Hunger Rumblings

We'll Talk Soon!

2009-06-29T22:00:00.002-05:00

The ELCA is in the process of transitioning to a new Blog host. We will be unable to post new thoughts on Hunger Rumblings until that transition is complete (hopefully not more than a week or so). We look forward to continuing the exchange of ideas at that time. If you don't know what to do with yourself in the meantime, why don't you check out the ELCA World Hunger Web site!

David Creech

"Malawi is sweet."

2009-06-29T11:21:00.001-05:00

My roommate, Kristen, and I were recently talking about her move to Malawi this summer to be an intern for 2 months for an organization that serves the children who are the future of this small country in the southeastern part of Africa. She said to me, “Malawi is sweet” and made me pause for a second. Although “sweet” may be one of Kristen’s favorite words, it is probably not how most people would describe this place that ranks 67th in the world with a population of 14.3 million but 15th in the world when it comes to people living with HIV/AIDS. Malawi’s economic state is not much more encouraging.

Malawi seems to be a country that I’m supposed to know about. In addition to Kristen’s travels, we have another friend who was moved by a trip there in 2007 and has since started an organization to provide secondary education for girls in particular and with subsequent visits her vision is really starting to take off. Then, the ELCA World Hunger program is starting a library of books and videos for congregations, groups, individuals, really anyone, to check out if they want to learn more or host discussions about a particular topic. We were asked to help start writing synopses of these to make the database for the checkout process. The video I picked up was a documentary called Lifecycles: a story of AIDS in Malawi.

Lifecycles provides a unique look at the country of Malawi, a place where there is no longer a family that can claim it has not been touched by AIDS. As a documentary, the filmmakers have real conversations with the people who are living in these difficult and uncertain times where 200 people a day are dying from HIV/AIDS and related diseases. 24 million people in Africa are infected, and an estimated 1 million of them live in Malawi. It examines various aspects of life from those who are considered wealthy because they can afford the medicines to fight their HIV to prostitutes who are aware of the dangers but feel they have no other option to provide for themselves. The film is only about an hour long and shows a picture of the country that most have probably never had the opportunity to see. (If you are looking for a copy of this DVD check out this link: www.amazon.com/Lifecycles-story-Malawi-Doug-Karr/dp/B000QRIK3G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1246291681&sr=8-1)

I have loved learning about this country so far. While all of the statistics and stories about Malawi paint a grim picture, there is hope in this country and for its people. The documentary shows people who are clinging to this hope with such passion and it is inspiring. There are also people there on the ground, listening to what Malawians need and want help with. From Kristen and her ministry with the kids to our friend Cassie and her passion for the women of Malawi to the ELCA’s own partnerships with the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Malawi (www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Global-Mission/Where-We-Work/Africa/Malawi.aspx) through our Companion Synods program, there is hope and it comes from listening to those who are there and living through the tough times.

If you want to learn more about Malawi, or any country, a great place to start is the CIA World Factbook at www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook. I encourage you to find someplace and start investigating. You might just find that seemingly down and out places have some pretty “sweet” things to offer if you look for them.

~Jessie

Where is "End Hunger" on Your To-Do List?

2009-06-25T11:52:00.014-05:00

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations projects that world hunger will reach a historic high in 2009 with over one billion people going hungry every day. According to FAO, “the most recent increase in hunger is not the consequence of poor global harvests but is caused by the world economic crisis that has resulted in lower incomes and increased unemployment. This has reduced access to food by the poor.” [Full report]

The projected 1.02 billion figure breaks down as follows:

Asia and the Pacific - 642 million people
Sub-Saharan Africa - 265 million
Latin America and the Caribbean - 53 million
Near East and North Africa - 42 million
Developed Countries - 15 million

The number one billion can be paralyzing. But therein lies our greatest challenge: to realize as individuals we cannot help feed one billion people. But together as smaller communities, as one nation, and as a global communion of churches and citizens, we can make a tangible difference.

It’s easy to get distracted, isn’t it? Where does “ending hunger” fall in your mental to-do list? Most of us make grocery lists, so try making your own “life to-do list." You can do it free-form at first, but then prioritize. If you’ve got “be a good parent” or “make up with Dad” or “graduate college” or “get through this pregnancy,” where will you place “end hunger” in that assortment of important life goals?

Our personal and mental to-do lists can help us navigate the chaos of daily life. Sometimes we follow them fairly closely, and other times we look at them and laugh at the optimism that went into their creation. We’ll get those household supplies in a few days when we’re less busy. The car hasn’t stopped running—what’s another three weeks for that tune-up? You’ve sworn for two years you were going to finish hanging those pictures up in the basement and clean out that darn closet, unsure of what you might find in there when you actually do it.

When it comes to “ending hunger” and where we place that on our life to-do list, the message—the URGENCY—should be crystal clear.

--Aaron Cooper is Writer-Editor for ELCA World Hunger

How We Eat Matters

2009-06-23T06:00:00.006-05:00

If you've spent any time on this blog, you already know that I (and and many of my colleagues) have some thoughts on how food is produced and distributed here in the U.S. For a sampling of some of our thoughts on the issue, click here, and here, and here (and while you're at it, go ahead and click here too).

