TeleFood 2003 – Events around the world

Artists, celebrities and the public joined TeleFood, FAO’s campaign against world hunger, through radio and television programmes, concerts and other events, to promote an “International Alliance against Hunger” -- the 2003 World Food Day/TeleFood theme.
 
In 2003, the seventh year of the TeleFood campaign, numerous celebrations and broadcasts took place on five continents to create awareness of the plight of the more than 800 million hungry people in the world and to mobilize resources and people to find concrete solutions to the problem.

For the second year, Publicis, the fourth largest advertising group in the world, created TeleFood’s campaign image and produced a TV spot that has been used worldwide.

In Spain, for the seventh consecutive year, the radio and television group RTVE broadcast a gala event to increase public awareness about hunger and raise funds for TeleFood. The event featured performances by a number of famous international musicians such as the singer Noa, a new FAO Goodwill Ambassador.

The programme met with large success, and donations from viewers totalled more than 750 000 euros. National radio, press and Internet sites provided additional coverage of the TeleFood campaign through broadcasts and special initiatives.

In Argentina, the Mexican rock group Maná, FAO Goodwill Ambassadors, presented their latest album, "Revolución de amor’, to a crowd of more than 31 000 people. Maná donated the net proceeds to the TeleFood Special Fund.

The concert of the Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti, "Pavarotti canta Verdi", held in October 2002 to benefit TeleFood, was broadcast during 2003 by more than 55 television channels around the world, including the satellite channel Orbit Television in the Arab region, RAI International in Italy, RTP in Portugal, Cape Verde TLV in Cape Verde, and Televisa and Canal 22 in Mexico, to name just a few.

In France, as in previous years, the French Association for FAO participated in several events organized around World Food Day by French non-governmental organizations. In addition, during the month of October the spot produced by Publicis was aired in more than 150 cinemas.

In Japan, 2003 was a year full of TeleFood activities. The Japan-FAO association organized several events, including a concert in Yokohama on the occasion of the International Children’s Conference for Food Security, which was broadcast by the television channel NHK.

As in previous years, the members of JA-Zenchu (the Japan Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives) contributed generously to the TeleFood Special Fund.

In Finland, another FAO Goodwill Ambassador, the singer Mory Kanté, dedicated his performance at the Imatra Big Band Festival to TeleFood.

Tanzania organized its traditional fundraising gala for TeleFood, sponsored by the First Lady. The President of the Republic participated in the event by telephone, expressing his support for the initiative.

Many other activities were organized to spread the TeleFood message. School drawing or essay contests about world hunger took place in Algeria, Benin, India, Sierra Leone and Sri Lanka. Seminars and information days were held in Chile, the Gambia, Madagascar and the Republic of Korea, as well as a horse race in Turkey and a feast featuring a giant paella in El Salvador with the sponsorship of the First Lady.

If you wish to know more about TeleFood activities celebrated around the world in 2003, please visit our “Events around the world” section.

TeleFood sponsors and partners, including private companies and institutions, governments and non-governmental organizations, radio and television broadcasters and print media, were key to spreading the 2003 TeleFood message around the world and to expanding the International Alliance against Hunger.