2008 World Food Day events highlight the right to food and the power of working together to help ensure food security for all - every day!
Since 1981 World Food has been a story of concern and action at all levels in communities around the world. For 63 years the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN has been at work wherever its skills have been needed, and for 28 years the citizens of the world have been joining forces with FAO through the annual worldwide observance on October 16th to focus on FAO’s efforts and to add their own impact in a myriad ways. The following selection of events and activities is a representative sampling of what is happening this year.
World Food Day at FAO Headquarters – Rome, Italy
October 16 in FAO Plenary Hall
Theme: World Food Security: The Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy. Activities will include the official ceremony with FAO Goodwill Ambassadors, reading of the Papal Message, and the launch of the Professional Football Against Hunger campaign. The third Run for Food and a Candlelight Village will be held in Rome.
World Food Day at the United Nations
October 23
President Bill Clinton will make the keynote address at the annual observance of World Food Day at UN Headquarters. UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, chair of the High-Level Task Force on Global Food Security Crisis, will also participate in this occasion.
World Food Day in Lower Manhattan, New York City
October 16-22
An Action Center to End World Hunger Center is opening on October 16, 2008. To commemorate the opening of the Action Center Mercy Corps will coordinate a week of daily activities. This Center will be the first of its kind – an interactive public space that “equips, inspires and empowers visitors” to tackle global challenges to food security for all.
World Food Prize Award Ceremony and Symposium
October 15-17
“Confronting Crisis – Agriculture and Global Development: the Next Fifty Years’ will be the theme for lectures, panels and ceremonies. Former U.S. Senators Robert Dole and George McGovern will receive the World Food Prize on October 16th. The “Borlaug Dialogue” is an annual conversation on feeding the world.
World Food Law Symposium
October 9 and 10
Small Farmers and Food Security will be the theme of the fifth annual symposium, co-sponsored by Howard University School of Law, the Ralph J. Bunch International Affairs Center, FAO, the American Society of International Law and the World Cocoa Foundation. Dr. Shakeel Bhatti, Secretary of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources, will present the annual Distinguished Lecture.
25th Annual WFD Teleconference
October 16 – 12 noon to 3:00 p.m.
Choices for a Warm and Hungry Planet. Panelists: Dr. Nancy Birdsall, Dr. Siwa Msangi and Mark Ritchie. A special award-winning film on climate change will be presented. The broadcast is produced by the U.S. National Committee for World Food Day.
Blueprint to End Hunger
October 16
NAHO – The National Anti-Hunger Organization – will launch the revision of the Blueprint to End Hunger at a press conference on Capitol Hill. This is a consensus document of all the major anti-hunger national organizations.
The Silent Tsunami
October 16
The Asia Society and Oxfam America will address the Global Food Crisis on a webcast at the Asia Society’s New York Headquarters. Program participants will include Christopher Delgado, of the World Bank; Masood Hyder of the World Food Program; Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America and Mira Kamdar of the Asia Society.
Kids Against Hunger
World Food Day Week
Kids Against Hunger is a program of Feeding Children International. The program provides packaged meals around the world. Volunteers are needed to organize packaging events. Their goal is to provide enough packages to feed a million people on World Food Day.
Taking Action on Hunger and Poverty
October 17
The Council of Organizations, a division of the United Nations Association of the USA, is sponsoring a lunch and discussion about the links between the food crisis globally and rising food prices in the United States. This will be one of the Stand Up Against Poverty. Michael Curtin of DC Central Kitchen and Margot Hoerrner of Friends of the World Food Program will be featured speakers.
Bread for the World Sunday
Sundays between World Food Day and Thanksgiving
Materials available include bulletin inserts, a reflection resource and pew envelopes. Bread for the World is a nationwide Christian movement that seeks justice for the world’s poor people.
