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What is Refugee Food Festival?
The refugee food festival is an incredible project that brings people together. The French-born initiative started in 2016. Through a partnership between the NGO Food Sweet Food and UNHCR, with the support of partners, citizens, local authorities, restaurants, and private businesses. Their purpose is to showcase refugees’ cooking talents and facilitate integration.
Editions of the Refugee Food Festival
The first edition took place in June 2016. Over a thousand people enjoyed the food prepared by refugee chefs from India, Iran, Ivory Coast, Russia, Sri Lanka, and Syria in eleven restaurants that opened their kitchens and changed menus for the occasion.
In 2017, the edition of the Refugee Food Festival took place in Paris, Brussels, Madrid, Athens, Amsterdam, Florence, Rome, Milan, Bari, Marseille, Bordeaux, Lyon, and Lile as part of World Refugee Day celebrations.
More than 30 restaurants open their kitchens to refugees between 15th June to 30th June. The refugees that participate in the festival are from anywhere around the world. Namely: Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iran, Somalia, Syria, Iraq, Russia, Ivory Coast, and Ukraine.
In 2018, refugee chefs and locals came together to share food and friendship in cities. It took place in 14 cities around the world in June.
The expansion to several European cities stems from the desire of many citizens across Europe to engage with and welcome refugees in their country. Refugees get an opportunity to showcase their skills and promote their food traditions. Nevertheless, it presents people with a chance to discover a new culture through its cuisine.
The Main Objectives of the Refugee Food Festival
The festival serves both the locals and the refugees. It is a great way to interact and share one’s culture. The festival brings citizens and refugees together around a positive cultural experience. It is the simple joy of preparing a nice meal and enjoying some good food.
Not only does the festival create and raise awareness about refugees, but it creates an opportunity for chefs to showcase their talent. It helps to make friends. A Syrian chef who participated in the 2016 edition mentioned that it was especially significant for him as he was discovering a new culture, a new country, and a new language. Furthermore, the food makes people happy and learn more.
Unquestionably, the refugee food festival aims to encourage the refugees’ professional integration in the catering sector. It gives meaning and taste to events and makes people discover various culinary heritages.
Refugee Food Festival 2022
In 2022, Refugee Food Festival will be celebrating its 7th edition. The festival will take place in Marseille. From 18th June to 25th June 2022. The city’s restaurant owners with bakeries and pastry shops will open their doors and share stoves with the refugees.
Nonetheless, the food festival will take place in eight Marseille restaurants. Chefs from all over the world will have a chance to co-create their menus. Thus, for seven days, people will be able to taste zaatar sour drinks thanks to the Iraqi chef, Morice Boles Marcos at Brasserie de la Plaine. Also, taste Nahed Damlakhis Syrian meal at the Gouts du Monde restaurant.
In addition to tasting and learning, training courses will be provided throughout the year by the Festin association. Festin association started to help integrate into the world of work. The food on the menus is designed and prepared by refugee chefs and is purely homemade from seasonal products. The festival provides all services, including breakfast to seated dinner, cocktail parties, and meal trays.
Conclusion
The refugee food festival is an important initiative to help lower the barrier of prejudice against refugees in France. The global culinary event takes place every year in June, paves the way to celebrate refugees, and integrate and share their culture. Also, it is an opportunity for refugee chefs to elevate their careers through learning and networking.
The refugee food festival shows how open we should all be to new cultures. To experience different food and new languages without being biased towards the community.
In addition, it is refugee week, which marks the struggles and achievements of refugees across the world. It boosts the says of refugees and empowers them to share their perspectives on their terms.
Thus, with the refugee food festival, we celebrate the contributions of Chef Morice Boles from Iraq and Chef Nahed Damlakhis from Syria.
Decidedly, let us all challenge unfavorable stereotypes and create a space where refugees can be seen and heard past their experience of displacement.
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