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Civil society in Lebanon
In Lebanon, civil society gained strength and independence during the civil war between 1975 and 1990. Central authority collapsed and the absence of state services made NGOs important to the survival of communities. Despite Syria's growing influence in the country and sectarian tensions, the sector grew exponentially after the war ended in 1990, with a number of around 250 associations a year. To access services and benefits in pre-war Lebanon, the most common way was through joining clientelist networks controlled by political leaders. The civil war caused a replacement of these traditional networks by more complex networks linked to militias, parties, resistance groups and charities. In 2013, Lebanon registered 100 NGOs per 100.000 inhabitants. Lebanon counts the highest number of NGOs after Morocco compared to other Arab countries.

Even though civil society in Lebanon is among the most vibrant in the region, the efficacy of the sector remains limited due to the sectarian political system that hinder democratic reform. After the civil war, the sectarian and political elite managed to reinforce the culture of sectarianism by taking over civil society organizations, media organizations and labor unions, among others. The elite shifted NGO agenda’s towards reform within the already existing sectarian system, instead of promoting change of the sectarian system. The increase and institutionalization of clientelist networks in postwar Lebanon contributed to the deepening of political sectarian identities. This becomes visible through the increase of sectarian communal volunteerism.

Up till today, only few demands of civil society organization in Lebanon have been translated into concrete political change, due to the combination of a weak Lebanese state and the power-sharing agreement in the country that marginalizes associational organizations and constrain the possibility for reform. One of the few associations that turned their advocacy into successful campaigning is the Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections (LADE), which managed to bring back municipal elections in 1997 in Lebanon. In 2011, thousands of Lebanese took to the streets to protest against the sectarian system. These protests were influenced by the Arab uprisings in the region. The most recent collective anti-sectarian mobilization became visible in fall 2019, when hundreds of thousands Lebanese from all different sects united in street demonstration against the sectarian form of government and the malicious economic situation in the country.

Secularism, civil marriage and removal of sect
Although Lebanon is a secular country, family matters such as marriage, divorce and inheritance are still handled by the religious authorities representing a person's faith. The secular system in Lebanon has been institutionalized through the sanctioning of religious communities, which guarantees equal status for official recognized religions. In Lebanon, eighteen religious sects are officially recognized by the state. For anti-sectarian movements and activists, a particular 'secular' outlook is common, despite the fact that the political-sectarian system is a secular form of government.

All marriages in Lebanon must be registered with one of the recognized religious courts, which makes civil marriage invalid. Mixed-sect marriages are not possible, unless one of the partners converts to another religion or when the couple conduct a civil marriage outside the country, which is recognized by Lebanese authorities. In 2008, years of lobbying by civil society organizations and efforts from individual activists led to a change in the law that allowed Lebanese citizens to remove their sect from government registry records. Theoretically, this opened up a path to civil marriage. In 2013, a Sunni-Druze couple was the first to sign a civil marriage contract, but was later that year deemed illegal by their religious communities. This issue cast doubt on the legitimacy of the religious communities’ claims of their rights over marriage and religious identity. Years later, in June 2019, a young Lebanese society couple organized a civil marriage in Beirut, but also this marriage was not officially ratified by the state. According to anthropologist Lara Deeb, interreligious dating and marriage in Lebanon is still unusual and most Lebanese conform to endogamy.

Non-religion is not recognized by the state. The Minister of the Interior Ziad Baroud made it possible in 2009 to have the religious sect removed from the Lebanese identity card. This does not, however, deny the religious authorities complete control over civil family issues inside the country. In 2016 and 2017, a number of citizens requested to reinstate their sectarian affiliation on their ID cards, after they had requested it to be removed. By the removal, they faced obstacles in their daily lives, particularly in issues such as marriage, inheritance, and acceptance in governmental jobs.