As part of Influence Youth’s final event, Abarka hosted Rice from the Word in Oiartzun on Sunday, October 30. The event was an intercultural, popular, and participatory celebration designed to foster relationships between cultures and social organizations.
The event served rice dishes from 14 different countries, including those of Influence Youth’s partners. There were rice dishes from all over the world, from Africa to Latin America, each country was properly represented. The list of countries included Cameroon, Guinea, Honduras, Basque Country, Turkey, Romania, Russia, Italy, Sahara, Peru, Senegal and Palestine.
Rice from the World is based on the participation of the population. It is a festival where the organization and the program depend on the participants. The participants have an open stage to sing, dance, to speak up and, above all else, eat. Everything is allowed. Everything except violent, xenophobic, sexist or homophobic behavior.
Participants began preparing the dishes at 10:00 am in the main square of Oiartzun. People from the community were invited to ask questions about the dishes and to engage with the impromptu chefs. There was an atmosphere of cooperation and joy as participants helped each other prepare the dishes. Music from the participating countries was played throughout the morning. By 1:30 p.m., the dishes were ready and the attendees were able to sample all 14 dishes for free.
One of the goals of the event was to give visibility to the different cultures that coexist in Oiartzun. In this way, we contribute to prevent xenophobia and racism against them. It is expected that the promotion of this type of event will reduce the exclusion of migrants within the community.
The event also served to spread the word about the Influence Youth project, as Abarka staff provided information about the program and encouraged people to visit the website. Influence Youth partners had the opportunity to promote their culture and their participation in the Erasmus+ project.
