Back to Roots Summer Academy

established in 2010 by a group of passionate lebanese-americans, btr is a free two-week immersion trip to lebanon for young adults in the lebanese diaspora. fifteen participants spend the full two weeks together, day in, day out, to delve into their heritage through excursions, meetings with civil society groups, and topical lectures on lebanese history, society, economy, and more. many participants come with preconceived notions of lebanon that they've inherited from their parents. this means they deeply love their homeland, but they look at the country as deeply flawed, with little opportunity for improvement and even fewer opportunities for members of the diaspora to come back and contribute. this is where back to roots comes in. after meeting with women's rights activists over a delicious bowl of lebanese tabbouleh, dancing the night away under the stars in one of the oldest cities in the world, and getting into heated debates about sectarianism and politics in the lively streets o