Peace in Iraq, Afghanistan Tied to Ending Child Hunger, Says Historian

According to historian and author William Lambers, the cause of peace would be better served in Iraq, Afghanistan and other nations if there was an increased emphasis on fighting hunger and poverty. In a Sept. 16 press release promoting his latest publication, "Ending Child Hunger: School Lunches for Kids Around the World," Lambers says that expanding the McGovern-Dole Global School Lunch Program is the place to begin if the U.S. wants to see an end to child hunger and increased future security.

According to Fight Hunger: Walk the World, initiated by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and its partners, hunger affects more than 800 million people around the world. More than 300 million children in the world are malnourished; one child dies from hunger every five seconds. The WFP says the number of "chronically hungry" children in the world is about 400 million. Of those, 100 million don't attend school because "for a hungry child, going to school is not important, having enough food to eat is."

The WFP says that where poverty exists, there is often not enough food in the homes, and most schools in poor countries don't have canteens or cafeterias. When hungry, school children are easily distracted and have trouble concentrating. With at least one nutritious meal a day served in the schools, children would be more likely to attend, increasing overall enrollment, attendance and student performance. The WFP says that "in the poorest pockets of the world, this simple strategy can double primary school enrollment in one year."

That's where Lambers and his support of the McGovern-Dole Global School Lunch Program comes in, particularly in war-torn Iraq and Afghanistan. He says that supporting school lunch programs in Iraq and Afghanistan would not only help reduce child hunger and promote education, but would give a foundation for reconstruction and ultimately lead to a more peaceful situation for everyone involved.

In his publication, Lambers emphasizes the importance of supporting charities doing humanitarian work in Iraq, such as the WFP and UNICEF. The U.S. Senate is currently considering expanding and making mandatory McGovern-Dole funding as part of the 2007 Farm Bill, which Lambers encourages. In bolstering his position, Lambers uses historical examples of America's tradition of helping children around the world, including post-war Austria and the Marshall Plan. Today, Lambers says, school lunch programs are a crucial part of reconstruction in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq.

Lambers has previously authored several books and has had several articles on world hunger published by several major newspapers.

Sources:

Press release, Ending Child Hunger Crucial to Peace in Iraq, Afghanistan and Many Other Nations; http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/9/prweb553785.htm

FightHunger.org; http://www.fighthunger.org/about_hunger

WFP; http://www.wfp.org/food_aid/school_feeding/index.asp?section=12&sub_section=3