Editorials and Letters 2007

Editorials and commentary

Santa Claus is Chinese OR Why China is rising and the United States is declining Lester R. Brown Earth Policy Institute  December 20, 2007

Remembering Martin McLaughlin Lane Vanderslice December 2, 2007 Obituary: Martin McLaughlin, 89; advocate for poor and hungry Joe Holley Washington Post November 29, 2007 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.)

Sorry, your job's been outsourced! -- a look at globalization and its effects in Wisconsin Roger Bybee November 27, 2007

A terrible shortage of food for the poor grips the country. Where is the political will to do the right thing for the hungry? Anna Quindlen Newsweek November 26, 2007

The 'Esther strategy' for social change in the United States--work with political leadership, but listen to the prophetic voice Kathy McNeely FPIF October 29, 2007

Ending hunger isn't what it used to be--neither is fear Chuck Woolery October 23, 2007

'Civil society' in an uncivil world John Samuel  ActionAid October 19, 2007

The Administration is not putting poor children first--as it claims--with its veto of children's health insurance legislation Robert Greenstein Center on Budget and Policy Priorities October 17, 2007

The theology of American empire Ira Chernus Foreign Policy in Focus  September 27, 2007

The post-Washington dissensus Walden Bello  Focus on the Global South September 26, 2007

CAFTA in Costa Rica would cause deepening inequality Maria Eugenia Trejos Americas Program September 24, 2007

Spain and Equatorial Guinea: development cooperation as fraud Agustin Velloso  Pambazuka News September 29, 2007

Africa's sudden splash of good news  John Prendergast Washington Post September 23, 2007 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.) 

The new military frontier: Africa Frida Berrigan Foreign Policy in Focus September 18, 2007

Burma--growing darker daily  Kyi May Kaung Foreign Policy in Focus September 11, 2007

The politics of United States aid in Venezuela Tom Barry Americas Program, Center for International Policy  August 7, 2007

AFRICOM: wrong for Liberia, disastrous for Africa Ezekiel Pajibo and Emira Woods Foreign Policy in Focus July 26, 2007

Guatemala and Costa Rica: in and out of CAFTA Umberto Mazzei IRC Americas Program July 18, 2007

Enabling the Indonesian military Conn Hallinan Foreign Policy In Focus July 18, 2007

Darfur...Again Eva Dadrian BBC News July 21, 2007

Stopping intellectual genocide in African universities Prince Kum'a Ndumbe III University of Yaoundé, Cameroon July 18, 2007

Microcredit: false hopes and real possibilities Robert Pollin  Foreign Policy in Focus June 21, 2007

Climate change the only real change coming out of this year’s G8 summit--not much done on debt, trade, hedge funds, or outreach to other major countries such as China or India Aldo Caliari Center of Concern  June 2007

Announcing the candidacy of Muhammad Yunus to head the World Bank Robert Naiman Just Foreign Policy June 1, 2007

Ecuador's prolonged instability Raúl Zibechi April 30, 2007

The Center for Budget and Policy Priorities--a powerhouse for the poor  Stephen Pearlstein Washington Post  May 4, 2007 (You will leave this site and be required to register [once] with the Post.) 

Congo's peace: miracle or mirage? Jason K. Stearns  International Crisis Group April 23, 2007

Free trade vs. small farmers Walden Bello April 27, 2007

The three C’s of World Bank practice: corruption, clientelism, and cronyism Aldo Caliari April 23, 2007

Nigeria: danger signs on democracy road  Ike Okonta April 12, 2007

IMF confidence crisis Soren Ambrose Solidarity Africa Network April 12, 2007

Zimbabwe: Change is coming: the first step in a long journey Mary Ndlovu March 29, 2007

Signing away the future: how trade and investment agreements between rich and poor countries undermine development Oxfam International March 20, 2007

Into Africa Conn Hallinan Foreign Policy In Focus  March 15, 2007

Trade can play a role in agricultural development Gawain Kripke Oxfam America February 23, 2007

Sacrificing the right to food on the altar of free trade Jagjit Plahe February 15, 2007

Somalia at the crossroads    Harun Hassan  January 13, 2007

Letters to the Editor

Dear Hunger Notes,
I am a high school student and am currently involved in a project to raise awareness about the crisis in Africa in regards to hunger and HIV/AIDS. I would greatly appreciate if you would be able to assist me with data. I need data for hunger and HIV/AIDS, data tables, statistics, graphs, etc. I would be willing to state the name of the website on my presentation which will clearly increase awareness of the website and talk about what you do. Thank you, U. M.

