Dr. Yasser Abu Jamei emerges as an improbable beacon of optimism amidst the challenging backdrop of Gaza, a place where four out of five children endure the heavy burden of depression, fear, and grief. As a dedicated psychiatrist and the leader of the Gaza Community Mental Health Program, he stands on the frontlines of an often invisible battle to protect and heal a population caught in the throes of prolonged conflict. Driven by an unwavering belief in the power of resilience, he endeavors to infuse the lives of his patients with hope and color, reminding them that laughter, joy, and the release of negative emotions are still attainable. Dr. Abu Jamei intimately understands their pain, having himself suffered the tragic loss of 28 family members during an Israeli missile strike in 2014. In this podcast episode, Ricardo Karam welcomes Dr. Yasser Abu-Jamei, a beacon of hope in the midst of adversity. Join them as they delve into the world of mental health in Gaza, explore Dr. Abu-Jamei's inspirational journey, and gain profound insights into resilience and healing in wars and conflict zones. يظهر الدكتور ياسر أبو جامع كمنارة تفاؤل غير محتملة وسط الخلفية الصعبة في غزة، وهو المكان الذي يتحمّل فيه أربعة من كل خمسة أطفال العبء الثقيل من الاكتئاب والخوف والحزن. بصفته طبيباً نفسياً متخصصاً وقائداً لبرنامج الصحة النفسية المجتمعية في غزة، فهو يقف على الخطوط الأمامية لمعركة غير مرئية لحماية وشفاء السكّان العالقين في مخاض الصراع الطويل. مدفوعاً بإيمانه الراسخ بقوة المرونة، يسعى إلى غرس الأمل واللون في حياة مرضاه، مذكّراً إياهم بأنّ الضحك والفرح والتخلّص من المشاعر السلبية لا يزال من الممكن تحقيقه. يتفهّم الدكتور أبو جامع آلامهم بعمق، بعد أن عانى هو نفسه من الخسارة المأساوية لـ ۲۸ من أفراد الأسرة خلال هجوم صاروخي إسرائيلي في عام ۲۰١٤. يلتقي ريكاردو كرم بالدكتور ياسر أبو جامع في هذا البودكاست. انضموا إليهما وهما يتعمّقان في عالم الصحة العقلية في غزة، واستكشفوا رحلة ملهمة، واكتسبوا رؤى عميقة حول

In this podcast episode, Ricardo Karam unlocks a hidden world as Lebanese journalist and art critic Joseph Tarrab, one of the last Jews in Lebanon, shares his extraordinary journey. From the enchanting heydays of Beirut's art scene to the poignant narratives of artists in times of turmoil, his unique perspective weaves a captivating tale. Join them as we delve deep into the heart of Lebanon's art, culture, and the power to transform adversity into inspiration. في هذا البودكاست، يلتقي ريكاردو كرم الناقد الفني والصحافي اللبناني جوزيف طرّاب ويكشف عن عالم خفي، حيث يشاركنا طرّاب، أحد أواخر اليهود في لبنان، رحلته غير العادية. من ذروة المشهد الفني في بيروت إلى الروايات المؤثرة للفنانين في أوقات الاضطرابات، ينسج منظوره الفريد قصة آسرة. انضموا إليهما وهما يتعمقان في قلب الفن والثقافة في لبنان والقدرة على تحويل الشدائد إلى إلهام.

