Ending hunger is a moral imperative. It is especially so in fragile situations where the odds are
stacked against vulnerable people and the barriers that they face are the highest. If we continue
on the current path, it is estimated that by 2030, two-thirds of the people who experience hunger
will live in fragile states. Bread for the World Institutute2017 Hunger Report
The 2017 Hunger Report published by the Bread for the World Institute in November 2016 offers a good news/bad news scenario. The world has made great strides in reducing overall hunger around the world, thanks in part to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Given this level of progress, it is realistic to dream that the global community can meet the goal of ending hunger by 2030, which is the target in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The report, entitled Fragile Environments, Resilient Communities, lists a few major obstacles that stand in the way of this goal. They include intense conflict in some areas of the world and the impact of climate change, which threatens agricultural production in many areas.
Here are a few quotes from the executive summary of the report:
The world has made dramatic progress against hunger and extreme poverty in
recent decades. In 1990, approximately one in four people in the world lived with
hunger on a daily basis. By 2015, the hunger rate was cut nearly in half and stood
at about one in nine. Over the same period, extreme poverty was cut by even
more, from one in three people in the world to one in ten.
At no other time in human history has progress against hunger and poverty
occurred so rapidly. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) provided
a framework to mobilize global action against hunger and poverty and other
development objectives. The MDGs were not the only reason for this dramatic
progress but they made a difference.
Recent trends give optimists good reason to believe that ending hunger and poverty is within
reach. At the same time, the world faces daunting challenges. Tragedies on an unimaginable
scale are occurring in different parts of the world. The wars in Syria and South Sudan and the
near famine conditions in places where war and climate change collide are enough to challenge
anyone’s optimism about ending hunger and poverty. Conflict is one of the greatest threats to ending hunger. More people die from hunger and disease
in conflict zones than from violence.
Syria and South Sudan are among a group of nations the international development community often refer to as fragile states. While there is no universal definition of fragility, these
are nations where high rates of hunger and poverty are compounded by civil conflict, poor governance, and vulnerability to climate change. Fragile places present the greatest challenge in
ending hunger and poverty.
The potential for climate change to destabilize countries in
some of the most volatile regions of the world is why the U.S.
military considers it to be a threat to national security
Ten years ago, Jena Lee Nardella was a fresh-out-of-college, twentysomething with the lofty goal of truly changing the world. Armed with a diploma, a thousand dollars, and a dream to build one thousand wells in Africa, she joined forces with Grammy Award–winning band Jars of Clay to found Blood:Water and begin her mission. Jena’s dream for her nonprofit turned that initial $1 into $20, and then $100, and today into more than $25 million. Working throughout eleven countries in Africa, Blood:Water has provided healthcare for over 62,000 people in HIV-affected areas and has partnered with communities to provide clean water for more than one million people in Africa. from synopsis of One Thousand Wells
On Earth Day, we are called to take personal and collective action to preserve our planet, including steps to reduce our ecological footprint.This is also a day to celebrate hopeful signs, such as the work of the organization Blood:Water.
In the book One Thousand Wells, Jena Lee Nardella tells us about the ideas that led to the founding of the organization and the challenges and struggles that followed. Over the past decade, Blood:Water has created the tools (such as wells, biosand filters, rain tanks) to help provide clean water for 1 million people in sub-Saharan Africa and provided assistance for 62,000 patients in areas where HIV is prevalent (hence the word blood)
"Sometimes the best water source is simply beneath a community’s feet. Wells pump safe, clean water for all to use," Blood:Water says on its website.
Rather than tell you more about 1,000 Wells, here is an excerpt of a review that that my friend Elaine VanCleave posted on Good Reads in August 2015.
Jenna Lee Nardella (center) at a forum in Nashville in 2015
"With the ease of a gifted storyteller, Jena deftly transports us into 'her' world. You’ll climb mountains in Colorado, go on tour with a rock
band, fall in love and 'see, touch, smell and encounter the reality of
extreme poverty'...Warning! One Thousand Wells is a page-turner. Get out your highlighter and be prepared to stay up all night reading. Read the full review on Good Reads
Water is the foundation of life. And still today, all around the world, far too many people spend their entire day searching for it. -The Water Project
Pardon the pun, but when it comes to water, is the glass half full or half empty (and becoming emptier?) There is a reality that water supplies around the world are limited, and that we must act to ensure universal access to this precious resource. At the mid-point between World Water Day and (Mother) Earth Day, we post this three-part series that examines a few current issues around the scarcity of water. In part 1, we look at the progress that has been made over the past 15 years and how much more needs to be done. What little progress has occurred could easily unravel with the effects of global climate change.
