Monthly dinner brings together people from around the world

AMMAN — People from all over the world gathered at the dinner table on Friday at Jadal Culture Centre in downtown Amman to “engage in cultural discussions” and share their traditional meals.

The event has become a monthly tradition at Jadal, which organises it on the last Friday of every month.

“The idea of the international dinner came up when we threw our foreign friends, who work or study in Jordan, a farewell dinner party,” said Christina Kaghadou, one of the event’s organisers.

“Jadal” — Arabic for “controversial” — for Kaghadou is an important aspect when setting the dinner’s debate schedule. 

“One of the most important activities we do during the dinner is discuss different viewpoints from many cultures, tackling political, social, economic or entertainment issues,” Kaghadou told The Jordan Times.

Fadi Amireh, another organiser, noted that every participant brings a dish from their country and explains its origin to the others. 

“Food is one of the few things that bring people together.  In our international dinner, people sit in groups of three or four at the dinner table to eat together and share stories from their countries,” Amireh noted. 

The latest dinner’s attendees were from Jordan, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Somalia, Iran, the US, the Far East and Europe, he said.

The first hour of the dinner is usually dedicated to sharing food and debating among participants, while the second hour is for playing music or performances like stand-up comedy and acting, according to organisers, who promote the monthly dinner on their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/jadal.amman).

“It’s good to believe that events like these bring people together. There’s a family attending that consists of 10 people of three generations. We try to narrow the age differences and generation gaps between members of the same family,” Kaghadou said.

“We aim to make attendees feel welcome and at home. Once people feel at home, they open up, which is vital in intercultural communication,” she added.

“When people talk about local issues and conflicts, they make them regional and then they globalise their viewpoints gradually throughout the conversation with people from other parts of the world,” Kaghadou noted.

Rawan Abu Mazen said her favourite part about the dinner is that it is in an old house, which reminds her of Arab culture and heritage.

“The fact that this dinner is located in an old house downtown is part of engaging people from different areas in society and also makes people rethink their attitudes towards downtown and certain areas in Amman,” Kaghadou explained.

Hanna Leinum, a Danish tourist attending the dinner, told The Jordan Times that the environment is “cosy” and offers a great opportunity for tourists to meet local residents.

“The dialogue improves relations between individuals and breaks stereotypes,” Leinum added.