Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac (President of the Gibran National Committee)

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Sun Jul 11, 2010 9:57 pm

Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac (President of the Gibran National Committee) .. Kahlil Gibran a l'ANB avec Melhem Riachi le dimanche 11 juillet a 12:30 AM

I'm interested in learning more about Kahlil Gibran, a Maronite Catholic, a famous writer, poet, and artist.
He has keen insight to God's beauty and creation. Please feel to share more.

Congratulations for your nomination to be the President! You remain in our prayers!
Cyndi

hug3

"All the gifts, graces, virtues of the Holy Spirit are distributed by the hands of Mary, to whom she wills, when she wills, as she wills, and in the measure she wills." St. Bernardine

by jed on Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:58 am

God bless you Tarek.
In Christ, Jed.

by Admin on Wed Jul 21, 2010 9:20 pm

Gibran National Committee in Baabda
iloubnan.info - July 16, 2010

BEIRUT - President Michel Sleiman received from Gibran National Committee chaired by Dr. Tarek Chidiac the first edition of manuscripts and drawings in Gibran Khalil Gibran handwriting which are published for the first time in a book entitled "Turn the Page Young Man”.

On that occasion, Gibran National Committee requested the President’s support to include Gibran’s Museum in the publications of the Ministry of Tourism among the Lebanese Landmarks that are promoted by the Lebanese State.

"All the gifts, graces, virtues of the Holy Spirit are distributed by the hands of Mary, to whom she wills, when she wills, as she wills, and in the measure she wills." St. Bernardine

by Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac on Sun Jul 25, 2010 10:21 am

You surprised me Cyndi
Thank you for your kind posts.
Tarek

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Fri Aug 13, 2010 11:59 pm

BSHARRI: The Gebran National Committee launched its annual Gebran Days festival on Sunday, with music ceremonies on the agenda to revive Lebanese and Arab traditions.

The committee opened the sixth Gebran Days festival at the Gebran Museum in Bsharri in North Lebanon, in the presence of national and local figures.

Former Minister Suleiman Trabulsi was present at the event, together with George Geagea who was representing Bsharri MPs Strida Geagea and Elie Keyrouz, Bsharri Mayor Antoine al-Khoury and an array of local figures.

Head of the Gebran National Committee Tareq Chidiac explained that a celebration will be held every Saturday night until August 22 at the Mary Haskell Square at the museum.

He said the aim of the festival was to “spread Gebran’s art, thoughts and values” and he called for cooperation with the committee to make this possible.

Chidiac then promised to organize similar activities throughout the year, adding that the ceremonies will be varied.

The first celebration was held after Chidiac concluded his speech.

Singer Ghada Shbeir and her accompanying band sang some of Gebran’s poems, along with famous songs considered part of Lebanon and the Arab world’s heritage.

Gebran Khalil Gebran was an internationally renowned Lebanese author, poet and artist born in Bsharri. He emigrated to the United States.

He wrote his most famous book “The Prophet” in 1923 and it became an international success, making Gebran one of the most read poets in history.

Gebran’s books have been translated to 30 languages and a museum was built near his childhood home in Bsharri. – Antoine Amrieh

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=1&article_id=117975#ixzz0wYMG3PAu
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)

Pray for Tarek.. he's being interviewed by CNN on 8-13-10 in Bsharri, Lebanon.

Holy Mother guide and protect. Amen.

"All the gifts, graces, virtues of the Holy Spirit are distributed by the hands of Mary, to whom she wills, when she wills, as she wills, and in the measure she wills." St. Bernardine

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Fri Aug 27, 2010 11:56 pm

LIGHT OF THE FUTURE

A drama of Tele Lumiere production
about the Protomartyr and
Archdeacon St Stephen written
by Dr. Tarek Chidiac, the president
of Gebran Khalil Gebran
Committee will be broadcast soon
in addition to series showing the
Capuchin Fr. Yaacoub’s life written
by Antoine Faddoul and directed
by Milad Hashem.

View it Live from Lebanon to Canada and the USA
http://www.noursat.tv/livetv.php

"All the gifts, graces, virtues of the Holy Spirit are distributed by the hands of Mary, to whom she wills, when she wills, as she wills, and in the measure she wills." St. Bernardine

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Wed Sep 01, 2010 12:18 pm

Watch the live interview regarding the Maronite Catholic Kahlil Gebran, by Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac

"All the gifts, graces, virtues of the Holy Spirit are distributed by the hands of Mary, to whom she wills, when she wills, as she wills, and in the measure she wills." St. Bernardine

---

Watch Inside the Middle East on Wednesday, Sept. 1: 08.30, 16.30. Saturday, Sept. 4: 08.30, 17.00, 20.30. Sunday, Sept. 5: 05.30, 17.30. Monday, Sept. 6: 03.00. (All times GMT)

(CNN) -- Ramadan round up

As Muslims around the world mark the holy month of Ramadan, in Jerusalem, Paula Hancocks takes us to a soup kitchen that caters to orphans and the needy in a building dating from the 14th century.

In Abu Dhabi, Stan Grant reports from the Sheikh Zayed mosque where every day at Iftar up to 15,000 people come to break their fast.

In Cairo, we look at how the decorative Ramadan lantern or "fanous," traditionally handmade in Egypt, is facing increasing competition from a foreign manufacturer.

Schooling children with cancer in Lebanon

Last year, Mireille Nassif lost her 12-year-old son Paul to bone cancer. Now she's on a mission to make sure other Lebanese children with cancer have the right to education so they can keep up with their schooling -- if need be, until their last day.

She recently hosted a marathon raise money to pay for tutors. Rima Maktabi meets the woman behind the vision and the children whose lives she hopes to improve.

The roots of Kahlil Gibran

Renowned internationally for his writing and poetry, especially his 1923 masterpiece "The Prophet," Kahlil Gibran has been inspiring readers for generations.

We visit his hometown Bsharri in the mountains of Lebanon and see his manuscripts, his many paintings, and his burial site under a cedar tree where his epitaph reads, "I am alive like you, and I am standing beside you. Close your eyes and look around, you will see me in front of you."

Arab Image Foundation

An artist's mirror self-portrait in 1950s Cairo, a woman with a snake in 1930s Baghdad, a family portrait from 1960s Lebanon: These are the kinds of photos housed at the Arab Image Foundation.

The NGO's mission is to collect, preserve and study photographs from the Middle East, North Africa and the Arab Diaspora.

Aiming to show this region's visual history as represented by local photographers rather than foreign travelers, the foundation is fighting to spread awareness about the importance of preserving the region's cultural history.

"All the gifts, graces, virtues of the Holy Spirit are distributed by the hands of Mary, to whom she wills, when she wills, as she wills, and in the measure she wills." St. Bernardine

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Wed Sep 01, 2010 9:04 pm

CNN Rima Maktabi Interviews Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac on The Roots of Khalil Gibran

To view the inteview, please click on Video
Click on The Roots of Khalil Gibran

http://edition.cnn.com/CNNI/Programs/middle.east/

The roots of Khalil Gibran Time: 3:20 minutes
Renowned for his writing and poetry, especially his 1923 masterpiece "The Prophet," Khalil Gibran has been inspiring readers for generations.

Source: CNN | Added: September 1, 2010

"All the gifts, graces, virtues of the Holy Spirit are distributed by the hands of Mary, to whom she wills, when she wills, as she wills, and in the measure she wills." St. Bernardine

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Wed Sep 01, 2010 9:56 pm

Soon on Tele Lumiere: “A Priest’s Temptation” film written by Dr. Tarek Chidiac and directed by Charbel Kamel telling the story of a priest who fell in love but could be saved from the trap with the Divine Providence and the wise superior father.

Source: http://www.noursat.tv/livetv.php

"All the gifts, graces, virtues of the Holy Spirit are distributed by the hands of Mary, to whom she wills, when she wills, as she wills, and in the measure she wills." St. Bernardine

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Sun Sep 12, 2010 12:44 pm

Khalil Gibran returns to Beirut, posthumously
By Amani Abou Harb
Special to The Daily Star

Thursday, September 09, 2010BEIRUT: Located along Gemmayzeh’s picturesque St. Nicolas steps, the Laboratoire d’Art radiates the rustic appeal of the historic houses that surround it. Though just a stone’s throw away from the vibrations of the city, the steps manage to maintain an aura of calm – its climbing vines, festooned with the summer’s last flowers, clinging to the neighborhood’s few surviving stone houses.

