|
 |
 |
| FAO's
first four ambassadors: singer Dee Dee Bridgewater, singer Miriam Makeba, Nobel
Prize winner Rita Levi Montalcini and actress Gina Lollobrigida | |
| | | |
| | | •
Signing up to Fight Hunger
•
Support
the Fight Against Hunger | | |
| | |
| |
The FAO Ambassadors Programme was initiated in 1999. The main
purpose of the programme is to attract public and media attention to the unacceptable
situation that almost 800 million people continue to suffer from chronic hunger
and malnutrition in a time of unprecedented plenty. These people lead a life of
misery and are denied the most basic of human rights: the right to food. Governments
alone cannot end hunger and undernourishment. Mobilization of the public and private
sectors, the involvement of civil society and the pooling of collective and individual
resources are all needed if people are to break out of the vicious circle of chronic
hunger and undernourishment. Each of the FAO Ambassadors
has made a personal and professional commitment to address the universal humanitarian
issues that underpin FAO’s mission: to build a food-secure world for present and
future generations. Using their talents and influence, the Ambassadors draw the
old and the young, the rich and the poor into the campaign against world hunger.
They aim to make Food for All a reality in the 21st century and beyond. FAO
Ambassadors call on people everywhere to play a part in this process. |
| |
| | |
Signing up to fight hunger |
| |
|
The FAO
Ambassadors have expressed their support for the fight
against hunger by signing an appeal launched by FAO on 15
October 2003.
| |
We, the FAO Ambassadors, gathered in Rome
this 15th day of October 2003, commit ourselves to join forces
with people all over the world in an International Alliance
against Hunger.
We find it unacceptable that, though the world produces a
great abundance of food, more than 840 million people suffer
from hunger and malnutrition. Worldwide, this means that almost
one person in seven is chronically hungry – one person
in five in the developing world.
Chronic hunger means that millions of children die before
reaching their teens, adults never attain their full potential,
and communities and nations are stalled on the road to development.
Hunger in these proportions represents a stunning failure
on the part of humanity.
We say that this state of affairs cannot be allowed to continue.
World leaders adopted the World Food Summit Declaration in
1996 and reiterated their commitment at the World
Food Summit: five years later in 2002, calling on governments,
international agencies, non-governmental organizations, civil
society and the private sector “to reinforce their efforts
so as to act as an international alliance against hunger”
and achieve the goal of reducing hunger by half by 2015.
Humankind has the power to effect change: to end hunger, to
fight poverty and disease, and to banish illiteracy. We cannot
tolerate hunger and malnutrition. We have the techniques and
the resources to eliminate them. What is lacking is human
solidarity and political will.
For these reasons we, the FAO Ambassadors:
- pledge to inspire people everywhere to work together in
an International Alliance against Hunger;
- call upon all people to help the least privileged people
of the world finally to break out of the vicious circle
of chronic hunger, poverty and undernourishment, and make
a world where everyone has reliable access to safe and nutritious
food;
- pledge to support the mission of FAO to help build a food-secure
world for present and future generations;
- commit ourselves to use our talents and unique opportunities
to help increase awareness and raise funds for the fight
against hunger.
For us, the drive to defeat hunger is a
question of personal responsibility. We want to be part of
a generation that has achieved this goal.
Please join hands with us in the International Alliance against
Hunger.
| | | |
| |
top of page  |
| | |
|
|
| | | |
