This Friday will mark my last day interning at ELCA World Hunger, which has led me to reflect on these past eleven weeks. My first week of interning at ELCA World Hunger was overwhelming to say the least. I was inundated with the realities of hunger around the world and the wonderful ways in which this organization is going about alleviating those realities. Every night of that first week I came home exhausted from all the new information and from my own excitement for the way in which ELCA World Hunger approaches its work. This first week gave me great enthusiasm for the projects I would be working on this summer.

While I worked on a variety of projects that dealt with many different root causes and outcomes of hunger, my main projects dealt with the intersection between women and hunger, which is a subject I have become incredibly passionate about. Out of the 1.02 billion people on this planet who are hungry, women are a sub-group that often suffers disproportionately from hunger and poverty. 6 out of 10 of the world’s poorest people are women. Many women are not given a chance to go to school, own land or their own business, are forced to work in unpaid or informal jobs, experience violence and are not treated as equals.

The other part of my work focusing on women dealt with the fact that women can be the answer to alleviating hunger and poverty. When women have the opportunity to earn income, they reinvest 90% in their families, while men invest 30-40%. If women can be treated as equals and given the same opportunities, not only will they benefit, but their families and communities will as well.

While this is only a taste of the work I was involved in this summer, it serves an example of what I have gained from this experience. I have gained passion for anti-hunger and anti-poverty work. I have gained knowledge of the realities of our world. I have gained important skills that will help me in my future social justice work. Most importantly, as cheesy as it may sound, I have gained hope. I look back to the first week of the summer when I felt overwhelmed by the reality of hunger in the world and by the work done at ELCA World Hunger. Eleven weeks later, I am still amazed by the work that is being done and by the positive impact it is having, but I also have hope. I have hope that this organization is providing people with opportunities to lift themselves out of poverty, and that this will have a multiplying effect on their communities. I have hope that this is being done in a manner that upholds human dignity and that sees each and every person on this planet as capable and valuable.

I am very thankful for the experiences I have had this summer. I have whetted my appetite for social justice work, and am excited to see how this experience will contribute to future experiences. I am hopeful that I (and that all of you out there) can play an important role in alleviating hunger and poverty in our world.

Love,
Allie Stehlin

        One exciting and educational part of my internship at ELCA World Hunger involves reading other blogs and seeing what is going on in the world. One blog I have been reading is GiveWell, a nonprofit organization that evaluates charities and their effectiveness. They evaluate not only financial aspects of charities, but also the effect these charities have on the people they are serving. This blog, along with others, has made me think about good intentions when it comes to giving, and whether or not having good intentions is all it takes to alleviate hunger and poverty.

            You may have heard of 1 Million Shirts, an organization that has received a lot of attention lately in the aid-blogosphere lately. This organization aimed to send a million t-shirts to people in Africa who live in poverty. This seems like a project that is loaded with good intentions, as donating clothing to someone can provide someone with a basic need. However, the aid community responded adamantly that this was not an effective way to give. One point brought up by many was that most people in Africa do indeed have access to shirts. Another point was that by providing shirts, we hurt the textile industries in Africa, which in turn hurts people’s livelihoods. This is an example of how good intentions do not always lead to a good outcome.

            When I studied abroad in India last fall, we talked a lot about aid and development and got to see it in action. Sometimes we saw great successes. Other times, we saw good intentions gone awry. We saw projects imposed on the impoverished that although they seemed like a good idea, either did not benefit the people or actually harmed them. Because I have seen development projects’ good intentions not leaving a positive impact, one of my favorite aspects of ELCA World Hunger is its model of accompaniment. ELCA World Hunger’s development work is done through existing relationships with people across the globe, and thus, World Hunger dollars go toward what the people want and need instead of being decided for them from thousands of miles away. The good intentions of ELCA World Hunger’s supporters do not go to waste; they go to good.

            Good intentions are important. Without them, so many projects that do good in the world would cease to exist. However, simply having good intentions is not enough to ameliorate hunger and poverty. Good intentions must be coupled with an understanding of the issues, along with relationships with the people that good intentions are aimed for.

Allie Stehlin

With the XVIII International AIDS Conference coming to a close last month in Vienna, I decided to do a little research about why it is important for ELCA World Hunger to address diseases such as HIV/AIDS in its anti-hunger work. One study released during this conference led me to a lot of answers.

The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the findings of a study that explores the link between HIV and poverty in the United States. Researchers chose to focus on 23 major cities in the U.S., and left out people already at a high risk of HIV infection in order to get a better picture of how poverty and HIV are linked. What did they find? Those living in poverty have a higher risk of having HIV. The findings from this CDC study, according to a Wall Street Journal article, is “the strongest evidence yet of a link between poverty and HIV infection.”

The findings showed that for high-poverty urban areas in the United States, 2.1% of the population is infected with HIV. This may seem like a relatively small number, but this figure is 20 times as high as the rate of infection among low-risk populations in the overall population of the U.S. The reason for the increased rate of infection in highly impoverished areas is that those with low socio-economic statuses have less access to medical care. Without medical care, many people are unaware that they themselves are infected and are more likely to pass on the infection to others (Winslow, Ron, and Betsy McKay. “Study Looks at HIV and Poverty.” Wall Street Journal. 19 July 2010).

