It has long been said that the easiest way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. There is truth to this in that food often brings people together. It is the center-point of social gatherings, business dinners and lunches, and can bring families and friends together after a day apart. It is important that efforts be made to cultivate an appreciation and respect for diversity.

 Eating Our Way to Diversity

One group who recognizes food as a point of connection is Flavours of Hope, a Canadian-based organization helping immigrants and refugees earn a living by cooking and sharing their traditional cuisine with the surrounding community. The organization was founded in 2018 but has already helped a mother-daughter pair from Mexico and a family from Syria to create a livelihood through their cooking.

Another group helping to raise immigrant status through native cuisine is New York’s League of Kitchens. Rather than providing meals as Flavours of Hope does, League of Kitchens focuses on education. Individuals are invited to sign up for cooking classes with refugees and immigrants to learn how to prepare ethnic meals. Currently, the group has ten women from different cultures routinely hosting routinely hosting workshops. Since 2014 nearly 600 workshops have taken place.

Celebrating World Food Day

With inspiration from Flavours of Hope and League of Nations, AMO would like to celebrate cultural diversity through cuisine in conjunction with World Food Day. On October 16th, World Food Day will be celebrated around the world. Hosted annually by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), this day of celebration is in place to promote the group’s mission of providing food security for all.  

AMO understands that food brings people together. To celebrate World Food Day, we will be hosting a company potluck. We want to bring not only our team together, but you, our AMO visitors past, present, and potential, together. Therefore, AMO is asking for submissions of your favorite ethnic dishes. Submissions can be an appetizer, desert, or small dish you enjoy. Think of things that remind you of your culture and those you are closest to!

Sharing Your Cuisine, Your Culture

To submit a dish, comment on AMO’s World Food Day post on Instagram or add your suggestion in the comments section of this blog by September 23rd. AMO team members will individually pick their favorite submissions and share them with the rest of the team.

On October 10th, we will come together to celebrate your food and culture with each-other. Our celebration will be documented and shared across our social media channel. So, be sure to check in next month to see if your submission was chosen!

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