the third day, January 6th, the international panelists and audience members along with the organizers of the conference, visited the Ameen Rihani museum in Freike and the Gibran Museum and celebrated Gibran’s 135th birthday in Besharri.

 

Ameen Rihani museumThe Ameen Rihani museum in Freike, Lebanon.

During the Conference, the organizers distributed a booklet (the photo of which is featured above) about Gibran that included the program of the conference, some paintings by Gibran, short bios about the twenty speakers, and an article by the late Professor Suheil Bushrui and Professor Henri Zoghaib published for the first time and titled, “The Permanence of Lebanon: Lebanon’s Dialogue with the West”. (To read the article, click here)

 

The Gibran Third International Conference attracted the media in an unprecedented way. Representatives of television stations and radio programs, newspapers and magazines covered the three full days of the Conference and, until today, over 41 Lebanese and international in-print articles, online articles have been written, and 6 television, including primetime, and radio interviews have been conducted. Links to the aforementioned media coverage can be found below:

TELEVISION: (As of January 17, 2018)

  • LBCI  |  28-12-2017 

(Pre-conference) Kalam Ennas: Henri Zoghaib guest at Kalam Ennas to shed light on 2 activities organized in collaboration with LAU – Arabic Language event and "Gibran in the 21st Century:" https://www.lbcgroup.tv/watch/36523/جردة-عام-2017  

  • Al Jadeed TV |  04/01/2018 

(Conference coverage) Primetime News: Report covering the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU (00:46:03-00:47:50): http://aljadeed.tv/arabic/news/newscasts/040120182

  • MTV  |  04/01/2017 

(Conference coverage) Primetime News: Report covering the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU:   http://mtv.com.lb/Programs/Prime_Time_News/2018/videos/04_Jan_2017_/%D9%82%D8%B6%D9%8A%D8%A9_%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D9%81%D9%84%D8%A9_%D8%A7%D9%8A%D9%84%D8%A7_%D8%B7%D9%86%D9%88%D8%B3

  • LBCI  |  09-01-2018

(Post-conference) Bte7la ElHayet: Interview with Henri Zoghaib to talk about "Gibran in the 21st Century" conference at LAU: http://bit.ly/2CYUom0

  • Future TV  | 12-01-2018

(Post- conference) Sireh w Nfata7et: Interview with Poet Henri Zoghaib about Gibran Khalil Gibran’s Conference at LAU (01:02:55-01:23:15): http://bit.ly/2Df3zeb

 

NEWSPAPERS AND ONLINE SOURCES: (As of January 17, 2018)

  • The Daily Star (27-12-2017): Announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • The Daily Star (28-12-2017): Announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • Al Joumhouria (29-12-2017): Article announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • The Daily Star (29-12-2017): Announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • The Daily Star (30-12-2017): Announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • Mustaqbal (30-12-2017): Article announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • Anwar (30-12-2017): Article announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • Kataeb (02-01-2018): Article announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU: http://bit.ly/2CHq2RJ
  • Akhbar Alyawm (02-01-2018): Article announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU: http://www.akhbaralyawm.com/#/-6412
  • Alhayat (03-01-2018): Article announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU: http://www.alhayat.com/Articles/26453485
  • Alliwaa (03-01-2018): Article announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • Anwar (03-01-2018): Article announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • The Daily Star (03-01-2018): Article announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • Al-Akhbar (03-01-2018): Article announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • Alhayat (03-01-2018): Article announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • Al Markaziya (01-2018): Article announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU: http://www.almarkazia.com/Miscellaneous/Article?ID=157608  
  • NNA (04-01-2018): Article announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU: http://nna-leb.gov.lb/ar/show-news/322345/LAU
  • Annahar (04-01-2018): Article announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • Awsat (04-01-2018): Article announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • Al Liwaa (04-01-2018): Article announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • The Daily Star (04-01-2018): Announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • L'orient (04-01-2018): Announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • Al Joumhouria (04-01-2018): Announcing the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • Akhbar Alyawm (04-01-2018): Covering the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU: http://www.akhbaralyawm.com/#/lau-7093
  • ElNahsra (04-01-2018): Covering the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU: http://bit.ly/2m45BX8
  • Annahar (06-01-2018): Covering the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • Anwar (06-01-2018): Covering the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU
  • Daily Star (06-01-2018): Covering the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • Al Balad (06-01-2018): Covering the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • Alliwaa (06-01-2018): Covering the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • Aina (06-01-2018): Covering the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU: http://www.aina.org/ata/20180106135901.htm
  • Daily Star (07-01-2018): Covering the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • Daily Star (07-01-2018): Covering the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU.
  • AlHayat (07-01-2018): Covering the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" taking place at LAU: http://www.alhayat.com/Opinion/Abdo-Wazen/26560172/
  • Annahar (11-01-2018): By Hayat Abou Fadel - Article covering the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" at LAU.
  •  Annahar (11-01-2018): By Raouf Kobeissi - Article covering the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" at LAU.
  • Awsat (16-01-2018): Article covering the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" at LAU.
  • Annahar (17-01-2018): Article mentioning the third international conference "Gibran in the 21st Century" at LAU.

Click here to view the Conference announcement and invitation.

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