[hr-education] Global education project launched on World Food Day

[***Moderator's note: You can find out more about World Food Day, 16
October, at:  http://www.hrea.org/feature-events/world-food-day.php ***]


"The Right to Food: A Window on the World" 

16 October 2006, Rome -- A new global education project was launched today
to raise awareness about hunger and the right to food among children and
young people around the world.

As part of the ongoing "Feeding Minds, Fighting Hunger" initiative, the
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Association of Girl
Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) produced a cartoon-style story book
entitled "The Right to Food: A Window on the World," and a companion
"Resource and Activity Guide" educating young people and motivating them
to join in the fight against hunger and malnutrition.

Speaking at a news conference, Alexander Mueller, FAO Assistant
Director-General for Sustainable Development, said, "The right to food is,
in principle, the right to feed oneself, and one's family, adequately and
with dignity. Raising the awareness of young people about the inseparable
nature of human rights, food security and good nutrition, and about how
each of us can play a part in helping secure everyone's right to
nutritionally adequate food is essential to this end."

Elspeth Henderson, Chairman of WAGGGS World Board, said: "We at WAGGGS
have a responsibility to make sure that the messages about the right to
food and giving everyone access to nutritionally adequate and safe food
get to all of our members, Girl Guides and Girl Scouts in 144 countries
and that they and other young people around them are inspired to take
action."

According to FAO, the materials present right to food issues in a simple,
understandable and attractive style that captures the attention of young
people. The materials will help young people understand that each
individual has the right to adequate food and that governments, consumer
organizations, the private sector, communities and families have an
obligation to help protect, promote and support that right.

The book consists of an introductory section providing an overview of
selected right to food issues, and eight individual stories dedicated to
illustrating aspects of food security and right to food issues in Brazil,
Canada, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, Sierra Leone and Uganda.

A unique feature of the publications is that the illustrations were
planned and drawn by young artists and art students from the eight
countries. The cartoon-style drawings convey national differences in
culture, lifestyles, food habits, environments and living conditions. In
each of the selected countries, a national contest was organized among art
schools and institutes for illustrating the chapter set in that country.

The book and the Resource and Activity Guide are available in six
languages in both hard copy and electronic formats, including as a CD-ROM
and as web-based HTML and PDF files.

To order the books, send an e-mail to: RTF-Youth@fao.org 





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