What is it that keeps this country moving forward? We are resourceful by nature and we’ve been known to be a resilient people no matter what comes our way. The #KeepWalkingLebanon campaign by Johnie Walker has been celebrating our positive spirit and promoting hope for a better tomorrow for years and the latest is The Keep Walking Lebanon Expo.

It all started with #KeepCreatingLebanon competition, which called for contestants to come up with an idea that reflects their own interpretation of Keep Walking Lebanon. Working individually or in a group, and coming from different artistic disciplines – Film, Graphic Design, Architecture, Interior Design, and Fashion Design – their ideas varied and ranged from installations, to projections, to innovative product designs. The objective was to provide a platform for an un-skeptical generation to bring their progressive visions for the country to life, and prove that if we provide them with the right opportunities they will keep Lebanon moving forward.

After months of preparation and under the mentorship of industry experts Bernard Khoury, Azzi & Osta, Nada Debs, Wissam Smayra, and Bechara Mouzannar, 200 projects were submitted out of which 14 were selected to be showcased at the Keep Walking Lebanon Expo on February 7, 8 and 9 at KED, Karantina.

This initiative is aimed at helping talented millennials and creative minds speak out their progressive ideas and transform them into finished projects that could keep Lebanon walking. The expo will be open to the public on February 9 and all visitors will have the chance to vote for their favorite project helping them reach the top 3 for a cash prize award.

Millenials are the pillars of every emerging economy and should be given a broader platform to help shape the community and culture around them. Let’s hope what Johnie Walker begun will translate into a nation-wide movement to spread positivity and creativity.