Category Archives: global hunger

History News Network oped: Irish Legend Should Inspire the Fight Against Famine Today

The hit Irish show Riverdance includes a segment titled The Countess Cathleen, which was originally a verse drama by William Butler Yeats, published in 1893. 

This legendary tale of Countess Cathleen (aka Kathleen) begins with Irish peasants starving to death during a famine. Demons have descended upon the desperate poor trying to get them to sell their souls to the Devil in exchange for gold to buy food. The wealthy Countess Cathleen tries to help the peasants by selling off her riches to buy food and end the starvation.

See my full story at the History News Network

Leave a comment

Filed under global hunger

Thanksgiving College FreeRice Challenge Nov. 12-20

This Thanksgiving, feed “silent guests” at your holiday meals by donating to the World Food Program (WFP) through FreeRice. Your guest represents one of the world’s 45 million people globally on the brink of starvation according to the latest news from the UN WFP.

Join Universities Fighting World Hunger as we begin the FreeRice Thanksgiving Challenge. Every correct answer you get playing FreeRice donates 10 grains of rice to WFP. The competition runs November 12-20 as part of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week.

To participate:

  1. Sign up at FreeRice.com
  2. Create an account.
  3. Click the three-bar icon in the upper left corner and select “Groups”.
  4. Enter your organization’s name (including university) and select “Make new group”.
  5. Share your group code with members and email the UFWH Coordinator at lrs0055@auburn.edu to let us know you are playing along! The first 10 people to register will receive a UFWH t-shirt.

Leave a comment

Filed under global hunger

Harrisburg Patriot News oped: There is a Halloween treat that can save lives

This Halloween you will likely see a TV ad for Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, one of the most popular and yummy candies. But when you see it, think of another peanut product instead. This one is called Plumpy’Nut.

Like the Reese’s Peanut Butter cup, it comes in a small wrapping. Some have said that Plumpy’Nut tastes a bit like a Reese’s cup. But what Plumpy’Nut does is a miracle, it saves the lives of starving children worldwide.

See my full commentary in the Harrisburg Patriot News:

Leave a comment

Filed under global hunger

Newsweek oped: On World Food Day, Leave No One Behind

The theme for World Food Day is “Leave No One Behind.”

“We need to build a sustainable world where everyone, everywhere has regular access to enough nutritious food. No one should be left behind,” the U.N. Food Agriculture Organization stated.

There are steps you can take today to ensure that those in need have food to survive.

see my full commentary at Newsweek

Leave a comment

Filed under global hunger

Washington Post oped: Harry Truman’s Easter push to address world hunger can inspire us today

This Easter, we are in the midst of a horrific global hunger crisis that is fast escalating due to the war in Ukraine. As a major source of wheat, Ukraine is a lifeline for many poor countries. Without access to these precious resources, relief operations are hindered as global food prices continue to climb.

What can be done to address the hunger crisis? To cope with the shortages and higher prices, funding for global food aid programs can be increased. History shows us this can be done if we each sacrifice a little.

That’s what President Harry S. Truman did at Easter in 1946, a year that witnessed another major food crisis in the wake of World War II. Truman canceled the traditional Easter Egg Roll at the White House and cut back on the White House Easter dinner. Such symbolic actions of sacrifice provided an example for citizens to follow. Everyone needed to be involved to save enough food to send overseas to feed the hungry.

see my full commentary at The Washington Post

Leave a comment

Filed under global hunger

Articles For Advocacy and Letter Writing about Global Hunger

Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act

A Holiday Gift That Can Save Lives- (Chicago Sun Times)

The Christmas Gift Congress Can Give the World’s Children (Newsweek)

Sample Letter to Congress from Bread for the World

McGovern-Dole Global School Lunch Program

A New Year’s Wish of School Meals to Change the World (Richmond Times Dispatch)

Lambers Column on School Meals for Every Child (Clarion Ledger)

Nobel Peace Prize winner World Food Program’s life-changing school meals for peace: William Lambers

Power of the Pen Can Put a Dent in World Hunger, Injustice (Columbus Dispatch)

Advocacy/Fundraising for Global Hunger Relief

Cleveland’s Best Christmas Present (Cleveland Plain Dealer)

Small College Captured Spirit of the Marshall Plan (HuffPost article on MSJ)

A Different Kind of March Madness-FreeRice (Eagle Times)

Leave a comment

Filed under advocacy, global hunger

Newsweek oped: Elon Musk, Billionaires Can Save Lives by Donating to Fight Hunger

David Beasley, the U.N. World Food Program director, is right to challenge billionaire Elon Musk and others to donate to fight world hunger. Beasley has been pleading for the help of billionaires all year and recently Elon Musk responded on Twitter.

What Musk should realize is that donating to feed the hungry saves lives and helps build world peace. And help is needed now more than ever. Conflict, climate change and the pandemic have led to the biggest hunger crisis since the World War II era.

What did we do back then? We fed the hungry, including a heroic airlift that saved millions in the Netherlands. We also took action when famine threatened hundreds of millions in the aftermath of the war. Citizens, including the wealthy, responded to the challenge.

see my full commentary at Newsweek Magazine.

Leave a comment

Filed under global hunger

Newsweek Oped: G7 Must Also Fight Famine

The G7 Summit must confront the growing risk of famine in many countries (White House photo)

The G7 summit this weekend in the United Kingdom must not only tackle a global pandemic, but also famine. Both crises impact the other. Severe food shortages are threatening many nations and the G7 must take action to help.

President Joe Biden will need to show leadership at the summit, which includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom.

The United Nations is warning that more than 34 million people are one step away from starvation. And millions more are on the brink. Yemen, South Sudan, Burkina Faso, the Sahel region of Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar and Ethiopia are some of the regions suffering extreme hunger.

See my full commentary at Newsweek Magazine

Leave a comment

Filed under global hunger

Newsweek oped: Afghanistan’s Stability Depends on Food

President Joe Biden‘s plan to withdraw all U.S. troops from Afghanistan must be accompanied by a massive increase in food aid. If Afghanistan is to gain stability and peace, we have to help stop the hunger crisis happening there.

The U.N. World Food Program (WFP) stated nearly 17 million Afghans are living with severe hunger. That amounts to almost half the population struggling to find food.

see my full commentary at Newsweek

Leave a comment

Filed under global hunger, Uncategorized

Worcester Telegram & Gazette oped: John F. Kennedy’s Campaign Inspiration is Joe Biden’s Too

Joe Biden is right when he says this election is “about your family” and the hardships that many are facing during this pandemic. Trump may have shrugged off Biden’s remarks during their last debate, but the truth is a lot of families are struggling in hunger.

Feeding America says “an additional 17 million people could be food insecure in 2020 as a result of this crisis, bringing the total up to 54 million people.”

Biden wants to expand the SNAP food stamp program to give impoverished families more purchasing power at grocery stores. Foodbanks are desperate for this support because they are overwhelmed with demand following layoffs due to coronavirus-related closings. Nutrition programs are to be increased for low-income families under the Biden plan.

See my full commentary in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Leave a comment

Filed under global hunger, Uncategorized