Government becomes aware...

Senator Richard Lugar gives a speech identifying the growing problem of starvation around the world. He shares with all that by 2050 our food production should have more than doubled to keep up with this growing crisis. How will we achieve these demands when we must find a way to grow that amount of crops in the same amount of land we are using to develop our food today. The questions that stands now is how will we make through and do we have another way out?

World Hunger

An on going world crisis that our world has been fighting for years and will continue to fight for many more years to come is World Hunger. I find it surprising that every 3.6 seconds another child dies in the world because of hunger. Yet, most people go around living their lives thinking about the next piece of clothing that will come into style,or just don't bother to stop and think of the 35 million people who even though they still live in homes they are not able to get enough to eat, or the other million who have no homes and live off what they can find on the streets. It is incredible to think that more than one billion people don’t have enough to eat every day that is more than the equivalent of USA , Canada , and the European Union.

Although our world does produce the amount of food needed for everyone to have a piece of bread they meet restrictions on how they are able to pass them on to the other people of the world. Most countries either don’t have the rich soil needed to grow the food on or their people don’t have the income to purchase the food their country makes. The number ratio is that one in twelve people are malnourished and 160 million of them are under the age of five.

Another interesting fact that I found out in the video Hunger/ starvation in Africa on YouTube1xXD3MP53YXx. Hunger/Starvation. YouTube. 2010. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgE5FvSowSI&feature=player_embedded. 9 March 2010  , is that the total assets of the three richest men in the world are more than the combination of the total GNP of all the least developing countries on our planet. Now I am not saying that the must spend all their money to save the world but they should lend a little more of a hand. Yet,this statement is more of a way to explain the difference in how our money is being distributed around the world. More than one billion people live on a daily income of less than one dollar, and 40% of the population or 2.6 billion people live on a daily income of 2 dollars a day.

People are trying to inform other humans about this crisis and what they can do to help so they can make a change, but our world still has a long way to go, and although the United States is going through its own crisis I do strongly believe that we Americans should do our best as a greater developed country to try and help those in need. It is known that with the money spent on the creation of a new missile a school filled with hungry children could be fed for 5 years. Many of us come together when a crisis comes knocking but we must come together for other reasons too, crisis add on to problems that already exist and we must fight those daily problems as they come along not all at once.A crisis cannot be stopped and will come knocking at your door at any given moment. Yet, starvation happens every day not every time a natural disaster occurs.

I know that our country gives lots of money in overseas aid, but the problem with that is that most of the money is not given to the people it is kept in the greedy hands of their government or leader. If this helping aid never gets to those in need of it how do we expect issues to get resolved in the first place, we have a growing crisis that even our government recognizes and accepts as a problem that is not easy to overcome. Senate Richard Lugar gave his speech titled Foreign Assistance and Development in a New EraSIDWashington. " Senator RichardLugar'sspeech on foreign Aid reform at 2010 SID- Washington Annual Dinner 1/3". YouTube. 2010 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqAnpeLlaeQ&feature=player_embedded. 11 April 2010   were he goes on to explain the growing demands of food and supplies for the poor in the next years to come. If we continue on the path we are now nothing will ever get any better and we will only have to face a bigger issue with an uncontrolled growth. Also, to satisfy the world sanitation and food requirements would only cost 13 billion dollars, that is as much as the U.S and the European Union spend on perfume every year.

We have the organizations but we need everyone to get involved and lend a hand. What kind of person would go on living their wonderful life while more than 70% of our world is dying in a crisis that can’t be stopped? Now I know this is not an over night action or resolution or that the United States is the only one who needs to help. This must be a world wide movement and we must all come together to be a better planet.

One of the organizations that I worked with was the Contra Costa Food Bank Tomasini, Joan. "Give, Help, Volunteer". Contra Costa Food Bank. 2010http://www.foodbankccs.org/give-help/volunteer/index.html. 9 February 2010  , and even though I know that it is only used for community services I was glad to know i helped put boxes of food that were going to go to waist and gave them to those in need. Although as my progress continued at the food point I came to the conclusion that almost anyone could come and receive a box of food and some were in no dying need of it they just wanted the cheap way out. this information was handed to me by an ex-worker from the Contra Costa Food Bank who wished to stay anonymous. I also came to the realization about who misleading expiration dates can truly be. As I arrived to the food bank I was given a lesson about who to know when the food is good or when it's bad and as they explained I discovered that they were packaging food that had expiration dates from a year ago . So I asked myself if the food is still good why have those expiration dates when as a result many people throw away food if the date has passed. Now if all those people knew that expiration dates are only made for best by or how long they can stay on the shelf then most people will choose to keep the food and use it or give it to organizations who will make a better use for them if you won't.