These are pressing issues and worth our reflection. For one, so many of our food practices exacerbate global hunger and poverty. When it takes 10 pounds of feed to raise one pound of beef we strain food supplies (I know this is a simplification, but it still carries some truth). When 1/5 of our oil consumption is spent on producing and distributing our food we harm the environment by depleting finite natural resources and releasing harmful gases that cause global climate change (which, by the way, is the number one issue if we want to talk seriously about sustainable development of impoverished nations and feeding hungry people). When we subsidize large companies to make cheap food that then causes health problems we perpetuate a cycle of poverty (the last article linked above explains how this happens well). In short, there is lots of room for improvement when we look closely at how we do food in America.

Now, as I see it, there is no easy solution to all of these problems. I admit that I don't know all the nuances and complicating factors. It is for this very reason that I need to think long and hard about the issues. I think the starting point is awareness that there is indeed a problem (of this I am certain). The next step is to find those ways in which we truly address root problems.

David Creech

Malaria: Fever Wars

2009-06-22T09:23:00.001-05:00

I recently watched a 2006 PBS home video titled Malaria: Fever Wars. The information that it posed in the first few minutes was overwhelming: three million people die a year from malaria; a child dies every 30 seconds from malaria; it is a plague that will double in the next 20 years if no one acts; two billion people are at risk. Then they hit you with this: malaria is preventable and curable.

The disparity framed in this film is eye opening. The effects of malaria on an individual, family and even the community in rural Kenya are substantially greater than the discomfort experience by a man in Florida while he waits for the medicine to begin working. The Florida community only suffers a bit more insecticide that year, while in Kenya, a sick child affects the productivity of his mother and other members of his community when he needs their assistance to travel for a day by foot and bus to the nearest hospital. Once there, the child cannot be afforded the treatment he needs and he is not cured.

What I found interesting is the link from malaria to the lack of infrastructure that was discussed. Malaria causes a loss of productivity worth 12 billion dollars every year. Understandably, families and communities struggling with malaria spend the productive hours they have on necessary tasks such as providing food, water and shelter. While infrastructure development is critical, it’s not as urgent as eating, and there’s simply not enough time, money, or governmental support to tackle everything that needs to be done.

Education takes a back seat to more pressing necessities, and when children are sick, they cannot go to school anyway. The lack of education puts the community at risk for disease and also leaves them with few people qualified as medical professionals. If no one is educated, who can begin to develop their community’s infrastructure?

A hospital in Kenya, without access to water, serves over a half of a million people. The hospital only has one doctor. Rural communities frequently rely on unlicensed quacks to provide medical care, even when their children die under their care. With a health care system such as this, who delivers the aid?

When one must walk for hours on paths that are barely suitable for walking just to get to a road, how is aid supposed to be delivered?

It becomes obvious that the solution can not be just treatment or prevention of malaria with resources just ‘dropped off’ in areas of need. It demonstrates the cycle that these communities are unable to break: poverty, hunger and disease, each a cause and effect of the other issues. This is why the focus of the ELCA World Hunger Program is so important. It combines relief, education, advocacy and development, recognizing that alone, none of these is a solution, but together, it will help communities to be their own solution.

-Rachel Zeman

Spirituality of Stuff

2009-06-19T12:16:00.002-05:00

Have you ever seen the book Material World: A Global Family Portrait? To produce it, photographers and statistically “average” families from various countries collaborated on a portrait of each family outside of its home, surrounded by its possessions. Material World illuminates the question, can all 6 billion of us have all the things we want?

If my son and I hauled all of our stuff to the front lawn for a portrait today, it would still be an impressive pile. But since our freecycle, since the open house, my home is very spare and spacious. With more space around my belongings, it’s easier to see them, and decide which things to release and which to wrap, pack, and promote to heirlooms.

It would be nice to have heirlooms instead of stuff. Frederic and MaryAnn Brussat begin their book Spiritual Literacy: Reading the Sacred in Everyday Life with a chapter probing things and our relationship to them. They note:

Christians…hold everyday objects in high regard as vessels with which they can serve God. Jewish mystics teach that every created thing contains sparks of the divine. Hindus take great pleasure in ordinary things as manifestations of Brahman. And Sufi poets find the fingerprints of the Beloved on everything.

Despite this broad and holy tradition, many of us still have a hard time loving, honoring, and caring for things. We have many possessions but regard them superficially, value them slightly, and treat them shabbily….How different we might feel about our world after making a practice of saying hello and thank you to the refrigerator that hums while it keeps our food cool, to the slippers that warm our feet on cold winter nights, and to the pen that expends all its in so that we can express ourselves…when we cherish our things, they reciprocate; when we ignore them, they can turn toxic.

Are we thankful for the objects we live among? Can we appreciate our heirlooms, and follow the words of Hildegard of Bingen about everything else?

Greed says: "I snatch all things to myself. I hug all things to my breast; the more I have gathered the more I have.... When I have whatever I need, I have no worries about needing anything from someone else." Simple sufficiency replies: "You are harsh and devoid of mercy because you do not care for the advancement of others. Nothing is sufficient to satisfy you. I, however, sit above the stars, for all of God's good things are sufficient for me.... Why should I desire more than I need?"

Anne Basye

Skip a Latte. Make some change.

2009-06-18T14:54:00.002-05:00

Good afternoon ELCA World Hunger Supporters,

Are you on Facebook? Have you joined our Cause? If not click here: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/29958

We have a new goal! Let’s raise $5,000 on Facebook in 2009 as a part of the Change the World: 2009 Lutheran Youth Challenge.

