American Corner article

2005 press releases

U.S. Embassy Opens First 'American Corner' in Rachaya, West Beqaa

Center for Information on American Culture

September 8, 2005

U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon Jeffrey Feltman cut the ribbon on the first American Corner in Lebanon at the municipal library of Rachaya in West Beqaa on Thursday, September 8, 2005. The American Corner is a resource center for residents of the Beqaa to learn more about the United States and American culture. The American Corner is a partnership between the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section and the Rachaya municipality library. The Municipality of Rachaya provided space in its library to house $50,000-worth of materials and equipment donated by the U.S. Embassy. The American collection includes over 850 English-language books, a computer and CD-ROMs, videos, and DVDs and the equipment on which to view them. The American Corner is open, without charge, to all residents of the area, including high school pupils and teachers, university students and professors, professionals and community members.

The Rachaya American Corner project is a component of ongoing U. S. Embassy support for Lebanon’s community-based libraries. Initiated in April 2004, the U.S. Embassy program aims to increase the availability of books in English and Arabic about the United States—free of charge—to Lebanese citizens throughout the country. Through the American Corner in Rachaya, the Embassy aims to strengthen mutual understanding between the peoples of The United States of America and Lebanon. The Embassy has identified additional sites in north and south Lebanon to place American Corners. Communities interested in participating in the U.S. Embassy library program should contact the Public Affairs Section at PASBeirut@state.gov.

Following are Ambassador Feltman’s remarks at the opening of the Rashaya American Corner.

I am delighted to be with you in Rashaya today to open the first American Corner in Lebanon. By cutting the ribbon on the entrance of Rashaya’s American Corner, I am inviting you to discover more about America’s culture, history, geography, literature and arts. But more important than the gift of books and audiovisual material that this room contains, is the promise of sincere, heartfelt and lasting friendship between our two peoples, American and Lebanese.

But what is an American Corner [AL-Multaqa thaqafi Ameriki ] First of all, it is a partnership between our Embassy’s Public Affairs Section and the Municipality of Rashaya and a commitment to exchange and dialogue. You, the members of the Municipality have offered us a room in your community library. We at the U.S. Embassy have offered you $50,000 in materials and equipment, to include more than 850 English-language books, a computer and CD-ROMs, videos and DVDs, and the equipment on which to view them.

The Arabic word "Multaqa" implies a meeting place and that’s what we hope Rashaya’s American Corner will become—a meeting place for your community as well as a meeting place between Americans and Lebanese. It is our hope that the American Corner will contribute to the Municipality’s efforts to enhance the life of its citizens. The American Corner includes English-language books, periodicals and videos, on topics as diverse as English teaching, study in the United States, career options, business, economics, literature and the arts. And with our donation of a computer, we hope more of Rashaya’s citizens will develop the skills to use the Internet to search out information, including more about the services of the U.S. Embassy and policies of the U.S. Government.

With the establishment of this American Corner in Rashaya, the U.S. Embassy knows it has a site at which it can host exhibits and discussions, student and consular outreach meetings. We look forward, for example, to the visit of American public librarian Ann Myren of Haines, Alaska, who will conduct a workshop here with librarians from the Beqaa, at the end of this month.

I noted that Rashaya’s American Corner is the first in Lebanon—but it is by no means unique in the region or the world. American Corners exist throughout the Middle East, from Morocco to Oman, and including the West Bank, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Your American Corner is one of more than 250 around the world. You join a special club that includes sites in Albania and Armenia, Kenya and Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Norway, Benin and Belarus.

Some of you may remember years ago—before civil strife ripped apart the fabric of Lebanon’s society—the five John F. Kennedy Libraries in Lebanon. These libraries introduced America to hundreds of thousands of Lebanese who checked out books, read American newspapers and magazines, studied English and participated in cultural activities.

Now, with the pages of Syrian occupation turned and a new chapter of Lebanese history beginning written, it is particularly appropriate that Lebanon’s first American Corner open here in Rachaya. But we hope that this American Corner is only the first, and that with subsequent Corners we hope to open elsewhere in the country, we can re-establish our cultural programming to bring Americans and Lebanese living outside of Beirut together in dialogue and discovery

Choosing Rachaya as our first site for this American Corner was not difficult given the already excellent cooperation between the Embassy and the Municipality, and the warmth of welcome you have always accorded us. I thank you for inviting us into your community and look forward to enhanced cooperation and interaction between the U.S. Embassy and the people of Rachaya and West Beqaa.

It gives me great pleasure now, to cut the ribbon on Rachaya’s American Corner and invite you in to celebrate American-Lebanese friendship.