Leaders for Justice 2024 - First Week

For this second edition and following a very competitive and thorough selection process, 14 bright young Lebanese jurists were selected. Aim of the program is to foster a community encouraged and empowered to fight for and improve the rule of law, to unite, strengthen one another, stick together and push forward. This cannot be done without equipping each member with essential skills, knowledge and abilities, in order to become a leader: a leader for justice. 

During this first week, legal and soft skills were enhanced and improved. In addition, there was a focus on leadership, based on ethical principles and virtues that recognize and promote values such as integrity, responsibility, empathy and justice.

Over the course of five days, the young jurists embarked on a series of training sessions and closed discussions, on which a brief can be found hereafter:

1) Training sessions:

• “Introduction to the Rule of Law”, a session given by Mr. Philipp Bremer, the Director of the KAS Rule of Law Programme MENA. He acquainted the 14 motivated jurists with German criminal law and the German constitution, particularly the freedom of speech, laid out in Art. 5 GG, through case studies. A discussion was initiated regarding the exact components of the Rule of Law, during which the participants had the opportunity to present their own perspectives. The necessity of a functioning separation of powers to avoid an abuse of power to a certain extent was also a central topic.

• “Critical Thinking & Decision Making”, a session given by Mr. Joe Hammoura, a coach in Leadership and an academic and political researcher. This training focused on thinking and rethinking, on questioning and asking “why?”. Through focused group, the participants had to debate, discuss and present non-legal cases.

• “Verbal Martial Art”, a session given by Mrs. Raya Boustani, a senior communication trainer and coach & a certified mediator. This training focused on conflict management and how de-escalation in a situation can be achieved through body language, tone of voice and choice of words. Emphasis was placed on how the other party's words can be cleverly employed to yield a positive effect. Three martial arts instructors practically demonstrated these concepts, allowing the participants to experience this firsthand during martial arts exercises which fostered camaraderie among the participants and provided an excellent opportunity to apply the knowledge gained through role-playing activities.

• “Reflection on Leadership”, a session conducted by Mr. Michel El Daccache, president of Leadership for Sustainable Development (LSD) and certified coach in Leadership Development Module LEAD NOW from Stewart Leadership USA. In this session, the participants had to figure out how we can lead in practice. And how to lead oneself with clear values amid uncertainty.

• “Virtous Leadership”, a session accompanied by Mr. Anthony Tayah, a consultant, teacher and trainer at Havard Virtuous Leadership Institute (HVLI). This session highlighted the importance of one’s personal knowledge, that can lead to self-improvement and self-realization. Each participant had the chance to discover his/her own temperament, the latter being the foundation on which we build our character, that is made up of virtues. The main moto of this session was ‘Igniting Hearts for Greatness’.

• “Non-Verbal Communication”, a session led by Dr. Dominik Hamm, assistant professor and head of the department of political and administrative sciences at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK). This session was a mix between the theory and practice of non-verbal communication. It was important to see that each and single move or positioning, if it was for the hands or other parts of our body, has a lot to say of our state of mind. Once observed and noticed, those movements that constitute encrypted messages can be revealed.  

2) Closed discussions:

• Meeting with President Judge Tannous Mechleb, President of the Lebanese Constitutional Council, and Judge Mireille Najm-Checrallah, Judge at the Lebanese Constitutional Council. In the very friendly meeting, a multitude of topics were discussed, amongst them the council’s prerogatives, its formation and role within the judicial system.

• Meeting with Me. Rany Sader, Attorney-at-Law and President of Youssef SADER Foundation for Legal Culture. This meeting sent a strong message of motivation especially after the participants were acquainted with the history of the SADER foundation. In addition, a key roadmap pointed out how one can move from the “I decide, you Do” towards “You Decide, You Do” – highlighting the importance of delegation, trust and growth.

The program, also, included a movie-debate session on “12 Angry Men”. A movie about a jury in a New York City murder trial that is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to consider the evidence more carefully before jumping to a hasty verdict.

At the end, the participants concluded the first week with a collective evaluation session.