94: Building Civil Society: Reflections from a Lebanese Activist

Show Notes
In this episode, Simon Western speaks with Lebanese scholar and activist Karim Safieddine. Together, they discuss the vibrant and volatile political landscape of Lebanon, exploring how social movements, intellectual traditions, and grassroots activism collide and coalesce in the streets of Beirut. Karim shares his personal story of growing up amidst conflict, complexity, and contradiction, offering a lens into how identity is formed in a fractured society and how hope emerges through resistance.
They explore themes of secularism, anti-establishment politics, and the evolving role of intellectuals in social change. The conversation touches deeply on what it means to live a good life and how ordinary people - through organising, dissent, and imagination - shape the possibility of a good civile society.

Key Reflections
· Elites often suppress transformative movements; activism persists through localised, organic mobilisation.
· Intellectuals must step beyond theory and engage meaningfully with activist work.
· A good life is not about material excess but about meaningful relationships, creativity, and communal survival.
· Resistance is necessary for vitality; dissent keeps societies alive and evolving.
· Bridging academia and activism is essential for sustainable change.
· Empowering local voices and grassroots movements is crucial to Lebanon’s future.

Keywords
social movements, political sociology, secularism, identity, intellectuals, activism, anti-establishment, cosmopolitanism  

Brief Bio
Karim Safieddine is a PhD student in Sociology at the University of Pittsburgh whose work explores the intersection of social movements, intellectual history, and political power in Lebanon. With a particular focus on the Lebanese Left, Karim investigates how oppositional movements both contest and reproduce dominant ideological frameworks and structures of authority from the late 20th century to the present.
Rooted in a Gramscian tradition yet open to diverse theoretical tools, his research engages with questions of leadership, resistance, and hegemony. His work bridges political sociology and historical analysis, offering critical insights into how movements emerge, evolve, and navigate Lebanon's sectarian and neoliberal political terrain.
Karim holds an MSc in Comparative Politics from the London School of Economics (2020) and a BA in Economics from the American University of Beirut (2019). His academic interests include political and historical sociology, social movements, and the role of intellectuals in shaping public discourse.