Bread and Salt is a truly beautiful initiative. In Arab culture, it is said that when there is bread and salt between people, they can never be forgotten. It brings people closer together. Whatever their confession, there are no differences between them. Is there anything more beautiful than peace? Peace brings people together, it erases differences, it’s love between people.
Hamda, a Syrian refugee in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.
Bread and Salt
In some parts of the Middle East, the tradition of serving bread and salt is a way to create an alliance between two people. One group of Syrian refugees decided to share this tradition with their Lebanese neighbours after participating in a House of Peace workshop. The women rose at 5 a.m. to bake bread and then went door-to-door to give this gift of gratitude to their host community.
The work of HOPe
HOPe, a Development and Peace partner, is fostering social peace between diverse communities. HOPe organizes 3-day workshops that bring participants on a journey, where by the end they are equip¬ped with tools to manage conflict and have gained new perspectives on peace.
Once individuals have gone through the social peace workshop with HOPe, they are invited to develop an initiative that will promote peace and social cohesion. This can range from building a community space in a refugee camp to baking bread and distributing it to neighbours to give thanks for their hospitality.
- HOPe was established in 2015.
- Development and Peace partner since 2015.
- People directly impacted in 2018-2019 with the support of Development and Peace: 1,300.