Past Peace-Meal Events with International Students

There are over half a million international students currently in Australia —approximately 227,000 in Victoria — who have continuously contributed to our social and economic vibrancy, and deserve our attention. Under ordinary circumstances, international students already face a range of challenges that can impact on their mental health and wellbeing, such as high living costs, adaptation to a new education system, language and risk of social isolation.

In light of the current COVID-19 outbreak that is impacting our lives beyond measure, it is the stories and experiences of international students that fall through the cracks. From disruption to education, losing jobs and therefore a source of income, to not being able to return to their homelands, international students everywhere are left with little to no sense of agency over their lives. 

Our #PeacemealPeacebuilding social media initiative aims to stand in solidarity with international students by acknowledging their power of storytelling that might easily go unrecognised during a time like this. Humans are essentially storytellers and we want them to write their stories. 

We are creating a virtual community of international students for as far as social media can reach. On their preferred social media platform, they can:

STEP 1: Choose a picture of a meal, that reminds them of times of peace and brings them comfort especially during this COVID-19 outbreak. 

STEP 2: Include a simplified recipe of the meal and a story they would like to share. 

STEP 3: Post it with the hashtag #PeacemealPeacebuilding in the caption. 

Their stories might include the following:

• what is significant about the food or meal and why it brings them peace or comfort 
• a personal reflection as an international student or a student living away from home (acts of kindness / struggles / coping mechanisms during the current COVID-19 situation)
• how the food or story tells us somethings about their country of origin, culture and/or identity.

What everyone has in common right now, is time in our homes. Our kitchens have become the center of our lives. Everyone is experimenting in the kitchen with whatever little we have in our pantry. It is now more than ever, that we want to be seen, heard and authentically expressed for who we are.

Check our Facebook , Instagram and Twitter pages for details on how to join this virtual community! If your account is private and you would like us to repost your contribution onto our Facebook and Instagram pages, send us an email.