“I believe in the power of accessible public transit to increase economic opportunity.”

Leadership: As president of Train Train Lebanon, Carlos Naffah focuses his advocacy efforts on the rehabilitation and revitalization of Lebanon’s railway system in an effort to increase economic opportunities for citizens across the country. In addition to campaigning for increased accessibility to public transport, he is a human rights consultant who has conducted extensive research into Syrian refugee rights.

Carlos is currently a doctoral candidate in education policy at the Lebanese University where he uses his political and educational background to help solve community problems.

Vision: Public transportation can help connect individuals to opportunities, but, for many in Lebanon, transportation barriers prevent people from achieving their dreams. Carlos understands this firsthand, having turned down an opportunity to attend his dream college because of distance and lack of accessibility from his home. He hopes to expand transportation access in Lebanon so no one else has to live out his experience.