Little changes can have big effects.

Imagine…If we all skipped a latte…

Together we would raise $13,692 (blowing our goal out of the water!)

OR provide…

1,369 weeks of meals for a child orphaned by AIDS in Africa
273 goats to provide fertilizer and milk for families in Kenya
91 hand water pumps in Bolivia
Temporary housing for four U.S. families

ELCA World Hunger staff members will kick off this challenge on Friday, June 19, 2009, by skipping their morning beverage and donating it via the Facebook Cause. Then, we’re asking each of you to join in, donate the cost of your beverage, and then tell us about it! Post it, email it – spread the word!

Skip a latte. Make some change.

Thank you!
Lana Lile
Your Friendly ELCA World Hunger Intern

View this announcement on Facebook: http://apps.facebook.com/causes/posts/231070?m=8e92585a

Not Your Typical Desert

2009-06-17T09:36:00.001-05:00

Living in a desert. Probably not the number one place any given person would choose to live. Yet, it is estimated that more than half of a million people in Chicago live in what’s called a food desert. Food deserts are large geographic areas that either have no grocery stores or they are located a great distance from the community. Much of what you find in these areas, instead, is fast food restaurants and food marts, which lack the fresh food options all people need. Unfortunately, Chicago isn’t even close to being the only city in the U.S. with deserts like these. Look in areas of Los Angeles, Detroit, Nashville, and many more cities and you will find them. Chances are also good that if you look, you will notice a trend within the people of these communities. Research is showing that many are likely to be an ethnic minority and additionally, likely to be obese.

Last week, some colleagues and I took a trip to the Austin/West Garfield neighborhoods of Chicago to visit a site that has been funded in part over the years via the ELCA Domestic Hunger Grant program. Upon driving through various parts of the neighborhood, it seemed that this part of Chicago could fit the mold of being a food desert. As we made our way to our destination it was hard not to notice the lack of mainstream grocery stores and overabundance of food marts, fast food restaurants, and liquor stores. From what we learned about the population of the neighborhood while visiting the site, it would be extremely difficult for a large portion of the people who live here to find nutritious fresh foods because they would have to travel long distances on public transportation, which can get expensive. In addition, even if someone had the means to get to a grocery store, the food in their own neighborhood is usually hands down cheaper than any fresh food likely would be. Unfortunately though, it is typically highly processed and is not healthy in large portions.

This raises so many questions about how we, as a society, could allow this to be the situation so many people around the nation find themselves in. Why is it so impossible to convince a business to move into a community and provide the very basics to people in need? Why did the grocery stores leave in the first place? The shells of their former buildings still sit vacant, just waiting for a new tenant. How can we let this be swept under the rug and not educate the general public about the problems faced by citizens living in these deserts? Are we not called to stick up for all humanity, even those a few neighborhoods over? I challenge you to take a closer look around as you travel through your towns and cities and neighborhoods. Look at how many, or how few, options you and your neighbors have to make good healthy choices when it comes to food consumption. I’m thankful I have options and don’t find myself in this type of desert, but that doesn’t mean that I can deny it exists. After observing and accepting that this is the way it is now, what can we collectively do as communities to change this in the near future? Check out this story from Tennessee about people who are trying to cope with food deserts in their communities (http://wpln.org/?p=8501) and then think about ways you can help the communities around you. Then, most importantly, go out, do it and share your ideas with others.

For more information you can also check out this link and read about the food deserts in Chicago as studied by the Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture Program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the Mari Gallagher Research & Consulting Group
http://asap.sustainability.uiuc.edu/members/sagra/LaSalleBank_FoodDesert_ExecSummary.pdf/view.

~Jessie Fairfax

A Lesson From the Middle of the Road

2009-06-15T13:17:00.001-05:00

Last Thursday evening I attended a book discussion with some of my colleagues. The discussion was about The Life You Can Save by Peter Singer and the majority of us present were all members of organizations dedicated to fighting world hunger. As the evening came to an end and our small group of three left, we began to chat about the work that we were involved in, the different ways that we tithe, the importance of giving your time…and on and on. Eventually our group dropped down to two members, Jessica and I. As she navigated the way to my house to drop me off we pulled up to a stop light and there, standing in the middle of the road, was a young woman. She couldn’t have been more than twenty. It was ten o’clock at night and she was shivering in jeans and a light sweater, when I saw her I had an overwhelming feeling of meeting Jesus. In the Gospel Jesus talks about how if you have done unto the least of these, you have done unto Me. It was an incredible opportunity to share what we had been talking about all evening with someone in need. We rolled down the window and handed her three dollars – all the cash we had – realizing that this was a chance to affect the life we CAN save. At best the three dollars bought her a small meal for the evening, but more importantly, we wanted to show that other people do care, that there is hope. Before we rolled the window back up though, the woman turned to us and said, “Thank you so much, and God bless you.” The sincerity in her voice was unmistakable. It got me thinking about all of the homeless and hungry people I pass on the street downtown and how they also always say, “God bless you,” even if I only give them a passing smile. What faith!

I imagine that many of these people are fed at soup kitchens or food pantries and that if they are lucky they get to sleep in a shelter, but no matter what, they are faithful to their Creator. What an incredible lesson. Those who seem like they could be so angry at God for the position that they are in are instead the most faithful. Who am I, to not bless God and be His hands every day?

