(WASHINGTON, DC) — The Christian Lebanese Foundation in the World (CLFW) announced it would host ten registration campaigns for Lebanese citizenship this March.
CLFW says there are many political, business, and social advantages to becoming a Lebanese citizen, including the right to vote in municipal and legislative elections, and the right to own and inherit property.
The organization adds that registration also helps maintain religious pluralism in Lebanon, by protecting minority religions in the country and providing them with equal governmental representation.
“The religious conviviality is the true mission and vocation of our country,” said Nada Abisamra, director of the DC-based organization. “What we need is to get each Lebanese descendant who has the right to be registered in the official registry of Lebanon to do so.”
The Arab American Institute estimates that 3.3 million Americans are of Lebanese descent, and the majority are Christian, including Maronite Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic.
CLFW hopes to add hundreds of new citizens to Lebanon’s official records in March. They plan to host registration campaigns in 9 cities across the country:
- Cleveland, Ohio – March 4, 2015 – St. Maron Church – 1245 Carnegie Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115
- Tampa, Florida – March 7, 2015 – St. Peter and Paul Maronite Catholic Church – 6201 Sheldon Road, Tampa, FL 33615
- Phoenix, Arizona – March 7 & 8, 2015 – St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church – 5406 E Virginia Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85008
- San Francisco, California – March 13, 14, & 15, 2015 – Our Lady of Lebanon – 600 El Camino Real, Millbrae, CA 94030
- Encino, California – March 15, 2015 – Holy Martyrs Armenian Church – 5300 White Oak Avenue, Encino, CA 91316
- Easton, Pennsylvania – March 15, 2015 – Our Lady of Lebanon – 55 S 4th St, Easton, PA 18042
- Cincinnati, Ohio – March 15, 2015 – St Anthony of Padua Maronite Church – 2530 Victory Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45206
- Livonia, Michigan – March 22, 2015 – St. Rafka Maronite Catholic Church – 32765 Lyndon Street, Livonia, MI 48154
- Las Vegas, Nevada – March 22, 2015 – St. Sharbel Catholic Church – 10325 Rancho Destino Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89183
Interested applicants are urged to bring their citizenship documents, which include a Lebanese family civil registry, marriage certificate, and birth certificate(s).
For more information, visit clfw.org.
