CHAIMA BENZEKRI

While most studies about disasters and crisis focus on immediate relief, I investigate the long-term reorganization of devastated communities. I am conducting an ethnography of post-disaster organizing efforts in Lebanon since the explosion of the port of Beirut in august 2020. As the country is facing cumulative crises, I focus on examining the role of solidarity in the formulation of an alternative future. My study aims to understand how solidarity contributes to the redirection and processing of negative emotions arising from the explosion and the overall political and economic situation, gradually fostering a transformative energy that facilitates the establishment of new social arrangements and an alternative future. Moreover, given the persistent social needs stemming from the entrenched political and economic crises, I question how we can effectively sustain solidarity amidst this backdrop, ensuring that social organizations have the necessary financial resources to continue their valuable work.