Laboratoire d’Art is the current abode of six of Gibran Khalil Gibran’s paintings, an event that, according to gallery owner Brahim Samaha, is “unprecedented in Beirut.”

“Gibran, as we now know him, never found a home in Beirut,” explains Samaha. “He left Lebanon through the port of Tripoli, and shortly visited Beirut as a student and not an artist or a scholar.

“His corpse was brought from abroad only to stay briefly in Beirut before it was carried up to his home town, Bsharri.”

Samaha was adamant on bringing Gibran’s work to the city. He explains that people have become too materialistic, so engrossed in the city’s vigor that they have lost touch with their spirituality.

Perceiving this air of bleak depersonalization, Samaha decided to remind people they should not reduce their lives to business, that they should “return to their spirituality.”

This, Samaha felt, can only be achieved by holding an exhibit for Gibran – whose work is full of God’s spirit – in the ill-infected city.

The work on display has been devised in three distinct media – watercolors, charcoal and pencil.

Their selection was not haphazard, Samaha explains, but was made to fall in line with the purpose of the exhibition. “The portrait of Sultana Tabet,” he says, “is reminiscent of Gibran’s rejection of materialism. Though he fell in love with her, he refused to accept her father’s condition that he [must] take on a [ministerial] position in order to marry his daughter.”

The exhibition opened on September 2 with Jahihda Wehbeh, the Lebanese tarab singer, reading and singing excerpts of Gibran’s poetry.

Samaha views the opening ceremony as a success, saying some 400 people flocked to the steps to watch that evening’s performance, while visitors took it in shifts to enter the gallery in groups of 10.

Other events are scheduled alongside the month-long exhibition. MTV’s Walid Abboud will broadcast his program “live” from the steps on September 16 (not September 9 as originally advertised). On this occasion only, the show’s theme will be Gibran’s poem “You have your Lebanon and I have mine.” The program will feature contributions from journalists and other figures, who will gather to discuss the current status of freedom in Lebanon.

Lebanese-Italian violinist Mario al-Rahi and Lebanese guitarist Rami Hanna will hold a music recital on September 23.

The first two days of October will see amateur artists, art-lovers and children gather at the steps with their sketch books or canvases in hand to participate in a two-day public art experiment entitled “Ayyam min wahi Gibran Khalil Gibran” (Days from Gibran’s inspiration). This event will begin at 3:30 pm on October 1 and continue until the next day.

The events will come to an official close on October 3, with a closing ceremony, during which awards for the three best paintings will be distributed.

Gibran’s paintings will then return to their home in the Bsharri museum, taking with them their very own imprint of the Lebanese capital and possibly leaving an impression on city-dwellers as well.

For more information call the Laboratoire d’Art +961 3 932360 or visit their website at: www.laboratoiredart.com

Source: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=4&article_id=119110

by Admin on Sun Sep 12, 2010 3:32 pm

Gibran National Committee & Laboratoire d'Art

Invite you to attend Gibran In Gemmayze At Laboratoire d'Art on Saint Nicola's Stairs

From Thursday September 2, 2010 Till Sunday October 3, 2010

Free Entrance

Source: http://www.laboratoiredart.com/index.html

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Tue Sep 14, 2010 10:47 pm

"All the gifts, graces, virtues of the Holy Spirit are distributed by the hands of Mary, to whom she wills, when she wills, as she wills, and in the measure she wills." St. Bernardine aok

by jed on Thu Sep 16, 2010 9:31 am

God bless.

by Admin on Thu Sep 16, 2010 11:57 pm

Second man on left, Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac, President of Gibran National Committee

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Tue Sep 21, 2010 10:23 am

Come watch the astounding message of Gibran Kahlil Gibran, by Tarek Chidiac on MTV LIVE..
Please click on the link below to watch:

http://www.mtv.com.lb/livecomments

Gibran Kahlil Gibran interview, by Tarek Chidiac: (9:00 PM - 10:30 PM Lebanon time)
USA time Eastern time: 2:00 PM
USA time Central time: 1:00 PM
USA time Pacific time: 11:00 AM

Come hear the astounding message of Gibran Kahlil Gibran ..
http://www.mtv.com.lb/livecomments

signofcross

Lebanon is not a country, but a message.
Pope John Paul II

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Wed Sep 22, 2010 10:13 am

MTV Live

We must keep Tarek in our daily prayers, in order for Blessed Mother to attract people back to her Son, through Tarek. He submits all his thoughts and work, to Jesus, through Blessed Mother. aok

Hail Mary prayed.

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Sat Oct 02, 2010 10:45 am

Friday 1st of October: Painting inspired by Gibran Opend to all interested It begins at 4:00pm - Saturday 2rd of October at 8:00pm: Closure of the Gebran Khalil Gebran's exibition at Laboratoire D'art & distribution of the prizes for the best 3

Gebran In Gemmayzeh
Gibran National Committee & Laboratoire d'Art

Invite you to attend

Gibran In Gemmayze

At Laboratoire d'Art
on Saint Nicola's Stairs

From Thursday September 2, 2010
Till Sunday October 3, 2010

Events

Why Khalil Gebran?

The city is full of movement, work and material savage, meanwhile Gebran is full with God’s Spirit that transforms all the reactions of the physical works to ashes, and released from the ashes of life as the Phoenix.

The Spirit of God is in Beirut because love means I am in God's heart, just as the days come alive in New York with a spirit floating above the dust daily pressure of blind work.

People will come to meet Gebran, because the people in the city want to meet themselves!

Why Gebran’s manuscripts?

As well as drawings, paintings, books, the manuscripts of Khalil Gebran, will achieve the real dimension of his historical attendance in the capital, where the printed word and the computer became dominant over the pen and ink which provides the blood and spiritual connection between mind and thought and their reflected words on paper.

The presence of Gebran’s manuscripts on St Nicolas’ Stairs is the joy of giving in its philosophical sense for all participants in the exhibition, it is the literal and intellectual nourishment, which gives another meaning to the current situation and provokes humanitarian nostalgia through a bright image.

Source: http://www.laboratoiredart.com/index.html

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Tue Oct 05, 2010 1:53 pm

Bsharri, Lebanon

Bsharri municipal council in bid to boost ailing village
By Antoine Amrieh
Daily Star correspondent
Thursday, September 16, 2010

Listen to the Article - Powered by

BSHARRI: The north Lebanon village of Bsharri has been the scene of numerous development projects in the past months after its municipal council observed neglect in various fields.

The new Bsharri municipal council was elected on May 30, 2010, and has since launched a large-scale campaign to develop the village and its surroundings.

Bsharri Mayor Antoine al-Khoury Tawq told The Daily Star that the region was suffering from neglect, adding that basic public services still needed to be organized.

“We’ve started working according to a list of priorities that the council set during a tour of the village,” he said.

Among these priorities included the regulation of a waste-disposal system. The municipality has started putting together a detailed report for processing waste-water and collecting trash.

“It’s unacceptable that waste-water continues pouring into the Qadisha River … The council is facing problems disposing waste because the Hamat landfill, used by the villages in the region, is closed. A new landfill should be found,” the Bsharri mayor explained.

The problem is more of a concern because some locals throw their waste in forest lands and valleys, especially around the Qannoubine Valley, which is struggling to preserve its place on the UNESCO list of world heritage sites.

During its tour of the region, the municipal council also noticed a decrease in green spaces and a random expansion of concrete buildings. It therefore launched a plan to create gardens, the execution of which is to begin soon.

“The council also wants to beautify the village,” Tawq said, adding that the roads have been cleaned and widened, and water canals have been unblocked after having been obstructed for years.

“We also have to prepare for the winter ahead,” Tawq noted. The winter season is particularly prosperous for Bsharri due to the nearby Cedar ski slopes.

Nonetheless, the campaign is facing financial difficulties, according to Tawq who said that the municipality was still waiting for money to come from the Independent Municipal Fund. “Till then, we’re doing our best,” he said.

