2008.04.21: April 21, 2008: Headlines: Directors - Vasquez: Figures: Directors: United Nations: Diplomacy: Hunger: Daily Titan: Gaddi Vasquez speaks to Connecting Worlds' conference on global hunger

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By Admin1 (admin) (ppp-70-135-9-78.dsl.okcyok.swbell.net - 70.135.9.78) on Monday, April 28, 2008 - 11:13 am: Edit Post

Gaddi Vasquez speaks to Connecting Worlds' conference on global hunger

Gaddi Vasquez speaks to Connecting Worlds' conference on global hunger

While he was the director of the United States Peace Corps, Vasquez's life was transformed in a personal way because of the things he witnessed firsthand as he traveled to countries all over the world. The food crisis in Haiti has people eating mud cakes, he said. In the Caribbean, Vasquez encountered a young boy whom he gave a piece of candy to. The boy broke it in three pieces, ate one and sold the other two pieces. "This is the desperation some parts of the world are reaching," Vasquez said. Former Peace Corps Director Gaddi H. Vasquez is U.S. ambassador to U.N. food agencies based in Rome.

Gaddi Vasquez speaks to Connecting Worlds' conference on global hunger

International Conference focuses on world poverty

Former Orange County supervisor Gaddi Vasquez, other experts speak at 'Connecting Worlds' conference

By: Juliette Funes
Issue date: 4/21/08 Section: News

In an effort to connect worlds, Cal State Fullerton held its first International Conference in which representatives from several countries spoke to community members about some of the world's most important issues, including the aging population and global hunger.

The 50th anniversary event brought together international partners to expand CSUF's globalization and expose students to broader perspectives on the global issues, President Milton Gordon said.

"We live in a much more global world," Gordon said. Young people cannot isolate themselves from the issues and cultures that go beyond American ones, he added.

[Excerpt]

The two-day event began Thursday in Titan Pavilions with keynote speaker, Ambassador Gaddi Vasquez, the 8th United States Representative to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organizations.

Vasquez spoke to an audience of about 250 about the global food supply and hunger.

In 2007 alone, food prices rose 40 percent. With a greater demand on food supply, prices will increase and human suffering will increase in poorer countries, Vasquez said.

Close to 160 million people are living on 50 cents a day and half of the world's population is living on $2 a day, Vasquez said. Ten million children are dying from preventable diseases and 854 million people are suffering from chronic malnutrition, he added.

Life expectancies are as low as 36 years in some countries because of hunger and disease, Vasquez said.

While he was the director of the United States Peace Corps, his life was transformed in a personal way because of the things he witnessed firsthand as he traveled to countries all over the world.

The food crisis in Haiti has people eating mud cakes, he said. In the Caribbean, Vasquez encountered a young boy whom he gave a piece of candy to. The boy broke it in three pieces, ate one and sold the other two pieces.

"This is the desperation some parts of the world are reaching," Vasquez said.

However, the U.S. is the largest donor to the World Food Program, an international fund for agricultural development, with 42 percent, Vasquez said.

"One of the worst enemies the hungry soul has is corruption," he said. But by making sure the money goes to where it needs, the U.S. can help ensure people to learn to be independent and have the capacity to sustain themselves, Vasquez said.




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Story Source: Daily Titan

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; Directors - Vasquez; Figures; Directors; United Nations; Diplomacy; Hunger

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