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Beating Global Hunger Requires Political Leadership, Bread for the World Report SaysPosted: April 29, 2004 More than 800 million people live with daily hunger because political leadership, which could end the problem, is lacking, according to Bread for the World Institute's new study, Are We on Track to End Hunger? World leaders set a goal in the mid-1990s of cutting hunger in half globally by 2015 and in the United States by 2010. The study shows that leaders have backtracked in reaching the goal, and the number of hungry people is rising at 5 million a year. People are willing to engage in the hunger battle worldwide, but political leaders need to harness that will and expand proven initiatives, the report says. The United Methodist Committee of Relief is one of the report's sponsors. The relief organization's world hunger and poverty program partners with Bread for the World in many hunger initiatives. "Are We on Track to End Hunger? gives United Methodists and other agencies working on hunger a valuable resource. Bread for the World, through [its] offering of letters campaign and kit, enables United Methodists to be part of a movement to lobby Congress on issues to alleviate hunger and poverty in the U.S and around the world," said June Kim, executive secretary of UMCOR's world hunger and poverty program. She said that the 2004 report is a call to United Methodists to take a stand in advocating the alleviation of hunger and keeping that agenda before Congress. "In light of what is happening in the world today, and although people across the United States would like to see the government work to reduce hunger and poverty, it is not on the agenda right now. [Leaders] are focused on other issues. "United Methodists have to continue to bring poverty and hunger issues to the forefront of our representatives so that they don't get sidetracked in the other 'pressing' issues at hand," she said. Advocacy is about addressing the root causes of hunger and poverty, and U.S. citizens have the responsibility and the means to reduce hunger in the world, she said. Addressing basic needs such as food and health care around the world would help reduce problems such as terrorism, she said. "Politics has a major hand in what can go wrong and right in this world, and if food or poverty or the basic necessities for survival are not secured for everybody in the world, then the world is not at peace," Kim said. "The political agenda can make or break what needs to happen." To reduce hunger in the United States, Bread for the World's 2004 hunger report said that federal policies must support the efforts of poor people to help themselves by providing opportunities for decent jobs, education and training. A similar but integrated approach is needed to address international hunger and poverty, since most of the world's poor live in rural areas. Efforts must emphasize increasing agricultural productivity while pursuing an integrated approach to rural development that includes health, education, infrastructure, women's and small farmers' needs. "We know what needs to be done to turn the corner in the battle against hunger," said the Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World Institute. "Far too many children go to be hungry each night, be they in Malawi or Milwaukee. The problem is not the lack of food. Hunger is a political problem, and people need to demand change from their elected officials." People who want to assist Bread for the World through The United Methodist Church can do so by giving to UMCOR Advance #982325. To support UMCOR's general world hunger/poverty programs, please give to Advance #982920. Donations may be sent through a local United Methodist church, Annual Conference or by mailing the check directly to: UMCOR, Room #330, 475 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10115. For credit-card donations, call 1-800-554-8583. Adapted from a story by Linda Green, United Methodist News Service. See Also |
 Courtesy of Bread for the World UMCOR, Bread for the World, & World Hunger"UMCOR's reputation for excellence in disaster response is matched in UMCOR's response to the more chronic emergency of basic hunger and poverty very close to home as well as across the globe," says Paul Dirdak, chief executive for the United Methodist Committee on Relief. The agency head continued in a statement about the report: "When our denomination as a whole has turned its attention toward the most vulnerable people in our midst, it has asked UMCOR to organize a generous response. UMCOR's World Hunger and Poverty program is active both internationally and domestically. "Much of UMCOR's response exists outside the United States by way of direct relief in famine situations from North Korea to southern Africa or through agricultural development in West Africa or the former Soviet republics. "But American people are hungry too. In the United States, UMCOR not only advocates for the reduction of poverty through public policy reform, but also helps communities respond to hungry neighbors through their churches. In New York City, where a local church feeds a thousand people a day, or in Nashville, where a church camp property is used by people from poor neighborhoods to raise food for distribution back to those neighborhoods, UMCOR supports local initiatives for food development. "UMCOR's commitment to Bread For The World is an important part of our entire effort on behalf of the denomination to address the fact of world hunger, which Bread documents so well."
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