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Thoughts about the Future “The only real risk is the risk of thinking too small.” -Frances Moore Lappe
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What Can we do about World Hunger?
Food First
Thoughts about the Future
• “The way people think about hunger is the greatest obstacle toward ending it.”-- Peter Rosset, Food First
Thoughts about the Future
• “The only real risk is the risk of thinking
too small.”• -Frances Moore Lappe
Thoughts about the Future
• “The world has enough for man's need, but not for man's greed.”
--Mahatma Ghandi
Questions
• Should we have guilt?– fear?
• Can we protect the environment– and grow enough food?
• Should we seek justice?– efficiency?
• Can we eliminate hunger – without losing freedom?
Freedom From Want by Norman Rockwell
http://www.sattlers.org/mickey/site/archive/2005/11/images/rockwell-freedom-from-want.jpg
Five Principles
• I. Hunger results from human choices– not inexorable forces of
nature. • Therefore we can choose
to end hunger – in the same way we chose
to end slavery.
Five Principles
• II. Democracy of economic life – and the empowerment
of women • are keys to ending
hunger– and will also reduce
world population growth.
Five Principles
• III. To end hunger will not require destroying the environment– but will require
sustainable agriculture• that can be practiced
by even the poor.
Five Principles
• IV. Greater fairness can lead to ending hunger – if we devise food
systems where • those that do the work
have a greater say • and reap a greater
reward.
Five Principles
• V. The increased well-being of the poor in the third world – can enhance our own
well-being • we need not fear their
advancement.
What can we do?
• If change is possible, we must:– change ourselves – examine our everyday
choices.
ISU student in Africa
Personal Choices
• Get alternative information:– Mainstream TV, press
has a vision clouded by myths.
Personal Choices
• Educate others:– friends– co-workers– family.
• Speak up – when others voice
self-defeating myths.
Personal choices
• Choose a job that contributes to the solution – rather than to the problem.
• Is accumulation of material possession – the real key to a satisfying life?
Personal Choices
• Help hungry, homeless people– through church and
community groups.
Personal Choices
• Participate in:– community planning– more and better jobs– affordable housing– environmental
protection.
Habitat for Humanity
Personal Choices
• Elect officials– committed to
addressing roots of hunger.
Personal Choices
• Spend money on:– less processed– less packaged foods – from co-ops or worker
owned stores.
http://www.sepiasalax.com/07/jpg/baveggies.jpg
Personal Choices
• Boycotts have been successful: – Nestle stopped marketing
baby formula in third world– divestment helped bring
majority rule to South Africa.
Personal choices
• Become an activist: – Social movements
• brought women the vote• got civil rights legislation• helped end war in
Vietnam.
http://www.newint.org/issue151/Images/stillhungry.gif
Moral Courage• Takes courage to challenge
the status quo, – to point out that the world is
awash in food – and all of the suffering is the
result of human decisions. • We risk embarrassment,
– dismissal by friends – to speak out about widespread
false understandings of the world.
Compassion• This courage comes
from the same place our compassion comes from: – our innate moral
sensibilities,– our deepest emotional
intuitions • About our
connectedness to others' well-being.
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Compassion
• Ironically, the message of compassion – and connectedness to
others' well-being
• underlies the dominant western religion– Christianity
Compassion
• But our culture has elevated economic dogma – market and property rights
• above the Christian message – Of love, compassion and
connection.
Mall of America