Banque BEMO’s involvement in culture is more than a bias, it is an anchoring point. Its actions in the sector, far from being one-off, are the standard of this bank which has chosen to defend what periods of crisis often relegate to the background: creation, memory, education and the link to the territory. A social responsibility that is close to the heart of its CEO, Riad Obégi, who explains that “creating links with customers, staff and the community is essential”.
Among the most notable initiatives is “Wounded Art”, imagined in the wake of the tragedy of August 4, 2020. The project brought together works damaged after the explosion at the port of Beirut and then transformed. the Japanese aesthetic of Kintsugi – this art of sublimating cracks rather than masking them – the initiative was more than an exhibition, a space of collective memory where creation becomes a tool of transmission as much as a gesture of cultural survival, a reflection on the way in which art can preserve the traces of trauma while opening a path to elevation. “Because rebuilding is done in the present, in the midst of a crisis, we must not wait for their outcome to regain control,” declares Riad Obégi.
In a completely different register, “Back to our Cedar Roots” combines ecological commitment and the question of identity. Through this campaign, cedars are planted in the name of children born to Lebanese mothers and foreign fathers, even though the latter remain deprived of Lebanese nationality by current legislation. Each tree acts here as a tangible reminder of the bond that unites these children to the land of their mothers. By mixing the environment and reflection on women’s rights, the initiative places the citizen debate in the long term.
“We could have spent money on food aid, on health care, but many people already do that, so we preferred to opt for what others don’t do. It’s much more necessary,” underlines Riad Obégi, who adds that when you read a book, you are more reconciled with life.
Youth, the pillar of Lebanon’s future, also occupies an essential place in this cultural vision. With “Dreaming Lebanon”, a writing competition organized in Arabic, French and English, pupils and students are invited to imagine the country they want to see emerge tomorrow. In each edition, a new theme pushes participants to question the future, to think about current fractures but also about possibilities. The objective is to give space to the words of young generations and to promote intellectual expression as a space for reconstruction.
This desire to bring the public closer to beauty is also found in “Rotating Art”. The concept is based on a circulation of works of art between different places of life or work, each participant hosting a piece for a month before it continues its journey elsewhere. Also a way of concretely supporting contemporary Lebanese artists by increasing the number of encounters with their works.
The bank’s commitment also extends to the environment with the “BEMO Mini Forest”, developed on a parking space at the bank’s headquarters. Designed as a micro-space of biodiversity in an urban environment, this mini-forest has become over time a real plant ecosystem. The project reflects a simple conviction: the reintroduction of life into the city can modify the relationship of residents to their environment and encourage another way of inhabiting urban space.
Through the “Béchara and Carmen Obégi Prize”, the bank also continues its work to promote creation, entrepreneurship and the transmission of knowledge. This distinction highlights careers that contribute to the intellectual and cultural influence of Lebanon.
Furthermore, the bank also highlights the human connection within its institutional history through “BEMO Alumni”. This framework allows former employees – whether they left the bank for retirement or for other professional horizons – to remain connected to the BEMO community. Meetings, exchanges and various benefits thus continue to nourish a feeling of belonging which goes far beyond the horizon of work.
Finally, the bank is keen, in all its initiatives, to do so with generally voluntary partners, because this is how it can leverage its efforts and improve the results.
