Jon Rubin, Co-Director
Dawn Weleski, Co-Director
Brett Yasko, Designer
“Operating seven days a week in the middle of the city, Conflict Kitchen uses the social relations of food and economic exchange to engage the general public in discussions about countries, cultures, and people that they might know little about outside of the polarizing rhetoric of governmental politics and the narrow lens of media headlines. In addition, the restaurant creates a constantly changing site for ethnic diversity in the post-industrial city of Pittsburgh, as it has presented the only Iranian, Afghan, Venezuelan, North Korean, Haudenosaunee and Palestinian restaurants the city has ever seen.”
The mission of Conflict Kitchen extends beyond their restaurant location. They have also hosted various educational events and workshops.
Thanksgiving Intervention
In a series of seven hands-on lessons, students of Propel Andre Street High School were taught about Haudenosaunee food, culture, and historical and contemporary conflicts with the United States government. Over bowls of a succotash of corn, beans and squash, students reflected on their discoveries with their families on Thanksgiving.
International Cooking Lesson
As part of a nine-week block developed by The Lighthouse Program, Conflict Kitchen helped share the food culture of Palestine with students of Westinghouse High School. They held a Skype cooking lesson workshop with the students, hosted by Palestinian freelance journalist, author, and media activist Laila El-Haddad. During the two hour lesson, Laila shared knowledge and family anecdotes about Palestine while guiding the students through the making of a red lentil and chard dish.
The Foreigner
“Mohammad Barakat is an Arab Palestinian born in the old city of Jerusalem to refugee parents who fled from their village in 1948 due to the war. He was member of the executive committee of the Palestinian trade union in Jerusalem and currently works as a guide for educational and alternative tours throughout Palestine and Israel. He is married with 5 children and 10 grandchildren.”
K-12 Education Workshops
Interview Exchange Notebook
Students of Pittsburgh and those of a designated focus region conduct interviews with each other over Skype or email. A book or zine is then produced containing all the interviews. Copies are given to students and may be distributed at Conflict Kitchen.
The History of My Life in Five Minutes
Students of Pittsburgh and those of a designated focus region conduct five minute interviews with each other, focusing on their most significant life experiences. First-person monologues are created and presented based on these stories.
A Day in My Shoes
Students of Pittsburgh and those of a designated focus region keep journals detailing all of their activities for one day. They exchange journals and research them for a week to prepare to live one day as their partner. Afterward they reflect on their experiences through Skype.
A video concisely describing the purpose of Conflict Kitchen and some details about the controversy surrounding their Palestinian iteration: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3gZeoE0goo
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