What would you say if you knew that everyone living in Portugal, Sweden, Denmark and Ireland were starving? All this population without having anything to eat. It would be scary to think that all the inhabitants of these four countries are experiencing food deprivation. It would certainly cause general indignation and commotion, right Wrong. At least that's not what currently happens in our country.
We have 33 million Brazilians going hungry, a number of people greater than the combined population of these countries, and yet we do not see outrage that matches the gravity of the situation. Not even the outrage we witnessed in 1993, when sociologist Betinho launched a national campaign to combat hunger that affected 32 million Brazilians that year. In Brazil in 2022, in addition to the 33 million people suffering from hunger, there are still 125 million people who are food insecure.
Hunger affects 15% of our population and we need urgent measures. With the aim of changing this scenario, some organizations, including the Movimento Bem Maior, came together to reissue the initiative that was fundamental in the 1990s, Citizenship Action.
The initiative is a pact for the 15% who have nothing to eat, prioritizing the fight against hunger by uniting the entire society. The campaign, launched on July 15th, has the slogan 15 for 15; suggests donating to help this 15% of the population, be it a donation of 15 items, 15 minutes or hours of volunteer work, 15 kilos of food, 15 meals… The initiative page presents different ways to participate and contribute. It is a call for all sectors – public, private and organized civil society – to contribute in some way and, above all, to become aware of the seriousness of the circumstances we are experiencing today.
It hasn't even been a decade since Brazil left 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, the nourishment of every citizen every day, and for our future. We know that a person who is hungry cannot study, cannot work, because the lack of food affects their physical and mental health. A country that is hungry is a sick country.
We need everyone's commitment.
If you have a plate of food today that is not within the 15% index, you must do your part. As the Citizenship Action slogan states, “If you don’t go 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 sleep as if there weren't 33 million of us Brazilians going hungry. Children, babies, young people, elderly people, men and women across the country. We need to reintegrate this 15% with conditions for a dignified life, where there is at least something to eat.
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Article originally published on August 4, 2022 in the newspaper O Povo. Check it out here