Another factor I came to learn and understand better was what I had already started learning in my Government class, which is the structure of supply and demand. I came to see that the more humans on this planet the more demand for food the is and the more supply that needs to be made, yet as the demand goes up the cost must rise along with it. As this mini example of the demand rising for corn and along with it prices rise to meet the supply with the demand.So as the demand on food for starving people grows well then sow does the price on food and the products to grow food. These factors have affected Pakistan, Bangaloreans, and many more. As well as the world wide affect caused by wheat yet their problem is too much crops, which I still don't seem to comprehend how we can have too much crops. Yet, as the result of too much crops they could leave an acre or more of their land without planting and still make ends meat.

Most of our world hunger crisis would go a lot smoother if people let other countries come in and show people how they must farm and how to create the resources they need out of the land they have. One of the biggest issues with hungry countries is that most women have children like crazy thinking well if 5of my children will die then why not have eight. Yet they do not realize that they are bringing into the world more humans that cannot be fed which are what leads to the child's death. The world must educate them and this means within their own countries too that having children they cannot feed is not the way to resolve this crisis instead of overpopulating why not develop and grow as a nation. Within their countries is the answer, they must try and find a way to stop their controlling government and get one that is for the people and will help them grow as a whole and overcome their problem.

The world has many organizations that fight every day against this crisis and you could be a part of one of them there is World Vision, ACDI-VOCA, Action Against Hunger, Mazon, NetAid, 30 hour Famine, and many more found at bread.org. All have different ways to help out in case one way doesn't work for you then you can try another way anything to make it easier on you to make it easier on them. This is not a lost cause but it is a hard one to overcome. If we join together and give than one dollar to a starving child and pick eating something cheaper over expensive then slowly but surely we can overcome this struggle.

Do Guns Really Kill People......

Although we are aware that all the money spent on our military and productions of weapons of mass destruction can be saved up and used to help end poverty we still choose to continue on building. even though building one bomb could feed a whole school of starving children for around 5 years. One of the worlds most struggling nation with poverty and hunger is Africa, and yes most of their problems have to do with the civil war they are caught in. Which is another way the U.S.A tries to be helpful they are trying what is in their power to help out but in all efforts it is a civil fight that is masked by undercover works black markets and things most if use cannot imagine which many can try and follow up on in the website condition: critical were many can find pictures testimonies and much more explaining their crisis.Yet that fight is what leads to money being hidden away by the government and using it towards their army and personal power leaving the rest to

Die slowly and painfully; in a world of abundance, they will die hungry

As put by times magazine in their video Africa Agony- Death By Starvation

Crisis Might Bring Us Down

When the world heard of the dreaded news from Haiti many thought now what shall we do to help rebuild. Thanks to this natural disaster we must face more people starving with no home and no warm place to lay at night and sleep. Yet thanks to the big hearts we have all around we have gathered together to try and help out this fallen down community. As a way of advertising and spreading the world that we must all come together and help there was a remake of We Are Teh World in Spanish as well as in English.



We must not only come together when there is a natural disaster but all the time because every day we still face a world crisis. It is good to be aware and help those begging for a second chance at life.

Does It Affect Us Too?

Yes the U.S might think we have figured out sometimes but even within our states we must fight to end starvation just in the years of 2000 to 2008 we saw numbers juggle from 4-15% in each state of kids under 18 years old growing up in the poverty line or at least struggling to make ends meat. As you might have realized we are not in as bad of a shape as third world countries and we should be thankful but that does not make us free just yet. A perfect example of our struggles is found in these charts I found in the website Hunger Reports
Along with the above chart which divides the states even further to prove struggles even within state line crossing percentage to 56.9 that making it more than half of the population there. Although the chart is from 2000 we still find the nation with the same problems today.

Crop Walk!!!

It happens every year and every year we raise thousands of dollars thanks to those people who join together and think of others who need them

When we walk, we remember those who have to walk for water ... who have to walk for firewood to cook food

as said by Rev. Ron Green in the article Dozens take part in CROP walk

Open Your eyes....

See this, Understand, Listen , And Help Don't wait until it's too late the statistics are there now all we need is you to help!!!!!!

Why do they wait?

Yes they might be doing something now but why must government wait while things have fallen to such a disaster to finally decide they must take action to stop once it has become an epidemic. We must take these actions to consideration and realize we must act faster and stop these issues before we have half of the world dead over something we could have all gotten together to safe and stop. Government must make laws and rules that help people to always be able to buy the simple required food instead of waiting until half of the nation are at an impossible position to buy the goods. We must also check our soil and help it recover so it can grow the products required.