Glass Half Full: (The Millennium Development Goals and The Global Goals for Sustainable Development) .
First let me give you the half-full version of this scenario. Because of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), far more people have
access to clean water in 2015 because of the commitments made in 2010.Goal 7 aimed to cut in half by 2010 the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
Here are the achievements listed by the UN.
The world has met the target of halving the proportion of people without access to improved sources of water, five years ahead of schedule.
Between 1990 and 2015, 2.6 billion people gained access to improved drinking water sources.
Worldwide 2.1 billion people have gained access to improved sanitation. Despite progress, 2.4 billion are still using unimproved sanitation facilities...
By 2030, achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all
By 2030, achieve access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all and end open defecation, paying special attention to the needs of women and girls and those in vulnerable situations
By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials, halving the proportion of untreated wastewater and substantially increasing recycling and safe reuse globally
By 2030, substantially increase water-use efficiency across all sectors and ensure sustainable withdrawals and supply of freshwater to address water scarcity and substantially reduce the number of people suffering from water scarcity
By 2030, implement integrated water resources management at all levels, including through transboundary cooperation as appropriate
By 2020, protect and restore water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes
By 2030, expand international cooperation and capacity-building support to developing countries in water- and sanitation-related activities and programmes, including water harvesting, desalination, water efficiency, wastewater treatment, recycling and reuse technologies
Support and strengthen the participation of local communities in improving water and sanitation management
Glass Half Empty (but it could become fuller if we act)
The non-governmental global organization The Water Project does not mince words when it describes the current global water situation. "Clean, safe drinking water is scarce. Today, nearly 1 billion people in the developing world don't have access to it. Yet, we take it for granted, we waste it, and we even pay too much to drink it from little plastic bottles.
Water is the foundation of life. And still today, all around the world, far too many people spend their entire day searching for it.
In places like sub-Saharan Africa, time lost gathering water and suffering from water-borne diseases is limiting people's true potential.
Education is lost to sickness. Economic development is lost while people merely try to survive."
The Water Project lists 10 ways clean water can change the world.(The actions become more challenging in the face of climate change) Here is a video that goes along with the recommendations.
Laudato Si
Pope Francis addresses concerns about the drinking water crisis in Laudato Si an encyclical on the environment. Here are some excerpts
28. Fresh drinking water is an issue of primary importance, since it is indispensable for human life and for supporting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Sources of fresh water are necessary for health care, agriculture and industry. Water supplies used to be relatively constant, but now in many places demand exceeds the sustainable supply, with dramatic consequences in the short and long term. Large cities dependent on significant supplies of water have experienced periods of shortage, and at critical moments these have not always been administered with sufficient oversight and impartiality. Water poverty especially affects Africa where large sectors of the population have no access to safe drinking water or experience droughts which impede agricultural production. Some countries have areas rich in water while others endure drastic scarcity.
29. One particularly serious problem is the quality of water available to the poor. Every day, unsafe water results in many deaths and the spread of water-related diseases, including those caused by microorganisms and chemical substances. Dysentery and cholera, linked to inadequate hygiene and water supplies, are a significant cause of suffering and of infant mortality. Underground water sources in many places are threatened by the pollution produced in certain mining, farming and industrial activities, especially in countries lacking adequate regulation or controls. It is not only a question of industrial waste. Detergents and chemical products, commonly used in many places of the world, continue to pour into our rivers, lakes and seas.
30. Even as the quality of available water is constantly diminishing, in some places there is a growing tendency, despite its scarcity, to privatize this resource, turning it into a commodity subject to the laws of the market. Yet access to safe drinkable water is a basic and universal human right, since it is essential to human survival and, as such, is a condition for the exercise of other human rights. Our world has a grave social debt towards the poor who lack access to drinking water, because they are denied the right to a life consistent with their inalienable dignity. This debt can be paid partly by an increase in funding to provide clean water and sanitary services among the poor. But water continues to be wasted, not only in the developed world but also in developing countries which possess it in abundance. This shows that the problem of water is partly an educational and cultural issue, since there is little awareness of the seriousness of such behaviour within a context of great inequality.
