Ending Hunger Now: A Challenge to Persons of Faith

Designed to foster discussion and action within congregations, this short series of essays presents the scope of the world hunger problem and the best way to fight it in an urgent but nonpartisan manner. Messer introduces the book by laying out the problem—800 million people in the world are hungry—and then calls Jews and Christians to solve it. McGovern and Dole contribute essays that explain their joint efforts in the U.S. Senate to provide school lunches to the world's 300 million hungry children. While Messer and McGovern emphasize the moral imperative for the world's wealthiest nation to spearhead hunger elimination, Dole argues that it is in America's best interest to help as many nations as possible achieve food security and become net exporters of crops. Messer, Dole and McGovern contribute a trialogue in which they congenially share ideas about hunger work, and Messer concludes with some challenging observations about how his wealthy readers can make a difference. While the book tends to repeat some ideas and figures too often and features rather disappointing discussion questions, it also offers mind-bending facts and illustrations that will motivate congregants of all persuasions to engage this heartbreaking problem. (Oct.)