Daily Lessons from Life 15 November 2009

"UN food chief on hunger strike
He aims to throw the spotlight on the chronic malnutrition worldwide. -Sun, Nov 15, 2009 AFP

ROME - FOOD and Agriculture Organisation chief Jacques Diouf went on a 24-hour hunger strike on Saturday to put a spotlight on chronic malnutrition worldwide ahead of a UN summit on food security.


Mr Diouf began the hunger strike late Friday, sleeping at FAO headquarters in Rome on a makeshift mattress of foam blocs, the UN organisation said in a statement.

He called on 'people of goodwill everywhere' to join his hunger strike in solidarity with the one billion humans who suffer chronic malnutrition, the FAO said.

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon will join the hunger strike on Sunday, it said.

'I hope that through these gestures we will raise awareness, and build pressure from public opinion to ensure that those who can change this situation are able to do so,' Mr Diouf said.


More than 60 heads of state and government will attend the World Summit on Food Security on Monday."

It is a mammoth task to feed the world! It is unimaginable for people in the developed world and some of the newly developed countries or developing fairly well countries of such an issue. It has been highlighted in many documentaries how we have wasted food in one part of the world while another part we have people malnourished and died of starvation!

Lessons for me are:

1. a good gesture to bring the attention to the issue by someone in charge of solving the challenge;

2. a good gesture for his supervisor to join him too;

3. a good time to remind us just before the FAO meeting by the powerful people who probably had not experienced hunger for a long while though some of them might actually come from a poor beginning. So, when they dine, I hope they are not, in Michelin Starred restaurant or food during the meeting, they will finish whatever they are being served!! ;-)

Fasting for a day may be a good personal commitment to make. I shall do it tomorrow from 8am to 8pm in support of this. Will drink water and liquid.