The “My country, my town, my municipality” nationwide campaign

Launched by the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE) in 1997 to advocate the holding of municipal elections on time, the campaign baladi, baldati, baladiyati (My country, my town, my municipality),  was one of the first to be held by civil society actors in Lebanon. The campaign started in October 1997 and lasted until May 1998, mobilising the general public using several tactics, including rallies, petitions (over 100,000 signatures were collected), and sit-ins. Women’s participation was visible throughout this mobilisation. The campaign had a high response rate from the Lebanese public, and contributed to the holding the municipal elections in 1998, which were the first to be held after the Lebanese Civil War.