Farewell Emad

We are sorry to share some sad news from our network in Gaza: Two days ago, one of our Terra Madre 2012 delegates, Emad Asfour, was killed by a bomb.

Emad worked for the Youth Development Association, one of the few organizations capable of working in both the West Bank and Gaza. He was part of a group of young Palestinians who had given life to a non-governmental organization, set up to educate and empower young people to be the leaders of tomorrow.

In 2010, he organized a Terra Madre Day event in Gaza, to celebrate local production and the growing number of rooftop gardens. He believed Slow Food was a unique tool for talking about food sovereignty and protecting Palestinian gastronomic traditions.

When I met him at Terra Madre in Turin in 2012, he gave me a scarf from his homeland which I keep with pride in my office.  As I look at it now, I remember him fondly as the good man that he was.

Carlo Petrini
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