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Memoirs of a Leftist Activist
This is the story of a man who knew how to regain control of his life amidst the influences, choices, and various currents that swept through Lebanon in the 1970s and 1980s, all without betraying his convictions. He was quick to realize the difference between words and actions, between the ambitions of the powerful and the efforts and aspirations of the activist.
After a brief experience in one of the leftist organizations during the wars that ravaged Lebanon between 1975 and 1990, and after critically reviewing this experience, its structures, leadership style, and the interaction between party members and leadership, he left the organization. He turned to the broader realm of human and environmental activism, engaging fully as an activist and defender of these causes.
These “pages” resemble many others from notebooks of other intellectuals in Lebanon and beyond, from nations whose elites strive for human progress. Perhaps it is the repetition of this resemblance that makes the desired change elusive, as long as experiences aren’t studied, and mistakes aren’t avoided.
Wadih Hamdan, born in 1951, grew up in the old souks of Beirut, the orchards of the suburbs, and the countryside of his village. He was raised on human values and principles and entered political activism early, dreaming of change in his country. He rejected violence and the atrocities of the wars that ravaged Lebanon and traveled the world advocating for a different vision of his homeland.
He left party politics in protest against the absence of democracy and the idolization of individuals. He became enamored with nature and roamed Lebanon from north to south. He holds a university degree in history from the Lebanese University and a diploma in advanced studies from the Sorbonne University, under the supervision of French Orientalist Dominique Chevallier.
After a brief experience in one of the leftist organizations during the wars that ravaged Lebanon between 1975 and 1990, and after critically reviewing this experience, its structures, leadership style, and the interaction between party members and leadership, he left the organization. He turned to the broader realm of human and environmental activism, engaging fully as an activist and defender of these causes.
These “pages” resemble many others from notebooks of other intellectuals in Lebanon and beyond, from nations whose elites strive for human progress. Perhaps it is the repetition of this resemblance that makes the desired change elusive, as long as experiences aren’t studied, and mistakes aren’t avoided.
Wadih Hamdan, born in 1951, grew up in the old souks of Beirut, the orchards of the suburbs, and the countryside of his village. He was raised on human values and principles and entered political activism early, dreaming of change in his country. He rejected violence and the atrocities of the wars that ravaged Lebanon and traveled the world advocating for a different vision of his homeland.
He left party politics in protest against the absence of democracy and the idolization of individuals. He became enamored with nature and roamed Lebanon from north to south. He holds a university degree in history from the Lebanese University and a diploma in advanced studies from the Sorbonne University, under the supervision of French Orientalist Dominique Chevallier.
433 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 23, 2024
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