News & Events

Empathy and Food Programme

Activating social empathy in community settings is an important part of the UNESCO Chair’s work and implemented with youth work partner NGO Foroíge.  Food plays a part in everyone's lives - it connects cultures, crosses borders and provides nourishment and comfort. Following the delivery of an Empathy and Food pilot programme run through Foroíge youth groups around Ireland, participating young people from diverse backgrounds came together for a Celebration Day event in Dublin on February 15 to share their inputs on the programme, sample food with new friends and plan future activities.  As demonstrated in the video, the pilot programme provided young people with unique opportunities to cook together, to share recipes, stories and experiences while also learning about empathy and human connections through food.