I set up this page because I'm anxiously trying to get to Lebanon. After 17 months of mounting political tensions, Lebanon erupted into the worst sectarian violence since the 1975-1990 civil war. The fighting began a week ago, when the Lebanese government fired the chief of airport security for alleged ties to Hezbollah and declared the party's private telephone network illegal and a threat to state security. Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah immediately demanded that the government revoke its decision, branding it a "declaration of war." Within days, Hezbollah fighters seized control of Beirut and violence quickly spread across the country.

As many of you know, Lebanon is my heart. It's like home to me. I have not heard from friends and family that I have out there since the fighting began. 81 people are dead. 280 are wounded. I don't know the names of the victims, if my loved ones are among them or not. It's terrifying.

Most importantly, the perspectives of the Lebanese people are not being heard. The ones shooting each other on the street. The ones beach-bumming and bar-hopping in the midst of war. The others locked in their homes, fear-stricken. Their voices should be heard - all of them. What are their thoughts, their frustrations? How are their aspirations for the future being placed, once again, on hold? How are high-level talks and political maneuvers perceived by these young men and women? For years, they have been offered no space for open discourse, no alternative to sectarianism, no avenue to reconcile their country's diverse religious, cultural, and political factions. They must be given the opportunity to speak and to propose their own resolutions.

For this, I will travel to Lebanon to document the crisis through articles, film, and photography. I plan to interview young Lebanese from all sides: Shia and Sunni, Armenian and Druze, Maronite and Orthodox, rich and poor, marginalized and influential. This is an attempt to humanize the conflict and to foster understanding between the Lebanese people and members of the international community, between victims and readers, and among Lebanese themselves.

But I can't get there on my own. I just started working as a paralegal in a law firm. Even though it may mean my job, I'm trying to figure out a way to get there as soon as possible. I need financial help as much as I need logistical help. It's $1,800 for a plane ticket. If you could donate something to help get me there, that would be amazing. And if you have any suggestions for this project, please feel free to email me. All insights are totally appreciated.

All contributors will be receiving love from Beirut--postcards, photos, seashells, zaatar...my homemade baklava. Tell me you're not excited. ;)

Your support means so much to me. Please keep Lebanon in your thoughts.
xx Nora