Some of you might have noticed that this blog has been a little (ok...a lot) light on the content for a while. Sorry! The reason was that I was traveling around the eastern US in a minivan, discovering how irritating dependence on someone else's i-phone for internet access can be. But I've been back now for a while and catching up on all the poverty coverage I missed and didn't comment on. As I scan the papers and reflect on the only decent news source I had recently (NPR), I'm struck by the rising amount of coverage that global hunger is getting lately. I remember, last summer, sometimes I would go weeks without hearing anything poverty-related. Now, I hear something daily. On one hand, I'm happy the issue is finally making front page news (literally front page on the Sunday Chicago Trib this AM) and entering the global and national debate. On the other hand, I think it's because things are really getting bad and they are likely to get much, much worse.
Last December, I posted an Economist article from the economist called "The End of Cheap Food" predicting that food prices would be skyrocketing within the year. And now it's happening. I'll write further posts about the reasons for it, but let's just leave today's observation at the fact that people are talking about it now. Riots in Haiti, unrest in India, American food stamp program in trouble... Not a day goes by that I don't hear something about it.
What point can I leave you with today? It's a great time to become an anti-poverty activist. The need is great, the coverage is plentiful. If you've been wondering whether to exercise your voice and speak out for people in need, the answer is "yes!" and the time to do it is now. To get started, please visit www.bread.org or www.results.org to learn more about how to make some real change.
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