First, help your neighbor get food

In chapter 25 of the Matthew gospel, Jesus is reported as saying, “I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was in prison and you visited me.” Those who were listening asked him when they had done such deeds. Jesus responded, “When you did it to the least of these, my brothers, you did it to me.”

Bread for the World, the leading Christian organization in advocating the feeding of the hungry, gives us these facts:

An estimated 1.02 billion people in the world are going hungry. Each year 3 million under-5 children die because they are undernourished. Far more children suffer from undernourishment than die from it. For infants and young children, the effects of chronic undernourishment in early years of life are irreversible.

In the United States, 11.7 million children live in households where people have to skip meals to make ends meet. This means 1 in 10 households in America is living with hunger or in risk of hunger.

Bread for the World is an interesting organization in that it was conceived by a small group of Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, rather than by a church or a confederation of churches. Out of conscience they pondered the causes of hunger and how they might mobilize people to influence U.S. policies that attempt to address worldwide hunger. Today they are a powerful organization that works with church-based entities such as Church World Service and World Vision. They play a significant role in the world of philanthropists such as Bill Gates, Bono and Warren Buffett. They are also lobbyists working with the toughest of all the players, the U.S. government.

David Beckman, president of Bread for the World, recently wrote an article that appeared in Christian Century that was titled Smarter Foreign Aid. Beckman is both a clergyperson and an economist. After earning his seminary degree, he earned another graduate degree in economics.

Beckman is quick to recognize the increase in U.S. government anti-poverty funding under George W. Bush. He also commends President Obama’s pledge to double the funding of anti-poverty-focused development funds. He notes that Barack Obama has convinced world leaders to pledge $20 billion over the next five years to address world hunger.

While funding is needed, Beckman says the greater problem is the way government funds are used. Beckman sees the religious organizations and the private philanthropists as being much better at getting real results with the funds that are available

The overseas anti-poverty programs of the U.S. government are administered under an agency called USAID. The program was initiated in 1961 under the administration of John Kennedy. It was a program that was birthed under high idealism. Over the years the idealism was diminished and the responsible agency lost its direction and effectiveness. According to Beckman, Sept. 11, 2001 brought new attention to USAID. Politicians saw correctly that hunger and poverty are seedbeds of instability. Funding to address worldwide hunger and poverty was increased significantly.

The problem that has developed is that high idealism no longer drives antipoverty programs. National security has become the driving force behind USAID. The Department of Defense now runs 20 percent of the USAID programs. Leadership and responsibility for U.S. antipoverty programs have become scattered. To do the work of USAID there are now 12 departments, 25 agencies and 60 government offices.

Beckman’s conclusion is that American foreign assistance programs to address hunger and poverty are broken.

Money is not the problem. The U.N. Development program estimates that an additional $13 billion would fund the antipoverty/hunger programs that are needed. That is less than Americans and Europeans spend on pet food per year.

Beckman is hopeful. Legislation has been drafted to address the chaos that now prevails. Each piece of legislation that is being proposed in the U.S. Congress has bi-partisan sponsorship. The commitment to address hunger is non-partisan. The ethic that demands that all human beings be adequately fed is shared by Christian, Jew, Muslim and Hindu.

Beckman concludes that three dynamics need to be recaptured. First, poverty reduction must be a specific, well-funded goal in U.S. foreign policy, as distinguished from political, military and security goals. Second, developing countries, where hunger is rampant, need to become partners in identifying needs and developing programs. Third, strategies need to be developed so programs can be monitored and evaluated for results. Accountability must be established.

Wiping out hunger on every level is very doable. Let’s start by getting food to every neighbor.

The Rev. Howard Bess is a retired American Baptist minister. His e-mail address is hdbss@mtaonline.net.