Strengthening Our National Commitment by Creating Political Will
In 1963 President Kennedy told delegates to the first World Food Congress, “We have the means, we have the capacity to eliminate hunger from the face of the earth in our lifetime. We need only the will.”
We still need the will. In its 30-year history, Bread for the World has learned a lot about how to build the political will in the United States to reduce hunger. We have examples of success. Take the global Jubilee campaign of 1998-2000. Millions of concerned people helped convince the nations of the world to write off $60 billion in unpayable poor-country debt, redirecting some debt service payments into basic health and education for poor people. We need the same sort of movement if we’re going to see an end to hunger in the United States.
The first recommendation to the federal government in A Blueprint to End Hunger 
is, “Live up to the official U.S. commitment to cut hunger and food insecurity in half by 2010, and commit to ending both by 2015.” This goal never has received the high-level political attention it needs. Today, the U.S. government has less than five years to fulfill its promise and reduce by as many as 20 million the number of people living at risk of hunger.
In the midst of competing concerns that our country faces, fighting hunger must also be made a priority. The failure to move forward is incomprehensible. The United States is wealthier than ever before. Yet hunger remains. This issue must receive greater attention from the highest levels of national leadership – from the president and Congress.
Our national leaders need to recommit to the goal of cutting hunger and food insecurity in half by 2010. They must also report on progress toward this goal on an annual basis, so that hunger remains a priority and receives the attention that it needs. Make Hunger History legislation will help to create the political will and leadership on hunger issues that we must demand from our national leaders.
Concerned citizens have the power to build the political will to end hunger. We must remind Congress and the president that fighting hunger should be a priority for our country.