Meanwhile, the municipality is depending on financial help from Bsharri MPs Strida Geagea and Elie Keyrouz, and from Bsharri expatriates, who help the village on the economic and social levels.

Several projects to reinforce communication between the locals and the Lebanese diaspora are being prepared, including cultural, humanitarian and social projects. To this effect, the municipality decided to form a diaspora circle to be responsible for guaranteeing communication between expatriates and Lebanon, via internet and conventions.

Tawq stressed the importance of such ties and said “Bsharri would not have developed without the help of expatriates and locals would not have been able to stay in their homes.”

The Bsharri mayor complained that few job opportunities were available in the village and young people were always tempted to move to the city.

The municipality has been trying to solve the unemployment problem during the past months by encouraging tourism and agriculture.

Kick-starting the tourism sector would mainly depend on promoting visits to the Gibran Khalil Gibran museum, the nearby Cedar forest and the Qannoubine valley. “Tourism is growing day after day and we need to use this sector to create job opportunities for young people,” Tawq said.

As for agricultural projects, they mainly aim at helping the locals improve the quality of their products, find an appropriate market and start growing crops that are in demand. The campaign will also focus on limiting the misuse of water in order to provide local farmers with the necessary irrigation water.

The Bsharri mayor then urged concerned officials to stop the illegal use of Qornet al-Sawda water and to help reform the village’s infrastructure because the municipality did not have the capacity to execute such a big project.

“There are many things that still need to be done in Bsharri,” Tawq said.

Read more: http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:QJd1z3-kF5YJ:www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp%3Fedition_id%3D1%26categ_id%3D1%26article_id%3D119335+Mayor+of+Bsharri+Antoine+el-Khoury+Tawq&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a#ixzz11Vldm1TT
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)

Tarek Chidiac President of the Gibran National Committee is working alongside the Mayor Bsharri Mayor Antoine al-Khoury Tawq of Bsharri.

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Tue Oct 12, 2010 8:57 pm

New Series and Films http://www.noursat.tv/livetv.php

After meeting Christ, the Samaritan woman repented her sins, and began preaching the Good News though her life among the citizens. Watch the Samaritan Woman, a drama written by Dr. Tarek Chidiac and directed by: Charbel Kamel.

http://www.noursat.tv/livetv.php

by Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac on Wed Oct 13, 2010 8:09 am

How can I thank you OLOV?

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Sun Oct 24, 2010 12:47 am

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Days for Gebran

Go back to the Lebanese roots and enjoy this special evening at Gebran Khalil Gebran Museum in
Bcharri with Nahawand Band led by Nohad Akiki, Abir Nehmé and Elie Rizkallah.
5.30 - 2.30 GMT- 22.30 EST

Source: http://www.noursat.tv/livetv.php

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Sun Oct 24, 2010 11:28 am

Special events to celebrate Gibran legacy
By Antoine Amrieh
Daily Star correspondent
Monday, October 11, 2010

BSHARRI: The Gibran National Committee (GNC) is set to launch numerous cultural projects inside and outside Lebanon to highlight the legacy of celebrated author of Gibran Khalil Gibran.

The projects include exhibitions, cooperation with educational institutions, translating Gibran’s work, social contributions, and new cultural centers, according to the committee’s president Tareq Chidiac.

Chidiac told The Daily Star that the new plans came after the committee witnessed the success of the Gibran exhibit held on the Saint Nicolas stairs in Beirut in September.

He said more exhibitions and cultural events were being prepared for Australia, Switzerland and Germany in order to introduce the world to the Lebanese author.

“Gibran cannot live away from Lebanon for too long,” he said, explaining why the committee found a need to multiply its activities in Lebanon as well.

The committee is currently working on acquiring a significant space at a new museum to open in Beirut.

It is also collaborating with schools and the Education Ministry and has asked Prime Minister Saad Hariri to dedicate some space for Gibran at Downtown Beirut’s shopping center.

The committee has started to translate Gibran’s posthumous book “Turn the Page Young Man” to English and French. The book consists of writings and drawings put together and published 79 years after the author’s death in 1931.

Chidiac added that the committee will aim to develop the Gibran Museum, which is based in Gibran’s hometown of Bsharri. “We’re currently studying the possibility of putting up statues inspired by Gibran’s work on the road leading to the museum,” he said, noting that the Public Works and Transportation Ministry has put aside $500,000 to rehabilitate the museum’s exterior.

Regarding financial resources, the committee has been in constant contact with Carlos Slim – the Mexican billionaire from Lebanese origins- – and anticipates the launching of several joint projects, including opening a Gibran museum in Mexico. “The museum will hold 120 paintings about Gibran from all over the world,” Chidiac said.

The committee’s vice president Josef Finianos spoke of the social contributions the GNC plans to make, such as scholarships and awards for distinguished students in the qada of Bsharri.

“We are in contact with the Education Ministry to build a high school on a land donated by the committee,” he said.

Other projects consist of renovating Gibran’s house in Bsharri, expanding the Gibran museum and opening a Gibran music conservatory with the cooperation of the Lebanese National Higher Conservatory of Music.

The GNC might also open a public library in Bsharri, where discussions and academic reinforcement for students will be made available.

Finianos said the committee was also trying to free the Gibran building in Bsharri of its tenants in order to transform it into a cultural center.

“We will publish an affordable version of Gibran’s books for students … we are working on strengthening our ties with embassies in Lebanon to further spread Gibran’s philosophy … we are cooperating with the Arab Cultural Club and with various cultural movements,” Finianos added.

Gibran was a Lebanese author born in 1883 in Bsharri. He spent his life travelling between Lebanon and the US and his work became an essential part of Arabic and English literature. His most famous publication was the philosophical book “The Prophet.”

Read more: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_ID=1&article_ID=120218&categ_id=1#ixzz13IIsH5Mg
(The Daily Star :: Lebanon News :: http://www.dailystar.com.lb)

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Sun Nov 07, 2010 3:26 pm

Minister for Fair Trading Virginia Judge MP
Minister for the Arts
27 October 2010

THE PROPHET COMES TO AUSTRALIA IN NATIONAL BLOCKBUSTER EXHIBITION

Arts Minister Virginia Judge today announced the State Library of NSW will host a free
international blockbuster exhibition on the work and life of the best-selling Lebanese-
American author, artist and philosopher Kahlil Gibran.

“Kahlil Gibran is the world’s third best-selling poet after Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu,
making him one of the most widely read, culturally influential poets of all time,” Ms Judge
said.

“This is a coup for the State Library of NSW, with his paintings, writing and personal
artifacts coming to Australia for the first time.”

His best known work, The Prophet, has been translated into forty languages and sold
more than 100 million copies.

It was a counter-culture bible for a generation of young Australians particularly during the
turbulent social changes of the 1960’s and 1970’s.

The Prophet has been continuously in print since it was first published in 1923, and offers
timeless wisdom on the universal questions of life.

The State Library exhibition will take place from December 2010 to February 2011.
Ms Judge said the exhibition will feature items such as paintings, drawings, photographs,
notebooks and personal effects to provide a fascinating insight into the life of this literary
legend.

“Up to 60,000 visitors are expected to visit this important exhibition which will be a great
boost to tourism,” Ms Judge said.

Prof Fadia Ghossayn, President of the Australian Lebanese Foundation said she was
immensely proud to share Gibran’s work with the people of New South Wales.
“I have a feeling he would have felt at home in Australia, because of his no-holds-barred
approach to the truth. He was a gentle genius.”

Leading Australian-Lebanese author and lecturer, Jonar Nader, said wherever Gibran
went he was revered and respected.

“People knew that they were in the presence of greatness,” he said.

“Gibran’s work is easy to understand. He speaks about the hopes and dreams that we all
share.”

The Minister for Culture in Lebanon, Salim Wardy, said the Gibran exhibition will show
visitors what this great philosopher saw in his art and what messages he was bringing in
each painting.

“Gibran’s legacy is the powerful simplicity of his words, which continue to inspire those
who long for peace, search for love and strive for justice,” he said.

The library exhibition will follow on from highly successful exhibitions including ‘One
Hundred’ celebrating the life of Lachlan Macquarie, ‘Bondi Jitterbug’ and the ‘World Press
2010’.

