The hungry ask for dignity, not charity

Nov 27, 2014

By Gerard O’Connell
Pope Francis spoke passionately on behalf of the more than 800 million hungry people in the world today, and an estimated 2 billion people that suffer from micronutrient deficiencies, when he addressed the Second International Conference on Nutrition at the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in Rome, November 19-21.

“The Hungry ask us for dignity, not for charity,” he told this high-level inter-governmental conference that brings together ministers of state, international institutions and organizations of civil society, as well as the world of agriculture and the private sector. It had been convened to study together the forms of intervention necessary in the fight against hunger and malnutrition, as well as the changes that must be made to existing strategies.

“Today, there is much talk of rights, frequently neglecting duties; perhaps we have paid too little heed to those who are hungry.” The Pope said it is “painful” to see that “the struggle against hunger and malnutrition is hindered by ‘market priorities’, the ‘primacy of profit’, which have reduced foodstuffs to a commodity like any other, subject to speculation, also of a financial nature.”

Speaking in Spanish, he presented the ethical and legal criteria that need to be observed if the plague of world hunger is to be eliminated, and he identified two challenges that have to be overcome to achieve this goal. The first challenge is the ‘paradox of plenty’: “there is food for everyone, but not everyone can eat, while waste, excessive consumption and the use of food for other purposes is visible before our very eyes.”

“The second challenge to be faced is the lack of solidarity. Our societies are characterized by growing individualism and division: this ends up depriving the weakest of a decent life, and provokes revolts against institutions. When there is a lack of solidarity in a country, the effects are felt throughout the world.

“If we believe in the principle of the unity of the human family, based on the common paternity of God the Creator, and in the fraternity of human beings, no form of political or economic pressure that exploits the availability of foodstuffs can be considered acceptable. But, above all, no system of discrimination, de facto or de jure, linked to the capacity of access to the market of foodstuffs, must be taken as a model for international efforts that aim to eliminate hunger.

“By sharing these reflections with you, I ask that Almighty God, rich in mercy, bless all those who, with different responsibilities, place themselves at the service of those who experience hunger and who assist them with concrete gestures of closeness. I also pray that the international community might hear the call of this Conference and consider it an expression of the common conscience of humanity: feed the hungry, save life on the planet. Thank you.”

Pope Francis also spoke of the importance of protecting the environment. “We must care for our sister the Earth, our Mother Earth, so that she does not respond with destruction... I remember a phrase that I heard from an elderly man many years ago: God always forgives … our misdemeanours, our abuse, God always forgives; men forgive at times; but the Earth never forgives.”

Source: America