São Paulo – After relocating to Lebanon two years ago, Brasília native Viviane Carvalho tried to find publications that addressed the Brazilian community in her new country. She couldn’t find any, so she decided to create her own online magazine, Connection Beirut (www.connectionbeirut.com), to show Brazilians what Lebanon is all about.
“The idea is to demystify Lebanon. There’s this image of Lebanon as a country at war, a country of conflicts. But all I see is partying, history, interesting people who want to make Lebanon a better home for themselves,” says Carvalho. The Brazilian woman, who isn’t of Arab background, moved to the Middle East country along with her husband, who works at the Embassy of Brazil in Beirut.
The bilingual Portuguese/English magazine went online in June 2015. Connection Beirut relies on 14 columnists who take turns writing for bimonthly editions. Each edition features 15 to 20 new stories and articles. According to Carvalho, most hits are from São Paulo, followed by Russia, Lebanon and the United States.
“I wanted to show Lebanon as seen through my own eyes,” says Carvalho. She believes the fact that her family is not Lebanese affords her greater independence in discussing the country. “I am getting support from people who like Lebanon and who want to portray it in a different light,” she points out.
Carvalho is not a journalist; her background is in Civil Engineering. When it comes to choosing topics, she says she strives for variety, so that the publication will appeal to different audiences. Frequent subjects include culture, history, arts, personalities, health, and law. Events are also a staple of Connection Beirut. “I sense a strong interest [from the Lebanese] in events,” she asserts.
Former interviewees that she deems noteworthy include the Brazilian writer and politician Gabriel Chalita, and the Lebanese journalist May Chidiac, who suffered an attempt on her life because of her political views.
Carvalho is planning a story on the unfinished fairgrounds designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer in the Lebanese city of Tripoli, and she is also organizing an exhibit of photos of Brazilian women who live in Lebanon.
*Translated by Gabriel Pomerancblum
