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“Feed the hungry is an ethical
imperative for the universal Church,
as she responds to the teachings of her Founder, the Lord Jesus,
concerning solidarity and the sharing of goods…. The right to
food,
like the right to water, has an important place within the
pursuit of
other rights, beginning with the fundamental right to life. It
is therefore
necessary to cultivate a public conscience that considers food
and
access to water as universal rights of all human beings, without
distinction or discrimination….”
--Pope Benedict XVI, Encyclical Letter Caritas in veritate
(2009), #27.
“Hunger Banquet”
Sunday, January 31, 2010
6:00-7:30pm
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Scallon Hall
Queen of Peace Parish, Waterloo
Suggested Donation: $5/person
(Proceeds will benefit the Cedar Valley Hospitality House)
Co-hosted by Waterloo Area Youth
Ministry
The Catholic Parishes in Waterloo/Adult Faith Formation
• • •
According to Oxfam International, one in six people worldwide now suffers
from chronic hunger -- that's over a billion women, men, and children.
The problem is not limited to poor countries. While the US
is one of the wealthiest countries on earth, over 39 million
Americans live in poverty. This "Hunger Banquet"
experience, developed by Oxfam America, brings to life the
inequalities in our world and helps participants experience
firsthand how our decisions affect others who are not as
privileged as we are.
What It Is
An invitation to a banquet may
conjure up images of sumptuous food, decadent desserts and
superior service. A hunger banquet is designed to
raise awareness about global hunger and poverty, so it's part
dinner and part dramatization -- all interactive and
enlightening.
How It Works
When you arrive at the Hunger
Banquet you will draw a ticket which will assign you
characteristics of a specific person and randomly assign you to
a high-, middle- or low-income population group. You will
be seated in a section reserved for this group and receive a meal which corresponds to what a person in that income
group normally eats.
The Hunger Banquet creates a unique
-- and enduring -- experience which leads both to greater
understanding and action to fight poverty and hunger in our
world.
More About Global
Hunger
According to the UN's World Food Program, the number of food
emergencies around the globe has increased from an average of 15
per year during the 1980s to more than 30 per year since 2000.
In 2008 alone, rising food prices forced an additional 40
million people into hunger. In many developing countries,
volatile markets and fluctuating prices are forcing people to
eat less food or less nutritious food, and driving poor
households to cut back on health care, education, and other
necessities in order to cover rising food costs. Landless
households, and those headed by women, are often the worst
affected. Food prices are likely to remain volatile for years to
come, as a result of a number of factors. Increased demand,
rising energy costs, and more widespread use of food for
biofuels have come together to drive prices up.
Many small farmers in poor countries report that they can't
increase production and take advantage of higher prices because
they lack access to water, seeds, fertilizers, and markets. In
addition, climate change is expected to lead to more
unpredictable weather and climate-related disasters, increasing
volatility in yields and markets and undermining food
availability for millions of people, especially in sub-Saharan
Africa.
What You Can Do
•
Find out more about the global food
crisis --
click here
•
Watch a video about world hunger --
click
here
•
Read Pope Benedict's address to the World Summit on Food
Security
--
click here
• Read short- and long-term responses
to the crisis --
click here
•
Read more about the Roadmap to End
Global Hunger initiative --
click here
•
Join Catholics Confront Global
Poverty --
click here
Registration
By phone:
319-233-3358/ext. 134
By email:
<HuffKMS@mchsi.com>
Online:
Click here to register online
• • •
For more information
contact:
Director of Adult Faith Formation
320 Mulberry Street, Waterloo IA 50703
Phone: 319-234-9912
Email: <DBQ208s3@arch.pvt.k12.ia.us>
Posted: 12.28.09
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Last Update: 01.05.10 |