from London: one of the highlights of my trip to Lebanon was meeting all those leftist activists, some of whom I have not seen since my highschool and college days. It was great to feel the leftist and secular energy still present in Lebanon. These are the men and women who have not been deceived or manipulated by the false promises of globalization; these are the people who are not affected by the fundamentalist tides sweeping through the world; these are the people standing up against the pro-rich agenda of the Lebanese prime minister; these are the people who do not believe that women should be invisible; these are the people who have not given up on the liberation of Palestine and do not raise religious slogans; these are the people who have broken with Stalinism and Leninism without abandoning their progressive agendas; these are the people who will never forget the grievances of the poor and needy.