A huge challenge, certainly. I think one of the critical elements is how we get people to engage with this issue. Our survey work has found more interest among the public on these "global development" issues, and the public's policy priorities are a lot more humanitarian than most experts think. But still, this is not a major focus for Americans and they don't understand a lot of the twists and turns of the issue (the food-or-fuel debate, for example).

Scott Bittle
Executive Editor
PublicAgenda.org

i would like to say that, i think the U.S. should take more measures in dealing with world hunger and poverty. sure there's a couple of advertisements here and there encouraging a lot of people to help out this issue, but not a lot of people tend to help. I, as a teenager...know that most teenagers don't even think about anything else but materialistic things, and aren't even aware of the growing numbers of people dying out there in like third world countries because of hunger and unlivable conditions. people should become more aware and instead of going out and buying things not that improtant, they should send their money to organizations helping out this matter.
-A.A

World hunger is an big issue that our world currently faces but to many young people it is not an important
one. As a young adult I feel most of my generation is extremely materialistic and wants the best clothes, Cell phones, and new tech gadgets. I do admit that sometimes even I forget about many of the pressing issues in the world like hunger. Many of our youth and young adults do not get exposed to the horrors of hunger in third world countries due to the way media is right now and are just exposed to the popular media icons that many idolize.I think the first step this Global poverty act should take is educating the young adults and oblivious people in our country.When more people are exposed to these horrible situations they will be more obliged to take action in their own part whether it be from volunteer work or forming a group that will help those in need. An example of young people taking action happened recently with the earthquake disaster in Haiti. Our country sent aid and relief funds while the younger people made groups on Facebook raising awareness of the disaster and even raised money for relief.

Secondly, I think this Global Poverty Act should bring about reconstruction in these third world countries. The catalyst of these countries with poor food supplies lies within the fragile and abusive governments in these regions. If we are to help the hungry people we must take away the power from these abusive leaders. By reconstruction I mean throwing away the past systems that have failed to support the people time and time again. We must educate them so they know how to grow their own food so when trouble comes we do not always have to give it to them. Like the story give a man a fish and he'll need more but if you teach him how to fish he will be set for life.These third world countries need to be built on stronger infrastructures that will not topple at the slightest crack in its foundation. We are currently rebuilding Afghanistan and training its military. We could do that in third world countries and teach agriculture and other tradeskills. During the United States' Agricultural Revolution we gave incentive to colleges that taught skills like farming.The only problem is we should not be the peacekeeper and arbiter of the world and money is always an issue. As it stands right now our countries deficit is to great to take any action in anywhere but our own country. We can not help others if we do not help ourselves first.

Lastly, Education should be stressed in this Global Poverty Act. Many of the citizens of these third world countries lack basic skills
like reading and writing that many of us in the United States take for granted. Like I said earlier we must create institutions that can be used
to educate people in agriculture and trade skills.

I do not necessarily agree with the World Hunger Act because of the current economic problems our country faces. I feel that other countries in the world rely on us to much to help the sick, take care of evil, or provide relief in times of natural disaster. Although I disagree with the act,
If we were to go through with it these are the ideas and key points that I think it should have. The United States will not be able to get rid of Hunger by itself. There are to many hungry and not enough money to feed all of these people.

I Think that the problems that America is facing with hunger are to great to try to take on Globally. We can't seem to keep our own nation of families fed, How are we going to improve or resolve hunger issues of nations all around the world. We need more educational resources, more jobs, and more available human resource services to help families feed themselves again the way they once were able to. There are so many Americans that have been in the same field of work for most of their lives that they lack the skills and necessary motives to find other jobs . If they're hungry, how are they going to go back to school and focus on obtaining those necessary skill requirements that the jobs that are left demand without basic nutrition. Sure Welfare organizations are one main source of support, however their strict requirements for eligibility have been known for turning down millions of families since the first effects of recession. Many have the attitude that if a person has a normal fucntioning brain then there is no reason to be unemployment. Jobs these days what more for the money they're paying employees and insurance benefits. If you don't have those required skills and degrees you don't join the payroll. Our support systems need to improve here in the states, before we can worry about solving hunger issues World Wide.
Elizabeth S.

Americans spend so much time helping other countries when they should take a few moments to help themselves. Looking at the amount of money various charities from the U.S. send overseas and you would think that we had it going on over here. You would think that everybody over here was living good. But the truth is we need lots of help.

We have so many celebrities over here on television spending money like it grows on trees but the majority of the people here can't buy adequate food to feed their families. The food that's good for you cost three and four times more than the food thats bad for you. I wonder each day why it costs .99cents to buy white bread but whole wheat is 2 for 5.00. I wonder why salty unhealthy foods like oodles of noodles cost .10cents a pack when it would cost 10-15 dollars to make homemade healthier soups. The U.S. is starving but the obesity rates continue to climb because the affordable food is unhealthy.

I have been that girl that had to rely on foodstamps in order to feed her family. Eventually I had to go out into the world and work. I never had a problem with working since i've been doing it since I was 16 years old. Many people may say it's a good thing but I say it's not. Being pushed out into the workforce with only a high school diploma isnt such a good thing. It's like the system is built to make you fail. Here's how: Okay so you get a job that pays 8.00 an hour. They cut your foodstamps off. They take away your child care. The next thing you know you are trying to figure out how you are going to pay rent and feed your family and pay for child care. But the government don't care as long as they can cross you off the list of receiving foodstamps. Now you have to starve and live off oodles of noodles and peanut butter and jelly.

I think the problem with hunger is lack of education. Instead of pushing people out into crappy jobs we should help them get degrees.That way when they push them out into the workforce they can afford to feed their families. Most of the families who are being pushed into crappy jobs with no education end up going backwards because they realize that their crappy jobs will not help them make ends meet.

I'm glad i'm getting my education. i know everybodys situation isn't like mine but it's a start.

Why is there world hunger when so many restaurants and stores throw away pounds and pounds of food each day? If there is plenty of food being thrown away, someone should come up with a plan on how we can distribute the well preserved foods to the people who are famished and lacked in nourishment. There's plenty of food to go around, why can't they lower the prices and make food affordable for everyone?

There's never a lack of food production so there shouldn't be a reason why food, something that is essential to life, be too expensive for anyone to buy.

Im only a senior in high school right now but this has helped me alot to understand how bad the economy is...and how people are starving....