The sustainable end of hunger is possible when we share a powerful, collective voice at every level of influence — local, national and global.
And that means creating intentional systems in which everyone is able to and encouraged to share their voices.
As part of our 2022-2027 Strategic Framework, we at The Hunger Project are building a critical mass capable of transforming the way the world thinks about — and acts on — chronic hunger and poverty.
By elevating the voices of people living in hunger and poverty at conferences and in writing and whenever feasible, we make space for our community partners to directly participate in international gatherings of decision makers, in major media outlets and anywhere their voice has been traditionally excluded.
Check out our Top 10 opportunities to raise our voice in 2023:
CONFERENCES & GATHERINGS
WomenDeliver
Building on our foundational commitment to gender-focused development, The Hunger Project was a proud sponsor of Women Deliver 2023. Our 18 delegates from 15 countries around the world participated in hundreds of hours of programs both in-person and virtually. We had opportunities to share about our work on-stage, at a booth and on screen at the WD2023 Film Festival. Learn more about the conference and see videos of our presence here.
G20 Interfaith Forum
In May, Badiul Alam Majumdar, Global Vice President and Country Director for Bangladesh, spoke at the G20 Interfaith Forum in a session about mobilizing faith leaders for food security. The Forum, held in India alongside the G20 Conference, convened experts who are working with faith communities to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Our social cohesion work in Bangladesh brings local leaders together to build local capacity to prevent and mitigate interfaith violence, allowing communities to thrive.
St. Gallen Symposium
Our strategic framework calls for The Hunger Project to deepen our engagement with the private sector. In April, Bineta Diop, a member of our Global Board of Directors, represented The Hunger Project at the St. Gallen Symposium. The Symposium hosts intergenerational dialogues on economic, political, and social developments between decision makers and youth. Bineta spoke alongside Erik Frywald, CEO of Syngenta, and Peter Maurer, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross at the time, about how we can support sustainable agriculture and invest in resilient crops. Watch the video of their conversation here.
World Bank Youth Summit
As part of our mission to strengthen and promote community-led development methodologies, our team at the Movement for Community-led Development (MCLD) has been on the forefront of localization conversations around the world. Sera Bulbel, Senior Associate, Research, Communications and Learning, MCLD, spoke at the World Bank Group Youth Summit about how young leaders can drive change locally. “Community-led development is the most powerful and most sustainable way to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals,” she said in the Summit’s opening youth panel. “It is about permanent, transformative change, and it’s about building resilience as well. When it comes to thinking about where to start with a project, don’t think about doing something for your community; think about doing it with them.” Read more about the event here.
Borlaug Dialogues
One of our key global themes is elevating local voices to transform global food systems. At the World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue, Tim Prewitt, President and CEO, Montse Salazar Gamboa, Country Leader, THP-Mexico, and Aissa Barry, Head of Programs, THP-Burkina Faso spoke on a panel hosted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints about mobilizing local leaders to address malnutrition, particularly in women and children. The session covered how we are elevating Indigenous knowledge and expertise, leveraging native crops and training communities about preventing malnutrition.
During the conference, Tim also announced a new youth fellowship to honor the legacy of 1987 World Food Prize Laureate and former Hunger Project Global Board Chair, Dr. M.S. Swaminathan. More information about the initiative will be shared in mid-2024.
WRITING & COMMENTARY
CNN International: Interview with Tim Prewitt
Tim Prewitt, President and CEO, joined Julia Chatterly on CNN International to discuss the global impact of the Black Sea Grain Initiative. The initiative was an agreement among Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and the United Nations that allowed grain exports from Ukraine. It expired in July 2023. Thousands of tons of grain have been destroyed or are stuck in Ukraine. Listen to the full interview here.
World Hunger Day: Renewing Our Commitment to Elevating Women as Change Agents for Ending Hunger
Elodie Iko, Country Leader, THP-Benin penned this piece as part of our World Hunger Day campaign. In it she emphasizes the importance of ensuring that women are at the center of all efforts to create a world without hunger. Read the full article here.
Ending Hunger is Possible
Irene Naikaali, Country Leader, THP-Uganda, draws attention to the systems of inequity that are keeping hunger in place—and the ways we can transform them—in this piece for Bond. Read the full article here.
DevExplains: Why the Food Crisis is Worse for Women and Girls
Grace Chikowi, Country Leader, THP-Malawi, shared insights about why malnutrition impacts women and girls more than men and boys around the world in this article.
Food Insecurity Affects more Women than Men – Report
Gerald Kato, Right2Grow Consortium Coordinator, THP-Uganda spoke with The Monitor about the state of food security and hunger in Uganda in this piece.
We look forward to continuing this work in 2024!
The Hunger Project’s thought leadership shone across many topics in 2023. We are committed to continuing to elevate the voices of grassroot leaders and create space in global conversations for voices that are often overlooked in the next year.
Photo: Tarcila Rivera Zea, Executive Director of CHIRAPAQ, speaking during a panel disucssion at Women Deliver 2023 in Kigali, Rwanda (Photo Credit: Women Deliver);
Video: Gerald Kato, Right2Grow Consortium Coordinator, THP-Uganda, speaking during a panel with Action Against Hunger