The State Library is a leader in exhibition management with a strong record in engaging
diverse communities through history and literature.

Media contact: Lisa MacKay-Sim 0447 868 608

FAST FACTS:
• Kahlil Gibran (1883 – 1931) was an artist and author of 16 books, written in both Arabic
and English.
• He was born in Becharre, Lebanon and emigrated to Boston, USA.
• The Prophet‘s accessible spiritual message saw it become hugely popular during the
1960s with the American counterculture and New Age movements.
• Approximately 50 items will be on display during the exhibition.

http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/events/exhibitions/future.html

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Sun Nov 07, 2010 3:27 pm

Kahil Gibran: The Prophet, The Artist, The Man

Open:
4 December 2010 – 20 February 2011
Venue:
Dixson Galleries, Mitchell Library

This exhibition will introduce audiences to Kahlil Gibran. While many Australians of the baby boomer generation have read The Prophet or heard of Gibran, few know about his life or artworks.

Gibran left Lebanon in 1895 at the age of 12 with his mother and three siblings for a better life in America. Settling in Boston, his early artistic talent was noticed by pictorial photographer F Holland Day of the Boston avant-garde. Gibran gradually developed into a romantic who read widely and drew compulsively.

This exhibition provides an overview of Gibran’s artistic output, featuring oil paintings, works of art on paper — including the original watercolours used as illustrations in the first edition of The Prophet — and writings selected from Gibran’s personal collection at the Gibran Museum in Bsharri, North Lebanon.

http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/events/exhibitions/future.html

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Mon Nov 08, 2010 10:31 am

THE AUSTRALIAN LEBANESE FOUNDATION

is delighted to invite you to its

Khalil Gibran Tribute Dinner

For the first time ever, Gibran’s personal Museum,

along with his books and private drafts, will be brought to Australia.

To celebrate Gibran and his work, please join us at this historic event.

SPECIAL GUEST

The Hon. Salim Wardy, Lebanese Minister of Culture

GUEST SPEAKER

Mr Jonar Nader, Author, Lecturer and Broadcaster

Friday 3 December, 2010 at 8:00 pm

Intercontinental Hotel, 117 Macquarie Street Sydney

Dress code: Lounge Suit

TICKETS

$180 per person

RSVP

Friday 19 November, 2010 to Susi Touma

on 0425 271 019 or alf@mail.usyd.edu.au

http://www.mideast-times.com/left_news.php?newsid=1347

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Tue Nov 30, 2010 9:31 am

Invitation to The Khalil Gibran Tribute Dinner

The Prophet makes historic journey to Sydney

17/11/10

Over 50 extraordinary artworks by the revered Lebanese-American poet, artist and philosopher Kahlil Gibran will travel to Australia for the first time for a free exhibition to be launched at the State Library of NSW from 4 December.

Kahlil Gibran – The Prophet, The Artist, The Man will showcase original artworks by Gibran, including the 12 illustrations from The Prophet as well as writings selected from Gibran’s personal collection at the Gibran Museum in Bsharri, North Lebanon.

According to Dr Tarek Chidiac, President of the Gibran Museum, this historic exhibition will give multicultural Australia greater insight into the life and work of the celebrated poet “who is known all over the world as the promoter of peace, love and freedom.”

Kahlil Gibran (1883 – 1931) left Lebanon in 1895 with his mother and siblings in search of a better life in the USA. With two influential benefactors behind him – avant-garde photographer Fred Holland Day and later, his English editor and confidante Mary Haskell – Gibran’s art and writings gained popular appeal during his life, and continue to have resonance today.

The Prophet, Gibran’s most popular work, has not been out of print since it was first published in 1923.

“Gibran is a global figure, not just a Lebanese writer,” says leading Australian- Lebanese author and lecturer, Jonar Nader. “It will be an awe-inspiring experience for people to see Gibran’s paintings. Many of them are directly connected to the philosophical or poetic messages within his written works.”

The exhibition will feature artworks from Gibran’s teens right up to the year before his death in 1931, including L’Automne (1909) which was selected for the famous Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts for its Spring salon in the Grand Palais in 1910 – the crowning success of Gibran’s time as an art student in Paris.

Other exhibition highlights include:

Hand-written draft of Jesus, the Son of Man, Gibran’s second most popular book;

Striking pencil portraits from Gibran’s Temple of Art series – portraits of famous artists and intellectuals of the day, including American painter Albert Ryder; and

Two postcards from his great love interest, acclaimed Arabic writer May Ziadeh – they communicated via letters and postcards but never met face-to-face.

“This exhibition will give second and third generation Lebanese a sense of pride and belonging,” according to the Australian Lebanese Foundation.

Kahlil Gibran – The Prophet,The Artist, The Man is a free exhibition at the State Library of NSW from 4 December 2010 to 20 February 2011.Visit www.sl.nsw.gov.au

For more detailed information, images and interviews please contact:

Vanessa Bond, Manager, Media & Communication Branch, State Library of NSW (02) 9273 1566, 0411 259 898, vbond@sl.nsw.gov.au

Kahlil Gibran with Book, 1897 Credit: Royal Photographic Society, UK

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Source: The Middle Eastern Times Australia

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Sun Dec 05, 2010 12:58 am

Gibran exhibition in Sydney

» Music/Arts
»» Exhibitions
Overview

When: 04/12/2010 - 20/02/2011

Location: Dixson Galleries, Mitchell Library
State Library of NSW, Macquarie Street Sydney, NSW, Australia

Get driving directions »
Contact Information

E-mail: info@arabicpages.com.au
Description

Kahil Gibran: The Prophet, The Artist, The Man

This exhibition will introduce audiences to Kahlil Gibran. While many Australians of the baby boomer generation have read The Prophet or heard of Gibran, few know about his life or artworks.

Gibran left Lebanon in 1895 at the age of 12 with his mother and three siblings for a better life in America. Settling in Boston, his early artistic talent was noticed by pictorial photographer F Holland Day of the Boston avant-garde. Gibran gradually developed into a romantic who read widely and drew compulsively.

This exhibition provides an overview of Gibran’s artistic output, featuring oil paintings, works of art on paper — including the original watercolours used as illustrations in the first edition of The Prophet — and writings selected from Gibran’s personal collection at the Gibran Museum in Bsharri, North Lebanon.

WHEN: 4 December to 20 February
WHERE: State Library of NSW, Macquarie St, Sydney
COST: Free

Gibran Khalil Gibran Seminar
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Seminar evening about Gibran Khalil Gibran has been organised by the Becharrie Association on Sunday 5 December from 5 to 9pm.
This will be held at the Gleeson Auditorium, Australian Catholic University at 25A Barker Rd, Strathfield. There's plenty of free parking and refreshments will be served on the night.

The speakers for the evening are:

1. Mr Salim Warde, Lebanese Minister for Culture
2. Dr Tarek Chidiac, President of Gibran Khalil Gibran National Committee
3. Mr Joseph Geagea
4. Mr Naji Kairouz
5. Mr Boutros Endari
6. Dr Youssef Taouk

There will be books and CDs by Gibran on sale on the night and refreshments will be provided.

If you would like to attend, please RSVP for catering purposes by either emailing us or calling Estephan Rahme on 0412180989.

Also, note that the Gibran Khalil Gibran exhibition opens Saturday 4 December for the public at the State Library of NSW, Macquarie St, Sydney.

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Sun Dec 05, 2010 1:27 am

Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac President Gibran Committee (Bsharri, Lebanon)

Please pray for Tarek while he is working in Australia. Please pray for his wife and 2 daughters and for peace in Lebanon.

Today on 12-5-10, Tarek will be attending Mass at St. Charbel Church.

After Mass, he will be meeting with the Patriarch of the Maronite Church ( the Lebanese Bishop Isaam John Darwish) in Sydney Australia, in order to present information on Lebanon and Lebanese citizens.