In this captivating podcast episode, Ricardo Karam sits down with Ammar Abd Rabbo, an accomplished reporter and photographer whose lens has witnessed the world's most high-stakes events and iconic figures. Amidst contexts of conflict and suffering, Ammar has mastered the art of navigating the delicate balance between capturing the raw truth and respecting the dignity of his subjects. Throughout his illustrious career, Ammar has been an eyewitness to countless global events. In this episode, he recounts instances where what he captured through his lens stood in stark contrast to the representation by global media. Join them as they delve into the depths of Ammar's remarkable career, exploring his ethical standpoints, untold stories, and unique perspectives. في هذا البودكاست، يلتقي ريكاردو كرم عمارعبد ربه، المراسل والمصوّر الفوتوغرافي البارع الذي شهدت عدسته الأحداث الأكثر أهمية في العالم وصوّرت الشخصيات البارزة قاطبةً. وسط سياقات الصراع والمعاناة، أتقن عمار فن التنقّل في التوازن الدقيق بين التقاط الحقيقة الخام واحترام مواضيعه. في هذه الحلقة، يروي يوميات مصوّر التقط بعدسته لحظات طبعت العصر محاولاً التفرّد بنتيجة تتناقض أحياناً مع ما يتمّ تصويره من قبل وسائل الإعلام العالمية. تابعوا هذا اللقاء الذي يتعمّق في مسيرة مهنية مليئة بالأسرار.

In this compelling podcast episode, Ricardo Karam engages in a fascinating conversation with Najat Saliba, a distinguished figure in the world of science, environmental conservation, and politics. As a Professor of Analytical Chemistry and an atmospheric chemist at the American University of Beirut (AUB), Saliba's career has been marked by a relentless pursuit of scientific excellence. Her notable achievements include serving as the Director of AUB's Nature Conservation Center from 2013 to 2020 and co-founding and directing Khaddit Beirut, an initiative born in response to Beirut's 2020 explosion. Additionally, she is the founder and director of the Environment Academy, a visionary project supported by the World Health Organization. Saliba's accomplishments extend beyond the laboratory and conservation efforts. In 2019, she was appointed a laureate of the prestigious L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science program, recognizing her exceptional contributions to the field. In a remarkable turn of events, Saliba was elected to the Lebanese parliament in 2022, adding a new dimension to her illustrious career. Najat Saliba's journey is a testament to her unwavering commitment to science, environmental stewardship, and public service. Her ability to bridge the worlds of academia, conservation, and politics makes her an inspirational and influential presence in Lebanon and beyond. في هذاالبودكاست، يلتقي ريكاردو كرم نجاة صليبا، الشخصية البارزة في عالم العلوم والحفاظ على البيئة والسياسة. بصفتها أستاذة الكيمياء التحليلية وكيميائية الغلاف الجوي في الجامعة الأميركية في بيروت، اتسّمت مسيرة صليبا المهنية بالسعي الدؤوب لتحقيق التميّز العلمي. تشمل إنجازاتها البارزة عملها كمديرة لمركز حماية الطبيعة التابع للجامعة بين عامي ۲۰١٣ و۲۰۲۰ والمشاركة في تأسيس وإدارة "خضّة بيروت"، وهي مبادرة ولدت استجابة لانفجار بيروت عام ۲۰۲۰. بالإضافة إلى ذلك، هي مؤسسة ومديرة أكاديمية البيئة، وهو مشروع رؤيوي تدعمه منظمة الصحة العالمية. تمتدّ إنجازات صليبا إلى ما هو أبعد من جهود المختبر والحفظ. وفي عام ۲۰١٩، حازت على جائزة برنامج لوريال-اليونسكو للنساء في العلوم، تقديراً لمساهماتها الاستثنائية في هذا المجال. وفي تحوّل ملحوظ للأحداث، تمّ انتخابها لعضوية مجلس النواب اللبناني عام ۲۰۲۲، ممّا أضاف بعداً جديداً إلى مسيرتها المهنية اللامعة. إنّ رحلة نجاة صليبا هي شهادة على التزامها الثابت بالعلم والإشراف البيئي والخدمة العامة. وإنّ قدرتها على الربط بين عوالم الأوساط الأكاديمية والحفاظ على البيئة والسياسة جعلتها ذات حضور ملهم ومؤثّر في لبنان وخارجه.

