ABSTRACT
Al-Qleileh is a small village in Qada’ Sour (District of Tyre) which stretches from the coastline to the hilly terrains, encompassing fi elds of olive, tobacco and lemon trees. The charming landscape of this rural community has been continuously disturbed by war. The Iron Fist (1982), Grapes of Wrath (1996) and the July 2006 War were crucial stages in my childhood and youth in al-Qleileh. During these wars, my home in the South was systematically damaged and its surroundings were repeatedly redefi ned. Al-Qleileh was not unique in this misery. The same scenario was replicated in almost every village in Southern Lebanon. And yet, villages and homes were constantly being rebuilt. The expression ‘Southern Lebanon’ became one that was synonymous with ‘resistance and defi ance’. Following every major war or small batt le, the people of the villages of Southern Lebanon adapted to living through the ordeal. Our entire existence became an endless cycle of construction and reconstruction. The South’s soil enlightened our souls, and in turn, our souls enriched it. These were not empty slogans; they became an integral part of our everyday lives and are deeply rooted in our collective memory. When I read about the reconstruction of Warsaw in the aft ermath of World War II (Levin and Neiman, 2004) and the involvement of civil society, especially architecture students and professors who took an active role in the process, it had not occurred to me that I would one day be similarly involved on my own soil.
