"Coffee with cardamom"
UNHCR and Jonava municipality join together for intercultural eventPrepared by Renata Kules
© El Artography/UNHCR
17 June 2021
![IMG_7786 new UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_7786-new-scaled.jpg)
"Coffee with cardamom"
UNHCR and Jonava municipality join together for intercultural eventPrepared by Renata Kules
© El Artography/UNHCR
17 June 2021
At the end of the event, Mr. Abdulrazzak Awf from Syria, performed a song in Arabic and surprised the audience by also singing the following part “I wrote a letter on the white sand”, in Lithuanian. The performance, especially the part in Lithuanian, was met with the greatest applause of the audience.
“Coffee with cardamom” – UNHCR Representation for Nordic and Baltic Countries and Jonava municipality joint intercultural event in Lithuania.
On May 21, the World Day for Cultural Diversity, also the Memorial Day of National Communities of Lithuania, UNHCR Representation for Nordic and Baltic Countries organized a joint event with Jonava municipality in Lithuania.
![IMG_6861 UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_6861-scaled.jpg)
The joint intercultural afternoon “Coffee with Cardamom”, took finally place after a long COVID-19 quarantine break. Members of the Jonava community and their representative Eugenijus Sabuti, member of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, was among the guests registering for the event.
![IMG_7815 new UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_7815-new-scaled.jpg)
In the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, prevention measures for the event in Lithuania remained a priority. The participants at the event were distancing and using face masks.
![IMG_7196 (1) UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_7196-1-scaled.jpg)
While waiting for the official opening of the event, guests had the opportunity to taste coffee with cardamom and Syrian delicacies, which the organizers brought especially for this event from Syriana – a shop set up in Vilnius by refugees from Syria. Participants were getting acquainted with interesting tastes.
![IMG_6936 UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_6936-scaled-e1623674966499.jpg)
![IMG_6977 UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_6977-scaled.jpg)
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![IMG_7157 new UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_7157-new-scaled.jpg)
![IMG_7251 UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_7251-scaled-e1623938460457.jpg)
![IMG_7262 renata UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_7262-renata-scaled-e1623938281193.jpg)
![IMG_7846 UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_7846-scaled.jpg)
![IMG_7350 UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_7350-scaled.jpg)
![IMG_7280 UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_7280-scaled.jpg)
![IMG_7330 UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_7330-scaled.jpg)
![IMG_7761 (1) new UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_7761-1-new-scaled.jpg)
![IMG_7432 UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_7432-scaled.jpg)
![IMG_7578 UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_7578-scaled.jpg)
![IMG_7507 new UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_7507-new-scaled.jpg)
Olena Rohoza from Ukraine, working at the Jonava Social Services Center, spoke on her fascination of the Baltic Sea, which she hopes to visit more often in the future. Ms. Rohoza praised Lithuanian police officers for their friendly attitude.
![IMG_7675 new UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_7675-new-scaled.jpg)
Jonava Police Unit attended the intercultural event and officers emphasized on the support available for the community.
![IMG_7786 UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_7786-2-scaled-e1623940444881.jpg)
At the end of the event, Mr. Abdulrazzak Awf from Syria, performed a song in Arabic and surprised the audience by also singing the following part “I wrote a letter on the white sand”, in Lithuanian. The performance, especially the part in Lithuanian, was met with the greatest applause of the audience.
![IMG_7853 UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_7853-scaled.jpg)
The Intercultural afternoon also received media attention. INIT TV prepared a news report which was part of the evening news released for the Kaunas Region. On the retractable banner in the background, you can find words in Lithuanian which describe the essence of the event: ‘understanding’, ’empathy’, ‘warmth’, ‘dreams’, ‘safety’, ‘commitment’, ‘trust’, ‘respect’ and ‘optimism’.
![IMG_6829 UNHCR's Joint event and Jonava municipality](https://www.unhcr.org/neu/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/06/IMG_6829-scaled.jpg)
UNHCR Nordic and Baltic Countries is grateful for the efforts taken by Jonava municipality and the Jonava Social Services Center for this intercultural event. UNHCR hopes that Jonava municipality continues to inspire other communities – both in and outside of Lithuania.