Cook for Peace - 16 March 2008

Letter from The Most Reverend Desmond M Tutu, Anglican Archbishop Emeritus of Cape Town on the "Cook for Peace" activity (March 2008)

Press release: Cook for Peace, Sunday 16 March 2008/ Prof GJA Lubbe

A very important and exciting spin-off of this first youth encounter was the so-called Cook for Peace event. At our first encounter, Jewish and Muslim students admitted that they have never spoken to members of the “opposite” camp before. They then took the initiative to organize an event where they could get to know each other in an informal setting. Taking place under the auspices of the Trust and sponsored by Pick 'n Pay, this took place on Sunday 16 March 2008. In a large kitchen, made available for this purpose by the University of Johannesburg, 30 Muslim and 30 Jewish students gathered to cook a meal consisting mainly of fish and based on recipes from the Middle East. Under the guidance of a gourmet chef from Pretoria and with the supervision of Halaal and Kosher experts,  lovely aromas filled the kitchen and amidst all the hustle and bustle, students worked, laughed and learned together. The Chief Rabbi of South Africa, Rabbi Warren Goldstein graced the event with his presence and joined us in the meal. 

The event turned out to be a resounding success and elicited widespread interest and support from the media. Although small in terms of numbers, the event certainly had huge symbolic value and we repeatedly asked whether we are planning similar events for the future. Follow-up meetings with students are certainly envisaged. Matters to be discussed are the possible broadening of this initiative and the increased involvement of local communities.