31. Greater scarcity of water will lead to an increase in the cost of food and the various products which depend on its use. Some studies warn that an acute water shortage may occur within a few decades unless urgent action is taken. The environmental repercussions could affect billions of people; it is also conceivable that the control of water by large multinational businesses may become a major source of conflict in this century.[23]
Part 2 of this series will examine the controversy around comments by the chairman of Nestle five years ago that "water is not a human right" (and his attempt to explain his comment)
Part 3 will look at the recently released book 1,000 Wells, written byJena Lee Nardella
I have read about two-thirds of The Born Frees Writing with the Girls of Guguletuh, a book that my friend Kimberly Burge wrote about a group of young women in South Africa who grew up in the post-apartheid South Africa, I have read about Annasuena, Gugu, Ntombi and the other young ladies, and now this video trailer puts faces to the names. This is a wonderful and uplifting book, but also a sober account of the challenges that each of the girls faced. There is also a lot of great historical context in the book. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the book, and I'm sure you would too. "Incredible and inspiring, this account belongs in every library and on every bookshelf.” Library Journal (starred review) The book can be found in local independent book stores or ordered online via their Web sites. SeeKimberly Burge's Web site for more information.
On Monday, Sept. 21, on the eve of Pope Francis’ arrival in the United States, more than 100 top leaders from all major faith families in the U.S. met in Washington, D.C., to call for a shift in the country’s national priorities. The event, “Interfaith Religious Leaders Summit - End Hunger by 2030,” is part of a larger movement in the faith community to end hunger and poverty by 2030.
"The faith leaders welcome Pope Francis and his call to pray and work for the end of hunger, said an official statement from organizers. "They believe that ending hunger by 2030 'seems unlikely' unless we can achieve a shift in U.S. national priorities by 2017, so that our next president and Congress help put our nation and the world on track toward ending hunger.”
Photo: Marco Grimaldo
This morning, Sept. 22, some of the faith leaders held a press conference to release a joint statement and report on their summit.
The faith leaders who participated in the press conference were: Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, Roman Catholic Church Bishop Lawrence Reddick III, Presiding Bishop of the Eighth Episcopal District, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Rev. Dr. Sharon E. Watkins, General Minister and President, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Rev. Gabriel Salguero, President, National Latino Evangelical Coalition Commissioner David Jeffrey, National Commander, The Salvation Army in the United States Ruth Messinger, President, American Jewish World Service Anwar Khan, Chief Executive Officer, Islamic Relief Rev. David Beckmann, President, Bread for the World (Moderator)
Photo: Marco Grimaldo
"Those who spoke were united in the belief that ending hunger and poverty by 2030 was an achievable goal in our lifetime. The faith leaders gathered at the National Press Club for a press conference to amplify their call through the media," said Bread for the World. (Read more).
Although it may seem hopelessly distant, the dream of peace pulses in the lives of people everywhere. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
Each year the United Nations and member nations observe International Day of Peace on the 21st of September. The theme of this year’s commemoration is “Partnerships for Peace –
Dignity for All” which aims to highlight the importance of all segments
of society to work together to strive for peace.
"Non-governmental organizations, faith-based groups and corporations all have a role to play in fostering social progress, protecting the environment and creating a more just, stable and peaceful world. The value of this collaboration is our theme for the Day: “Partnerships for Peace – Dignity for All,” said the UN.
Here are excerpts from a speech by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to commemorate this year's International Day of Peace, which is held in conjunction with the 70th anniversary of the UN.
"I call on all warring parties to lay down their weapons and observe
a global ceasefire. To them I say: stop the killings and the
destruction, and create space for lasting peace. Although it may seem hopelessly distant, the dream of peace pulses in the lives of people everywhere....
We live at a moment of peril – but this is also an era of great promise. In a matter of days, leaders from across the globe will gather at the United Nations to adopt the 2030 agenda, our 15-year plan to achieve sustainable development. This is fundamental to ushering in a life of dignity for all, where poverty is history and peace is paramount. On the International Day, as we mark the 70th anniversary of the United Nations, let us seize the opportunity achieve the Organization’s founding purpose: to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war." Read full address
"I met Annasuena soon after I arrived in South Africa in January of
2010. I was to live there for a year as a Fulbright Scholar and lead a
creative writing club for teenage girls at J. L. Zwane Presbyterian
Church and Community Center in Gugulethu, a black township about ten
miles outside Cape Town. She became one of the first members of the
club, which we named Amazw’Entombi. In Xhosa, it means “Voices of the
Girls.”