In this podcast, Ricardo Karam sits down with the prominent Lebanese journalist Gisele Khoury known for her insightful coverage of Middle Eastern affairs. Born in Lebanon, Khoury's journalistic career began amidst a region beset by conflicts, giving her a profound understanding of the intricacies and sensitivities that come with reporting in such a setting. Her work has encompassed not just traditional news reporting but also in-depth interviews, often with figures of significant political influence. Through her shows and writings, she has consistently demonstrated an ability to ask tough questions while maintaining an air of respectful dialogue—a skill not easily mastered, especially in the divisive political landscape of the Middle East. Khoury has faced her share of risks and controversies. The dangers associated with reporting in a conflict-ridden area are no secret, and she has dealt with threats and intimidations in the past. Yet, her commitment to unbiased journalism, aimed at revealing truths rather than sensationalizing events, has been unwavering. في هذا البودكاست، يلتقي ريكاردو كرم الصحافية اللبنانية جيزيل خوري المعروفة بتغطيتها الثاقبة لشؤون الشرق الأوسط. ولدت خوري في لبنان، وبدأت مسيرتها الصحفية وسط منطقة تعاني من الصراعات، مما منحها فهماً عميقاً للتعقيدات والحساسيات التي تصاحب التغطية الصحفية في مثل هذه البيئة. لم يشمل عملها التقارير الإخبارية التقليدية فحسب، بل شمل أيضاً إجراء مقابلات متعمّقة، غالباً مع شخصيات ذات تأثير سياسي كبير. من خلال عروضها وكتاباتها، أظهرت باستمرار قدرتها على طرح الأسئلة الصعبة مع الحفاظ على جو من الحوار المحترم - وهي مهارة لا يمكن إتقانها بسهولة، خاصة في المشهد السياسي المثير للخلاف في الشرق الأوسط. وقد واجهت خوري نصيبها من المخاطر والخلافات. ومع ذلك، فإنّ التزامها بالصحافة غير المتحيّزة، التي تهدف إلى كشف الحقائق بدلاً من إثارة الأحداث، كان ثابتاً لا يتزعزع.

In this heart-aching podcast, Ricardo Karam conversates with a young girl under the alias of Samar whose story is both sad and uplifting. Her story begins with her parents asking a woman to incubate a child for them because they can’t get pregnant and the lie, they were told about the fetus dying and them losing all hope. Little did they know that out of hopelessness came this young strong rose that against all odds grew from concrete and with her sheer will reunited with them. We embark on this journey with Samar who was raised in a prostitution home with a transgender male as her mother who adopted her just for the sake of being granted Lebanese citizenship and a woman who carried her, pretending she was her grandmother. Samar walks us through parts of her life, her emotional distress as a kid, the discovery in her early adolescent years that in fact: this house she is living in is not her house nor the people she thought were her family turning out not to be her true parents and the start of the journey of her life to find a better life and reunite with her true family.  في هذه البودكاست المؤثّر، يلتقي ريكاردو كرم بشابة لبنانية يافعة "سمر"; ليستمع إلى قصتها المؤلمة والمبهجة في آنٍ واحد. تبدأ سمر حكايتها عندما طلب والداها من سيدة أن تحتضن لهما الجنين لأنّ الوالدة البيولوجية لا تستطيع الحمل. وأثناء حملها لها، كذبت وأخبرتهما أنّها فقدت الجنين. أبصرت سمر النور ونشأت في بيت للدعارة مع رجل متحوّل جنسياً اعتبرته والدتها وقد أراد من خلالها الحصول على الجنسية اللبنانية فقط. تصحبنا سمر عبر فصول من حياتها، وعذاباتها وهي طفلة، واكتشافها في سنوات مراهقتها المبكرة أن في الواقع: هذا المنزل الذي تعيش فيه ليس منزلها والأشخاص الذين اعتقدت أنهم عائلتها ليسوا كذلك.

In this episode, Ricardo sits down with Salah Tizani aka Abu Salim El Tabel. Salah Tizani is a Lebanese comedian and TV actor, known for his sense of humor, who began his long career with the launch of Lebanon TV in 1959, producing many comedy series with his band on a weekly basis until 1975, when the Lebanese civil war broke out. In the 90's, he resumed his distinguished work. Take a listen.

