Earlier this week the Lebanese were struck by the news that only 6,733 members of the country’s estimated 15 million diaspora had registered to vote in the general elections, scheduled to take place this summer. For many this was a genuine surprise — long had we assumed that those Lebanese outside the country felt close ties to their homeland but were simply waiting for the opportunity to rebuild the country. The thought that the invitation to vote would be snubbed barely crossed our minds. The government reacted by blaming everyone but themselves, with Foreign Minister Adnan Mansour criticizing the “sluggishness” of the expats. But perhaps the problem is more fundamental – a growing disconnect between Lebanon and its diaspora. As the years have passed and the country has bounced from crisis to crisis, maybe the country’s sons and daughters have become frustrated with Lebanon. Perhaps they visited the country and