Annasuena and all the other girls who joined Amazw’ Entombi were part of
the Born Frees, the first generation of black South Africans born after
apartheid and coming of age in a newly democratic nation, following the
1994 elections that made Nelson Mandela South Africa’s first black
president." excerpts from Chapter 1 of The Born Frees (published in the Salon website).
The Langston Room at Busboys and Poets at 14th and V Street in Washington, D.C., was filled to capacity. The audience of perhaps 100 people was comprised of friends of author Kimberly Burge and others who might have seen the listing in the bookstore's events schedule or in The Washington Post as as one of the "Top 5 Free Things to do in Washington, D.C., during the week of Aug. 3-9." They were all here to join with Kimberly (and a group of young women in South Africa) in the launch of the The Born Frees: Writing with the Girls of Gugulethu.
Photo:Martha McLaughlin
The author read excerpts from her book to an attentive and entranced audience. Among those in the crowd was Bob Schminkey, a friend of Kimberly's who has taken several tour groups to South Africa. Schminkey found some familiarity in the narrative. "As Kimberly read from The Born Frees, I
closed my eyes and was transported back to Cape Town and JL Zwane Church," said Schminkey, who like the author is a member of the extended Bread for the World community.
After the reading, a dialogue ensued between the author and the audience in a question-and-answer session. "The audience was wonderfully engaged, and really asked some probing
questions about the sustainability of something like a
writing club, how the girls thought about race in America (they don't
much, but this experience has made ME think a lot more about it -- not
to mention the last few years), and how writing the book has affected my
life. Still figuring that one out," said Burge.
The consensus among those in attendance at the Busboys and Poets event (and prominent book reviewers like Kirkus) is that this is a well-written and engaging work. (Busboys and Poets sold all its available copies that evening!) "This is a wonderful book that will be my go-to intro book to
South Africa from now on," said Schminkey. "The book is a nice history of South Africa,
woven through the stories of the girls of Gugulethu and the story of
Kimberly herself."
Buy the Book
You can acquire the book from Kimberly Burge's website, from your independent bookstore or the publisher's site. The Born Frees is also available via one of your big box chain bookstores and a popular online merchant. (But we encourage you to patronize the independent bookstores).
"Incredible and inspiring, this account belongs in every library and on every bookshelf."
- Library Journal (starred review)
I'm sure you've seen the description of the book before, but perhaps your family and friends are not aware of this great work. So here is a paragraph to share with them. "The young women of South Africa’s first post-apartheid generation are coming of age amid myriad challenges, including AIDS, poverty, and violence. To help empower them to take charge of their lives, Burge, a Washington-based journalist, established a writing group in Gugulethu, a township near Cape Town. Rich with the work from the participants of Amazw’Entombi—Voices of the Girls—Burge’s book introduces spirited and talented individuals intent on a better future for all."
A bipartisan group of 50 members of the House of Representatives that had co-sponsored the Global Food Security Act, H.R.1567. This initiative seeks to advance women's leadership in agriculture, promotes policies that improve their opportunities to use and own land, and strengthens their access to financial services. None of the three members of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Mexico had cosponsored the Global Food Security Act as of Monday, July 20. Please take a minute to contact your own New Mexico House member and ask him/her to cosponsor H.R. 1567. Bread for the World has provided this handy link to send your message.
(And if you live outside of New Mexico, and your representative is not on the list of 50 cosponsors, please use the link to contact him/her). "We need 100 cosponsors before the House adjourns for its August recess," said Bread for the World. "You can help us get there!"
Tuesday, August 4, 2015, is a very important date for a group of young women in the township of Gugulethu near Cape Town, South Africa. On this date, the world will learn their stories about growing up in post-Apartheid South Africa. These remarkable young ladies collaborated with my friend Kimberly Burge to write the book The Born Frees. Kimberly created this website to promote the book, which has already received rave reviews.
