WASHINGTON – Today Congressman Spencer Bachus participated in the national launch of the Universities Fighting World Hunger initiative at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. In 2004 Auburn University was selected by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to be the lead academic partner in this initiative. The WFP is the largest humanitarian agency in the world, providing food for over 90 million people in more than 80 countries annually.
Auburn developed a hunger model that has been replicated and/or adapted by universities around the country. In February of this year, Auburn hosted the first annual War on Hunger Summit and 29 universities from around the country were represented. Since then, more than 50 colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, and the Virgin Islands are participating.
Since 1998, Congressman Bachus has been an advocate for providing debt relief to countries that cannot provide the most basic services to their citizens because of crushing debt burdens. Debt relief legislation was first proposed by Congressman Bachus in 1999, and he has since won praise from both sides of the aisle for his compassionate commitment to improving the plight of the millions of people throughout the developing world who are the ultimate beneficiaries of debt forgiveness.
“Today in dozens of poor countries all over the world, little boys and girls are born into poverty, disease and hunger. Hopelessness and Despair are their daily companions. Their burdens are day-to-day, they are painful and they are heavy. Therefore I am extremely proud that my alma mater, Auburn University is taking the leadership role in awakening the consciousness of America to poverty and hunger in the developing world,” said Congressman Bachus.
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