Restoring Our Urban and Rural Communities with Healthy Food
October 4-8
The 12th Annual Meeting of the Community Food Security Coalition will be held in Philadelphia. Plenaries, workshops, short courses, reception events and field trips will be featured.
2008 Food Stamp Forum
October 16
Bigger Benefits; Expanded Eligibility will provide a critical learning experience for all who serve the public or want to alleviate hunger in the community. The program will highlight changes to the Food Stamp Program on the national, state and local levels and provide details on their impact on the people served. The Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger fights hunger in Southeastern Pennsylvania through education, outreach and advocacy.
OXFAM Fasts for a World Harvest
October 16
Food Crisis Hunger Banquets will be held across the nation. Fast organizing kits can be ordered. Participants can join thousands to fight poverty and educate others on the food crisis. Oxfam America is a member of Oxfam International, a confederation of 13 organizations working in 100 countries.
Ending the Food Crisis
October 16
Attendees will join others in the historic Great Hall of Cooper Union, New York City for the national launch of an urgent Call to Action. Speakers and special guests include Frances Moore Lappe, author of Diet for a Small Planet, Raj Patel, author of Stuffed and Starved, Ben Burkett, president of the National Family Farm Coalition and Pat Purcell of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. The event is sponsored by WHY – World Hunger Year.
Broken Bread Poverty Meal
October 16
World Vision will hold a national Broken Bread Day to coincide with World Food Day. Participants are invited to identify, interact with and intercede for those broken by the cycle of AIDS, poverty and hunger. Using a simple porridge meat, true-to-life stories, discussion and advocacy, groups are invited to “engage their faith and respond with their hearts and through their citizenship.”
One World Everybody Eats
October 16
One World Everybody Eats foundation is an outgrowth of the One World Café in Salt Lake City. The founder, Denise Cerreta, is attempting to help people “see the value of food as more than a mere consumable but rather as a glue and a catalyst for healthy people, relationships and communities.” The Salt Lake City organization is inviting everyone to use World Food Day to start a group in their own community in the coming year.
School Lunch Week
October 13-17
The School Nutrition Association, sponsors of School Lunch Week, will oversee the promotion of good nutrition in school lunches and organize the election of favorite school lunches.
National Food Bank Week
October 16-22
The Food Bank of the Rockies is holding their Second Annual Eat Out to End Hunger fundraiser. Participating dining establishments will donate 10% of sales to the Bank. The Bank is a member of America’s Second Harvest.
Cans Around the Oval
October
Cans Around the Oval began 21 years ago as a food collection World Food Day endeavor by Colorado State University and is now a tradition. “Cans Around the Oval has helped to create a strong legacy of service at CSU and every year that students volunteer and help it grow the stronger the legacy becomes.” This year supporters are looking to break the drive’s all-time record of 140,000 pounds.
WorldFest Fair Trade Festival
October 3-5
The fifth year of this annual signature event, a project of World Neighbors, will feature handmade fair trade items from around the world, international food and entertainment and an interactive learning village.
From Hunger to Hope
October 13-17
YUM! Brands, In conjunction with World Food Day and Universities Fighting Hunger are encouraging college students to commit to some kind of service activity. YUM! Brands include KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Long John Silver businesses. They are partnering with the World Food Program to raise awareness, volunteerism and desperately needed funds to help end world hunger.
World Food Day Gala 2008
December 2
This year Action Against Hunger will hold the traditional WFD Gala on December 2nd in New York City. The benefit will honor CNN anchor Anderson Cooper. Proceeds will support Action’s program to save the lives of malnourished children while providing families with sustainable access to clean water and long-term solutions to hunger.
CROP WALKS – 62nd Year
October
2008 will be the 62nd observance of the Interfaith CROP Walks on the weekends around October 16th. Thousands of walkers nationwide will be engaged in a partnership with Church World Service to raise funds to eradicate hunger and poverty. CWS works with 30 organizations in 80 countries.
