10th edition of 'Dining under a Different Sky'. Respect for diversity comes through good taste

There is no better way to learn to respect diversity than to come into contact with those who are different from us. Only through knowledge, comparison, and open-mindedness is it possible to understand that there are often more points of contact between people than of otherness. This is why Alfonsina Longobardi, organizer of “Dining under a Different Sky”, has decided to pair the 115 chefs who will participate on June 30 in the tenth edition of the event with special people, disabled, who will work hand in hand with the professionals of taste to cook delicious dishes. They learn from each other, in a journey of mutual support that will lead all parties involved to grow. Ordinary and extraordinary stories together.
"Having dinner sotto un Cielo diversa” is an event with a triple purpose: charity, promotion of the territory and its products (and, therefore, of the good cuisine directly linked to them). It involves – as protagonists at the stove – chefs, pizza chefs, pastry chefs, producers from the Campania region and beyond (all of proven professionalism), companies, celebrities from the world of entertainment close to the concept of “charity”, and thousands of people who participate in the initiative to do good and eat well.
The project behind the event was conceived by Dr. Alfonsina Longobardi – psychologist, sommelier and food & beverage expert – who wanted to combine her social commitment with her skills in the world of food through the Association “Tra cielo e mare” founded by her in March 2013: this organization works to support people with mental and other types of problems; another purpose of the association is to bring so-called “normal” people closer to people who unfortunately live in difficult situations, breaking down the barrier of “fear” that causes the lack of communication; the ultimate goal of the Association consists in the valorization of the Campania region, both its beauty and its human potential (therefore the event is held in places of historical-cultural interest and therefore involves chefs and producers, primarily from Campania).
The summer edition of the event will take place as usual at the Castello di Lettere. The message of this “special edition” is “Respect for diversity comes through good taste”. It will be an opportunity for discussion to test and improve our relationship with the world of diversity. Because it is also through food that we establish a relationship with others and share the opportunity to get to know each other. In fact, cooking represents a ground for exchange that puts everyone on the same level in front of ingredients to be carefully dosed and recipes to be shared, with food claiming its communicative role, and cooking seen as a privileged place of sociality. On the horizon of a normality, which feeds on feelings and the ability to share goals rather than show off the abilities of the individual, the relationship between the parties is reversed: those who think they have to help the other, without even much conviction, end up being saved in turn. The specific mission of the next edition of “Dining under a Different Sky” consists in raising funds for the creation of a recreational educational laboratory for people affected by schizophrenic syndromes. If the appetites of the participants in the event will be satisfied by the 115 chefs who have joined, the entertainment part will be entrusted to personalities from the world of entertainment who will intervene on stage introduced by the presenter Ida Piccolo (the presence of Luca Volpe, mentalist and tutor of the Rai program “Detto Fatto”, of the model and actor Nicola Coletta and of the singer-songwriter Luigi Libra has been confirmed). The event has registered an ever-increasing consensus every year: today it has become one of the largest events linked to the world of charity and that of food and wine in central and southern Italy. Consent also validated by the following sponsors: Municipality of Lettere, Slow Food, FIS, Archaeological Park of the Castle of Lettere. The other associations involved in the project are: Disabili di Gragnano, L'Aliante, Abili alla Vita.