Alliance to End Hunger Leads U.S. Delegation to First Near East Forum Against Hunger
 

Former Congresswoman Eva Clayton, Honorary Chair of The Alliance to End Hunger and Max Finberg, Director of the Alliance, will lead a delegation of interfaith anti-hunger leaders from the United States to attend the Near East Regional Forum on Hunger from December 4-5 in Amman, Jordan. The forum is organized by the Jordanian National Alliance for Combating Hunger and Enhancing Food Security (JAAH), under the auspices of Her Royal Highness Princess Basma bent Talal.

“This gathering is a powerful demonstration of the universal desire to ensure that no one suffers from hunger,” said Finberg. “I commend our Jordanian hosts for bringing us all together around the same table to focus on this issue. It is only by working together, across different faiths, countries and sectors, that we will be able to overcome hunger in this region and around the world.”
National Alliances focus a nation’s efforts to alleviate hunger by coordinating across private, government, charitable and religious sectors. Currently, Alliances exist in 23 countries.

The Near East regional forum regional will:

· Facilitate dialogue between governments and representatives of civil society and the private sector in the Near East region;

· Provide the opportunity for representatives of current National Alliances to exchange experiences and advice;

· Commit participants to forming additional National Alliances in the Near East region.

Representatives of Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Morocco, Lebanon, Palestine and Mauritania will participate in the forum. Additional participants from the UN Food and Agricultural Organization, World Food Program, the International Alliance Against Hunger and other National Alliances will share their experiences.

Jordan was the first country in the Near East to create and develop a National Alliance. Jordan continues to be a concerned and active leader in building the will to end hunger in the Middle East. The U.S. Alliance to End Hunger has engaged in a partnership with the JAAH and plans to sign a formal working agreement at the forum. “It is appropriate to gather in the Fertile Crescent, to remind us that we have the means to feed the world, but lack the political will to do so,” said Finberg.
Contact: Emily Nohner
(202-464-8127).
The Alliance to End Hunger engages diverse institutions in generating the public will and political support to end hunger at home and abroad. The Alliance builds innovative partnerships among our members; political commitment to urge our leaders to act; and global connections with groups working to end hunger worldwide. www.alliancetoendhunger.org