Dr. Fadia Hoteit/ Lebanon: Professor of Early Childhood at the Lebanese University and member of ANECD Research Group.

12 October 2026 

Youssef Hajjar, who are you?

I met you only a few times, yet did I truly know you? I formed an image of you, but I cannot say from what elements it was composed. In my imagination, I always see you in exile: an Arab who left his homeland, inhabited by a deep longing. His face lights up when he speaks Arabic, and he seizes available moments to let the language flow from his tongue. He speaks at length, and in his sheer joy, he even sings.

Youssef Hajjar, the Arab, from which country do you hail? In my mind, you were wavering between being Syrian, Lebanese, or Palestinian. I decided you were Lebanese because of your warm sociable nature, Palestinian because of your poetic nostalgia, and Syrian because your heart beats with an Arab spirit.

Youssef Hajjar, the grown-up child, why did you choose childhood as the path of giving? In my imagination, you are too gentle to battle with the passing years. Thus, you allowed childhood to flourish within you and made it your cherished vocation, for children embody hope, and someone sincere, transparent, and generous of spirit, like you, will never lose his way.

Youssef Hajjar, the emigrant, did you manage to reconcile between being both English and Arab? In my imagination, you could not. Even now, as I recall you, not a single English phrase you uttered comes to mind. You gave your heart to the Arabic language, and whenever your heart had the chance to beat, the beats were in Arabic letters.

Youssef Hajjar, the exiled, what made you choose to leave? In my imagination, you are an ancient militant wearied by the deterioration of activism, so you packed your papers, carried your bag, and walked away. Your personality retained the impact of that bygone era, indifferent to the changes that ensued.

Youssef Hajjar, ARC “comrade”, how did you come to terms with its decline? In my imagination, during our brief encounters, ARC was your cherished subject. You gave it all your love and felt uneasy about ANECD, for there is no energy for those whose youth has passed.

Youssef Hajjar, the noble, forgive my imagination if the portrait it paints lacks precision. There are people who need no introduction. Their mere presence reveals the fullness of their being. Should one overlook a few details, it does not matter, for in such people, the little is truly a lot.

Youssef Hajjar, the absent whose presence used to fill the space, we shall miss you!