Article
According to the latest UNHCR data from 2019, 30,500 migrants entered Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is a huge increase compared to 2017, when that number amounted to only 7500 migrants, with more than 7000 asylum seekers and refugees. Apart from the poor living conditions and numerous problems migrants face in this region, they are also confronted with negative statements from politicians as well as negative public opinions full of stereotypes and prejudices.
The idea of EDVACAY fellows Riad Arslanović, Lejla Mašić, Amir Musić, and Ilma Zahirović is to bring people on the move closer to Bosnian citizens, who, despite many adversities, have managed to achieve enviable success in entrepreneurship and also enrich the culture of Bosnia and Herzegovina with their gastronomy and tradition. The fellows created a “Little Cookbook” of traditional dishes, which will not only promote the dishes of other nations, which are atypical for this region, but also represent a kind of upgrade to Bosnian gastronomic offerings and culture.
The fellows also aim to break the social stigma about this group of people through a short film in which they want to show and compare the difficult everyday life that people on the move/migrants encounter with a situation where they will be able to show their talents and potentials through gastronomy and many other things.
As a highlight of this community-building project, our fellows hosted a gastronomic event-festival, where they invited different stakeholders, participants of the project, and many others. The fellows premièred their film “Traveler” and shared copies of the “Little Cookbook,” followed by the tasting of Eastern traditional dishes and socializing.
OBJECTIVES
- Raising Bosnian society’s awareness about the importance of accepting and getting to know people from different cultures
- Starting a “new tradition” of holding similar events which will represent a place of meeting, socializing, and making new friends in the future
- Enrichment of Bosnian cuisine and culture
- Setting a good example to other societies
- Inclusion of people on the move/migrants in Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Raising awareness about entrepreneurship in Bosnian society
Snapshots from the ‘Let’s Cook Together Festival’ Event