Cosmobistrot
Cosmobistrot, Lecce

Salento, in Apulia, a financially struggling region in southern Italy, has been a destination for immigrants from countries such as Senegal and Bangladesh for over 20 years. However, many migrants live in isolation. Cosmobistrot in Lecce, a series of events organized by Cuisine sans frontières and Camera a Sud, encourages exchange between communities through culinary and cultural events. Each event highlights a different culture, strengthens the multicultural society, and builds resilience against social conflict.

The Salento region forms the heel of the Italian boot in the administrative region of Apulia, so it is one of the southernmost regions of the country and at the same time one of the economically weakest. Young and well-educated people are migrating north. At the same time, Salento has been an immigration area for more than 20 years. People from Senegal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and many other countries reach mainland Europe in Apulia (the region of the Salento). The majority of them stay in Salento - often forever. Nevertheless, many of these people often live isolated and in the gray area between emergency situation and stable reception status.

This is the context of Cuisine sans frontières' commitment in Lecce. The Cosmobistrot is a culinary-cultural event series organized by the local partner organization Camera a Sud. The events provide a platform for the different communities in Lecce and bring them into an exchange. These encounters strengthen the diverse society that forms in Lecce and make it more resilient to social conflicts.

Each event focuses on a different region, culture or country: people from that community cook the menu, are responsible for the decorations and the supporting program with artists, musicians or others.

These events provide space for encounters and gastronomic experimentation, promoting cultural diversity and strengthening the multicultural community in Lecce through shared food and drink.