Launch of Martyr Kazem Chamseddine Prize for Arabic Literature in Joun

Winners received prized and shields were handed to the educational
staff and the president of the association. The value of the prizes is as
follows: the first prize amounted to $300, the second $200, the third
$150, and the fourth $100.
About "Kazem Shamseddine Prize for Arabic Literature"
As the financial crisis worsens in Lebanon, "Kazem Shamseddine Prize
for Arabic Literature" is an initiative to help students weather financial
difficulties. Kazem Shamseddine, a victim of the Beirut port blast loved
his land, Joun and his uncle Nasri Shamseddine, a Lebanese singer
which partnered with lebansese singer Fairouz and the Rahbani family.
Kazem Shamseddine's family cooperated with the "Lebanese Women's
Association for Equality", which honored the memory of Kazem
Shamseddine with a library that carries his name. The library is adjacent
to another one "There was a bird on the tree" created by the writer
Rania Zughayer to show her appreciation to victims of the Beirut port
blast. All initiatives fall into one category, which is to keep the memory
of the Kazem Shamseddine alive through humanitarian actions. "Kazem Shamseddine's Prize for Arabic Literature" has been awarded
to four students in his hometown Joun after they competed to write
the best text about the famous Lebanese singer Nasri Shamseddine.
The Prize, funded by the family of Kazem Shamseddine and organized
by the Association of Lebanese Women for Equality aims at
encouraging students to write in Arabic, of which Kazem Shamseddine,
a victim of the Beirut port blast was a very eloquent writer.
As the economic crisis hits Lebanon, 12,000 students have moved to
public schools as tuition fees at private schools have been increasing
since the crisis began in 2019, estimated Mohamed Shamseddine, a
researcher at Beirut-based consultancy firm Information International.
"Nasri "the great", as my father used to call him because he admired
his art and voice," Riham Shamseddine, Kazem Shamseddine's daughter
said citing the reason behind the contest dubbed "Nasri Shamseddine
Then and Now."
"We launched the "Kazem Shamseddine's Prize for Arabic Literature"
initiative to encourage students to write in their mother tongue and
urge them to persevere in studying, which my father considered the
tool we must arm with to build a knowledgeable society," she said.
She added: "With his brilliant pen and extensive knowledge in Arabic
literature, my father shared his passion for reading and his love for
education in general. He used to tell us in our daily correspondences
"study until you have had enough."
This initiative will only be the beginning to other initiatives which will
take place every year to commemorate her father, she said.
The participants in the contest were from the Joun High school. They
presented some proposals to revive Joun's cultural heritage.