No Frontiers celebrates eighth anniversary

BEIRUT - Alternative Press News

November 2005

No Frontiers celebrated its eighth anniversary at the American University of Beirut by issuing The No Frontiers Gazette and launching its website on a private domain www.bilahoudoud.org  and www.bilahoudoud.com

"This represents a great achievement for our group," said Hratch Hasserjian, a senior member of the group that was established in 1997.

No Frontiers is an AUB political student group that has no links to any Lebanese political party. The group endorses leftist thought and its members come from all leftist schools and include communists, social democrats and others.

A number of No Frontiers members are also members of other leftist groups in Lebanon such as the Lebanese Communist Party and the Democratic Left Movement as well as the International Socialist Organization.

"We offer students a commodity most other parties usually don't: To think for themselves," Hasserjian argued. "No one imposes on No Frontiers any decisions. Decision-making in No Frontiers lies in the hands of its current members."

Hasserjian said that even former AUB students, who still enjoy an associate membership status, are not allowed to vote. "These, mostly AUB Alumni, often support us in terms of funds and advice. But they never have the right to vote," he added.

For the occasion of the eighth anniversary, the group issued a gazette and launched a website. "These are meant to show the degree of organization and commitment that our group has reached. They also contain pieces on our thought, news, activities and events," said Mansour Omeira, another senior member.

The anniversary has boosted the group that is preparing for the general AUB student elections on Nov. 16. "Big parties in AUB have appeared and disappeared in AUB in the last decade. We're probably the only self-sustaining party that has maintained itself with a fairly stable presence here," Omeira added.

The anniversary euphoria has not been limited to the current members. Tarek Hashem, one of the founding members, said that in 1997, No Frontiers was doing so poor that the first members considered calling it off. Seeing the group alive and flourishing eight years later, Hashem wrote to the group congratulating them on the newsletter and the website: "My eyes are almost full of tears."

The group members, however, admit that age is never enough guarantee that the group is navigating smoothly. "Like all other parties, No Frontiers has its problems," said Kamal Sanjakdar, another graduate member.

"However, members know that problems are here to be solved and we fully support them to do that. We always remind them that one day in the past, we were in their shoes and that they should preserve this group, its heritage and its independence for coming generations," he added.

Sanjakdar argued that so far, there has been no successful experience of a Lebanese political party that got off on its feet on its own and survived. "So far, No Frontiers is doing something in Lebanon that is both unique and spectacular."