In this episode, Ricardo meets poet, essayist, and painter Etel Adnan 2 years before her passing. Etel Adnan expressed her prodigious creative and intellectual vision in many forms. In addition to being a visual artist, she is a renowned poet, a prominent journalist, and the author of one of the defining novels of the modern Arab world. Adnan’s biography is notable for its rich convergence of cultural influences. She was born in Lebanon to a Greek mother and Syrian father; grew up speaking French, Arabic, and Greek; and as an adult lived for extended periods in Lebanon, the United States, and France. She began to paint in the late 1950s, while working as a professor of philosophy in Northern California. It was a period when, in protest of France’s colonial rule in Algeria, she renounced writing in French and declared that she would begin “painting in Arabic.” While Adnan’s writings are unflinching in their critique of war and social injustice, her visual art is an intensely personal distillation of her faith in the human spirit and the beauty of the natural world. She once stated, “It seems to me I write what I see, paint what I am”. Etel died on November 14, 2021. 

In this episode, Ricardo unveils a 25-year-old interview he conducted with Sabah, one of the Arab world's best-known entertainers, who has released over 50 albums and acted in 98 films as well as over 20 Lebanese stage plays during her more than six-decade-long career. Few artists in the Arab world enjoyed the level of glory and stardom of Sabah. Her incredible signing talent, especially in the so-called mountain folk style, was discovered at a young age and she released her first song at age 13. With beauty and pleasant personality to go with the voice, this winning formula caught the eye of producer Asia Dagher, who encouraged Sabah’s family to bring her to Cairo for a three-film contract. Her family agreed and the young woman never looked back.  Sabah was among the first Arabic singers to perform at the Carnegie Hall in New York City, the Royal Albert Hall in London, and the Sydney Opera House. She passed away in 2014 at the age of 87 and remains considered as one of the holders of the artistic memory of Lebanon and the Arab world.

In this very special episode, Ricardo sits down with President Michel Aoun for a conversation that took place at the most critical time in Lebanon’s history. Michel Aoun was then the President of Lebanon elected on 31 October 2016 on the 46th electoral session of the Lebanese parliament, breaking a 29-month deadlock. The encounter took place on the eve of the centenary proclamation of the nation of Lebanon and less than a month after Beirut blast killed at least 190 people, injured thousands, destroyed the city and left thousands of citizens homeless. Lebanese, who underwent decades of accumulated crises, endemic corruption and mismanagement by an entrenched ruling class, were all waiting to hear what the most controversial President was about to say.

Today, Ricardo sits down with Tracy Chamoun for a special conversation. Tracy Chamoun is the scion of one of Lebanon’s most famous dynasties and the first woman to found a political party in the Arab world - the Liberal Democrats Party of Lebanon. In this conversation, she talks about her plans and hopes for her country, and about coming to terms with the murder of her father, his second wife and their young children during the Lebanese civil war. Tracy was appointed as ambassador of Lebanon to Jordan on 19 June, 2017 and became one of the first officials to resign from her position following the devastating explosion at Beirut port that killed at least 158 people and injured more than 6,000. She decided to run for presidency in 2022. 

Today, Ricardo sits down with Tracy Chamoun for a special conversation. Tracy Chamoun is the scion of one of Lebanon’s most famous dynasties and the first woman to found a political party in the Arab world - the Liberal Democrats Party of Lebanon. In this conversation, she talks about her plans and hopes for her country, and about coming to terms with the murder of her father, his second wife and their young children during the Lebanese civil war. Tracy was appointed as ambassador of Lebanon to Jordan on 19 June, 2017 and became one of the first officials to resign from her position following the devastating explosion at Beirut port that killed at least 158 people and injured more than 6,000. She decided to run for presidency in 2022.  

