Community Engagements
United Arab Emirates Thanksgiving Virtual Program
The Culinary Diplomacy Project and the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates hosted a Thanksgiving virtual program where CDP’s Chef Art Smith shared his recipe for a Southern American favorite, Cornbread Dressing, and Chef Sahar Parham Al Awadhi from the UAE made a delicious Emirati dessert, Pumpkin Aseeda. Our international audience was invited to cook along with the chefs as they prepared delicious holiday foods from the United Arab Emirates and United States and discussed the cultural significance of their dishes.
Though Thanksgiving is an American holiday, its message of gratitude and generosity is global. During a difficult year when many people were missing some of their normal Thanksgiving traditions, CDP and the UAE encouraged viewers to start some new ones, like adding one new international dish to their menus each year. The U.S. celebrated Thanksgiving in 2020 with many families separated due to Covid-19, so through our virtual program, we hoped to bring communities together over an American holiday tradition of giving thanks, but equally as importantly, to have some much-needed fun.
Educare Thanksgiving Program
The Culinary Diplomacy Project and the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates partnered together to provide "Thanksgiving in a Backpack" to the students of Educare DC, an early childhood education program in Ward 7 of Washington, DC.
Sponsored by the Embassy of the UAE, we collaborated with Coca-Cola, who donated a new backpack for each child, and Safeway, who provided some of the food items. Each backpack was filled with items such as fresh potatoes and vegetables, classic stuffing, cranberry sauce and a gift card to purchase a turkey. Included in the Thanksgiving program was a cultural exchange between the UAE Embassy and the students.
To share a taste of their culture, the Embassy provided fresh dates and a recipe for a traditional Emirati dessert to be placed in each backpack. CDP also facilitated a virtual program between the Embassy and the students, giving the children an opportunity to learn more about the UAE and its culture. When the families picked up their backpacks, they also received delicious pumpkin spice cookies baked especially for the occasion by CDP’s Chef David Guas of Bayou Bakery.
University of Pennsylvania Virtual Program
In a pandemic pivot, CDP worked with the University of Pennsylvania to virtually share with their students our experience in Jordan. Though it was originally intended to be an in-person event with food and conversation, we still had a great time! With the help of Chefs Amanda Freitag and Marc Murphy, we discussed our experiences engaging with the Jordanian people and the Syrian refugee community. Ed Beetar, a Syrian home chef, joined us by leading a cooking demonstration in making kibbeh, an item the chefs had an opportunity to make several times during the trip. Shortly after settling in the U.S., Ed co-founded KAMA DC. It is an organization that provides refugees in the US with the opportunity to teach classes on topics they love. The chefs had fun engaging with Ed and the students, and all of our participants learned a bit about Syrian culture and how to make a delicious new dish!
University of Southern California Class Discussion
CDP’s Founder and CEO, Lauren Bernstein, participated in a virtual panel discussion for Masters in Public Diplomacy students at the University of Southern California, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. During the conversation, she discussed how food can be used in public diplomacy efforts, and she shared examples from her ten years of work in the culinary diplomacy space. It was a lively conversation, with great student participation.
National Governors Association Partnership
In partnership with the National Governors Association, CDP worked with governors across the U.S. at different events, to educate about the value of using food to showcase their state abroad. From meals to demonstrations, we instructed on the use of a state’s specialty food items or culinary traditions to form relationships with other countries and also create export opportunities. No matter the political party, everyone loves food!
Smithsonian Food History Weekend Panel Discussion
At the annual Food History Weekend event held at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., CDP Founder and CEO, Lauren Bernstein, moderated a panel discussion with Chefs Rock Harper, Frank Ruta and Art Smith. The discussion focused on culinary diplomacy and its ability to bridge conflicts in situations where traditional forms of diplomacy have been ineffective. The three amazing CDP chefs also shared details of their global travels, when they have used food to connect and communicate, and how they see the role food may play in the future of diplomacy.