-Lana Lile

Meet the World Hunger Interns!

2009-06-10T06:00:00.001-05:00

The World Hunger team is thrilled to welcome our new summer interns. They bring so much energy and excitement and will be doing so much to further the work of ELCA World Hunger. They have agreed to introduce themselves in this blog post and we look forward to the insight they will bring in their future posts.

Jessie Fairfax
My name is Jessie and I am a soon-to-be graduate of the University of Florida (Go Gators!) where I am studying Family, Youth, and Community Sciences with minors/specializations in Organizational Leadership for Non-Profits and Leadership. This summer I will be joining Lana and Rachel as an intern on the ELCA World Hunger Team with a focus largely on the events side of the work they are doing.

I am really excited to be jumping in head-first to work with some of the major projects that are already underway (and of course to spend my whole summer in the great city of Chicago!). I am quickly learning a great deal about all of the work that is done here and the chance to spur one another on in this mission to combat world hunger and poverty is truly an honor. Projects for me this summer will include the 2009 National Youth Gathering taking place in New Orleans, LA in July (www.elca.org/gathering), promotion of the 2009 Lutheran Youth Challenge to raise $1 million throughout 2009 (www.elca.org/youthchallenge), functioning as a liaison for 3 ministers from West Virginia who are traveling the country by bike in the 2009 Tour de Revs (find their story at www.tourderevs.org), and working on various projects for the 2009 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

Here’s to an exciting and busy summer of working to promote ways that YOU and others can be involved in our mission to fight world hunger.

Lana Lile
Hej hej, hallo, salut, hi!

This is my first blog for Hunger Rumblings so I would like to introduce myself: My name is Lana and I am a recent graduate of California Lutheran University where I majored in Communication and International Studies. This summer I am working as an intern for ELCA World Hunger and will be spending most of my time rallying support through college campuses, Facebook, our new Ning site and the 2009 National Youth Gathering in New Orleans.
I am very excited to be hanging out in Chicago this summer and to be working with such a fabulous and passionate group of people. I am looking forward to the challenge of implementing ideas for recruitment, advocacy, and fundraising. When it comes to feeding people, implementation is everything.

I am also looking forward to this summer as being a time of great learning and action-taking as I become engaged with the struggles of those living without food, clean water, healthcare, or educational opportunities. I once heard a pastor say, “The question is not ‘Where is God?’ the question is ‘Where are God’s people?’” As I begin my internship building the already extensive ELCA World Hunger network, I look forward to encouraging God’s people across the nation to stand up and say… “HERE I AM!”

Rachel Zeman
Hello Friends!

My name is Rachel. I am currently a nursing student at the University of Wisconsin – Madison and very excited to be spending my summer as an intern for ELCA World Hunger at the churchwide offices in Chicago.

Shortly after arriving, I was battered with an extensive ‘to-do’ list by a group of people bubbling over with passion and excitement for the work of ELCA World Hunger. I don’t know if it’s the stack of papers on my desk or the numerous smiles, introductions, and hand shakes that have me overwhelmed, but I do know that it’s the positive attitudes of the staff here and the millions of God’s children that benefit from their hard work that has me looking forward to the tasks ahead.

My work this summer will include continued development of the Hunger Education Toolkits and the evaluation and expansion of the Taking Root curriculum. I will also be researching how hunger and disease intersect, especially malaria and HIV and AIDS. These projects will take me to Yakima, Washington for an Ethics of Eating event and to Bemus Point, New York for a creative retreat to develop ideas for expanding the Hunger Education Toolkit.

I am very excited to be sharing this journey with you.

God’s Peace!

Link to commencement speech by Paul Hawken

2009-06-03T16:53:00.002-05:00

Paul Hawken gave the commencement address for the University of Portland earlier this month, and it's making the rounds. I thought it was brilliant. Here's a link to the address.

On Child Sponsorship

2009-06-01T11:14:00.011-05:00

Rob Radtke, the president of Episcopal Relief and Development, has started a rather interesting discussion of child sponsorship on his blog. Although this method of fundaraising is effective (see my earlier reflections on Peter Singer's book, The Life You Can Save), there are several reasons why such an approach is not ideal.

Radtke offers four reasons for pause: 1) The focus should be on communities, not individuals; 2) Sponsorships run the risk of commodifying children; 3) Such a model is not sustainable and can create a relationship of dependency; and 4) Motives are often mixed (Radtke asks, "Do we want to do good or do we want to feel good?").

ELCA World Hunger, like ERD, does not offer a child sponsorship program, for many of the reasons that Radtke lists as problematic. I should be clear, too, that I am personally uncomfortable with the idea. That said, I would like to push back a bit on the arguments against child sponsorship. I will do so by asking questions. I hope to spur some conversation so please feel free to comment and offer your insight.

First, what does it mean to say that the focus should be on communities? Effective agencies like ELCA World Hunger and ERD are effective precisely because they focus on communities. Would our work be seriously hampered if we generated support for individuals while still maintaining our commitment on the ground to communities?

Second, is commodification of children really a risk? If so, how? Maybe I trust too much in the benevolence of aid agencies and people who sponsor children, but is there really a sense that these kids are purchased or owned? Would an aid agency that uses this model really be so self-interested that it would see kids as a means to its ends? I understand how this may be a threat, but is it real or simply perceived?

