Fight against poverty comes to Nicolet
Rhinelander Daily News
Rhinelander WI
April 3, 2008
by Michael Skubal
The struggle against poverty and hunger took centerstage at Nicolet College Wednesday. Two events looked at both the macro and micro of this struggle, in other words, the global and local aspects of this fight.
The Empty Bowls Hunger Project, a community fund raising project to support area food pantries, took place Wednesday evening in the Learning Resources Center.
It was a chance to eat dinner with friends, enjoy a meal of homemade soup in a handmade bowl, and keep the bowl.
The Empty Bowls Hunger Project was a community service project coordinated through the Student Life Office and the Student Development Center at Nicolet. The College's Art Department worked with Nicolet students, staff, and area potters to hand-throw over 400 bowls for the event.
In the afternoon Mike Batell, Upper Midwest Field Manager for Bread for the World, a national grassroots organization looking to inform and engage citizens in the struggle against poverty and hunger in this country and around the world, gave a special presentation in the Nicolet College Theatre.
According to its website, "Bread for the World Institute provides policy analysis on hunger and strategies to end it. The Institute educates its advocacy network, opinion leaders, policy makers and the public about hunger in the United States and abroad. Bread for the World Institute helps U.S. citizens tell the story of hungry people in their communities and see the connections we all have to hungry people around the world."
Bread for the World is a faith based organization.
"We are called in scripture to advocate with care, on behalf of people facing hunger and poverty," said Batell. "We are called to love our neighbor as ourselves and to speak up for the least of these. But charity alone is not enough. We need to combine charity with advocacy."
Batell is a national advocate working to reduce hunger and poverty in the world.
"Members of Congress are important. Dave Obey is Chairman of the Appropriations Committee. One of the two planks of our legislative campaign is for more and better aid, poverty focused developmental assistance and foreign aid programs aimed at disease prevention, etc. Obey is influential in determining where money goes.
The Global Poverty Act is the second plank, which would maximize the effectiveness of the aid we're already spending and by making sure the agencies that deal with foreign aid do a better job of coordinating. Now they are working at cross purposes. Congressman Obey has been a leader."
One of the ways poverty and hunger impact Wisconsin, according to Batell, is that they tie in with our national interests. "We ignore impoverished places at our peril," said Batell. "Afghanistan is an example in that the situation there allowed Al-Quaida a foothold."
Batell said his life changed when he was in Africa.
"I was in Tanzania, in a village clinic, and saw a three year old boy dying in front of me because his parents didn't have $4 to pay for malaria medicine. It changed my world view. I also saw a family with only a little plot of land. They grew enough food for themselves and a little to sell. Seeing the hope and opportunity that gave them showed me it is possible to work your way put of poverty. These images never leave me."