Left speechless

What will be the limit of our world who decides to open such a thing like this exposing young kids and teenagers to these kinds of factors. I could not think of words to express my shock after seeing what people do while in this type of chat room.....

Is He Good?

Is Jon Stewart really a good influence for the viewers today who want to get informed in politics and in other important world concerning complications? or is he also just there as a stress relief and to get a laughter out of the people who see him?

Do You Hide from the truth?

Is this the world you so much love and appreciate, and you go on living your everyday life while innocent people die. They did not choose the life they must live and neither did you but does that mean you should give 5 dollars to some organization once a month and say you your part is done?

The food museum online is taking it in their own hands to make people aware that we are having around 852 million people die from famine A YEAR!!!!!! now tell me can you enjoy that bugger and throw away those fries without considering what is happening around you . People open your eyes see the truth we need to help those in need join these organizations and help out there are many to choose from here is a list to get started :

ACDI-VOCA is a private, nonprofit international development organization providing high-quality technical expertise at the request of farmers, agribusinesses, cooperatives, and private and government agencies abroad.

Action Against Hunger directly delivers emergency aid and longer-term assistance to people suffering from the dire consequences of natural disaster or man-made crisis. Thier mission is to save lives by combating hunger, disease, and the crises threatening the lives of helpless men, women, and children.

Adventist Development and Relief Agency International (ADRA) is the worldwide humanitarian ARM of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, providing individual and community development and disaster relief.

African Development Foundation (ADF) is the only U.S. government agency working solely at the grassroots level in Africa to alleviate poverty and promote broad-based sustainable development. For more than 20 years, ADF has helped grassroots groups and individuals in Africa help themselves by providing the resources they need to advance their own efforts to promote economic and social development.

Africa Faith and Justice Network (AFJN) strives to be a meaningful voice for Africa in U.S. public policy. AFJN stresses issues of human rights and social justice that tie directly into Catholic social teaching

The Agriculture-Nutrition Advantage promotes greater linkages between agriculture and nutrition in Africa, with careful consideration of factors that limit women's and men's contributions to family nutrition.

America's Second Harvest is the nation's largest domestic hunger relief organization. Through a network of nearly 200 food banks, Second Harvest distributes food to 26 million hungry Americans each year, eight million of whom are children.

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B

Baptist World Aid (BWAid) works through Baptist communities around the world, mitigating suffering and providing long-range help for persons in need, regardless of religion, nationality, tribe or class. BWAid also helps poor people avoid situations of famine and malnourishment and improves their capacity for self-help and wage earning.

Bread for the World local chapter web sites:

• Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Farmington, Las Cruces, Gallup
• Metro Detroit and Southeast Michigan
• Massachusetts
• New Orleans
• Oregon

Bread for the City and Zacchaeus Free Clinic (B&Z) provides free food, clothing, medical care, legal and social services to over 8,000 low-income and homeless resdients of Washington, DC each month.

The rest can be found at Bread for the world

ONE

The website called ONE works on getting hunger crisis on the presidents agenda they have petitions a person can sign and in 2008 they tried getting the petition to George W. Bush to face the crisis in the 2008 G8 Summit:

As prices for staple foods essential to the world's poorest people soared to record highs in 2008, more than 140,000 ONE members signed our petition to President George W. Bush asking him to work to get the hunger crisis on the agenda at the 2008 G8 Summit, and to secure additional commitments for all types of food assistance and increased agricultural productivity in developing countries

Their efforts are to make people aware of our troubles and of the lives we need to help to live longer and happier. They face the facts that with prices and taxes going up on simple food as wheat and other crops it is impossible fro people to grow the extra food for the communities out there starving.

How much hope do people really have for the future or lack there of.....

Expiration Dates......

As I was doing the hours for my community service i came across something that completetly suprised me and made me realize how obliviously I have been living my life. When our "guardian" was explaining the rules and order of things at the work place he said and i quote " If the expiration date is a year old like say Feb. 8 2009, then you can still package it and send it to the hungry", now i was left speechless I didn't know weither i should ask him or forget about it. I decided to let it go for the moment and continue working but when i got home i was being reminded of his statement all night long and could not contain the urge to search it up any longer. As I tried to dig deeper and understand I was suprised with the details I found out.
I did not know that in the first case it is actually not a federal law to show expiration dates of any sort on any foood packaging that is not baby food. I found these basic rules ina website called Consumer Affairs which are:

Most people are surprised to find out that:
Stores are not legally required to remove food once the expiration date has passed. They are strictly "advisory" in nature.
Dating is not federally required, except for infant formula and baby food. States have varying laws. Most states require that milk and other perishables be sold before the expiration date.