Third, the sustainablility issue looms large. But is not this a threat to all our work? Aren't all our projects dependent upon sustained interest and support? As to the dependency issue, are the communities supported by child sponsorship somehow more dependent than the communities supported by other means (like our Good Gifts)?

Fourth, is there really any truly altruistic deed? Mixed motives abound in all forms of philanthropy. Even finding joy in giving out of the right motives is a mixed motive.

I write these questions partly as the devil's advocate, partly as a pragmatist. The fact is that there is a lot of need out there and child sponsorship can be an effective tool for mobilizing people and resources. How often does wanting to do it right lead to inaction? (And yes, I know that action ill-conceived can do far more harm than no action at all--but I really don't think that will be a problem for ELCA World Hunger.)

David Creech

Staring down the stuff deadline

2009-05-29T11:05:00.002-05:00

Have you held a freecycle yet? The one I held in April helped pare down my belongings in advance of my move. But now the realtor says I have to make my place look like a catalog spread—spare, spare, spare. And my 1200 books? “Just keep the pretty ones,” she said. (Oh, how that hurt!)

More stuff has to go—at least into storage, if not into someone else’s hands. That means more decisions. Giving the office table to my church for its basement dinners is easy. Debating whether to keep or release the extra set of plates and flatware for 24 is tougher. And what about those old Legos?

I have one week. One week. On the other side of this intense discernment I hope to find freedom—freedom from too much stuff; freedom of moving closer to a clear sense of what’s enough, for this life stage and the next.

Anne Basye

Review of Peter Singer, The Life You Can Save

2009-05-29T07:00:00.001-05:00

I just finished reading Peter Singer's new book, The Life You Can Save. The book is engaging and accessible and argues persuasively not only why we should give but also how much is reasonable for us to give.

I particularly enjoyed Chapter 4, which explored six psychological factors in giving. The studies he cites there make intuitive sense--one is less likely to give outside of their own group (parochialism), if they are simply given statistics (by the way, have you perused our Good Gifts Catalog lately?), or if the responsibility is diffuse. Our sense of fairness (who is shouldering the aid load) and the fear that our efforts are futile (expressed recently in Dambisa Moyo's book, Dead Aid) can also inhibit giving.

The study I found most fascinating was the effect money has on helping. Quoting Karl Marx, who described money as "the universal agent of separation," Singer describes a study in which one group of subjects was primed in various ways to think about money (through word puzzles, visual prompts, and so on) then asked to perform various tasks. A second group did not have the money prompts. The "money group" took longer to ask for help, left a greater distance between chairs when asked to discuss things in a small group, and were more likely to choose solitary leisure activities. At the end of the experiment both groups were asked to donate some of the money they had been paid for their participation. The "money group" gave less. I'm not sure what to do with this, but it is intriguing.

I found other parts of the book worthwhile, particularly his discussion on what we are morally obligated to give (the sliding scale idea sounds more or less right to me; see the book's accompanying website for a calculator: http://www.thelifeyoucansave.com/). I also enjoyed chapters six and seven on how to evaluate the effectiveness of an aid organization (it's difficult to do!). I found his argument against folks like William Easterly and the afroementioned Dambisa Moyo to be compelling as well. How can we say that infusion of aid won't work when we've never really tried it?

On to a few of my problems. First, I think that Singer is far too materialistic in his understanding of "saving" a life (which, by the way, is a phrase I find quite problematic). I finished the book with the impression that, for Singer, saving a life only involves providing food and shelter. The emotional and spiritual health of a person is not considered. This was especially clear when Singer held up as models Paul Farmer and Zell Kravinsky who both strive not to love their own children more than any other child. The emotional health and well being of their children is somewhat immaterial--they have food and shelter so they are set. Singer really had no argument against this, other than it is difficult for typical human beings to live this way. I would argue that especially strong care and affection that one has for his or her own children is both natural and necessary.

All in all I enjoyed the book and encourage you to spend some time with it. For those of you in the Chicago area, a group will gather to discuss the book on June 11 at 7:30pm at United Lutheran Church in Oak Park (409 Greenfield Street). I invite you to join us for what promises to be a lively dialogue!

David Creech

What's on the side of your bus?

2009-05-28T13:30:00.004-05:00

I ran across a quote today that struck me as really strange. It was in an article about a group of atheists who are putting ads on public buses. They were unable to do so in Indianapolis, due to a "policy barring ads 'involving or referring to political, religious, moral or environmental issues subject to public debate.'"

Which one of these is not like the others? It seems something of a well-known adage that the topics of politics and religion are to be avoided in polite conversation. And somehow I can pretty easily fit morals into that same general bucket. But environmental issues? Isn't that on a different level of specificity than the others? I'm mean, sure, it can be a controversial topic just like religion and politics. But so can health care, education, immigration, and many other things. So what about the environment makes it something to be named alongside the old adage stand-bys in municipal policy?

Perhaps it's because the environment and its impact on people's lives and livelihoods has become enough of a concern for there to be public debate about it. Perhaps there's something about Indianapolis' environment that makes it an especially touchy subject there. But regardless of the exact reason, to have reached this level of taboo, it is clearly a problem. And that being the case, there must be a better policy than avoidance for addressing it.

