The website was based on a simple mechanism: sign in through Facebook or Twitter and pin yourself on the human chain. Users could then choose to leave a message of hope on their pin and then share it on social media. The mechanism allowed for the site to be promoted organically through the users' newsfeeds, reaching thousands more, who in turn could join the human chain. The campaign went exactly to plan, as thousands caught on to the effectiveness of the campaign, excited to be a part of it.

In a matter of days, United Hands had spread across social media - not just within Lebanon but also throughout the Lebanese community abroad. Over 7,800 people joined hands, including celebrities, politicians, and even the ex-Prime Minister. Then on November 30th, the online initiative inspired a real life human chain. Tens of thousands of Lebanese citizens gathered on the coast to join hands in the name of unity, making headline news on all major local TV channels and newspapers, as well as regional and international news outlets, as one of the largest human chains in Middle East history.

Beirut Celebrations is a non-partisan institution, building dialogue within the population by creating inclusive and purely nationalistic events, usually around the time of Independence Day. In a year, where the national day had been overshadowed by the growing divisions within Lebanon, Beirut Celebrations knew that this year had to be marked differently. With national unity facing complete destruction, citizens were on edge of where our country was headed. We created a portal where citizens could log on an join a virtual human chain, with a simple click of a button. Our target audience would be given the opportunity to mark their Independence Day with a renewed pride, as opposed to the anger and helplessness that was currently being felt, giving them a sense of unity in an all but hopeless time.