Dear U.M.,
To the best of my knowledge there is no statistical source that estimates hunger due to HIV/AIDS. The standard source for estimates of food insecurity is the UN Food and Agriculture Organization's State of the World's Food Insecurity report with the latest being from 2006. It is available beginning on http://www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0750e/a0750e00.htm. However when I tried to access the actual PDF report I was unable to do so, due to some sort of technical difficulty. Perhaps you will have better luck. The source for HIV/AIDS statistics is UNAIDS and its 2006 report can be accessed beginning at http://www.unaids.org/en/HIV_data/2006GlobalReport/default.asp.  See Annex 2. Another good source for Africa is Avert http://www.avert.org/subaadults.htm . Also see the article 'SOUTHERN AFRICA: HIV-induced famine's impact on agriculture' on Hunger Notes PHN page. Not statistical, but useful I think. The book cited there 'Silent Hunger..' is also very helpful and can be accessed at http://www.fanrpan.org/documents/d00351/ . I hope your report on this important question turns out well.
Editor, Hunger Notes

Dear Hunger Notes,
There was a rice vocabulary game website for kids that was featured on the national news last night where every time a student answered the vocabulary correctly, rice was donated to World Hunger Org (I believe). Do you happen to know the website info? Thanks, DB

Dear DB.
Sorry for the delay in replying. It is http://www.freerice.com/  BBC had a news story on the site 'Web game provides rice for the hungry.'
Editor, Hunger Notes
 

Dear Hunger Notes Editor,

I am a 7th grader at Marshall Middle School in Houston, Texas. Will you answer three questions about my history fair project?

1. What is your opinion  about the world hunger problem?

2. Have you personally helped to end the world hunger problem?

3. Will you send me some pictures associated with the world hunger problem?

Thank you,

F.R.

Dear F.R.

To respond to the three questions that you pose.
1.  What is your opinion about the world hunger problem?
The principal cause of hunger is poverty, with the second being conflict. There are two principal ways to reduce hunger due to poverty, economic growth and (in combination with) pro-poor economic policies.  Nations have made some progress in reducing poverty and poverty related hunger--the percentage of people in 'dollar a day' poverty has declined and even the absolute numbers have declined. There has been a greater emphasis on economic growth than pro-poor policies.  Conflict is probably down from its highest level but still continues in many countries in the world.  Reducing hunger and poverty in developing countries has been very far down on the list of priorities for developed countries.  There is still much to be done.
2.  Have you personally helped to end the world hunger problem? 
Well, we hope informing people through Hunger Notes about issues surrounding world hunger makes some contribution!  On a personal level, I contribute to organizations such as Catholic Relief Services that assist poor people in developing countries and am a member of organizations such as Bread for the World, which works to improve US policies affecting hungry  people. 
3. Will you send me some pictures associated with hunger?
We do not have pictures other than those which we use on our website, which you are welcome to use though they are small. For larger pictures,   see the sources referred to in the letter below. These would have to be downloaded and printed on a color printer.   Another good source is IRIN.  See its photo page at http://www.irinnews.org/photo.aspx. Try something like food as a keyword.  You will have to register to download an image, but this is easy.
Good luck on your history fair project!

Editor, Hunger Notes

Dear Hunger Notes,
I am a volunteer for Lapis Lazuli Light Singapore, a non-profit organization which promotes total wellness. We will be having an exhibition during end Nov at Fort Canning. This is to create public awareness on various topics we going cover, one of it is on vegetarianism. It will include how a vegetarian diet can helps to reverse world hungers.
I will like to request for the usage right on suitable hi-res photos on world hunger from your organization. It will be used for our booth display. I have some low-res images downloaded from the net, which I find very impactful, just wonder if your photo collection consists of such photos.
Hope to hear a favourable reply from you soon.
Regards, V.M. 

Dear V.M.,

Dear V.M.,
We do not have high-res photos. The best source in the past was the Food and Agriculture Organization, which has unfortunately discontinued its public photo search site. I would suggest going to the FAO photo page http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/photo/ , seeing if any of the images there work for you, and then asking the FAO media department (that I have found helpful in the past) for larger res images. Do the same for the World Food Program, whose photos may be seen at http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=36 . And the International Fund for Agricultural Development http://www.ifad.org/photo/photo.htm . These should turn up some good pictures.

Editor, Hunger Notes

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