Lebanon Represented at the International Book Fair, Buenos Aires, Argentine

A project to be replicated

Annually the International Book Fair takes place in Buenos Aires, Argentine. This is one of the most important cultural events of the country where for a month, editors, representatives of public/ private institutions and universities from various countries come together to display their publications.

Thanks to the Lebanese Maronite Mission of Argentina, Lebanon had its first representation and booth/stand in this fair for the first time in 2000.

The main purpose for this participation was the desire to disseminate information about the values of the Lebanon with an emphasis on its Phoenicians heritage and cultural importance of the Lebanon in the Middle East. The objective behind this purpose was to demonstrate the value and contribution of Lebanon to Western civilization.

To enhance the emphasis herewith mentioned, the Lebanese booth/stand was decorated with pictures of Baalbek, Byblos, Tyre, Sidon and Beirut and others landscapes.

The focal point was a Maronite liturgy book in Aramaic printed by the first printer of the east in Lebanon around the 1600s.

Further, cultural videos about Lebanon and typical Lebanese music were displayed on a television monitor. Also there were books about tourism, archeology, history, religion, videos, maps, souvenirs, pictures, posters, CDs and an interactive database which Lebanese visitors could use to trace their family roots.

Young customer service representatives were in charge of the project and had worked on it for several months and they explained to visitors the importance of Lebanon in the world.

On May 6^th, which is the day Lebanon remembers the Martyrs who had fallen for Lebanon’s freedom, the location (booth) marked it as a special "Lebanon Day."

Further, an auditorium was rented where 1000 persons participated in the event. The ceremony started with Dabble, a traditional Lebanese dance, and continued with videos. Also, there was a short meeting about the history and contributions of Lebanon to the civilization. The event finished with typical Lebanese food.

In summary, the presence of the Lebanese exhibition during the 25 day-long Feria del Libro (international book fair) can be qualified as very successful. The atmosphere it created and the products and services it offered assembled a great crowd of visitors: many people came to know the true Lebanon and a large number of " lost " descendents were able to rediscover their roots.

Information supplied by: "http://phoenicia.org