The Healing E Ect of Gastrodiplomacy in Conflict-A Ected Communities 03
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July 2018 Policy Brief 03 United Nations UNESCO Chair on Educational, Scientific and International Migration, Cultural Organization Yaşar University The Healing Eect of Gastrodiplomacy in Conflict-Aected Communities Doğan Çelik Association for Aid and Relief Japan (AAR Japan) Have you ever thought of how in our daily lives we pay less attention to the origins of the stories of people who make the delectable dishes we relish than to the new restaurants we delight in discovering? As we go about our daily lives, we seldom notice problems beyond those that are immediately visible. While trying savory meals listed on the menus of elegant restaurants, the appetizer served with Syrian hummus or the fresh tuna fish marinated in Libyan olive oil or the Eritrean lentil purée with berbere spices; the histories of these countries and the stories of their people are invisible and hidden in these recipes. The first encounter with the "unknown person" occurs not in the news or in the arts, but in cafes, restaurants and at street-side food carts. We tend to underestimate the fact that we socialize best and most truly around the dining table. Whether it be between friends or strangers, gastronomy is a good facilitator for interactions. So why not use gastronomy to temper, at least in small measure, the eects of protracted conflicts and humanitarian crises? By sharing some success stories, this policy brief draws attention to how impactful gastrodiplomacy projects could be in the Syrian refugee crisis, provided only that relevant instruments are used eectively. Keywords: Gastrodiplomacy, refugee entrepreneurship, livelihoods Yaşar University UNESCO Chair on International Migration Policy Brief 01 July 2018 Policy Brief 03 United Nations UNESCO Chair on Educational, Scientific and International Migration, Cultural Organization Yaşar University INTRODUCTION THE FOUNDATION OF The 2000s have been the greatest challenge to GASTRODIPLOMACY the humanitarian field. The bitter result of Gastrodiplomacy, culinary diplomacy, and war protracted conflicts and man-made disasters gastronomy are terms used in different contexts caused the death of millions and displaced many and fields with a wide range of explanations to others on this planet. The international illustrate to what extent food could be impactful community, despite various troubles, has been at promoting any country or community's responsive towards the state of man-made crisis. gastronomic richness and diversity. Beyond the Unlike the response mechanisms covering definition or usage of the term, it can be early-response tools including basic needs such expanded to the humanitarian and development as water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH), fields. This policy brief discusses shelter, non-food items, food, health, protection, gastrodiplomacy in the context where people humanitarian actors are incapable to grasp who are affected by man-made conflicts and well-grounded societal challenges with the natural disasters can utilize their abilities limited and old-fashioned toolbox. This does not through integration/rehabilitation by necessarily mean that humanitarian generating income for households via food interventions are not needed or are a waste of entrepreneurship either in relocated or home time. Rather, the need for humanitarian actors countries. observed in disaster and conflict settings are truly acknowledged. Nevertheless, social tension does not sometimes allow for effective A closer look at gastrodiplomacy briefly implies responses in host countries where humanitarian a situation of design to foster dialogue between crisis, particularly high refugee inflows communities through collective action taken for reciprocally create resentment since there is, communal eating, thus, sharing cultural presumably, an ill-equipped integration practices mutually “in the hope of improving mechanism or not having enough capacity to interactions and cooperations”(Sokol, 2013). respond to crises in an effective manner. So, Although it is a relatively new phenomenon, gastronomy, on the one hand, would provide a such activity has been carried out for years financial support for refugees, on the other hand, without it being called “gastrodiplomacy”. This enhance the frequency of meaningful understudied field is now becoming promising encounters among locals and displaced people in conflict resolution and mediation as it is in common, shared public spheres. thought that politically polarized societies have substantial prejudices toward "others" and the only ice-breaker might be food culture. This policy brief outlines the background Representing the significant trend within public information on gastrodiplomacy and its diplomacy efforts, gastrodiplomacy has been a potential impact on refugee integration. It key instrument that had never been thought of as shares promising success stories from different a means of healing power in social cohesion and countries that could potentially trigger new mitigating antagonisms among warring parties. social entrepreneurs, humanitarian and However, the topic lately has become one of the development workers to take proper action in an most interesting cross-cutting fields that innovative manner. In the final remarks, the nurtured peaceful attempts. In parallel to that, brief tries to provide some concrete and the recent developments in the research field practical advice based on author’s experience demonstrate the great efforts on how culinary working in civil society, humanitarian field and values would be transformative in social entrepreneurship ecosystem. conflict-affected societies as nonverbal communication to connect disparate audiences (Public Diplomacy Magazine, 2014). Yaşar University UNESCO Chair on International Migration Policy Brief 02 July 2018 Policy Brief 03 United Nations UNESCO Chair on Educational, Scientific and International Migration, Cultural Organization Yaşar University INTRODUCTION GASTRODIPLOMACY AS A GREAT CATALYST The 2000s have been the greatest challenge to Istanbul's most Syrian-host suburbans also the humanitarian field. The bitter result of Let’s think about a group of displaced people demonstrate that Syrians tend to service in the protracted conflicts and man-made disasters who had to come to an unknown land due to food industry with a wide range of various caused the death of millions and displaced many ongoing clashes or natural disaster which sub-sectoral expertise such as patisserie, kebab others on this planet. The international unavoidably kept them away from their shops, etc. in the periphery of the city of Istanbul. community, despite various troubles, has been homeland. What would it be best options for Even if the local engagement between Syrians responsive towards the state of man-made crisis. those who have to cope with troubles faced over and host community is still limited, transferring Unlike the response mechanisms covering the relocation in host community? Consider the of ingredients, cooking styles brought by early-response tools including basic needs such fact that they have lost what they had by that refugees are becoming more visible in daily life as water, sanitation, and hygiene (WaSH), time including physical assets such as house, in refugee host cities. shelter, non-food items, food, health, protection, tools, farming machines, cows, goats and/or humanitarian actors are incapable to grasp financial assets like salaries, savings or remittances. It is obvious that people in as such well-grounded societal challenges with the The Gaziosmanpaşa Municipality in Istanbul, limited and old-fashioned toolbox. This does not circumstances have to apply for various coping mechanisms to fight for survivals. The only asset the World Local Authorities and the United necessarily mean that humanitarian Nations High Commissioner for Refugees interventions are not needed or are a waste of remained for victims is human capital encompassing skills, knowledge, and ability to (UNHCR) have initiated "Syrian Refugees time. Rather, the need for humanitarian actors Supporting Life Support in Peace with Local observed in disaster and conflict settings are work. This is the story of more than 3.5 million Syrians who had to come to Turkey in waves just People" project (IHA, 2013). In this project, the truly acknowledged. Nevertheless, social Transition Cuisine is an environment where 50 tension does not sometimes allow for effective after armed conflict spread over whole Syria. Over seven years, despite all challenges and Turkish and 50 Syrian industries come together responses in host countries where humanitarian to perform various activities. Another good crisis, particularly high refugee inflows obstacles, the majority of self-employed Syrians are doing the best things they can do in the host success story is that Syrian women who fled the reciprocally create resentment since there is, war, move a step forward to for new life in presumably, an ill-equipped integration community: Making food and selling them in the market. Istanbul. What they do is impressive to reflect mechanism or not having enough capacity to their willingnesses and positive coping respond to crises in an effective manner. So, strategies in the host community. Their gastronomy, on the one hand, would provide a In 2017, Building Markets of Turkey conducted a gastronomic value of belonging to Syria, financial support for refugees, on the other hand, market assessment of 230 formal Syrian including jams are being sold with the support of enhance the frequency of meaningful