-Nancy Michaelis

Stacy Johnson on the Inspiration behind Taking Root

2009-05-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

I became a mother for the first time in October, 1997. Even though I knew I would love my child, I was unprepared for the completeness and intensity of my love for my son. I was also unprepared for the fact that I began to see my child in the faces and lives of other children, children known to me and children not known to me. I became a better pastor and teacher when I became a mother. I recognized the triumphs and fears in the parents and children around me. They seemed very real and very familiar.

At this same time, it was also hard for me to see pictures of and read articles about children who were hurt or were starving. I knew it happened, of course, but I did not want to see evidence that children suffered so greatly. Those children were no longer abstract children to me. They were children who were someone’s greatest treasure.

My son is now eleven, and he has a brother and a sister. I now make myself read articles and books about hunger and poverty because I know that mothers whose children are hungry, love their children just as I love mine. I feel that I have to keep track of these women and their children in order to fulfill my call to preach and teach the Gospel. It is still hard. I cannot always look at the pictures, but I know that if their stories are not known and told, nothing will change. I work every day to hold on to my hope that hunger will end and that every mother’s treasured child will have enough.

The Rev. Stacy K. Johnson

Stacy Johnson, Ph.D., is an ELCA pastor and the author the new World Hunger curriculum, Taking Root: Hunger Causes, Hunger Hopes.

Stacy Johnson on Taking Root for Younger Children

2009-05-26T06:00:00.000-05:00

I’ve been asked many questions about “Taking Root,” the ELCA Hunger curriculum. Perhaps the most common question is about using the materials with children younger than Grade 3. I think the materials do lend themselves to adaptation for younger learners. To use “Taking Root” with young children, this is what I recommend:

1) Focus on the children’s literature. Children are captivated by stories, especially good stories read well. Some of the discussion questions in the Grades 3 – 6 Leaders’ Guide will work for young children. Stay away from too many content questions, such as What was the man’s name? What did the child do? Instead, encourage children to think about the story with questions like, Why do you think the man did that? If you had been the child in the story, what would you have done?

2) Remember that young children are quite able. It is true that young children are not able to think abstractly about an abstract concept. They can, though, think about an abstract idea, like the justice of food distribution, if it is presented in a concrete way. Several activities in the curriculum including The Peanut Game, and Hunger Footprints would work for young children.

3) Emphasize activities and projects, including Neighbor Cookies, Junk Art Sculptures, Vases from the Recycling Bin, and Upside Down and Right Side Up Birdfeeders. These projects are very workable and enjoyable for young children.

4) Proclaim the focus Bible texts. Young children are just developing a concept of the Bible. It would be good for them to realize that the Bible has a concern for justice and also has much to say about hunger and poverty in our world.

Remember… curriculum is closer to a road map than a specific set of directions. Be creative and flexible!

Stacy Johnson, Ph.D., is an ELCA pastor and the author the new World Hunger curriculum, Taking Root: Hunger Causes, Hunger Hopes. She has agreed to post a couple of times on our blog to answer questions and provide suggestions.

At what age did you get eyeglasses?

2009-05-21T10:39:00.005-05:00

I got new lenses in my eyeglasses last week. I had been noticing that distant signs weren't quite as sharp as they used to be, so I wasn't surprised that at my annual eye exam, the doctor said my prescription had changed. It wasn't a big difference, but enough to warrant new lenses. I've been through many such adjustments since junior high, when I began wearing glasses.

As I drove away with my newly improved vision, I was thinking about how amazing it is that someone figured out such a simple way to make vision possible. Without my glasses, I can see clearly only about a foot or two away. Beyond that, things get blurry. But by putting some glass in front of my eyes, wah-lah! Such a significant problem so easily fixed. Things snap into perfect focus and I can see the individual leaves on the tree across the street. And the lettering on street signs. And, back in junior high, the chalk board at the front of the room.

At which point it occurred to me: I don't know how I would have made it through school without glasses. Indeed, so important is vision to school that our kindergartners are required to have an eye exam as part of their enrollment in public school.

If education is a critical component in combating poverty, so too is optometry. I'm fortunate on several counts. First, I live in a country with plenty of eye doctors, and I grew up in a family that had the means to take me to see one. I also was part of an education system that had plenty of books. Being nearsighted, even without glasses I still could have read anything up close. Without glasses, school would have been harder and I surely would not have done as well. But as long as I had access to books, I could have gotten the information I couldn't see on the board.

But what of children in places that lack both optometrists and text books? Or children who simply lack access to those things? Or children who are farsighted and can't see their books? I don't know the percentage of children who need vision correction, but I'm guessing it's not insignificant. I've seen plenty of pictures of children in one-room schools around the world, with or without text books, often without desks or even chairs, looking at a teacher and a board at the front of the room. But how many of the children in those pictures were wearing glasses? One more obstacle I've never really considered.

-Nancy Michaelis

Thoughts on Land, Part 2

2009-05-19T17:22:00.013-05:00

While we were in West Virginia visiting one of the sites affected by mountain top removal, I saw the stone monument above that, though weathered and difficult to read, quotes Psalm 95:4. In this verse, the psalmist asserts, "In God's hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are God's also." This monument seemed to me to be a subtle protest against the hubris of the coal companies (and the government that empowered them) who felt that they had the right to simply lay claim to the mountains and utterly deface them.