In this episode, Ricardo sits down with Nidal Al-Ashkar for a very special conversation. Nidal Al-Ashkar is among the most influential women to shape the cultural landscape of Lebanon and the Arab world. Much of the development of theatre in Beirut is attributed to her efforts, which culminated in the establishment of “The Beirut Theatre Workshop” in the late 1960s and the “Arab Actors” theatre company in the mid-70s. In 1994, after renovating a historic cinema in Beirut and making it available to Lebanese civil society, she founded there a cultural centre, Masrah Al-Madina, which quickly became the epicenter for cultural and artistic events in Beirut. Nidal tapped into the world of theatre, poetry, politics and many other art forms.

In this episode, Ricardo sits down with Baria Alamuddin for a very special conversation. Baria Alamuddin is an outspoken, award-winning political journalist from Lebanon. She has been making waves in the media world for many decades and is best known in the Middle East, the US, and the UK for talking tough with cultural icons, heads of state, and religious leaders  till she was dubbed as the "Well of Secrets." Memorably, she was also the last journalist to interview Prime Minister Indira Gandhi before her assassination in 1984. Beyond her career, she is a wife, a mother, and the mother in law of George Clooney.

Today, Ricardo sits down with Amin Maalouf for a very special conversation. Amin Maalouf is described as one of the Arab world's most influential writers, weaves extraordinary tales in his novels, mixing historical events, romantic love, fantasy, and imagination.  A Lebanese writer who lives in France and writes in French, Maalouf explores fundamental problems of identity, the pressures of religion and nationality, and the concerns and values of different cultures in the Middle East, Africa, and the Mediterranean world. In this episode, he talks about his own origins, his inspiration and his views on the Arab world today. Take a listen.  

Ricardo sits down for a conversation with Hanan Daoud Mikhael Ashrawi. Hanan was born in 1946 - two years before the Isreali invasion of Palestine. She is  a Palestinian leader, legislator, activist, and scholar who served as a member of the Leadership Committee and as an official spokesperson of the Palestinian delegation to the Middle East peace process, beginning with the Madrid Peace Conference of 1991. Her resume is long - too long even to go over but her life has been one of patriotism, discussion, debate and of course a strong and deep revolutionary spirit. Her story is that of perseverance through the victories and failures.

Today Ricardo brings to you a  conversation he had with HRH Prince Ali bin Hussein of Jordan. Ricardo visited Prince at his wonderful home right outside of Amman. Prince Ali was of course born into the Jordanian royal family - his father was the King Hussein of Jordan and his mother was Queen Alia of Jordan. But Prince Ali is not your typical prince - he is a modernist, an advocate for progress and change. He proved that during his time at FIFA as he was one of a number of FIFA officials to call for the publication of the Garcia Report into allegations of corruption. Not only that he successfully championed the lifting of FIFA's ban on the hijab in women's football.  

Today Ricardo brings to you a  conversation he had with HRH Prince Ali bin Hussein of Jordan. Ricardo visited Prince at his wonderful home right outside of Amman. Prince Ali was of course born into the Jordanian royal family - his father was the King Hussein of Jordan and his mother was Queen Alia of Jordan. But Prince Ali is not your typical prince - he is a modernist, an advocate for progress and change. He proved that during his time at FIFA as he was one of a number of FIFA officials to call for the publication of the Garcia Report into allegations of corruption. Not only that he successfully championed the lifting of FIFA's ban on the hijab in women's football.  

Ricardo sits down with Ramzi Haidamus a Lebanese-American who left the shores of Lebanon during the civil war for San Francisco. There he pursued both a bachelors and masters in electrical engineering and then he built a career of dreams. He worked at Dolby for 17 years, and became Executive Vice President. Then to the surprise of so many he quit his job to spend more quiet time with his family. He rejoined the workforce in 2014, he became President of Nokia Technologies then President and CEO of Immersion Corporation, the leading innovator of touch feedback technology. Ramzi tells us his a story: a story of immigration, of success, of hard work, of risk aking, of family and love.