Carmen Chahine Debbane
Carmen Chahine Debbane is a Lebanese philanthropist, founder, and CEO of the Lebanese Center for Special Education (CLES).
FROM BEIRUT TO BRUSSELS
She holds a BS in Biology from the American University of Beirut and an Executive Master in Real Estate from Solvay University in Brussels. After leaving Lebanon during the war, she built a career in Europe spanning fashion, entrepreneurship, and real estate development while continuing her humanitarian work in Lebanon.
THE FORGOTTEN CHILDREN
Her work began while seeking support for her son Charles. She saw capable children struggling because their needs were unrecognized. She called them “the forgotten children.” In 1999, she founded CLES as an independent, nonprofit, and non-sectarian organization. It now operates eight centers across Lebanon, with a ninth planned. CLES’s multidisciplinary teams provide free diagnosis, individualized therapy, and long-term follow-up to thousands of children and families. CLES has become Lebanon’s leading institution in the field of Specific Learning Difficulties.
BRINGING SUPPORT INTO THE CLASSROOM
CLES also trains teachers, guides parents, and provides school-based support. In partnership with the Lebanese Ministry of Education, Carmen introduced Learning Support Classes in more than one hundred public schools, helping children remain in mainstream schooling with specialized support.
GIVING SPECIFIC LEARNING DIFFICULTIES A DAY ON THE CALENDAR
Carmen launched 10.10.DYS, the annual Specific Learning Difficulties awareness day observed each October 10. Its outreach includes conferences, prime-time television, short films, music, digital campaigns, and a play that toured more than one hundred schools.
SHINING THROUGH MOVEMENT
Carmen created Dance by CLES with the National Dance Institute in New York, adapting its original program. Delivered in public and private schools, it has reached thousands of children through movement and the arts, letting every child shine on stage regardless of learning differences.
NOT DROPPING OUT, BUT MOVING FORWARD
Through the DYS Grant, CLES supports students with Specific Learning Difficulties who pursue vocational education, helping them stay in school and build the skills for lasting employment.
STANDING BY FAMILIES IN CRISIS
During Lebanon’s economic collapse, Carmen and her husband, Ray Debbane, launched Care by CLES, delivering food, hygiene products, and other essentials to tens of thousands of people. They are also helping families cover tuition at mainstream schools, keeping thousands of children enrolled.
A VISION BEYOND LEBANON
In 2005, Carmen founded the Euro Mediterranean Center for Development (CEMEDE) in Brussels. Its work spans education, humanitarian action, sustainable development initiatives, and inclusive cultural projects. Through CEMEDE, Carmen is leading the creation of HasArt, an inclusive residency for Euro-Mediterranean artists scheduled to start in September 2026.
A LEGACY RECOGNIZED
Her distinctions include the American Task Force for Lebanon’s Philip C. Habib Award for Distinguished Public Service (Washington, DC, 2017) and honors from St. John Paul II Church (2022). Together, Carmen and Ray were honored by the National Dance Institute in 2023 and named TAKREEM America’s 2026 Lifetime Achievement laureates for their contributions to education, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy.
Carmen’s work is guided by one conviction: “The road to peace goes through the education of children.” For nearly three decades, she has put that belief into practice. Today, that belief continues to shape the lives of thousands of children across Lebanon and beyond.