World Food Month
World Hunger. Mention the words and roost people feel pity , helplessness or finís tration. With at least 400 million people suffering from malnutrition, 40,000 deaths a day from hunger-related symptoms and 250,000 people a year going blind due to nutritional deficiencies worldwide, it is very easy to throw up your hands in frustration. Can such a huge problem as world hunger be ended? Yes, it can.
In your own area, such local hunger organizations as Bread For The World, the Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice (ICPJ), Results, and the World Hunger Education Action Committee (WHE-AC) have banded together to form World Food Month of Washtenaw County (WFMWC). WFMWC's purpose is to dedícate the month of October as World Food Month, and educate the public, through events, speakers and displays, on the problem of hunger.
CROP Hunger Walk- October 15
CROP Hunger Walks, sponsored by Church World Service and local community organizations, raise millions of dollars to help end hunger through domestic and international projects. People participating in CROP Walks pledge, or find sponsors to pledge, a donation for every mile or kilometer walked. Funds raised are used in self-help development projects, disaster relief, public education and service to refugees. Out of every dollar raised by CROP walks, over 854 goes to directly end hunger.
The Washtenaw County sponsor for the CROP Walk is the ICPJ, as it has been for many years. The Walk takes place on die anemoon of October 15. The Crop Walk has raised $20-30,000 per year. This year's Walk wül be 10 kilometers long (6.2 miles) and 25% of the funds raised will go to local organizations such as die Arm Arbor Hunger Coalition, Women in Transition House, Ypsilanti Salvation Army , Brown Chapel AME Food Program and die Huron Valley Friends Food Pantry.
If you would like to participate in the Walk, contact ICPJC at 663-1870. Materials including Walk Pledge Cards, bulletin inserts and background information are available free of charge to help you as an individual, or your religious civic organization become involved with this event.
World Food Day - October 16
On October 16 individuals, organizations and governments around the world will join together for the ninth time to declare their support for ending hunger. The event, World Food Day, is held in recognition of the founding of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (UNFAO) in 1945. The UNFAO is the lead UN agency for technical assistance, research and policy-making in world agriculture, fishing and forestry.
World Food Day is a time look back at what progress has been made in the past year in die struggle against hunger. It is also a time to see what more can be done in the year ahead to advance die goal of food security for all people on earth.
This year observances will be held in over 150 countries. There will be food policy debates in national legislatures and farmer co-op meetings in rural villages. Thousands of colleges and universities will hold seminars on food problems while children will study agriculture, family nutrition and social responsibility in their classrooms. There will be religious services, "best farmer" awards, food collections for the needy, and town planning meetings on every continent.
The animal World Food Day teleconference will focus on "Food, Environment and Development A Sustainable Agenda for the 21st Century." Panelists will be Sen. Al Gore, Dr. Verghese Kurien (winner of the World Food Prize), Stephen Lewis (former Canadian UN Ambassador) and Dr. Robert Miller of the National Science Foundation. Judy Woodruff of the PBS MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour will moderate.
WFMWC will be observing World Food Day by sponsoring the teleconference at local sites, and displaying educational materials at libraries in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area and other public locations. For an expanded information packet send $5 to ICPJC, 730 Tappan, Ann Arbor, MI 48104.
The teleconference will be held at the Eastern Michigan University library from noon until 3 pm. Plans are being finalized to also have the teleconference at U-M and to have it carried by Community Access Television. The time and location are to be announced. WFMWC will also be working on getting media coverage on the problems and solutions to hunger.
UNICEF
The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) is one of the most successful and respected hunger organizations in the world. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1965, UNICEF has been heavily involved with the Child Survival Plan, which seeks to save the lives of at least half the 30,000 plus children who die needlessly each day from poverty and hunger.
The Child Survival Plan is based on four simple, low-cost methods to save children's lives. Growth charts are used to chart a child's weight/height every month to see if growth progress is normal or problems are occuring. Oral rehydration therapy is the administration of a simple solution of sugar, salt and water to treat dehydration caused by diarrhea. Breast feeding is encouraged as the best food for infants. UNICEF also plans to make sure that al 1 children are immunized against measles, tetanus, whooping cough, polio and tuberculosis by the 1990s.
Funds donated to UNICEF directly aid those who are treated the most unfairly by hunger, children. While UNICEF receives funds from member nations of the UN, it still depends heavily on donations from groups and individuals. For UNICEF's annual Halloween children's drive, children go door to-door and instead of looking for candy ask for donations to UNICEF. If you would like to help with this year's Halloween project, contact Dixie Edwards at the First United Methodist Church, 6624536. You can also support UNICEF through direct contributions or by purchasing UNICEF Christmas Cards. For more general information about UNICEF, cali 1-88-FOR-KIDS.