Synod of Bishops
Special Assembly For The Middle East
Bishop Issam John Darwish, BSO, DD,
Eparchy of St Michael the Archangel of Sydney
for Melkite Greek-Catholics of Australia and New Zealand

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Sun Dec 12, 2010 7:07 pm

7th December 2010, By Marie Myssy

Interview with the Lebanese arts minister Salim Warde who visits Sydney for the launching of the exhibition on the work and life of the Lebanese author, artist and philosopher Gibran Khalil Gibran, hosted by the State Library of NSW. A press conference by the president of the Gibran National Committee, Dr. Tarek Chidiac.

The Prophet, Gibran National Committee

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:NAC2mAWfILQJ:www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/arabic/highlight/page/id/128861/t/Khalil-Gibran-The-Prophet-The-Artist-The-Man/in/english+australia+gibran+exhibition+tarek+chidiac&cd=7&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

by Our-Lady-Of-Victory on Fri Dec 31, 2010 11:15 pm

Kahlil Gibran: The Artist, the Prophet and the Man

L) Dr. Tarek Chidiac

Regina Sutton addressing the audience

MC Anthony Sukari giving a speech

Minister Virginia Judge MP

Lebanese Minister of Culture Salim Warde

Minister Warde, Prof. Fadia Bou Dagher Ghossayn,

Ray Najar with his wife, and Geoff Wearne

Kahlil Gibran: The Artist, the Prophet and the Man

Regina Sutton the State Librarian and Chief Executive welcomed everyone to the State Library of NSW to the formal launch of Kahlil Gibran: The Artist, the Prophet, and The Man.

"Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need." Kahlil Gibran.”

The Lebanese-American writer, poet, philosopher and artist has been translated into more than 20 languages, and is the third bestselling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Lao Tzu. The Prophet, published in 1923, has never been out of print.

Special guests included:

• Hon. Virginia Judge, Minister for the Arts and Minister for Fair Trading,

• Mr Anthony ROBERTS, Shadow Minister for Citizenship and Shadow Minister for Volunteering and the Arts

• Ms. Carol Mills, Director-General for Communities NSW

• The Hon. Salim Wardy, the Lebanese Minister of Culture

• Dr Tarek Chidiac, President of the National Gibran Committee, who facilitated the loans of material from the Gibran National Museum

• Dr. Joseph Geagea, the Director of the Gibran National Museum, who helped with the organisation of this exhibition

• Professor Fadia Ghossayn, President of the Australian Lebanese Foundation, who, motivated us with her passion, persistence, and amazing energy.

• Mr. Anthony Sukari OAM Trustee of the Powerhouse Museum and Chair of the Migration Centre of NSW (MC)

Speech by Regina Sutton.

Welcome to the State Library of NSW and to the formal launch of Kahlil Gibran: The Artist, the Prophet, and The Man—I’m Regina Sutton the State Librarian and Chief Executive. Before we begin tonight’s official proceedings, let us all acknowledge the original owners of this land, the Cadigal People of the EORA nation.

We have many special guests here this evening but, in particular, I would like to acknowledge:

• Hon. Virginia Judge, Minister for the Arts and Minister for Fair Trading,

• Mr Anthony ROBERTS, Shadow Minister for Citizenship and Shadow Minister for Volunteering and the Arts and

• Ms. Carol Mills, Director-General for Communities NSW

We have three distinguished guests here this evening that have made the long journey from Lebanon to be with us:

• The Hon. Salim Wardy, the Lebanese Minister of Culture

• Dr Tarek Chidiac, President of the National Gibran Committee, who facilitated the loans of material from the Gibran National Museum

• Dr. Joseph Geagea, the Director of the Gibran National Museum, who helped with the org of this exhibition

I would also like to extend a very warm welcome to Professor Fadia Ghossayn, President of the Australian Lebanese Foundation, who, motivated us with her passion, persistence, and amazing energy.

As many of you may know, the Mitchell Library is about to conclude its Centenary year. This exhibition is the ideal ending to a year that has celebrated the extraordinary richness of the Library’s own collection.

This Library holds many of Gibran’s publications in several languages. We have been fortunate to recently procure a copy of the first printing of the first edition of The Prophet. This is, as far as we know, the only copy of this edition held in any Australian library. Originally published in 1923 in a print run of only 2,000, it hasn’t been out of print since! It now joins the Library's priceless collection of first editions of books that have influenced world views across a wide variety of topics. You will have a personal opportunity to view it on display as part of this exhibition.

What’s particularly unique about this exhibition is that all of you will be introduced to rarely seen original artworks by Gibran. It is the first time that these works have travelled to Australia, on loan from the Gibran Museum in Bsharri, northern Lebanon. We thank them for agreeing to share their treasures with us.

I would also like to acknowledge two people from the Library that worked together, under the guidance of Lucy Milne, our Marketing and BD Director. They were able to seamlessly bridge across many channels and cultures to bring this exhibition to you. They are: Ms. Avyrl Whitnall, and Mr. Phil Verner. Together, they have worked relentlessly for the past several months, to curate and coordinate this project on a very tight timeline, to produce an extraordinary result. Thank you!

And finally, I wish to thank the members of the Lebanese community who have assisted us throughout the process. It has been a rewarding experience for the Library to work with such a committed group of people.

I would now like to introduce Mr. Anthony Sukari OAM, who will be our Master of ceremonies for the evening. Anthony is a Trustee of the Powerhouse Museum as well as the Chair, of the Migration Centre of NSW. He is a friend of arts institutions everywhere so please join me in welcoming him to the podium.

Speech by Mr. Anthony Sukari OAM

Thank you Regina, distinguished guests it’s an honour to be a part of the proceedings here tonight.

There is an old Lebanese saying that says “if people remember you after your death, then you have never really died”. Saying that, Khalil Gibran has not left this world, and that is evident by his works on display and our gathering here tonight.

Towards the end of his life Gibran said of himself: “I came into the world to write a book, just one small book.” And, in fact, eighty years after his death, his main work, “The Prophet”, is forever present and frequently quoted whenever the subject turns to love, marriage or children. It is one of the best-selling books of all time and in its 163rd print edition, has sold over 100 million copies. It has been translated into well over 40 languages and Khalil Gibran is the third most widely read poet in history.

But Gibran was far more than just an outstanding writer and artist. Throughout his life a rebel and never quite fitting in, he outspokenly denounced intolerance, injustice and oppression. He argued for women’s rights and as a devout Maronite Catholic, tirelessly campaigned for understanding and rapprochement between the various religions.

Freedom of thought as well as political and social freedom meant for him the very foundation of life itself. No doubt that Khalil Gibran, characterised by a deep humanism, was one of the great spiritual teachers on our earth. His characteristics are revealed from his works to which we are privileged to see this evening, and I’m sure that when you see this wonderful exhibition, you’ll agree that it’s a splendid tribute to one of Lebanon’s favourite sons.

As a Lebanese Australian and a Trustee of the Powerhouse Museum, I am both proud & excited to see this wonderful exhibition being showcased in Sydney, and we are thankful for the NSW State Government for taking this initiative

To open the exhibition tonight I’d like to introduce the Hon Virginia Judge - Minister for the Arts and Minister for Fair Trading. She is the driving force for Kahlil Gibran exhibition and a strong supporter of the cultural bonds between Australia & Lebanon.

Speech by Minister Judge

Thank you for your kind introduction it’s a pleasure to be here this evening.

Firstly, and most importantly, I acknowledge the First Australians on whose land we meet and whose culture we celebrate as one of the oldest continuing cultures in human history. I welcome,

• Regina Sutton, State Librarian and Chief Executive, State Library of NSW

• Hon. Linda Burney MP

• Hon. David Clarke MP

• Hon. Shaoquett Moselmane MLC

• Hon. Edward Abeid MLC

• Anthony Roberts MP

• Salim Wardy, Lebanese Minister of Culture

• Dr Tarek Chidiac , President of the National Gibran Committee

• Carol Mills, Director General, Communities NSW

• Professor Fadia Ghossayn, President of the Australian Lebanese Foundation

If I may, I’d like to start with an extract from Khalil Gibran’s own writings.

Children

And a woman who held a babe against her bosom said, 'Speak to us of Children.'

And he said:

Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts.

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.

You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.

For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.

The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.

Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;

For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Khalil Gibran has had a phenomenal impact on millions of people around the globe with the beauty of his writings, his teachings and his wisdom.

