The Think and Act Tank follows a two-phase methodology to drive change through knowledge and empowerment.
Think: evidence-based research that uncovers systemic challenges and produces policy recommendations rooted in the lived experiences of right holders, so that interventions are rights-based and locally relevant.
Act: MAAN turns these insights into action by informing and empowering communities, and by offering tailored technical support, capacity building and strategic guidance to civil society and institutions.
MAAN serves as a national centre for innovative initiatives and advocacy on justice.
MAAN’s civic education program, delivered mainly through the Activist Academy, empowers young activists across Lebanon, from marginalized northern villages to southern border towns, to challenge corruption, sectarianism and exclusion. The Academy is an inclusive, co-designed space where youth from diverse backgrounds connect, learn and take action as active citizens.
Over the last five years, MAAN has produced research that gives right holders clear direction on how to protect their rights: national studies on social protection, export-import policies, youth, peace and security, and youth political engagement, and studies on specific right holders, such as the victims of the Beirut port explosion (Beirut 607 – Alive Ashes) and persons with disabilities affected by it (Victims of Neglect), the Social Solidarity Monitor and “Policy for Youth, Not About Them”.
With Act for the Disappeared, MAAN designed a project that connects tourists and new generations of Lebanese with Beirut’s complex history: a live bus tour that stops at landmarks across the city and shares stories from the 1975 civil war to the 2020 port explosion, and an interactive website with a map, narratives and recommended readings.
A safe space for secure communication. Beehive is a digital security initiative that responds to the growing surveillance and digital threats activists face. Created after consulting activists, it offers safe, anonymous and self-erasing communication so they can stay connected while protecting their privacy and safety.
Local initiatives led by activists with MAAN’s support: social media and in-person campaigns, seminars, and awareness-raising or advocacy activities. The activists design, organize and carry out each activity themselves.
A youth-led campaign for every young person in Lebanon to be heard in public policy. The 2022 National Youth Policy Action Plan was not reflected in that year’s budget, so activists launched “Ana Hon” to inform young people of their rights, build alliances for youth participation in decision-making, push the authorities to adopt policies that reflect young people’s realities, and hold them accountable for implementing them.
A survivors-led initiative advocating for the victims’ rights to truth, justice and compensation. MAAN supports it by building a full online database about the Beirut port explosion and its victims, going beyond memorialization toward accountability and justice.
Socio-Economic Justice Initiative