Born into
post-apartheid South Africa, the young women...still face daunting challenges. Their families and communities
have been ravaged by poverty, violence, sexual abuse, and AIDS. Yet, as
Kimberly Burge discovered when she set up a writing group in the
township of Gugulethu, the spirit of these girls outshines their
circumstances. -publisher W.W. Norton & Company
“Burge’s group provided a safe space for girls to gather without fear
of judgement. Writing became an outlet for many involved, and the club
itself grew into a platform to share thoughts about issues that matter
the most to the girls… Incredible and inspiring, this account belongs
in every library and on every bookshelf.” Library Journal (Starred Review)
Photo: Busboys and Poets
Release Party at Busboys and Poets in D.C. The Born Frees will be officially released on Tuesday, August 4, 6:30 p.m., with an event at Busboys and Poets (14th and Vermont location) in Washington, D.C. More information coming to at Busboys and Poets' Politics and Prose site.
On Mother's Day Weekend, we not only celebrate and honor our own
mothers, but also the role of women around the world who work hard to
make life better for families, their villages and neighboring
communities. We celebrate those strong women with seven videos from
non-governmental and church-related organizations.
In Part 2
we highlight the role of mothers in Kenya, El Salvador, India and
Palestine via videos from Church World Service, Catholic Relief
Services, Episcopal Relief and Development and Lutheran World Relief.
Because the message is timeless, these videos span several years. In Part 1, we showed Mother's Day greetings from CARE(and a mother from New Guinea) and Oxfam and a video about the Bread for the World Institute's 2015 hunger report.
Church World Service, Women and Water in Rural Kenya (2010)
Lutheran World Relief The women of Bihar, India (2013)
Episcopal Relief and Development, Dr. Daniella Flamenco, El Salvador (2014)
Catholic Relief Services, Intisar Mohammed Attalah, Palestine (2014)
On Mother's Day Weekend, we not only celebrate and honor our own mothers, but also the role of women around the world who work hard to make life better for families, their villages and neighboring communities. We celebrate those strong women with seven videos from non-governmental and church-related organizations.
In Part 1, we show Mother's Day greetings from CARE(and a mother from New Guinea) and Oxfam, and a video about the Bread for the World Institute's 2015 hunger report, When Women Flourish We can End Hunger. Part 2 will celebrate the role of mothers in Kenya, El Salvador, India and Palestine via videos from Church World Service, Catholic Relief Services, Episcopal Relief and Development and Lutheran World Relief. Because the message is timeless, these videos span several years.
Video: Emergency coordinator Erik Johnson from from ACT Alliance at a food distribution in a school in Jharuwarashi in Lalitpur - 45 km outside Kathmandu.
The United Nations sent a disaster response team to Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that hit Port au Prince and surrounding areas in 2010. The team sent to Haiti included peacekeepers from Nepal. The participation of Nepalese troops in the aid operation would have gone unnoticed were it not for studies linking them to the outbreak of cholera in Haiti.
I don't want to dwell on the cholera question, other than to point out that the disease is more likely to appear in poor countries with deficient water-treatment and sanitation systems. "Industrialized countries have seen practically no cholera cases for over a century because of their good water and sewage treatment infrastructure. However, the causative agents (Vibrio cholerae O1 and O139) continue to thrive wherever crowded housing conditions exist and water and sanitation facilities are suboptimal," said the World Health Organization.
What I want to underscore is that Nepal, a relatively poor country, readily sent troops to assist with disaster assistance in another poor country across the globe to be part of a UN recovery operation Five years later, Nepal is the country that desperately needs assistance. The global community has responded generously with emergency aid to provide immediate food and shelter for the victims of the quake.
The full extent of damage to the agriculture sector has not yet been
assessed, although the FAO believes that families probably lost
livestock,
crops, food stocks and valuable agricultural inputs, in a country where roughly two-thirds of people of Nepal rely on agriculture for their livelihood.
The efforts should focus on longer-term recovery, particularly
efforts that allow the Nepalese people to continue to grow food and to
preserve current stocks.
