On Saturday November 22nd, 2014, arcenciel and the Muslim-Christian dialogue were honored by the federation - of 29 Lebanese NGOs - "Our unity is our salvation". The event took place at the Riviera Hotel in Beirut, in the presence of president Hussein El Hussayni, where arcenciel was rewarded for its contribution to civil peace in Lebanon.
After the speach of the president of the federation, Assaad Chaftari, arcenciel’s director Pierre Issa paid tribute to the association for its efforts for Lebanon. The ceremony happened to be on the 29th anniversary of the arcenciel, born on November 21st, 1985. A time when all of Lebanon was working according to a logic of segregation and where humanitarian work was the prerogative of religious communities. Pierre Issa said: “Nobody has chosen to be poor, sick or disabled. Disease, disability amd poverty do not differentiate between Christians, Muslims, Druze or others. However, the response to these problems has established a differenciation, which has twisted the good deeds, people wanted to do, into unwanted partitions between people in the name of lightening their burdens. It is for this reason that the founders of arcenciel chose this specific name - meaning rainbow - since it represents all the colors, and rises for everyone and thus we decided to be everywhere in Lebanon, from north to south, east to west, and that, despite all the difficulties of the time”.
