Displaced families stuck in traffic, March 2026 -- photo Ahmad Badr/NRC

Here are community-led efforts in Lebanon supporting the displaced

With an unprecedented minimum of 450,000 people displaced in Lebanon, community-led efforts are again working to provide basic aid. These often overlap with the very music and creative communities I’ve written about here, in the country and internationally. And they can benefit from your support.

Premiering now, Fake Lines: Sono Levant reconnects what was divided

From Joy Moughanni to Al Shatea Band, Fake Lines: Sono Levant from the non-profit, “non-label” Fake Lines draws together sounds from across diasporas and identities in a time of genocide, erasure, and division. It’s premiering now as I write this on Radio Alhara, with a release coming later this month (and tracks to preview). And it supports a vital cause: giving Gaza back its food sovereignty.

Peter Kirn - September 25, 2025

25 years of improvisation and experimentation at Lebanon’s Irtijal

Young independent outlet Megaphone tells the story of Irtijal Festival’s impact on Beirut and Lebanon through local eyes and a compilation of the folks who made it happen. It’s a must-watch as a way of reflecting on the spaces we create for music in all parts of the world.

Peter Kirn - May 19, 2025