And I also found that not all the dates they put on food are expiration dates but that some are codes that are put in order to explain other things like:

The major codes are:
Sell by Don't buy the product after this date. This is the "expiration date."
Best if used by Flavor or quality is best by this date but the product is still edible thereafter.
Use by This is the last day that the manufacturer vouches for the product's quality.

I truly believed that all those dates were put for the safety of the consumer not for the simple pleasure of a simpler understanding of quality.
Now reading further I seem to get the feeling that the government doesn't do it because they think it is not important or will protect anyone because apperantly no one can die from as said by Mark Harrison, professor of food science at the University of Georgia in the article The truth about food expiration dates:

In fact, both the FDA and the USDA have a pretty laissez-faire attitude when it comes to food shelf-life labeling. That's not because they are not concerned for people's health. Mark Harrison, professor of food science at the University of Georgia, points out that most of these dates are not an indicator of safety, rather of quality. "Some foods spoil if not refrigerated quickly enough—but they won't kill you," says Harrison

This search was not just made becasue I felt like knowing but because it got me to think are we trying to make a difference but choose to close our eyes at the dangers giving expired food may bring and if these epiration dates truly don't mean a think than are they a way fro people to throw groceries out and waist them so they can buy more food and give companies more money?......

3rd hand smoke

Everyone knows smoking is bad and getting second hand smoke can cause just the same amount of damage, but did you know that new discoveries have shown that 3rd hand smoke can be just as bad?!?!?! Berkeley scientists just finished running some lab test and have discovered that after one smokes the residues that follow one back indoors hold a dangerous affect one people especially the young ones

Toxic particles from cigarette smoke can linger on surfaces long after the cigarette has been put out, and small children are particularly susceptible because they are likely to breathe in close proximity, or even lick and suck them, they say.

Researcher Lara Gundel, of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, said: "Smoking outside is better than smoking indoors but nicotine residues will stick to a smoker's skin and clothing.

The most important step parents can take to protect their families from the dangers of cigarette smoke is to make their homes and cars smokefree

Ed Young of Cancer Research UK
"Those residues follow a smoker back inside and get spread everywhere. The biggest risk is to young children.

Michelle Obama

It seems to me that progress is happening and it is great to know that even our first lady's words get to be heard. Last night we got the pleasure of hearing how Michelle Obama views the choices that her husband has made, in the CNN's Laryy Kings show. Of course she would say he is doing a wonderful job to show her respects and dedication to him. Yet it was good to hear that she and her husband accept the criticism that is thrown their way and expect to learn from it. No one is immune to hatred and one must learn, and to me that it was a good president should do. Also she talked about the progress she hopes to make in her efforts to help with childhood obesity.

Contra Costa Food Bank

This is a great organization that focuses on change and progress. They are finding ways to end poverty and get food to those in great need of it. As they like to say

The Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano works to end hunger and increase access to affordable, nutritious food for low-income individuals and families through a comprehensive group of programs that combat hunger and its causes.

They provide many different ways so you can lend a hand, by virtual internet if one is to busy or even hands on work if you have the time. I am pleased to get a chance to work with them and make a difference. One can help with food drives, organizing stocks of food, collecting neighbors to get involved, and many more other things.

Poverty......

Poverty: Refers to the condition of not having the means to afford basic human needs such as clean water, nutrition, health care, clothing and shelter(wikipedia).

I was pulled in when revealing the unstable life that most human beings under go on a daily base. Did you know that in one day around 25,000 humans die because of hunger and yet we go living our lives at peace? Well not all of us but most people know of poverty and yet only know the word not the meaning or affect behind it. Yet out of those thousands of people most of them are not older but young children who haven't even had a chance to live their life completely. Now I'm not saying our problem is lack of food in this world because trust me if there is one thing we have is food, but these people don't have what is most important in this world for EVERYTHING sadly and that is money. These people are denied the assurance of being healthy and knowing that they will live for one more day because they don't have the money. In my search for a solution that I could become a part of I discovered the website Poverty.com that has shown me the different diseases and consequences this world wide problem has had on our people.

Is It True?

Many promises were made for the future, yet will they all be kept that is the question many american's might be having. Some consider that many of the following actions seem like a repeted process from Clinton and Bush. Are we facing the same promises? One must question all these things to get a response. Also did he really think what he has planned for our education will really make a difference. We need action now not later school's need help now and not university's but the public school's. The future starts then not later so help where help is needed not where it will be too late!!!! Think people think is this really what you want promises that might not seem as if they will be fullfilled and movements that aren't helping the areas that are really needing help. No more lies, no more speeches and promises, one needs to action and result to trust in what one hears.

