BEIRUT: This year’s political instability, both at home and in the region, has put a damper on the summer diaspora camp experience in Lebanon, although initiatives aren’t completely lacking.

In association with the World Lebanese Cultural Union, RJ Liban, an organization that aims to unite Lebanese communities across the world, has organized a summer camp specifically for members of the Lebanese community in Mexico. The program begins this week in the high-altitude Metn town of Dhour Choueir, which is hosting 25 guests from Mexico at the Bois du Boulogne Hotel.

The two-week camp offers participants instruction in Arabic as well as Lebanese culture and history. Students will also tour the country’s historical and other sites.

The novel, Mexico-specific initiative also attracted a wide group of participants, ranging from 10 to 75 years old.

Asked why the focus was on Mexico, Naji Farah, RJ Liban’s president and camp organizer, explained that “we had a meeting in December 2009 in Mexico and realized there was a large number of people of Lebanese origin living there, so we felt it would be incredibly beneficial to have a program for them in Lebanon this summer.”

But other mainstays of the diaspora camp season have taken a hit.

For the past decade, the American University of Beirut has been running SPAAC, a Summer Program for AUB Alumni Children. The program allows students aged 16-21 the opportunity to travel to Lebanon in order to learn about its diverse history and culture. Wafa Abu Daher, assistant director at the AUB Continuing Education Center, explained that “most of the students that come have dual nationalities and are half Lebanese and half American” and the program is a great way to provide the students a deeper understanding of their national heritage.

SPAAC courses cover colloquial and literary Arabic, contemporary Lebanese studies, and an art class of the students’ choice. The program aims at giving students a real insight into Lebanon as a whole and as a result organizes numerous excursions throughout the country, to sites such as Jbeil, Batroun, Beiteddine, Baalbek and Jeita.

However, the camp has suffered as a result of the current political climate in the Middle East. With many parents feeling reluctant to send their children to the region, AUB was forced to cancel this year’s program.

“We were expecting so many students this year, but the recent troubles that have occurred in the region, in most of the Arab countries, made parents a little bit worried and hesitant about whether to send their children here for one month. So we decided to cancel,” explained Abu Daher.

The one-month program has proven successful in past years; nearly 30 students traveled from across the U.S. in order to take part last year, before the outbreak of the Arab Spring.

“We only received 10-12 applications [this year] but when we sent the confirmation letter to the parents, we only received three confirmations,” Abu Daher said.

“The students who had planned to come were so upset to hear that the program was canceled.”

The majority of participants come from Canada and North America, but due to low numbers the AUB SPAAC program tried to recruit from elsewhere, she said.

“We even tried to recruit students from Europe and the Gulf in order to get the numbers up but we could not, they did not come.”

But AUB is adamant that this summer’s disappointment will not prevent the program from returning again in 2012, in the hopes that it will be a much more successful and active summer.

Elsewhere, the government-funded summer diaspora camp has been called off, largely due to the long period earlier this year with only a caretaker government in control.

“It is indeed a shame that we will miss out on this year’s camp,” said Ahmad Assi, the media official at the Foreign Ministry’s Department of Emigrant Affairs.

Assi’s assistant, Sawsan Shaar, said “dozens of mailing lists were prepared to be sent out to the participants who look forward to our event, they expect and wait for us.”

By the time the new government was formed last month, it was too late for any planning to take place.

“Lebanon desperately needs this,” Assi said. “”We have to keep a constant bond with our diaspora, refresh the idea of Lebanon in the minds and souls of its children.”

This year would have marked the 11th edition of the camp, usually held at Broummana High School. It averages more than 250 participants, from over 25 countries.

The camp was first held in 1997, and the 18- to 25-year-old participants discover Lebanon over 10 days. As the “official camp,” participants also meet with the president and prime minister.

Shaar recalled an emotional moment when the young participants were taken to Qana in 2000 and “tears just poured out of their eyes; they felt the Lebanese pride and soul in them, it was just beautiful and deeply touching.”

But unfortunately many of those who wish to get in touch with their roots will have to wait for 2012, while hoping for greater stability to return to the country and the region.