TV anchor and producer Youmna Naufal endeavors constantly to shed some light on the positive things happening in Lebanon, in a bid to counteract the hopelessness that many young Lebanese say they feel.
As the head of Future TV 's English News Desk, she has fostered a platform for individuals making a positive impact in the country. Naufal recognized the opportunity she had and decided to launch series of interviews with Lebanese influencers and shapers who are working for societal change.
"There's just so much happening and there's so much negativity." Naufal told StepFeed. "I started meeting younger people who were becoming entrepreneurs and other people who said, 'Well, I'm leaving the country … I hate this country, I hate the politicians, I like the food but it's not enough.'"
"I thought to myself, we need to start some kind of series, because I had the platform, where I would give those people voices so that one, they'd get their complaints out there and two, the people who liked Lebanon, the people who stayed here and were doing something positive, could talk and then people who may feel hopeless or helpless would think and say 'Well, if he is doing that, or she is doing that, then I can do it as well.'"
From bloggers to actors and from comedians to ambassadors, Naufal has showcased a wide range of individuals that, like her, prefer to focus on the possibilities and hope in Lebanon. Instead of only complaining about the myriad of problems the country continually faces, they choose to take an optimistic approach and influence others to do the same.
"There are challenges to staying positive." Naufal said. "There are days I want to get-up and have a burger and chocolate fudge cake and watch like, you know, the 'Lion King' or 'Beauty and the Beast' all day long and just kind of wallow in my sorrow. But listen, it's a choice you have to make. You have to see the glass half full. Do you want to be a fighter? Or do you not want to be a fighter? Yes, it's difficult. Yes, there are days it's bad. But think about it this way, it can only get better from here. If it's bad, then the only way to go is up."
Naufal's passion for Lebanon may surprise some, especially considering her background. Growing up in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon was the country of her heritage but she spent most of her summers in the United States and normally only visited Lebanon during her winter holidays. However, when it came time for her to attend university, she chose the American University of Beirut and later went on to complete her master's degree at New York University.
Having previously worked in New York and with her international background as well as her top-notch education, Naufal could clearly leave Lebanon if she wanted to. However, she has chosen to stay, also working as the Beirut Correspondent for TRT World and CCTV as well as serving as the Curator of the Beirut Hub of the Global Shapers Community. Through Global Shapers she has been able to take her positive outlook on Lebanon to an even wider international audience.
Explaining why she thinks this positive perspective – different from the one often highlighted by international media – is so important, Naufal said it's important "because I think we're more than a war-torn country. We're more than just what the media makes of us."
"We're more than what is portrayed out there, war mongers, or the Middle East is full of terrorists. You know we have exceptional people … We've got great exports. We've got great names all over."
Naufal definitely doesn't deny that there are significant uphill battles to be fought to improve conditions in the country, but she isn't losing hope. Instead she prefers to side with what she sees as the positive majority.
You can watch Naufal's news bulletins live everyday at 4:20 p.m. on Future TV or view past interviews on Future TV's YouTube channel and Naufal's personal channel .