Two young Lebanese talk about their country. And they’re launching a podcast because “Lebanon needs to make its voice heard!”

 “The speed and clarity of the conflict distinguish it from all previous episodes,” says Jeanne d’Arc Davoulbeyukian, an Armenian Catholic who recently graduated with a degree in Human Resources Management. “What would otherwise have taken several months happened in just a few days,” without giving the Lebanese time to heal from the latest crisis of 2025.

Added to this is the economic factor: “This time, people no longer have savings or resources to fall back on.” They’re on the streets. Jeanne d’Arc sees it with her own eyes as she sleeps in Beirut “in cars, tents, or on sidewalks, especially along the waterfront or in public squares, because all the shelters are full.”

“Nothing ever seems enough” in a country that has lost count of the displaced, and where, weeks ago, there were already reports of a million people homeless and without a destination. “Even those who aren’t directly affected,” says Roudy Jido, a Syriac Catholic, “hear the sound of the bombings, see the columns of smoke, and constantly follow the news.”

Their daily lives have been turned upside down, aided by “latent tension” that remains present even in their attempts to go on with their lives: “It’s like living two lives at the same time,” he says. “We try to move forward, but at the same time, we carry the full weight of what’s happening.”

It wasn’t like this in the past; “there was always a time of gradual reconstruction,” a time of healing. Jeanne d’Arc recalls this as she thinks of the deserted southern suburbs of Beirut: “Now there’s only rubble, and all the people who used to walk the streets carrying their joys and worries are now moving around carrying all their belongings in plastic bags.”

The awareness of having become a battlefield where other people’s interests are being played out is more evident this time: “There’s stronger international pressure,” Roudy comments. “Deep down, we feel that the decisions that affect the fate of our country don’t depend entirely on us.”

The two young people from Beirut, along with other young people, are about to launch a podcast. “At first, we thought it wasn’t the right time,” Roudy explains, “but the opposite is true: Lebanon needs to make its voice heard right now! It will be called Boatcast.”

Meanwhile, in Beirut, although no one is exempt from the effects of the war, the Church continues to open its doors to all, regardless of creed or origin. Elsewhere, however, landlords are raising rents, and those from predominantly Shiite areas are turned away for fear of attracting the next bombings. For this reason, “the Churches have become veritable sanctuaries, where clothes, food, blankets, and mattresses are distributed,” Jeanne d’Arc adds. “It’s not just about distributing aid, but about creating a space where people can feel their dignity is still intact, despite the chaos.” “There are those who offer shelter, those like Caritas who remain alongside vulnerable communities, and those who continue to visit villages in the south of the country, despite the objective danger,” Roudy continues.

Opportunities are also arising that bring together young people from different patriarchates: “With the national prayer initiative ‘Seeds of Peace in a Wounded Land,’ we reread the words that Leo XIV addressed to us young people during his visit to Lebanon. Thus, we join our voices to seek a reconciliation that comes from Christ.” In a context like Lebanon, faith allows us to rediscover “a source of stability and hope,” says Roudy. “It allows us to see God in the volunteers who haven’t slept for 48 hours to help displaced families, who put their own needs second to transporting, in their own cars, those in need of shelter, and who share their food with others,” adds Jeanne d’Arc. She does not conceal her fear that humanitarian resources will run out before political decisions or United Nations interventions can bring benefits.

Despite this and despite everything, they say together, “We are a people who want to live!” “Young people continue to work, the Church continues to serve, and communities remain standing: we are wounded, but not destroyed,” says Roudy.

“The world needs to know,” Jeanne d’Arc appealed, “that Lebanon isn’t just a newspaper headline or a battlefield, but people who, until a few weeks ago, had jobs, homes, and dreams. We’re doing our best to keep hope alive, but we can’t do it alone.” (I.F./VN)