A New Chapter in Lebanon
Hospitality and education in the new Peace Centre
After thirteen years in Bkarzla, moving our main Peace Centre was not going to be a simple decision. The possibility of relocating the R&R Peace Centre to Qantara had been gestating for some time – indeed, Qantara had been our founders first choice when R&R was founded in 2013, but an appropriate site proved difficult to find. And then, we were very happy in Bkarzla – one of the few Maronite villages in the Akkar region that had given shelter and work to Syrian refugees. But we found out that the public school in Qantara had become vacant, and likewise the old house opposite to it, we began to consider the move.
The imminent fall of the Assad regime in late 2024 accelerated our reflection as we were forced to consider R&R’s long-term presence in Akkar in light of the likely return of many Syrians to their homeland. On 7 December 2024, one day before the liberation of Syria, we signed a ten-year rental agreement for the new house with a considerable saving on our existing arrangement. What had been a distant possibility suddenly became reality. The move was motivated by practical and financial considerations, but also by the deeper conviction that our presence in Akkar is not temporary. We have served Lebanese and Syrian children for more than a decade and intend to continue doing so for many years to come.
Read more below about our new Peace Centre and come to visit us! Our house is a place of hospitality and we accept volunteer applications around the year.
A place of spiritual solidarity and learning
Hundreds of children fill the new Peace Centre with life every day. Inclusivity remains a guiding principle of our work. The Peace Centre welcomes Lebanese, Syrians and others, Muslims and Christians alike, as well as children living with disabilities and learning difficulties. In many parts of Akkar, educational services for special needs remain inaccessible because of distance or costs. Families in Qantara asked us to open classes for disabled children, besides the regular homework help, basic literacy and numeracy and IT classes, and we followed their wish. We were lucky to find a qualified child psychologist in the village who joined our team. Every child deserves access to education, encouragement, and a place where their potential is recognised. Our aim is not only to teach, but to ensure that nobody is left behind.
Our educational work extends beyond academic support, as we know that learning is not limited to textbooks, classrooms and exams. We seek to provide a stable environment where young people can learn, grow, and rediscover confidence after years marked by economic hardship, displacement, and uncertainty. Every Friday, our youth leaders take over all our learning centres for the legendary Friday Fun sessions for their scout teams. Choir rehearsals, art workshops, games, and youth activities transform our centres into places filled with laughter and energy. The first youth leader meetings in Qantara brought together young people from across our centres.
Qantara, a village of coexistence
Qantara represents much of what Relief & Reconciliation has sought to promote since its very establishment. This mixed village brings together Muslim and Christian families in daily life, not as an abstract project but as a lived reality. A short walk takes visitors from the church to the mosque, passing neighbours who greet one another by name. Olive groves surround the village and the nearby river links Qantara to Bkarzla, connecting our future to our past. From the beginning, we hoped to establish our Peace Centre in a place where coexistence is already part of the local culture. Qantara offered precisely that opportunity, nestled in the center of our network of education facilities which extends to Kousha, Tell Abass, Rahbe and Michmich.
The Peace Centre is also the home of our international volunteers. Friedrich, Masaki, Samir, Ella, Shai, Mohanad, and Callum, hailing from all corners of the globe, are among those who have contributed their time, talents, and perspectives to daily life in Qantara – joining the hundreds of volunteers who have lived and worked in the old Peace Centre in Bkarzla over the last twelve years. Volunteers arrive from different countries and backgrounds, yet quickly become part of a shared rhythm of classes, shared meals, new projects and activities, and community engagement. International volunteers are an essential part of our work, moving between the different learning centres and communities and opening windows of communication.
Twelve years continuity of service in Akkar
The transition to Qantara required adaptation. New teachers joined the team, one new staff member joined the management, new students enrolled, and new routines emerged. Yet throughout these changes, our commitment to the people of the Akkar region stayed the same. We continue to serve students in Bkarzla in the ground floor of our former Peace Centre, and all of our learning centres remain active with daily classes, psychosocial support and scout groups. While our headquarters have moved, our mission has not changed. Christians, Muslims and persons of other convictions united: we bring people together to build a better future for the youth.
None of this would have been possible without the generosity of R&R members, volunteers, and donors who believed in the project. Donations helped secure the new premises, prepare classrooms, support educational activities, and ensure that services remain accessible to vulnerable families. Every contribution, regardless of size, has helped transform a set of empty buildings into a functioning space to serve children and youth. The story of Qantara is therefore not only our story; it belongs to everyone who contributed to making it possible.
Thank you for your support
As we settle into this new chapter, we invite supporters, potential new volunteers, and visitors to discover Qantara for themselves. Walk through the village, meet the families, visit the classrooms, and experience the spirit of hospitality that defines this place. Our roots in Akkar continue to deepen, and our commitment to education, spiritual solidarity and service remains as strong as ever. Whether as a volunteer, donor, or visitor, there is a place for you in this story.
How to Volunteer in Lebanon or Syria?
Update May 2026: video taken at the end of the first Ramadan in the new Peace Centre Qantara, celebrating the end of the fast with the R&R youth leaders