Build peace while eating at the Conflict Café
The pop-up Conflict Café brings people together over a meal in London. It’s part of the second ‘Talking Peace Festival’ which is taking place in London from 3 September to 3 October 2015.
The Conflict Café is organized for the second time by the NGO International Alert. The café serves food from the areas where it runs peace-building projects, like Syria, Nepal, Colombia, Armenia and Turkey. The pop-up café has one goal, showing that good food can help to resolve international conflicts.
The Conflict Café
The café is near Waterloo station in London. In the article in the Independent, Charlotte Onslow, who works for International Alert, explains how it works. “We want to make sure you don’t talk only to the person you came with, so we have long tables and materials on them that generate questions; there will be specialists who explain a bit about the conflicts.” Different chefs with ties to specific kitchens from these areas, will be cooking in the Conflict Café.
The Talking Peace Festival
The festival, which coincides with the UN’s International Day of Peace on 21 September, will bring together art, food, photography, talks, comedy, music and technology to showcase the power of words and creativity in resolving conflicts. This year’s festival theme focuses on ‘peace in our cities’, and will look at the new challenges that urbanisation poses to peace. This goes from organised crime to civil unrest, and identifying possible solutions. There are Peace Talks panel discussions on 21 September. There will be an ART4PEACE program with an exhibition and auction of urban and street art by leading international talent. A ‘music strand’ is introduced this year, with internationally acclaimed musicians coming together in a unique online creative collaboration.
Inspiration
In 2010 we already spotted the Conflict Kitchen in Pittsburgh, which serves food from countries with which the United States is in conflict with. With all the refugees coming to Europe at this moment why not create more understanding over a great meal? Please #steelmyidea! ^Marjolein van Spronsen.
Bron: The Independent
Website: Conflict Cafe
