2006 Executive Summary
The World Food Day Study/Action Packet is an integral part of the teleconference and also serves as a separate study resource. Copies of the packet are distributed in the months prior to the teleconference to colleges and other institutions which register for the program. All or parts of the packet are reproduced by many of the participating sites. The 2006 packet was developed by the national office of the U.S. National Committee for World Food Day with the assistance of representative site organizers. The packet has several sections: theme overview, assorted inserts, bibliography and action section. This is an executive summary of the live broadcast.
The theme of the 23rd annual World Food Day Teleconference was “Power of the People: Bottom-Up Solutions to Hunger – an examination of the expanding role of grassroots movements and civil society in ending world hunger and poverty.
The program opened with brief remarks about the theme and the growing strength of people power. The narrator noted that since the dawn of history concerned and courageous citizens have struggled to liberate their communities from want and suppression and that a hallmark of many successful reform movements has been the sacrifice and resolve of visionary leaders. Often change has comes slowly -- for example, slavery, colonialism, gender bias, poverty and hunger are still with us today. Suffrage leader Susan B. Anthony, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, and environmentalist Rachel Carlson never lived to see their dreams fully realized. Three distinguished guests were invited to share their perspectives on questions about the increasing impact of civil society’s efforts to make a difference; who are today’s visionaries; why are they having increased success; and what changes are they making.
The moderator, Ray Suarez of the PBS Jim Lehrer NewsHour, reviewed the format of the broadcast and introduced a brief message from Jacques Diouf, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN.
Today World Food Day marks the 61st anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. For the last 26 years World Food Day has focused concern on action on hunger and poverty at all levels and in all communities and countries around the world. I take this opportunity to thank all those who have been collaborating with FAO by celebrating World Food Day. Despite all our efforts, however, more than 850 million people remain hungry and poor today. We need to do much more. It is my hope that on this World Food Day we all will renew our commitment to fighting hunger and to achieving the World Food Summit and UN Millennium Development goals of halving hunger and poverty in the world by the year 2015.
Suarez thanked the Director-General and briefly introduced the three guest panelists: Dr. Olaseinde Makanjuola Arigbede, a medical doctor from Nigeria. He has been a full time development activist for 25 years. Eva Clayton, former Congresswoman from North Carolina has just retired as Associate Director General of FAO responsible for the International Alliance Against Hunger. Our third panelist, Dr. Deepa Narayan of India, a senior adviser on Poverty Reduction and Economic Management of the World Bank. She was an author and team leader of the Bank’s much-acclaimed Voices of the Poor project. Currently, she leads a World Bank study on moving out of poverty.
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During the third hour of the teleconference program questions were taken from the audience at different teleconference sites.
Q&A Transcript >> Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4