One of the most immediate problems is that the planting season is around the corner for rice. If farmers are unable to plant their crop in late May and into June, they will be unable to harvest rice, a principal
staple for Nepal,again until late 2016. “There is a critical window of opportunity to help crop producers
plant in time to have a rice harvest this year and regain their self-sufficiency,” said Somsak Pipoppinyo, the representative for the Food and Agriculture Organization in Nepal. Read full report from FAO
"Thirty-five years ago, when I would have been graduating from high school, they told us that 40,000 kids every day died because of poverty. That number, today, is now down to 17,000. Way too many, of course, but it does mean that every year, there's eight million kids who don't have to die from poverty. Moreover, the number of people in our world who are living in extreme poverty, which is defined as living off about a dollar and a quarter a day, that has fallen from 50 percent, to only 15 percent. This is massive progress, and this exceeds everybody's expectations about what is possible...
But here's the part that you might not hear very much about. If you move that poverty mark just up to two dollars a day, it turns out that virtually the same two billion people who were stuck in that harsh poverty when I was in high school, are still stuck there, 35 years later." -Civil Rights Lawyer Gary Haugen, founder of International Justice Mission. He addresses the issue of global poverty in this 22-minute TED Talk on March 19, 2015 (Read the transcript)
As Earth Day 2015 approaches, I reflect on one of the songs I heard last night in the repertoire of the Albuquerque-based Baracutanga band. The piece, entitled Sangra Pachamama, urged us to protect Mother Earth (Pachamama) against the ongoing environmental violence that we have inflicted upon her.
Pachamama has been a central figure in the Aymara and Quechua cultures of the Andes, and her name is now invoked in efforts to protect the Amazon Forest. In the winter (summer in the Northern Hemisphere), the peoples of the Andes hold the Inti Raymi celebration to honor Mother Earth and the Sun.
Baracutanga's music of celebration makes all listeners want to dance. That was the case in their appearance at The Outpost Performance Space last night. And the good news is that this band is one of the featured performers in La Montañita Cooperative's annual Earth Day celebration in Nob Hill on Sunday, April 19. The group plays Brazilian sambas and batucada, Colombian cumbias, Afro-Peruvian festejos and landos,South American fusion music and much more. Check out this video of their performance of "Rumba de Burque."
Along with Baracutanga, several other local musical and dance groups are performing at the Earth Day event on Sunday. Here is the lineup:
10 am: Ehecatl Aztec Dancers 11 am: Adobe Brothers 12 pm: Alma Flamenca 1 pm: Jeeze Laweez 2 pm: Baile Baile Dance Company 2:30 pm: Adama African Dancers and Drummers 3 pm: Soul Kitchen 4 pm: Band Width No Name 5 pm: Baracutanga
Photo: La Montañita Cooperative
Nob Hill Event
This year represents a milestone for the Earth Day event, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. As usual, a few blocks of Silver St. just behind the cooperative will be closed to traffic. Dozens of organizations that care about the environment and its inhabitants (people, flora and fauna) will set up displays. And of course, all sorts of delicious organic food will be available for sale. Read more about the event in La Montañita Cooperative's website.
While the event is a festival and a celebration, it offers a sober reminder of how a steady warming of the global climate has put our global community at risk in a very significant manner. "Recent unusual weather patterns, not only here in New Mexico when we
had three weeks of spring in February ending with the 9th biggest snow
fall on record, are an undeniable reminder of the work we have do to
restore and sustain our little planet," said Robyn Seydel, one of the organizers of the event.
Still, Sunday is also a day for commitments. "We firmly believe that with the same cooperative spirit that for 40 years enabled the Co-op to thrive and become the community hub for a sustainable future it has become, we can and will overcome the challenges we face," said Seydel.
Every now and then we hear a story about how renown professional athletes step outside their circles to do something good for the broader world. Recently, we wrote about Swedish soccer star Zlatan Ibrihimovic, who plays for the French club Paris St. Germain, and his campaign to shine the spotlight on world hunger. Ibrihimovic is working with the World Food Programme in this endeavor.
A handful of athletes become involved in their community (local or global) through some coincidence. Dries Mertens, who plays for Napoli in Italy's Serie A (First Division) League, happened to be browsing through social-media posts from National Geographic (@NatGeo when he noticed a picture of a primary school classroom in a remote village of Meliandou in the West African country of Guinea. One of the young students happened to be wearing jersey with his name and number on the back. The school had recently reopened after having been closed because of the outbreak of Ebola in the region.
"I was focused on the young children learning French. I barely noticed
what they were wearing when I later posted the photo on Instagram," said National Geographic reporter Pete Muller, who arrived in the village in February, a year after the first case was reported in the region.
