Our primary objective was to foster social inclusion, promote diversity, and encourage tolerance among young people by using food as a medium for intercultural dialogue. We aimed to prevent discrimination and radicalization by creating opportunities for young people to engage in meaningful conversations about identity, belonging, and community. Additionally, we sought to build the capacity of organizations and youth workers to engage with these issues through innovative approaches. By equipping them with resources like the “Recipes for Conversation” eBook and the Trainer Guide, we aimed to ensure that they could replicate our methodology in their own contexts. The project also focused on supporting young people’s mental health and well-being, enhancing their sense of social responsibility, and empowering marginalized youth through the creation of inclusive and open spaces for dialogue.
We applied for the "Food for Change" project to address critical needs identified among young people, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic exacerbated issues such as social isolation, mental health struggles, homesickness, and anxiety about the future. Many young people found themselves disconnected from their communities and uncertain about their personal and financial stability. This project aimed to rebuild that lost sense of community by using shared food experiences as a powerful tool for social change. Food, as a universal medium, creates connections across cultures, and we wanted to harness this to promote intercultural dialogue, empower youth, and strengthen social ties. The specific needs we aimed to address, based on empathy interviews with young people, included mental health and well-being, homesickness, financial instability, employment, intersocial relationships, environmental issues, fear of the future, and the need for tolerance across religious and cultural differences. By offering safe spaces to explore these issues, we hoped to foster a greater sense of belonging, personal empowerment, and community resilience.