Perhaps I was reading my own subversive struggle into the text. But it got me thinking--what does the Christian tradition have to say about the land? What follows are some of my first thoughts, a more sustained (and I think worthwhile) reflection is offered by Walter Brueggemann in his book, The Land: Place as Gift, Promise, and Challenge in Biblical Faith.

First off, to be sure, the sentiments of Psalm 95:4 are echoed throughout the Bible. Take, for example in Psalm 24:1 ("The earth is the Lord's and everything in it...") which is also cited in one of Paul's letter to the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 10:26). In short, there is a strong theme of the earth or the land belonging to God. The New Testament, for all its tendencies towards spiritualization, still affirms this earth, and looks forward to God's kingdom coming on this earth. But it is still God's kingdom (and God's earth). Humans cannot lay claim to it.

All of this said, one of the key hopes (or perhaps the key hope) in the Hebrew Bible is the promise of land. It of course begins with God's promise to Abraham that he will inherit the land "as far as the eye can see" (Gen 15). The Hebrews journey through the desert for forty years, all the while hoping to arrive at the land God had promised, the land "flowing with milk and honey." Once they arrived in the land, they actually occupied it for only 350-400 conflict-ridden years. The rest of the Hebrew Bible is written in exile away from the promised land or in the promised land to which the Jews can no longer lay claim. During this time the Jews look forward constantly to a time when they will again enjoy the land as their own. In the midst of all this, the land is a gift from God (see especially Deuteronomy 8:17-20 0r 30:15-20).

In the Bible, then, there is a certain ambivalence (and many more texts could be brought to bear on the discussion). The land is possessed, but possessed as a gift. It ultimately belongs to God. Can we bring this perspective into conversation with current land practices? If so, how? What would the Lutheran (or more broadly, Christian) response look like?

David Creech

Thoughts on Land, Part 1

2009-05-18T08:24:00.008-05:00

Since my trip to Appalachia, I've continued to grapple with the concept of land ownership. As usual, I am still trying to find a coherent way of thinking about it. In the meantime, my son has been meandering around the house singing (with gusto) "This Land is Your Land," courtesy of his kindergarten choir. So here are some preliminary thoughts.

As noted in an earlier post, this thinking began when Bishop Dunkin of the Western Maryland-West Virginia Synod informed me and my colleagues in Church and Society that coal companies owned the land under his house. In short, if a natural resource was found under his house that a company wanted to acquire, they hold the rights, and he would be forced to move. This is the case for 75% of the land in West Virginia. This felt somehow intuitively wrong.

We also heard the testimonies of two women who were suffering from the effects of land degradation. The biggest issue was water contamination. They were asked by one of my colleagues why they did not simply up and leave. The response was something along the lines of, "My family has lived on this land for 250 years. This is my land. The coal companies should be the ones going." (While I could sympathize to a certain degree, I also wondered to myself, What about the Native Americans before her? What about the flora and fauna before all of us? Can we really lay claim to something that existed long before us and will continue to exist long after we are gone?)

The director of the Washington advocacy office, Drew Genszler, brought the Israel-Palestine issue into this discussion of land ownership. A key component (perhaps the key component) in that conflict is defining who has the rights to the land. How many other violent conflicts around the world have rights to the land at the center?

These three stories of land ownership highlight for me some of the tensions inherent in our current conceptualization of land ownership. The two big problems for me are 1) The abuses (both to each other and to the earth) that can be justified because of a sense of ownership and 2) The conflicts that inevitably follow a claim to the land.

All of this said, some good can come from a clear definition of who has rights to the land. First, it strikes me as somehow fundamental to our sense of wellbeing to have a "place." Perhaps it is learned, but the idea that coal companies could kick people out of their houses and off the land on a whim just doesn't feel right. Second, in the current system, land and property rights make development possible. If someone knows that they own the land, they will make personal investments, knowing that they will be able to reap the benefits. Likewise, outsiders will be more likely to make investments, trusting that the owner of the land will be able to make good on his or (much less often) her promises, and if not, the bank or the lender will receive the collateral.

In this post that is already too long I've painted a picture in pretty broad strokes. I will follow up later this week with some theological musings on the topic. In the meantime I welcome your feedback and insight on the question.

David Creech

ELCA scholarships available now for Bread for the World Gathering

2009-05-13T10:59:00.000-05:00

Join Bread for the World members on June 14-16 in Washington, DC, for Bread for the World's Gathering 2009. There will be worship, workshops, meals, music, visits to Congress, and of course, a celebration! Learn more about the event by visiting http://www.bread.org/.

Are you in need of financial assistance to attend this gathering? The ELCA Washington Office is offering a limited number of scholarships for this event. Applications are being accepted now until May 29, 2009. Go to www.elca.org/advocacy to download the application.

Scholarships will be awarded immediately until June 8, funds permitting, and be processed as a reimbursement. The amount reimbursed will be for both the "2009 Gathering that includes 35th Anniversary Dinner and Lobby Day" option and three nights housing on the American University campus.

Questions? Contact Jodi Deike, ELCA Director for Grassroots Advocacy and Communication, at jodi.deike@elca.org or 202-626-7947. David Creech

Center for Reflection, Education and Action

2009-05-11T19:32:00.003-05:00

Hunger Rumblings will periodically highlight the work of organizations that received financial support through an ELCA Hunger Education/Advocacy grant in 2008. We hope you are as inspired by these stories of our faith in action as we have been!

