A message from Hiram Larew, founder of the Poetry X Hunger Initiative:

"As we commemorate World Food Day today, with hurry, hope and hurt, please take a minute to close your eyes.  

Yes, in your silence acknowledge the wonder and miracle of being well-nourished.  And then, however you can, imagine the very opposite.    

Time permitting, also take a look at a powerful program about Food Heroes and Poetry held last Wednesday under the banner of the United Nations to commemorate World Food Day in North America.  

Here's a link to the 90-minute program.  Poets are on mic at about 1 hour and 15 minutes into the program. 
World Food Day Food Heroes Dialogue - Zoom


And, here's the link to the News Release about the event -- Poets call for empathy and action towards a hunger-free world  | FAO in North America | Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Lastly, please carry the following haiku with you as you step into your day.  It was written nearly 400 years ago by a master of the haiku form.  Without ever using the word "hunger," he captures its shadow." 

 For this lovely bowl
Let us arrange some flowers
Since we have no rice
 
Matsuo Basho (1644 – 1694)

World Food Day Michigan Youth Institute hosted by Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. 

Matt's Breadlines, AaronR's My Name is Hunger and Patience's Hunger were featured during the World Food Day Michigan Youth Institute hosted by Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, USA.   Sharmila's poem, No time for poetry, served to open one of the sessions.

Poems helped to facilitate the discussions by 90 young adults about food insecurity, hunger, malnutrition and related topics.  All three poems are posted on the Poetry X Hunger website.

Thanks to Debra Barrett, Brian Wibby, Sara Keinath and their colleagues at Michigan State University for being creatively willing to include poetry in today's program.  
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On October 14th, during a celebratory event for 2020 World Food Day, FAO North America has announced the winners of the 2020 Poetry Competition. Please find the press release here: http://www.fao.org/north-america/news/detail/en/c/1313949/ 

"Here are some tweets from the October 22, 2019 exciting and moving World Food Day Commemoration.  Held at the US Senate Russell Building in Washington, DC the reception's program included recognition of poets who won the 2019 World Food Day Poetry Competition.  Thanks to the United Nations Food and Agriculture's Office for North America for sharing the tweets. " 
https://twitter.com/i/moments/1187127288674050049
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To mark the celebration of #WorldFoodDay, Dr. Hiram Larew wrote a blog post for the Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development (AIARD) featuring several poems published here, on the Poetry X Hunger Initiative website. The piece can be found here: http://www.aiard.org/aiardblog/poetry-speaks-to-hunger