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Provenance
Gilbert Aoun donated his collection to the Lebanese Research Center for Migration and Diaspora Studies (LERC) in 2009. The collection was delivered to the Special Collections Department in May 2018 for preservation.

Access Restrictions
The collection can be used within the premises of the Special Collections Department, Mariam and Youssef Library, Notre Dame University - Louaize (NDU) -Zouk Mosbeh.

Access
The collection is open for research under the supervision of the Special Collections Department staff members.

Ownership & Copyright
©2009 Notre Dame University-Louaize (Lebanon). Digital reproductions are provided for private study, scholarship and research use only, and may not be downloaded for use in electronic or print publications including web sites, exhibitions, or broadcasts, without permission of the copyright owner.

Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Lebanese Diplomats Archives Collections, Gilbert Aoun papers, Special Collections, Notre Dame University-Louaize.

Compiled by
Zeina Fahed, Special Collections, Assistant Specialist and Antoinette Kattoura, Librarian, Head, Special Collections.
 

Ambassador Gilbert Aoun was born in Damour, Lebanon, in 1940. He was a diplomatic man, who served Lebanon with devotion and imposed mutual respect among the countries he served in. He was in charge of enhancing the conditions of emigrants and worked hard in the formation of strong Lebanese communities in the countries of emigration.

He was married to Vera Saliba and had two daughters. He pursued studies in political sciences and obtained a doctorate in international public law. His diplomatic career began in 1972, after which he was responsible for many diplomatic missions serving several countries:

• • 1973-1978: Secretary in London, England
• • 1978-1980: Secretary in Buenos Aires, Argentina
• • 1982-1983: Adviser in London, England
• • 1983-1985: Consul General in Marseille, France
• • 1985-1990: Consul General in Sydney, Australia
• • 1994-1999: Ambassador to Lagos, Nigeria
• • 2003-2004: Ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro

Ambassador Aoun retired in 2004 and became a professor of International Public Law at the Institute of Political Sciences at Saint Joseph University (USJ). He lectured on key topics, including "The Impact of International Resolutions on Politics" in Lebanon and the region, in 2005. He was always open to collaboration regarding the benefits of Lebanese emigrants in Europe, Africa, Oceania and other areas. His interview with the newspaper “This Day” issued on 4th of February 1996 in which he stated: "a Nigerian could be a white man!” in reference to the large number of Nigerians who are descendants of Lebanese mothers or fathers, had a great social and political impact. In Aoun’s opinion, this combination of races strengthens their connections with the country where they have settled with their families for over 120 years, and contributed to its growth. Ambassador Gilbert Aoun died on May 19, 2009 of a heart attack.
 

The collection spans the years 1985-1999, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period between 1996 and 1998. The collection is related to Aoun’s activities in England, Argentina, France, Australia, Nigeria and Montenegro. It comprises five series: Correspondence, Newspapers & Magazines, Audio Visual, Awards and Digital File.

The Correspondence series consists of official letters written by Gilbert Aoun and sent primarily to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants of Lebanon. The major part of the correspondence relates to his activities during his tenure as consul to Australia and Africa. Most of the collection is in Arabic and one letter is in English. The series is divided into two subseries: Outgoing and Incoming correspondence.

The Newspapers & Magazines series includes printed newspapers & magazines collected by Gilbert Aoun focusing on the economic status of Nigeria and reporting on the Lebanese diaspora contribution to the economic growth of their home country.

The Audio Visual series consists of two DVDs. The first DVD is a TV interview conducted with Gilbert Aoun on the “Sunday Show” program aired on the Nigerian Channel 10. DVD 2 shows the activities of the Lebanese Embassy in Nigeria.

The Awards series includes medals awarded to Gilbert Aoun as a form of recognition for his dedication to public service.

The Digital File series contains digital press clippings published at L'Orient-Le Jour about the Ambassador Gilbert Aoun in addition to an interview with the Ambassador Aoun regarding the parliamentary elections in Lebanon.

The collection is organized by type of material and therein chronologically into the following series:

1. Correspondence
2. Newspapers & magazines
3. Audio visual
4. Awards
5. Digital File