CREA – Center for Reflection, Education and Action (www.crea-inc.org)

2008 ELCA World Hunger Education Grant Recipient

Poverty, and the hunger it causes, is directly related to the ability of workers and their families to achieve sufficient income. CREA works to bridge the gap between cooperative artisans in countries around the world and consumers in the United States. We educate U.S. consumers about Fair Trade, expose them to Fair Trade-Peace Trade products made by global artisans, and create a market so that these workers can achieve a sufficient income. We have named our program “Fair Trade-Peace Trade” to help consumers understand that economic, social and environmental peace are just as important as cessation of fighting with weapons.

Our educational message helps consumers understand that the “lowest” price is not always the “best” price, and that the people who bear the true costs of cheap products are the workers who produced that product. In our Fair Trade work, we are able to tell that story and challenge those who are buying the craft items, coffee, tea, and chocolate to understand that what we buy and how we buy directly affect the lives of men, women and children around the world.

Our reports on Sustainable Living Wages are available for congregations and schools and directly connect the Fair Trade – Peace Trade products with the goal of sustainable living wages in countries around the globe.

We have also developed a Systemic Analysis program which teaches people how to understand globalization, its inequities and impacts. It also highlights the economic components of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (www.udhr.org/UDHR/default.htm). We continually create story boards and educational materials for use by various congregations and groups.

CREA works to ensure that global artisans have the means to feed their children, send them to school, and provide access to better healthcare. Working with these global artisans reminds us that Fair Trade is a year round commitment, not just during the holiday season.

To learn more visit the CREA website at: www.crea-inc.org

Ruth Rosenbaum, Executive Director

posted by Erin Cummisford

In Honor of Mom

2009-05-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Women around the world are models of strength and perserverance. In spite of the fact that they along with their children suffer disproportionately the effects of poverty and hunger, women nonetheless

+ produce an estimated half of the world's food;
+ are responsible for about 60-80% of food crops in the developing world;
+ and are more likely to spend their income on the wellbeing of their children--buying more nutritious food, purchasing school supplies, and paying for healthcare.

For this reason, women are key players in the fight against hunger and poverty. Consider the following facts.

+ Women's education has the greatest effect on reducing child malnutrition, accounting for 43% of the reduction in malnutrition in the developing world from 1970-1995.
+ In India's economic transformation, the states with the highest percentage of women in the labor force grew the fastest and had the largest reductions in poverty.
+ The total value of women's unpaid house and farm work adds one-third to the world's gross national product.

ELCA World Hunger recognizes the importance of supporting women in our efforts to combat hunger and poverty here and abroad. Your gifts to the World Hunger Appeal can (among other things) finance a micro-credit loan to woman to start a business or buy a machine to spin wool to increase her productivity. As you celebrate your mom this weekend, consider empowering other women around the globe with a Good Gift.

David Creech

All statistics in this post were taken from the Bread for the World Institute's 2009 Hunger Report, pp. 60-67.

A Light from Above

2009-05-07T09:00:00.001-05:00

Literally. We have new light from above. Check out the picture of my family room. That bright circle on the ceiling isn't an electric light. It's the sun! In the past couple of weeks, we've had three solar tubes installed in our house - two in the family room and one in the kitchen.

If you follow this blog, you know we've been talking about coal and electricity recently. I'd love to say that my family's decision to install solar tubes was in response to our desire to use less electricity, less energy, less coal. And that was a consideration. But the bigger reason was more self-serving: I wanted more natural light in some of the darker areas of our house just because I like natural light. The way our house is situated, we don't get nearly as much of it as I would choose, and I've always wished for more. We have considered skylights from time to time, but they always seemed too expensive and work-intensive, what with all the drywalling and painting that's required with their addition. But then we learned about solar tubes! We could have them less expensively than skylights, and each one took only about an hour to install (done by a professional). That was it! The result is wonderful. Unfortunately, I don't have before and after pictures, but you can get a sense of the increased light from the shadow cast by the pillow onto the arm of the couch. That most certainly was not there before.

What I love about this little anecdote is that one largely selfish act is so beneficial! By getting something I wanted - more natural light - I'm using less electricity, which reduces my use of coal, lowers the demand on the power grid, and hopefully lowers my electric bill. It also supports jobs in the "green economy," as we purchased a solar product and paid a professional to install it. And it is another step in our household's efforts to live more sustainably. I find it all very hopeful. Or maybe I'm just giddy from all that natural light.

-Nancy Michaelis

WebEx Conference with the Author of Taking Root

2009-05-05T09:00:00.001-05:00

As you may already be aware, ELCA World Hunger just released a new curriculum, Taking Root: Hunger Causes, Hunger Hopes. This curriculum is an excellent tool to help raise up the next generation of people who will be passionate about addressing the root causes of hunger and poverty.

To help get the word out about the curriculum and to answer any questions that folks may have about it, I will be hosting three WebEx sessions with the author, ELCA pastor Stacy Johnson. I invite you to join us on Monday, May 11 from 1-2pm CST, Tuesday, May 12 from 7-8pm CST, or Thursday, May 14 from 7-8pm CST. If you are interested, please contact me at david.creech@elca.org and I will give you the details you need to join us for the conversation.

If you know of anyone else who may benefit from this opportunity (such as pastors, Sunday school teachers, Christian education directors, etc.), feel free to forward this post to them.

David Creech