It’s a pleasure to be here tonight to launch this beautifully presented exhibition here at the State Library of NSW. I first fell in love with this exhibition in Lebanon in July 2009.

Making the long trek to the northern town of Bsharri, I was in awe at this poet, this man of the world. Immediately I felt it would be wonderful if citizens in New South Wales could have the opportunity to share in the sheer beauty of his work and I am delighted that the NSW Government could provide funding for the exhibition and the related free events.

Minister Warde, Regina Sutton and Prof. Fadia Ghossayn

From R: Salim Chidiac, Joe Rizk, John Ajaka MLC,

David Clark MLC and Anthony Khoury

Geoff Wearne of the Commonwealth Bank in

conversation with minister Warde

Peter Indary and Dr. Ahmed Shboul

From R: Sister Marlene Chedid, bishop Abi Karam, Yola and James Wakim

Maureen Rizk, Chadia Gedeon, Gelnar Nader and Joe Rizk

Businessman George Ghossayn, Lebanese Ambassador

Jean-Daniel and Nadin Chaar

Lawyer Rick Mitry and his wife Sandra

Ray Najar with his wife, daughter and other guest

Tony Dreibi with his wife and Geoff Wearne

Many know Gibran for his writings. He is the world’s third best-selling poet after Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu, making him one of the most widely-read, culturally influential poets of all time.

But what I become amazed by at the Gibran Museum was depth of his talent. Not just his poems in manuscript but also his watercolours and portraits, the charcoal sketches from his days in Paris as a student of Rodin (ROW-DARN), photographs of his home town, notebooks from his years in London and Boston, together they show us the essence of the man.

It has been said that his greatest work The Prophet, shaped the souls of so many young Australian students as a counter-culture bible during the 1960’s and 70’s.

This doesn’t include the influence it’s also had throughout Europe, the United States, India and the Arabic-speaking world. It is fitting that this exhibition is placed in our own temple to literature, the grand Mitchell Library.

What you see here tonight is a taste of the richness Gibran’s artistic insights and an insight into his soul. There are 51 original items by Kahlil Gibran from the Museum.

I want to thank Regina Sutton and the extraordinary team here at the State Library. The library’s events team have burnt the midnight oil getting this exhibition up in a very short timeframe.

I also want to thank Fadia Ghossayn and everyone in the Khalil Gibran steering committee. I think you will all agree that they have done an astonishing job and I want to thank you all.

I hope you all delight in this experience as much as I have. I now officially declare this exhibition open.

Speech by Prof. Fadia Bou Dagher Ghossayn President Australian Lebanese Foundation

This speech was made after the Exhibition’s launch at the following Dinner Function at the Intercontinental Hotel.

Ladies and Gentlemen, my dear friends.

Sometimes, humans marvel at events that occur Once-in-a-lifetime. Tonight we are witnessing something more historic -You and I are celebrating a first time-ever event.

Having assisted to bring Gibran’s museum for the first time to Sydney, The Australian Lebanese Foundation, which is part of The University of Sydney, and under the patronage of her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir, is again advancing the cultural links between Australia and Lebanon.

Dear friends, earlier tonight, at the State Library, Kahlil Gibran was presented to the good citizens of New South Wales.

The idea for the exhibition started with The Honorable Virginia Judge who visited Lebanon when she attended the Lebanese Immigrants Festival. While in Lebanon, Virginia was inspired by the Spirit of Gibran. After meeting with her counterpart (the Lebanese Minister of Culture, Mr Salim Wardy) both leaders were able to turn a dream into reality.

Virginia and Salim knew that Gibran was ready to visit Australia. With the help of our friend Edward Obeid, Virginia,Salim and their team in Sydney and Lebanon worked extremely hard, aided by an enthusiastic steering committee.

Of course, the exhibition needed a home, and what better place than the State Library of New South Wales.

Mrs Regina Sutton, CEO of the State Library, marshalled her team who worked day and night.

Regina, Lucy, Steve, Phil,Vanessa and Avryl were operating at super-sonic speed. Their commitment and hard work, under intense pressure, is noted and appreciated.pls can we applaude them.

Back in Lebanon, at the Gibran Museum, the delightful committee and the curator, left no stone unturned to assist us. We are honoured to welcome Dr Tarek Chidiac, Mr Naji Keyrouz, Mr Joseph Geagea and Dr Omar Halablab. I also appreciate the hard work of Ms Claude Asfar who could not join us.

As you know, our guest presenter tonight is Jonar Nader. Jonar is a dear friend of mine whom I call ‘Little Gibran’. Jonar makes me proud. His insights and creativity are amazing. . I invited him to give us a presentation because I could not think of anyone better qualified

Every detail and aspect of this tribute has been prepared and directed by Jonar with the help of the ALF Executive Committee

Dear Friends, tonight, we celebrate Gibran’s work. I feel that his spirit will blend beautifully with the warmth of Aussie mate-ship, and the splendour of Lebanese hospitality. During our preparation for this event I asked myself, ‘What if Gibran had personally come to Australia?’

I believe that Australians would have welcomed his honest and gracious manner. Aussies would have said that Gibran was Fair Dinkum!

Gibran knew what it was like to start a new life in a new country with a new language. If Gibran were alive today, and if he had come to live among us in Australia, I believe that he would have sent an email to one of his many global friends, in which he might well have said, as I say on his behalf, that Australia is the blessed country that greets strangers from every shore and says to them, ‘Come to our table, welcome to our family.’

Gibran might have added, ‘Australians seek freshness; they welcome variety; they embrace enriching cultures; and they give all citizens every opportunity to join the ranks of industry, government, and society.’

Finally, Gibran would have applauded Australia and the Aussie Spirit, in the same way he spoke highly about his fellow Lebanese, about whom he said from his book MIRRORS OF THE SOUL.

‘Let me tell you who are the children of my Lebanon.

They are those who migrate with nothing but courage in their heart.

They are the victorious wherever they go, and loved and respected wherever they settle.

They are the ones born in huts but who die in palaces of learning.

They are the ones who are steadily moving toward perfection, beauty, and truth.’

Kahlil Gibran, the poet, the artist.

Where would weddings, funerals and coming-of-age celebrations be without a recitation from the works of Kahlil Gibran? The Lebanese-American writer, poet, philosopher and artist has been translated into more than 20 languages, and is the third bestselling poet of all time, behind Shakespeare and Lao Tzu.

The Prophet, published in 1923, has never been out of print. And it's not just the big events of life that give occasion for Gibran's best known work. As Joan Acocella pointed out in The New Yorker in 2008: "The Prophet is quoted in books and articles on training art teachers, determining criminal responsibility, and enduring ectopic pregnancy, sleep disorders and the news that your son is gay. Its words turn up in advertisements for marriage counsellors, chiropractors, learning disabilities specialists and face cream."

This quote from The Prophet is often used at name-givings: "Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself."

Gibran is everywhere. But it would be a mistake to assume, as many seem to, that he came into the world when peace, love and mung beans dominated popular culture.

Certainly, Gibran's words found a peculiar harmony with the flower power and sexual freedom of the 1960s and 70s. But the fact passages continue to be read at life's big moments is testament to their enduring power.

An exhibition at the State Library of NSW, Kahlil Gibran: The Prophet, the Artist, the Man, examines Gibran's life and times, and aims to shed light on the unseen Gibran: his oil paintings, drawings and watercolours as well as written work normally held at the Gibran Museum in Bsharri, north Lebanon.

Lebanese-Australian author, online philosopher and management consultant Jonar Nader has been engaged by the library to contextualise Gibran's work for modern Australians.

Nader says there are no religious undertones to the exhibition. "The thing about Gibran is that he crossed all religions," he says. "Whenever he spoke, and in his writings, you could never tell whether he was Muslim, Jewish or Christian."

Nor is the exhibition specifically for the Lebanese-Australian community. "I think Gibran stands on his own as an international figure," Nader says but when it comes to Gibran's lesser known artworks, Nader has some reservations. "As beautiful as it is, his is not earth-shattering art, but it is deeply meaningful if you understand the writing," Nader says. "In his day, Gibran was desperate to tell people to stop conforming. He believed that the authorities had no right to tell you how you should behave, what religion you should embrace, and what you could and could not photograph, draw or paint."

