Oct. 24: Alum to Discuss his New Book on Cuisine and Conflict

These questions motivated The Last Sweet Bite, a new book from writer, human rights investigator, and 2003 international studies graduate Michael Shaikh.

On October 24, he will come to campus for a conversation with Dr. Netta Avineri, executive director of the Kathryn Wasserman Davis Collaborative in Conflict Transformation. RSVP for: From the Andres to Afghanistan: Conflict, Cuisine and Change.

“Food is more than just calories,” said Shaikh in a recent interview for the NYC Food Policy website. “Our cuisines are more than expressions of what we eat on any given day; they are a repository of people’s history handed down from generation to generation. The world spends huge sums protecting other forms of culture in war, like art and architecture, but almost nothing to protect food cultures that are equally, if not more, important to us.”

As a human rights investigator, Shaikh worked for 20 years in areas marred by political crisis and armed conflict. He has worked at Human Rights Watch, International Crisis Group, the Center for Civilians in Conflict, the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the New York City Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice.

The research for his book was also inspired by his personal history. As a member of the Sindhi culture, Shaikh experienced the enduring effects of conflict on his ancient Indus Valley civilization.

“The violence of the Partition of India and Pakistan in 1947 deeply affected my family,” Shaikh explained. “The violence prevented important aspects of my Sindhi culture, especially language, from being passed on to me and my siblings.”

Read more about Shaikh’s perspective and hear about some favorite recipes from cultures across the world in his interview with the NYC Food Policy blog.