Heartless

Has the tragidy that has come upon them not been punishment enough. No, now the escaped convicts of the fallen penetentury are taking advantage and raping young and older quake surviving woman. Who would have the heart to take advantage of such vonurable woman at such a critical state. While people struggle to restabalize these bandetes are going back to theri older ways. As many policemen have been lost or are unfound and some wounded their protection force is down, and as one may be suprised many have taken the chance to steal and harm those around them. Could you be that heartless?

My Start..

For my project I wish to not focus on one main point but address the points involved with each other. I was going to just focus on poverty as an economic point of view but have now decided to base it on poverty and the results it has on people of course not all homeless or people in shelters are just there because of poverty but poverty sometimes is the answer to why they can't leave and prosper in their lives. For now sadly I have yet to hear from some shelter and food banks organizations as to which day I will get started and what my job will be but I am anxiously waiting to get started, one organization which I really wish I can get involved with is Home Away From Homeless which faces these sad stories with young adults who I feel I could maybe get to know and have a stronger connection and understanding to.In this place their motto is

A Home Away From Homelessness was an “impulse of the heart” that has grown into a non-profit organization that nurtures and supports the needs of homeless and formerly homeless children and families in San Francisco and Marin. Located in Fort Mason and Marin Headlands areas—four “homes” provide a physical, emotional and spiritual break for children living in dire situations. Under the direction of Founder and Director, Jeanie Kortum, Home Away from Homelessness has received the 2006 Silver SPUR Award from the San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association.

I honestly can not wait to get started and feel like I am making a difference in someone's life and who knows this could help me get some m ore ideas of how this can be stopped and controlled. I also wish to work not only in non-profitable organizations but in government run one's too of course I would not get paid for either of them, but I wish to see if there is a difference in between the two.

ANOTHER REFUSAL!!!

Why not let the love grow and the freedom roam. Another state refuses then bill for same sex marriage denying the people around them their own personal happiness. to my eyes who is this really affected the one's rejected or the one's pretending all of this is okay. When will the madness stop and will we accept that this is unfair unjust and just plain unamerican because as far as i can remeber we say freedom for all not freedom for whoever we choose to give it to and when we feel like giving it to them.

They Look For Fun.......

But Find Torture.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=he-489NUiqM

Abortion one knows the risk so why cry later?

I do not wish to sound mean or aggresive not even negetive against women who talk about the affects abortion has had on them. yet if one looks at it from a clear point of view no matter if you have the choice or the government must make th call for you the risks of having an abortion still remain. The government can approve a woma's abortion for whatever reason and that woman can three months later come on a show and say how badly this abortion made her life.also one must consider no matter if abortions are stopped and no one in the world can take one what will happen to all those unwanted kids. mothers will be forced to have childs they never really wanted, nwhat do we expect to have newborn dying somewhere out in the streets and 5 year old roaming asking for shelter? leaving women with no option is like leaving a woman with hatred to spare on a child and leaving a child to suffer. In this video they try to address the heart breaking results after an abortion but they fail to point out the results of non-abortion to be honest how many mom's live among us who have had no problem abondoning their children because they are unwanted. Are we just going to let that number increase and let more come into this world to just suffer. Yet please don'tn try to bring up abistenence because as we all know even if you do not wish to accept it no matter how much we say it again and again people will have sex and its like this comment left with the video by an anounimous person

The uncomfortable truth here is simple. One of the best ways to stop abortion is through the use of birth control. Human beings are built with a natural desire for sex. No amount of religious intervention is going to completely solve the problem. Christians know this is true. Abistenence may be the best policy for the unmarried but not everyone will embrace the idea. Why not cover all your bases? I'm just saying...

And even with that some people will have accidents or unfortunate endings of rape in their life...does that mean we should punish them because to me when it comes down to something you did not want and are put in the horrible choice of keeping it or not then you are in punishment enough.

What Was It?

IT JUST FLEW PAST THEM....

Christmas day was not the day to fly out from Amsterdam as many of you have come to find out. An attemped bombing situation went underway on one of the flights leaving Amesterdam that peaceful joyful morning. Now the question remains what were his influences in taking such an action. Although the respectful Yemeni tried to make it perfectly clear that the man involved in eledged bombing attempt was a thriving Al Qaeda memeber which in the end led to the failed bombing attempt. New information has shown that shortly before the decission was taken for the man to jump on the plane with boxers ready to explode, if you wish to say, he had met with "a radical cleric" in Yemin. So now one must take in themselves to question what really lead this man to have the courage to die in order to furfill what he might of thought was his destiny and his future.