Nader says this may explain the frequent nudity in Gibran's drawings and paintings.

"The nudes are about the purity of life, about saying, 'You and I are the same, we feel the same way, we hurt the same way,' " he says. "It's the same as when he writes: 'If you and I were to confess our sins we would laugh because of how similar we are, how unoriginal we are.' "

The paintings also take on new meaning when viewed in the context of their time.

"You realise the bravery and recalcitrance of creating them, that he could have been hanged for it," Nader says.

Given Gibran's near universal appeal, you have to wonder what created the enduring wisdom he imparted in his short life. (Gibran died in a New York hospital in 1931, aged 48.) According to Nader, Gibran never set out to be a writer, a poet or an artist. "He was an agitator, a communicator, a person who loved life," Nader says. "Yet he came through the most horrible childhood and early adult experiences, contracting many illnesses and suffering a great deal."

At 10, Gibran fell off a cliff, wounding a shoulder that remained weak for the rest of his life. His impoverished family bound the shoulder to an improvised cross for 40 days. When he was 12, Gibran's father was sent to prison for embezzlement.

His mother, Kamila, fed up with her husband's irresponsible ways (he was, by many accounts, a gambler and a drunkard), took the brave step of migrating to the US with Kahlil, his two younger sisters and an older half-brother. The family settled in the district that is now Boston's south end, then the second largest Syrian community in the US after New York.

Despite the geographical and cultural dislocation, and being sent to an ungraded classroom at the local school for immigrants who did not speak English, Gibran caught the eye of teachers with his drawings and sketches. The boy was put in touch with Boston photographer F. Holland Day. Influenced and mentored by Day, Gibran eventually gained access to Boston's active cultural life.

If wisdom truly is born of pain, Gibran's annus horribilis was 1902. That year, within months of each other, his sister Sultana died at 14, his half-brother Peter died of consumption, and his mother died of cancer.

Yet as soon as 1904, Gibran had his first art exhibition in Boston. He also travelled to Paris, studying with August Rodin from 1908 to 1910. By 1912 he had settled in New York, where he devoted himself to writing and painting.

The Sydney exhibition contains artwork Gibran produced from his teens until the year before his death. It features 56 works, including oil paintings, works on paper, including the original 12 watercolours used as illustrations in the first edition of The Prophet, and writings selected from Gibran's personal collection.

The Exhibition

This free exhibition features artworks from Gibran’s teens right up to the year before his death in 1931, including L’Automne (1909) which was selected for the famous Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts for its Spring salon in the Grand Palais in 1910, and the original watercolours used as illustrations in the first edition of The prophet. Other writings on display have been selected from Gibran’s personal collection at the Gibran Museum in Bsharri, North Lebanon.

Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931) was born Gibran Khalil Gibran in Bsharri, Lebanon (part of Ottoman-ruled Syria at that time). From an early age, Gibran felt compelled to draw and write. He wrote first in Arabic and later in English, eventually becoming regarded as a poet in Arabic and a philosopher in English. Gibran used art and literature as outlets for his restless artistic imagination, expressing his ideas in clear, simple words in order to appeal to as many people as possible.

Gibran’s artistic skills transformed the trajectory of his life. Early on, he was influenced by Fred Holland Day’s philosophy of ‘art for art’s sake’, and with Day (1864–1933) as a mentor, Gibran reinvented himself as a fellow Romantic. The friendship and support — both emotional and financial — of Mary Elizabeth Haskell (1873–1964) enabled Gibran to develop his artistic interests. Gibran’s trip to Paris from July 1908 to October 1910 was a time of self-discovery; it really was the ‘city of light’ for the young man. On his return to America, Gibran pursued an artistic career. He had several exhibitions, most of which were received with lukewarm interest. By 1917 Gibran was becoming increasingly popular as a writer.

The prophet was Gibran’s third English-language book, and the twelfth of his 17 Arabic and English books published in his lifetime. It has not been out of print since it was first published in September 1923.

In conception, it was the first of a trilogy: The prophet was intended to cover man’s relationship to man, addressing the realities of human existence: birth, children, marriage, love, eating, work, pain and death. The second book, The garden of the prophet, was to address man’s relationship to nature; and the third, The death of the prophet, would focus on man’s relationship to the divine. Gibran was working on The garden of the prophet at the time of his death.

The prophet consists of 26 ‘counsels’. Gibran took many years over the book and considered it to be the most important of his works.

What’s unique about this exhibition is that it has rarely seen original artworks by Gibran. It is the first time that these works have travelled to Australia, on loan from the Gibran Museum in Bsharri, northern Lebanon. This exhibition provides an overview of Gibran’s artistic output, featuring oil paintings, works of art on paper including the original watercolours used as illustrations in the first edition of The Prophet and writings selected from Gibran’s personal collection at the Gibran Museum.

Gibran said towards the end of his life: “I came into the world to write a book, just one small book.” Eighty years after his death, his main work, “The Prophet” is one of the best-selling books of all time and in its 163rd print edition, has sold over 100 million copies. It has been translated into well over 40 languages and Khalil Gibran is the third most widely read poet in history.

Freedom of thought as well as political and social freedom meant for him the very foundation of life itself. No doubt that Khalil Gibran, characterised by a deep humanism, was one of the great spiritual teachers on our earth. He is the world’s third best-selling poet after Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu, making him one of the most widely-read, culturally influential poets of all time.”

Location

State Library of New South Wales

Sydney

New South Wales

Runs from the 4th December 2010 to 20th February 2011

by Admin on Tue May 17, 2011 12:51 am

Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac, President of Gibran National Committee 2011

MODERN SAINT ANTHONY SCHOOL JBEIL

MODERN SAINT ANTHONY SCHOOL JBEIL

Regarding our school activity, a full study and research about the Lebanese Poet Philosopher: Gibran Khalil Gibran, the President of Gibran's Committee, Dr. Tarek Chidiac, visited our school today to interact with the students and the faculty team and explore the achievements of what we have already prepared through a whole month about Gibran, Dr Chidiac was amazed by the work done by our students, a tour all around the school and inside the classes was done, the students were really cooperative with all that Dr. Chidiac has told them about Gibran. Thank you all for the hard work you did so far, we still have a lot to do, but the most important thing is that our first step was STEADY. (R)

by Admin on Thu May 19, 2011 11:40 am

Dear Tarek My family and I wish you the very best happiness and peace. It is an honor to know you. I wish my friends knew you, as well as my family knows you. Our life is not the same after meeting you!! We truly believe in you and all that you do for the people in your country and worldwide. May the Virgin Mary cause all your work to succeed, as you commit all your work to Her, so our Lord can be magnified and glorified now and forever. Amen. May God bless you Tarek during your Birthday week!

by Tarek E. Chidiac on Fri May 20, 2011 11:15 pm

You will not how much I'm honored to know all of you. to know you is a gift from God.
I know now what's my vocation in this lifetime and I'm sure that virgin Mary will help me to achieve it.
I wish you all the best.

by Admin on Mon Jun 13, 2011 9:50 pm

The statute of Gibran was blessed by the Patriarch [Bishop] on August 6, 2010 The Feast of the Transfiguration.

MODERN SAINT ANTHONY SCHOOL JBEIL
Gubran's Day at M.S.A.S. was as successful as we hoped it will be. Special thanks to Dr Jean Claude Saab and Dr Tarek E. Chidiac, and all the members behind the scenes for making this event be one of a kind, as well; we proudly congratulate you, students of M.S.A.S. for your efforts. (R)

"All the gifts, graces, virtues of the Holy Spirit are distributed by the hands of Mary, to whom she wills, when she wills, as she wills, and in the measure she wills." St. Bernardine

by Admin on Sat Sep 03, 2011 10:33 pm

The conference has attracted the interest of the audience, given the importance of three published books: the book of Dr. Tarek Chidiac, T Ourne page boy, the book of the novelist Alexandre Najjar, On the trail of Gibran, and Mr. Antoine Khoueiry book, Gibran Khalil Gibran - Lebanese genius.

