Michel Aoun, founder of the Free Patriotic Movement Party.

The Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) is an extension of the Lebanese phenomenon that began with a long journey filled with struggle on which General Michel Aoun embarked. This journey continued throughout his office as head of the Lebanese Government in the late 1980’s. The FPM phenomenon manifested itself in a heightened awareness among the Lebanese people of foreign conditions and their outcomes. With pioneering, humanistic and brave conduct, the FPM opposed the occupation of Lebanon domestically and internationally and presented many sacrifices while defending its freedom, sovereignty, independence, and the dignity of its people.

As a political party, the Free Patriotic Movement aims at renewing the political life in Lebanon on the bases of knowledge, ethics, progressiveness and the emancipation of the Lebanese individual. The Party is committed to work under the banner of change and reform according to the following tenets:

In Principles

The FPM declares:

1. Its belief that the individual is intrinsically valuable and that people are born equal and die equal, having equal rights, freedom, and dignity, and being able to differ in opinions, orientations and beliefs.

2. Its commitment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to all pertinent international charters and conventions, whose values and principles will act as guidelines to the Party’s goals and programs.

3. Its intransigence in the belief that Lebanon is a sovereign, free and independent entity founded on a social pact sanctioned by the free will of its people.

4. Its assertion that Lebanon is a distinctive human experience by virtue of its pluralism, intellectual interaction and openness to civilizations, and due to its pioneering democratic experience in the Arab world.

5. Its abidance by the Lebanese Constitution as a charter of governance in Lebanon, in its practice, interpretation, and ratification.

6. Its adherence to the openness of Lebanon to and its interaction with its Arab surroundings and the world, in such a way as not to conflict with the national belonging and provided that the Lebanese will be a dimension of Lebanon in foreign countries and not a foreign dimension within Lebanon.

7. Its conviction that men and women are equal in rights and obligations, since women are fundamental partners in the building of the society and in the making of the political decision.

In the Goals

The FPM aspires to:

1. Guaranty the sovereignty of the Lebanese state and its independence and to safeguard its existence.

2. Build a nation of law based on equality, justice, social solidarity, equal opportunities and the upholding of a fair judicial system, since the latter is a true and impartial criterion for the consolidation of justice and democracy.

3. Establish democracy as a system of government and a way of life by guaranteeing the respect of freedoms and basic rights of the citizen.

4. Institute a culture of citizenship in the aim of achieving equality between the Lebanese; enact a discretionary civil personal status law; and separate politics from religion to facilitate the establishment of a secular state.

5. Protect the family because it is the nucleus in the building of a society and a nation.

6. Eliminate all legal and social distinctions between men and women and promote equality through practice on the basis of competence and aptitude.

7. Persevere in supporting the youth and promote their role in developing the society and in stimulating political life.

8. Enable the Lebanese Diaspora to exercise their political rights in Lebanon from their countries of expansion and strengthen the bond among them and between them and their motherland.

9. Disseminate a political culture that liberates the Lebanese from a mentality of tutelage and supplication and develop their sense of critique.

10. Adhere to the free economic system and personal initiative within the boundaries of human dignity and the welfare and principles of social justice.

11. Promote institutional functions on the basis of competence and the implementation of the principal of liability and accountability.

12. Protect and Preserve the environmental resources for a healthy environment is a natural and intrinsic human right and a part of human existence.

13. Make education available to all Lebanese, propagate Lebanese heritage, develop all sectors and encourage the mastering of skills, sciences and arts in such a way as to cater to the needs of the society and the requirements of the age.

14. Propagate the culture of peace, dialogue and democracy.