Kunhadi

Kunhadi (Arabic كن هادي, English "be calm") is a non-profit organization concerned with road safety in Lebanon. Kunhadi is aimed at raising road safety awareness, especially among young people. The organization was established in 2006 after Hady Gebrane died from a car crash at age 18.^[1]

Kunhadi's work includes lobbying and advocacy.^[2] Its main focus is on improving dangerous driving behaviors, such as speeding, drunk driving, not wearing helmets or seat belts and driving while fatigued or distracted.

Activities in Lebanon

"Road Safety Sessions" are interactive road safety sessions at schools,^[3] universities ^[4] and corporations. They strive to explain the role of each road user in improving road safety.

Since 2007, Kunhadi organizes twice a year "Taxi Night event". It is a party where guests are prohibited from using their own cars. Instead, Kunhadi offers two rides Taxi from their house to the party and from the party to their house. Kunhadi launches this event on the most prestigious Lebanese night clubs to raise awareness on drunk driving and fatigue driving.^[5] So far, Kunhadi organizes 13 Taxi Night event.^[6]

In 2009, Kunhadi collaborated with USAid to launch "Spreading the Road Safety Project" that included the production of 32 public service announcements explaining the importance of road safety and respecting the Lebanese traffic law in less than 20 seconds. As part of this project, and funded by USAid, Kunhadi launched campaigns to raise awareness about the dangers of drunk driving and speeding.^[7]

In 2010, Kunhadi collaborated with the "Global Helmet Vaccine Initiative"^[8] and offered 1,200 helmets to delivery boys along with a series of conferences about road safety.^[9]

Kunhadi launched a campaign for pedestrian safety in November 2011 that included the start of installation of safe crossings in front of schools, with the objective of introducing the habit of using pedestrian crossings in Lebanon.^[10] Since its creation, Kunhadi installed 9 safe crossings in front of schools and 6 retro-reflective markings and reflective columns to highlight non-visible curves and/or points.

Since 2013, Kunhadi collaborates with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon in Lebanon to raise awareness among the children of South Lebanon.^[11] While Kunhadi presents the safety rules, the UNIFIL implement exercises with the children.^[12]

In 2013 and 2014, Kunhadi collaborated with Alfa and organized two national campaigns^[13] to raise awareness on the danger of using the phone while driving.^[14]

On the occasion of World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims organized by UN every year since 2005^[15], Kunhadi organized in November 2013 and 2014 a commemorative ceremony in Sin el Fil, in collaboration with the Municipality.^[16]

In 2015, on the occasion of Valentine's Day, Kunhadi launched a road safety awareness campaign encouraging people not to speed on the roads.^[17]

International activities

In 2007, the FIA Foundation attempted to collect over one million signatures for a petition to submit to the United Nations to ask for Road Safety measures to be taken (by Governments, Private Sectors and NGOs) in the aim of saving millions of lives over the next decade.^[18] The drive was part of the global Make Roads Safe campaign. Kunhadi collected over 17,000 signatures.

The UN General Assembly decided to initiate the Decade of Action for Road Safety from 2011 to 2020 in May 2011.

Kunhadi launched its program with four ambassadors: actor and screen writer Georges Khabbaz, actress Carmen Lebbos, dancer and choreographer Alissar Caracalla and talk show host Tony Baroud.^[19] In 2013, Spanish-Lebanese F3 champion Noel Jammal joined Kunhadi's cause.

Within the frame of the Decade of Action, Kunhadi launched in 2013 a national campaign focused on Pedestrian Visibility and the importance of staying visible on the roads, especially at night. As a part of this project, Kunhadi distributed and sold retro-reflective bracelets all over Lebanon.^[20]

In 2014, Kunhadi organized a campaign called "Race on track. Drive on the road" to tackle speeding and drunk driving on the most dangerous axe of Lebanon, Antelias - Byblos highway,^[21] within the frame of the Decade of Action. As a part of this campaign, Kunhadi teamed up with a group of students from Jesus and Mary School in Antelias to make the area around the school safer for pedestrians.^[22]

In 2015, the UN launched a global campaign called #SaveKidsLives. Children and experts at the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration wrote a Declaration to voice the demands of children to feel safer on the roads. #SaveKidsLives week takes place from May 4 to May 10, 2015.^[23] Kunhadi joined the campaign and will organize a series of event on this occasion.

In 2015, Kunhadi joined the Global Alliance of NGOs for Road Safety and participated in the 4th Global Meeting in Marrakesh on March 13 and 14, 2015. The objective of the meeting was to help NGOs to coordinate their activities and to share their best practices.^[24]

References

Additional sources

• Kunhadi organization campaigns to build awareness on hazards of reckless driving
• Kunhadi road safety NGO turns 5 - Donats to ISF
• Skybar urges clubbers drink/drive Kunhadi taxi night
• Aridi/Kunhadi/Ministry partner to resolve road problems
• USAID press release
• What is the best advertising in 2011