The poet Gibran Abdo Wazen praised, as celebrated by scholars and journalists. Gibran is known as the white wolf, and even after his death, his life remains a mystery, the more one plunges, the more we think we know so much about this controversial figure. All three writers have tried to add a piece to this puzzle is that Gibran, according to the poet Abdo Wazen.

Dr. Tarek Chidiac spoke. He attributes the cause of the publication of the book T page Ourne young man, the exceptional personality of Gibran, who is often problematic. It deals with relations conducted between Gibran, still young, his family, religion, the Church, and power. With this book, published in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, one can discover the ideas that tormented Gibran. His ideas were misty as shown in his handwriting. Indeed in order to decipher and understand these manuscripts, several committees have made their efforts.

The novelist Alexandre Najjar has also presented his book, In the Footsteps of Gibran, where he supports tables representing bare his muse Charlotte Teller and landscapes depicting the cedars of Lebanon, nature, and portraits of her friend Mary Haskel. The work also includes three unpublished documents and excerpts from correspondence between Gibran and the sister of President Roosevelt. Indeed Gibran maintained a friendship with her and visited her often to contemplate the beauty of his garden. Najjar said in his work that she was very supportive during her illness Gibran at the end of his life.

As for the book of Mr. Antoine Khoueiry, Gibran Khalil Gibran - Lebanese genius, it contains an extensive bibliography, and since this outstanding new features that help better understand the value that is intellectual and human Gibran. Since childhood, he was attached to the rescuer through the piety of his mother and his grandfather, who was a religious man and when he discovered new doctrines and beliefs during his stay in New York, his commitment to Christ s 'augmented. According to the book, Gibran was proud of his Christianity and dreamed of his God when he was in Lebanon. United States, Gibran became acquainted with Bishop. Stephan Douaihy who translated to Syriac Gibran few prayers.

Mr. Antoine Khoueiry said Gibran, listening to the prayers, asked how the Maronites do not share these treasures with the believers. If Gibran was not a believer, he would not have enjoyed this spiritual wealth. In addition, on his deathbed, was given by Bishop Gibran. Francis Joakim extreme unction. The book presents a certificate as conclusive evidence of hospital records signed by the abbess, and the doctor of Gibran. If Gibran was not a believer, the Maronite bishops would not have celebrated the prayer for the repose of his soul in Beirut. Finally, the book points out that Gibran is a treasure intellectual, a humanist thought, a mystery that never ceases to amaze the world.

At the end of the speeches of the speakers, the audience asked questions on the subject of the conference, speakers and books.

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.mcaleb.org/fr/festival-du-livre/festival2011/105-conference-sur-les-dernieres-publications-portant-sur-gibran-khalil-gibran.html&ei=j-tiTpXxE6m2sQKy8amiCg&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=6&ved=0CDMQ7gEwBTgU&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dtarek%2Bchidiac%2Bgibran%2Bpresident%26start%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26biw%3D1307%26bih%3D561%26prmd%3Divnso

by Admin on Sun Sep 18, 2011 5:30 pm

LIGHT OF THE FUTURE - NEW MOVIE WRITTEN BY DR. TAREK E. CHIDIAC

THE FILM ENTITLED, ''THE HOLY PONTIFF AND THE GRAND RABBI''

OF TELE LUMIERE PRODUCTIONS

WILL BE DISPLAYED IN CINEMAS IN LEBANON, DURING CHRISTMAS TIME.

IT IS WRITTEN BY DR. TAREK E. CHIDIAC, DIRECTED BY CHARBEL KAMEL

AND HIGHLIGHTS THE JEW'S EFFORTS TO ENTER THE CHURCH.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PRODUCER WANTED

By Tarek E. Chidiac · Saturday, October 8, 2011

Need Producer for 12 TV episodes - The Broken Wings by Khalil Gibran.
Contact Tarek E. Chidiac on Our Lady for Life
ourladyforlife@yahoo.com

by Admin on Wed Dec 14, 2011 12:17 am

Gibran K. Gibran (1883-1931): his thought, his art and his translated books
The Faculty of Letters at the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, in collaboration with the National Committee of Gibran and the Arab Translators Union, organized on April 7 and 8, 2011 a national and international colloquium entitled “Gibran K. Gibran (1883-1931): his thought, his art and his translated books”.

Following the opening speech by Dr. Rania Salameh, Academic Secretary of the Faculty of Letters, Prof. Tanios Njeim, underlined in his speech on behalf of Rev. Fr. Karam Rizk, Dean of the Faculty of Letters, that after 80 years on the passing of Gibran, Gibran’s literary and artistic work is still subject to reflection and inspiration. He added that the grandeur of Gibran consists today in reviving human culture with spiritual momentum: “After 80 years, I am still hearing his voice alive every time I hear the voice of youth rebelling against injustice and calling for freedom”. In turn, Dr. Tarek Chidiac, Head of the National Committee of Gibran, pointed out in his speech that the books of Gibran have been translated to approximately 60 languages, mentioning that the Committee has the first edition of around 50 translated books. He added that the books of Gibran are today among the best-selling books all over the word, and competing those of Shakespeare and other highly renowned authors.

Whereas Dr. Bassam Barake, Secretary General of the Arab Translators Union, highlighted that Gibran was able to create exquisite literary work in more than one language and that he was able to reflect his creativity and genius through other means like painting, an art which he turned into a flexible tool between his hands and a manner to express his thoughts and feelings. At the end of his speech, he invited Lebanese and Arab translators to unite, and invited as well translation graduates to apply for membership in the Arab Translators Union.

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:BPQvadcKBQUJ:www.usek.edu.lb/en/News/Gibran-K.-Gibran-1883-1931-his-thought-his-art-and-his-translated-books+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac (President of the Gibran National Committee)

Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac (President of the Gibran National Committee)

Re: Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac (President of the Gibran National Committee)

Gibran National Committee in Baabda iloubnan.info - July 16, 2010

Re: Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac (President of the Gibran National Committee)

Re: Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac (President of the Gibran National Committee)

A drama of Tele Lumiere production about the Protomartyr and Archdeacon St Stephen written by Dr. Tarek Chidiac, the president of Gebran Khalil Gebran Committee will be broadcast soon

CNN-Watch the live interview of Kahlil Gibran, by Tarek

Rima Maktabi Interviews Tarek Chidiac

“A Priest’s Temptation” film written by Dr. Tarek Chidiac and directed by Charbel Kamel

Khalil Gibran returns to Beirut, posthumously

Gibran National Committee & Laboratoire d'Art Invite You to Attend

The Roots of Gibran Kahlil Gibran by Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac

Re: Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac (President of the Gibran National Committee)

Photo of the Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac President of Gibran National Committee

9-21-10 Gibran Kahlil Gibran MTV LIVE LEBANON

Re: Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac (President of the Gibran National Committee)

Gebran In Gemmayzeh Gibran National Committee & Laboratoire d'Art

Mayor Antoine al-Khoury Tawk and Tarek Chidiac President of Gibran National Committee

Coming Soon - The Samarita Woman by Dr. Tarek Chidiac and directed by: Charbel Kamel

Re: Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac (President of the Gibran National Committee)

Oct 26 2010 Days for Gebran (Noursat Tele Lumiere)

Special events to celebrate Gibran legacy, By Antoine Amrieh

THE PROPHET COMES TO AUSTRALIA IN NATIONAL BLOCKBUSTER EXHIBITION

Kahil Gibran: The Prophet, The Artist, The Man

THE AUSTRALIAN LEBANESE FOUNDATION -Khalil Gibran Tribute Dinner

The Prophet makes historic journey to Sydney

Gibran Khalil Gibran Seminar, Sunday 5 December 2010 from 5 to 9pm.

Tarek meets Bishop Issam John Darwish on Sunday 12-5-10

Khalil Gibran: The Prophet , The Artist , The Man

Re: Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac (President of the Gibran National Committee)

Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac at Modern Saint Anthony School Jbeil

Re: Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac (President of the Gibran National Committee)

Re: Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac (President of the Gibran National Committee)

Special thanks to Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac

The conference has attracted the interest of the audience.. the book of Dr. Tarek E. Chidiac, Tourne page boy

THE HOLY PONTIFF AND THE GRAND RABBI, WRITTEN BY TAREK E. CHIDIAC

Section: Faculty of Letters