Building Bridges - A Culinary Diplomacy Initiative

The Premise

According to the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) we are an increasingly globalized, interdependent world, in which the proliferation of mass communication technology ensures we all have greater access to each other than ever before, cultural diplomacy is critical to fostering peace & stability throughout the world. Cultural diplomacy, when learned and applied at all levels, possesses the unique ability to influence the “Global Public Opinion” and ideology of individuals, communities, cultures or nations, which can accelerate the realization of the 5 principles below. By accomplishing the first principle, one enables the second, which in turn enables the third until the fifth ultimate principle of global peace and stability is achieved.

The principles are:

• Respect & Recognition of Cultural Diversity & Heritage
• Global Intercultural Dialogue
• Justice, Equality & Interdependence
• The Protection of International Human Rights
• Global Peace & Stability

Cultural Diplomacy as defined by the ICD is an “exchange of ideas, values, traditions and other aspects of culture or identity, whether to strengthen relationships, enhance socio-cultural cooperation or promote national interests.” It can include the use of music, dance, sports, or other manifestations of “culture” for diplomatic ends: creating or strengthening bonds, increasing cooperation, nation-branding, and more. It can also include, of course, food. Culinary diplomacy and its sibling gastrodiplomacy are forms of cultural diplomacy; a nation or people’s cuisine is an important aspect of its culture.

In 2020, the United Arab Emirates will host the World’s Fair but will also make headlines for sending the Hope probe to Mars. Leading into those two very important milestones, the eyes of the global community will enhance its focus on the United Arab Emirates. Furthermore, during the medias focus on the GCC countries participation on the migrant issue as well as the U.A.E.’s military involvement from Libya to Yemen, many across social media demonstrated their lack of exposure, knowledge and understanding of the U.A.E. as an independent nation, its history and values, despite the heavy investment made by government stakeholders in promoting the country abroad. This was particularly true amongst audiences in the United States of America, one of the U.A.E.’s strongest ally’s.

In a recent commentary by His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum on why the government has appointed a Minister of Tolerance he says, "We have also learned from hundreds of thousands of dead and millions of refugees in our region that sectarian, ideological, cultural and religious bigotry only fuel the fires of rage. We cannot and will not allow this in our country. We need to study, teach, and practice tolerance and to instill it in our children, both through education and our own example. That is why we have appointed a Minister of State for Tolerance. We believe that a legal framework should formalise the tolerance our society already displays, and that our policies and initiatives will provide an outstanding example to our neighbours. When the Arab world was tolerant and accepting of others, it led the world: From Baghdad to Damascus to Andalusia and farther afield, we provided beacons of science, knowledge, and civilisation, because humane values were the basis of our relationships with all civilisations, cultures, and religions. Even when our ancestors left Andalusia, people of other faiths went with them. Tolerance is no catchphrase, but a quality we must cherish and practice. It must be woven into the fabric of our society to safeguard our future and maintain the progress we have made. There can be no bright future for the Middle East without an intellectual reconstruction that re-establishes the values of ideological openness, diversity, and acceptance of others’ viewpoints, whether intellectual, cultural, or religious."

In the words of Yousef Al-Otaiba U.A.E. Ambassador to the United States of America, “The U.A.E. is the promise of a new middle east, a safe haven of stability, opportunity and tolerance in the most difficult of neighborhoods. The character of our people and of our leadership is deeply rooted in the unity at home, compassion for others, an openness in minds, market and faith. We are only one million Emiratis and eight million expatriates, representing virtually every country on the planet, living and working together peacefully in the regions strongest and most diversified economy.”

In 2012, Hillary Clinton launched the the Diplomatic Culinary Partnerships Initiative in which she said, "Food plays an important role in all of our lives. Food isn’t traditionally used as a diplomatic tool, but I think it is the oldest diplomatic tool. Sharing a meal can help people transcend boundaries and build bridges in a way that nothing else can. Certainly some of the most meaningful conversations I have had with my counterparts around the world have taken place over breakfasts, lunches and dinners. By exploring the idea of culinary engagement, we can identify new opportunities to further inter-cultural dialogue and strengthen bilateral relationships right around the table.”

A U.A.E. culinary initiative could showcase the very best of what the Emirati culinary community has to offer as well as further communicate the rich Emirati heritage which is steeped in its strong value system which supports tolerance.

The Initiative

A road trip across the United States of America with an Emirati Food Truck. It is a simple idea that could be a very effective vehicle, no pun intended, to bring Emirati Culture to the masses in the United States. The purpose of this road trip would be to allow Americans to come up close and personal with Emiratis and their heritage as well as being given a forum to learn as much about the United Arab Emirates. An itinerary could include university cities in the U.S.A. most frequented by Emirati Students, giving an opportunity for them to participate and take pride in promoting their country. There could also be an opportunity to select important members of the Emirati community involved in various sectors to take part at different stages of the trip so that Americans are exposed to the incredible talent the U.A.E. has produced since its independence.

The Opportunity

The initiative has non-negligible implications for Dubai's and the U.A.E.’s global positioning.

A collaboration between The Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding, Dubai Tourism, Dubai Expo2020 and the Emirates Diplomatic Academy would harness their collective strengths to develop and implement this culinary diplomacy initiative in the United States of America in support of the UAE Vision 2021 and the Dubai Plan 2021.

I would like to conclude this piece by inviting you to watch a panel discussion which took place in May 2015 at NYU titled. "Make food, Not War" which is based on the following premise:

People always come together around food. As peoples move, they bring their foods with them. As cultures come into contact in the kitchen and dining room, a new sort of cultural diplomacy emerges that promotes the sharing of values, traditions, and worldviews through food. This new soft power can effectively bridge conflicts, at times more effectively than normal diplomacy. History has proven that national cuisines have spread organically around the world. Spreading culinary traditions, through state and non-state actors, as a way of sharing values, culture and tradition has been called cultural diplomacy, or gastrodiplomacy. Recently, this form of diplomacy has become popular, and has proven to be an effective way of bringing together people in conflict. This discussion explored how governments, organizations and individuals are working to bring cultures together through food. As a new and understudied field, how can this tool of diplomacy be used more broadly in conflict resolution? How can gastrodiplomacy provide a greater impact on citizen-to-citizen interaction? As a growing field, who are emerging as leaders, and how can individuals play a role in diplomacy?