Food And Agriculture Organization Calls For Hunger Strike Leading Up To World Food Summit
by ERICA LIEPMANN, Causecast Editor
Leading up to the World Summit on Food Security, which begins Monday in Rome, the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has called for a global fast to raise awareness about the urgency of the world’s food crisis. The FAO estimates the number of hungry people throughout the world will reach the one billion mark this year, aggravated by the global recession.
Beginning Friday night at 8:00 p.m., the FAO Director-General Jacques Diouf began a 24 hour fast in the FAO headquarters, which will conclude Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. During this time, Diouf abstained from both food and water and slept on a makeshift mattress in the frigid lobby of the FAO HQ. The Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon is also expected to join the fast this weekend.
How can you get involved?
• Join the fast: commit to the whole weekend or honor Sunday, the 15, to raise awareness about global hunger.
• Sign the End Hunger petition!
• Read up! Get the inside scoop on food insecurity from the experts. Check out FAO’s list of publications for your reading list.
• Contribute: make a donation to the FAO or another organization working to fight global hunger like Heifer International.
From the United Nations:
Photo by Michael (mx5tx), flickr.
- Posted by Causecast
Related causes: Health, Human Rights
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You might be interested in a blog on "Focusing food security efforts where they are needed" (http://cabiblog.typepad.com/hand_picked/2009/11/focusing-food-security-efforts-where-they-are-needed.html) on research aimed at targeting development where it will have the greatest impact on food security. There are also links to other articles on food security.