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Social IssuesAug 12, 2025
Between Conflict and Coexistence: Refugee-Host Dynamics in Ghobeiry
- Carlos Naffah
In this podcast, Carlos Naffah speaks with LCPS researcher Rasha Akel about the dynamics between Syrian refugees and Lebanese returnees in Ghobeiry, a municipality in Beirut’s southern suburbs. Naffah discusses a study he conducted after the 2023 conflict which explores how these two communities—both impacted by displacement and economic hardship—navigate coexistence in a strained environment. Through interviews with local residents, authorities, and civil society actors, the study reveals a complex reality marked by both tension and interdependence.
Carlos Naffah is a university professor and a consultant specialized in refugee crisis management and public policy. He is a Ford Global Fellow (2020) and recipient of the German Foreign Ministry Award “German Unity through Arab Eyes” (2015). He headed the regional committee in charge of publishing Adyan Foundation's Glossary of Key Terms in Monitoring and Evaluation. He also headed the Arab Standard Classification of Occupations Committee as part of the GIZ Policy Reform program, as well as the Lebanese-German Academic Exchange Program with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). In addition to his PhD in Education Policy from the Lebanese University, he holds a master’s degree in International Education Management from Ludwigsburg University, Germany, and a master’s degree in Political and Administration Sciences from the Lebanese University.