Mertens, who represented Belgium in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, did notice the photo and got in touch with Muller. "He initially wanted to send him his new jersey. On Friday, we connected with Mertens’s agent, Sam Kerkhofs, and now they hope to do much more to help the community," said Muller.
"Meliandou needs [this assistance]," added Muller. "The virus spread rapidly in Meliandou, now known as
ground zero, eventually claiming 24 lives in the village and more than
10,000 across Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia."
While Mertens and the young man with the jersey are an important part of the story, there is a broader and more important aspect of the narrative.The impact of the Ebola outbreak is hard to imagine beyond the statistics that we hear in the West. "I found the residents of Meliandou lamenting a lack of food, which they
expressed as embarrassment over their inability to customarily offer me a
meal," said the National Geographic reporter. "Food wasn’t entirely absent, but severely limited, as the
outbreak disrupted last year’s planting season."
And yet, with all the challenges caused by the Ebola outbreak, the community continues to put education for both boys and girls at the top of its priorities. "Despite the current hardship, the adults of Meliandou still allocate the
necessary funds for their children to attend school," Muller wrote in the article. "So many do this,
in fact, that the benches of Meliandou’s three-room schoolhouse are
crowded beyond capacity." Read the full piece in National Geographic.
If the young student had not been wearing that jersey and if Muller had not posted that photograph on Instagram and Twitter, it's unlikely that much-needed assistance would be flowing to the village of Melianndou from an international soccer star. Even more important, we wouldn't have been aware of the resilient spirt of the people of Meliandou.
Read the 2015 Hunger Report
In addition to "springing forward," today is a very important day in the fight against global poverty. On this day (and on every March 8), the global community celebrates International Women's Day.
The theme of this year’s celebration is “Make it Happen” (#Makeithappen), which supports greater awareness of women’s equality and encourages effective action
for advancing and recognizing women.
The Bread for the World Institute's 2015 annual Hunger Report examines gender discrimination, which makes women more vulnerable to hunger. Empowering women globally will help end hunger.
Write to Chancellor Merkel The ONE Campaign offers an opportunity to take action on behalf of women through is campaign #povertyissexist.
Here's what ONE says:
"It's about time someone said it. Being born female in one of the
world¹s poorest countries means your life will be harder, simply because
of your gender. Unlocking the full potential of girls and women
wouldn¹t just transform their own lives, or even their families' - it
could help end extreme poverty for good.
In developing countries, thousands of girls and women are breaking
down these barriers and achieving extraordinary things. But your voice
can help turn personal victories into global ones.
Click here to join ONE in sending this message to Chancellor Merkel Dear Chancellor Merkel
This year we can commit to ending extreme poverty - but we will only
achieve this if we unlock the full potential of millions of girls and
women. I'm counting on you to take real action that leads to real change
- prioritizing the countries and people that need it the most.
Send a Free E-Card Oxfam America invites you to commemorate International Women's Day by sending a free E-Card to friends
and family, spreading the word on social media, or honoring a woman who
is making a difference in your community. Whatever you choose to do,
you’re sending a powerful message about the role of women as a force for
change.
Share Your Photos of Courage
If
you could capture courage in a photograph, what would it look like?
Perhaps it’s someone standing up for what they believe in despite the
opposition. Or someone overcoming their biggest fear to become a
stronger person. CARE invites you to Tweet your photo to @CARE with the hashtag #IAmCourage. CARE staff will pick out their favorites and display them on the organization's Web site! Need
inspiration? Check out CARE’s photos of courage. You can also Tweet a Photo
Oxfam Action Corps New Mexico and the UNM Peace and Justice Studies Program cordially invite you to International Women's Day on Monday, March 2, at the University of New Mexico Student Union Building (SUB), Third floor (Acoma A & B), 7:00-9:00 p.m. Organizers will join together to honor accomplished and outstanding women in New Mexico, doing their part to make the world a better place.
The event, which is held in conjunction with International Women's Day, will include: a Q&A with successful local women, entertainment, light refreshments.
"This years theme make it happen will focus on the achievements of woman while calling for equality. We are planning on having fun and creating an atmosphere of empowerment and equality. Purple the color of justice and dignity, values associated with woman's equality. In 1908 woman the Woman's Social and Political Union in Great Britain adopted the color scheme of purple, white, and green to symbolize the plight of suffragettes. Today we honor woman everywhere with the color Purple," Oxfam Action Corps New Mexico. "Plan on celebrating with us. Wear purple if you like. Bring friends, family neighbors, children, and the men in your life are welcome."
