United to combat hunger for 33 million

What would you say if you knew that all the people living in Portugal, Sweden, Denmark, and Ireland are starving? That entire population without anything to eat. It would be terrifying to think that all the inhabitants of those four countries are experiencing food deprivation. It would certainly cause widespread outrage and commotion, right? Wrong. At least that's not what's happening in our country right now.

We have 33 million Brazilians suffering from hunger, a number greater than the combined population of the countries mentioned, and yet we don't see an outrage commensurate with the gravity of the situation. Not even the outrage we witnessed in 1993, when sociologist Betinho launched a national campaign to combat hunger, which that year affected 32 million Brazilians. In Brazil in 2022, in addition to the 33 million people suffering from hunger, there are also 125 million experiencing food insecurity.

Hunger affects 15% of our population, and we urgently need action. To change this situation, several organizations, including the Bem Maior Movement, have joined forces to revive an initiative that was crucial in the 1990s: the Citizenship Action.

The initiative is a pact for the 15% who have nothing to eat, prioritizing the fight against hunger by uniting all of society. The campaign, launched on July 15th, has the slogan "15 for 15"; it suggests donating to help these 15% of the population, whether it's donating 15 items, 15 minutes or hours of volunteer work, 15 kilos of food, 15 meals… The initiative's page presents different ways to participate and contribute. It's a call for all sectors – public, private, and organized civil society – to contribute in some way and, above all, to become aware of the gravity of the circumstances we are experiencing today.

It hasn't even been a decade since Brazil was removed from the United Nations (UN) Hunger Map in 2014, and eight years later we have the worst number in history. Only our actions can reverse this situation and put us back on track to end hunger in the country by 2030, within the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

This is work for the present, for the daily food of every citizen, and for our future. We know that a person who goes hungry cannot study, cannot work, because the lack of food affects physical and mental health. A country that goes hungry is a sick country.

We need everyone's commitment. If you have a plate of food today, and you're not within the 15% target, you should do your part. As the Citizenship Action slogan states, "If you're not going hungry, you have to
be part of the solution."

This is a joint solution that we must seek as a society. We cannot wake up and go to sleep as if there weren't 33 million of us, Brazilians, going hungry. Children, babies, young people, the elderly, men and women throughout the country. We need to reintegrate these 15% with conditions for a dignified life, where there is at least something to eat.

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This article was originally published on August 4, 2022, in the newspaper O Povo. Check it out here.

Image Credit: Press Release