Also, in observance of World Food Day, Church World Service is sharing stories of communities where people are eating better because they are learning ways to ensure a dependable supply of food.
Closing the Gap
October16-18
The Sustainable Communities Network is sponsoring a regional conference in connection with World Food Day. The University of Kentucky regional gathering in Lexington, Kentucky will involve participants in a challenging conversation of how and why our food system works as it does, whether it is secure, just and sustainable and how it might be improved for the future. The meeting will consider the development of a Food Policy Council.
Augustinian Prayer Service
October 16
Augustinians of the Midwest are encouraged to mark World Food Day in their communities and ministries. The FAO day meshes with the themes of the Millennium Development Goals. Leaders say the Day encourages everyone to move beyond the “benevolence model” of food aid and to emphasize actions that will empower people and make it possible for them to feed themselves.
University of Virgin Islands
October 19
World Food Day activities will be held on the grounds of the St. Croix campus. Junior High and high school students will compete in the first WFD Youth Super Chef competition. Other activities will include the distribution of free vegetable seedlings for use in home gardens, a food ventors’ court, a farmers’ market, tours of the UVI Agricultural Experiment Station, a hunger banquet, etc.
Rotary Clubs Honor World Food Day through PowerFlour
Since 1995 Rotarians in Michigan and Wisconsin have been raising funds to package and ship malt flour, or PowerFlour, to developing countries where porridge is a daily staple.
Black Farmers Annual Breakfast Forum
September 26
On the occasion of their 38th Annual Legislative Conference the Congressional Black Caucus issued a report -- A seat at the table: Diversity and the 2008 Farm Bill – and celebrated the Allensworth Centennial Celebration.
National Farmers Union
October 16
NFU members are urged to use the day for recognition of the farmers who produce our food and to support events and ideas for fighting hunger.
Hunger Bytes – The Race is on
October 16
Last November the UN World Food Program called on students, would-be filmmakers and other interested folks to focus their creativity on raising awareness about hunger through a unique, international competition: Hunger Bytes. Videos received from 70 countries will be judged. The creator receiving the most views by World Food Day, October16, will be sent with a friend to make a video at a WFP relief operation in Asia, Africa or Latin America.
World Food Challenge: Role of Technology in Food Production
October 15
The Madison campus of the University of Wisconsin Renk Agribusiness Institute will host a symposium for agricultural leaders. They will discuss how technology can be harnessed to meet the world’s need for food, fiber and fuel while reducing their industry’s carbon footprint.
The River Falls campus will feature the WFD Teleconference. Following the national broadcast a local panel will present a discussion on food and environmental issues.
Road Runner Food Bank Plans –
New Mexico Highlight
October 16
The New Mexico Task Force on Hunger observance will open with a press conference. The Governor’s Proclamation and awards will be featured as well as the WFD Teleconference and displays.
Kennedy Middle School Presenting Foods of the World
October 9
Citizen Schools in the Redwood City school is inviting volunteers to cook foods of different cultures to help public awareness and appreciation of the goals of World Food Day.
Global Citizen Corps Leadership Program
October 16
Club members across the country will be encouraging action on issues like hunger, AIDS and climate change through displaying posters, sending petitions to legislators, writing op-eds to major newspapers. The culminating activity will be the “Cross Out Hunger” campaign to publicize the fact that so many children around the world die of hunger.
WORKING TOGETHER WORKS
Throughout the life of World Food Day ZIGGY, WITH A CARTOON PSA, HAS PROCLAIMED THE MESSAGE OF OUR COMMON GOAL - WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP BUILD A BETTER WORLD.
Every year The United Nations, governments, institutions, organizations and individuals, young and old, freshen the voice of caring and action with new initiatives and new energy.
This WFD logo composed of pieces of the logos of our hundreds of sponsors is a reminder that World Food Day belongs to everyone and should be used by everyone to help involve all our nation's caring citizens in showing the POWER OF THE PEOPLE!!!