Free and Open to the Public. Join Event on Facebook
Using the hashtag #ThisIsImportant, the Healthy Food site recently posted the graphic below on Twitter comparing typical school lunches in four countries: Brazil, South Korea, Italy and the U.S. (My sense is that lunches in each of the countries probably vary from one district to another). Another online resource, Buzzfeed.com posted pictures of school lunches in 20 countries around the world (compare the photos from Ghana, Honduras, Djibouti, Kenya and the Philippines with all the other countries). Also, how many of these meals include fresh fruits and vegetables?
The bottom line is that nutrition is a very important part of child development around the world. In the United States, free or subsidized school meals keep many children from low-income families from going hungry.
Photo: Bread for the World
Our federal government’s feeding programs serve as a lifeline for vulnerable children and families. Nearly 16 million children in the United States–one in five–live in households that struggle to put food on the table.
That is why Bread for the World members around the country will be writing letters to their representatives and senators this year urging them to renew our federal government’s major child nutrition programs, including those for school meals, summer feeding, and the WIC nutrition program for pregnant and new mothers along with their small children. Learn more about the 2015 Offering of Letters.
And while school meals are relatively effective in reducing hunger, there are many times (like summer and weekends) when children do not have access to nutritious food. "Despite their proven effectiveness, child nutrition
programs are only
useful
when they reach the
children who need help. In particular, programs
targeting children during out
-
of
-
school times fail to
reach far too many children in need of food
assistance. Our nation could do much more to
reduce child hunger and
mal
nutrition
simply
by
reaching more children.
The reauthorization of child nutrition programs in
2015 provides an important opportunity to improve
access
to
and
the
quality of child nutrition programs," Feeding America said in a briefing paper on the 2015 Child Nutrition Reauthorization efforts.
Each year, the non-profit Faith In Practice sends more than 1,200 medical professionals and support personnel
from across the U.S. to Guatemala to provide short-term surgical,
medical and dental services and health-related educational programs to low-income families in the Central American country. The US medical professionals and support personnel pay their own way. Nearly 750 Guatemalan volunteers work alongside the U.S. visitors. Together, the U.S.-Guatemalan teams provide services to more than 25,000 patients
annually.
The programs include a Village Medial Clinic and surgical, dental, women's health (including cervical cancer screening), orthopedics/prostjetics and hearing services.
Michaela Bruzzeze to serve as chaplain
While the teams are comprised largely of medical
professionals, there is need for non-medical volunteers to provide support. This is where my friend Michaela Bruzzeze comes
in. She has signed up as the chaplain accompanying a team of Albuquerque surgeons, led by Peter Driscoll, MD. The group will be traveling to Guatemala on Friday, January 30, and returning on Saturday, February 7.
Click on Michaela's personal page on the Faith in Practice site if you would like to help defray the cost of the trip. Click here to see the many options available to donate to Faith in Practice.
Oxfam America is recruiting volunteer leaders of various ages and professional backgrounds to serve in Albuquerque and 14 other communities in the U.S. in 2015-2016. Those chosen for the program will receive a free national advocacy training in Washington, D.C., on April 24-28.
"It’s a great opportunity for people to take local action on world
issues and to collaborate with other local organizations," said Brian Rawson, Senior Advisor, Community Organizing for Oxfam America "Applicants
should have some prior experience with organizing and a passion for
global justice."
Volunteer leader will organize activities and work with other local organizations in support of Oxfam’s GROW campaign for policies that will save lives,
defend the rights of women and farmers, and protect communities
worldwide from rising food prices and climate change. Online training and information sessions about select issues will be available during the year for leaders and other volunteers in each of the local chapters.
New Mexico Oxfam Action Corps volunteers have also worked closely with the New Mexico Interfaith Power & Light and Bread New Mexico over the past several years. The local Oxfam-Bread partnership has included joint advocacy on Food Ad Reform, including lobby visits to local offices of Sen. Martin Heinrich and Sen. Tom Udall. In addition, NM Oxfam Action Corps have made presentations at our Offering of Letters workshop and participated in our Circle of Protection prayer vigilin 2012.