This study highlights why adressing diseases such as HIV/AIDS are important to the work of ELCA World Hunger. Hunger and disease have a cyclical relationship with each other. Hunger and poverty can lead to disease. Without adequate food and nutrition, our bodies are more vulnerable to disease and even when medicines are available, they become less effective. Without a living wage, resources to prevent and fight diseases are out of reach. Disease can also lead to hunger and poverty. If you are sick, you may be unable to work and take in an income. You may not be able to grow and provide food for yourself and your family. The cycle continues. By addressing hunger and poverty the root causes of disease can be addressed, and by addressing disease the root causes of hunger and poverty can be addressed.

ELCA World Hunger is doing important work around the issues of disease and poverty. For more information on the work of ELCA World Hunger with HIV and AIDS and Malaria, check out this website.  Also, if you wish to educate your congregation, campus or community about the connections between hunger and disease, check out this Hunger Education Toolkit .

-Allie Stehlin

This past week the Lutheran World Federation met for their assembly in Stuttgart, Germany. The theme of this year’s assembly is “Give Us Today Our Daily Bread.” At a news conference on July 19^th, presiding bishop of the ELCA Rev. Mark Hanson stated, “hunger is not God’s fault, it’s our fault.” In response to lack of food and the global struggle in the face of war, disease and discrimination, Bishop Hanson exclaimed, “If people lack what they need for daily life, it is because we have failed to ensure that the good things of God’s creation are justly and equitably distributed to all.” At assemblies, the LWF representatives make major decisions about the direction of the LWF and share issues that Lutheran churches worldwide are facing. The fact that this year’s assembly is focused on the issue of hunger worldwide shows that this is an issue of utmost importance.

As I read the words that Bishop Hanson spoke during the news conference, I reflected on the words I had repeated countless times in church: “Give us today our daily bread.” Though this is a phrase I am not a stranger to, when put in the context of global hunger, poverty, discrimination and disease, it sounded different to my ears than it had before. In particular I was fixated on the word “us”. We ask God to provide for “us” but who is “us”? Is it ourselves? Our family? Our neighbors? Our country? Or all of creation? I believe that when we speak the world “us” we should be thinking not just about ourselves or those close to us, but about everyone on this planet. Everyone should be provided for.

Next, I thought about the word “give”. We ask God to “give” us what we need, but what does that look like? Does it mean God should provide for us specifically or do we need to take some responsibility to ensure that God’s gifts to the earth reach each and every living thing on the planet? I am no expert on how much of each resource it takes to support each person’s life on this planet, but I do believe that the resources could be shared more equally, relating to Bishop Hanson’s proclamation that people lack basic needs because of unequal distribution worldwide. We should not simply rely on God to solve issues of hunger and poverty, but we should be taking an active role in ensuring that God’s gifts reach all people.

Well, enough of my reflections. I invite you all to reflect for a minute on the common phrase, “Give us today our daily bread.” Repeat it a few times. What sticks out to you? What issues or questions come to mind? For deeper reflection, check out the LWF assembly website and the video on this page from Bishop Hanson titled, “What is ‘Daily Bread’?” I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

-Allie Stehlin

One thing we at ELCA World Hunger try to study and teach others about is the root causes of hunger. I have been keeping up with Jubilee USA’s blog, and have been thinking a lot about one root cause of hunger in particular: debt. According to Jubilee USA, an organization that works for debt cancellation for impoverished countries, “Today international debt has become a new form of slavery. Debt slavery means poor people working harder and harder in a vain effort to keep up with the interest payments on debts owed to rich countries including the US and international financial institutions (IFIs)…”

In order to get a better picture of how debt to rich nations and IFIs affect the lives of those in poverty, I did a little research. Many countries that are in debt have millions of people in poverty. Many of these people did not benefit from the money that was loaned to these countries. Much of the money was used to fund development projects such as dams and coal burning factories which did little to make the lives of the poor better and left the environment damaged. Often times this is due to corruption and unfulfilled promises within the government. While the loans many times did not reach those in poverty, they are the ones forced to “bear the burden of repayment.” Countries who owe money are constantly making payments on the interest from these loans, which draws money away from funding things like health care, education and food security. Kenya provides an example of this. According to Jubilee USA, Kenya’s 2005/2006 budget dedicated 22% of government expenses to their debt. This amount of money was equal to Kenya’s budgets for health, roads, water, agriculture, transportation and finance expenses. Debt Payments slow down social and economic development that could be essential to helping people out of poverty. Debt cancellation is important because it can allow economies to grow to meet people’s needs (University of Iowa Center for International Finance and Development).

After learning more about debt, I became curious about Jubilee USA’s name, and stumbled on the theological basis of debt relief. Leviticus 25 talks about the “Year of Jubilee” occurring every seven years in which all debts are cancelled and all slaves are freed. Verses 36-37 state “If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you. Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your countryman may continue to live among you. You must not lend him money at interest or sell him food at a profit.”

It is important to keep in mind how international debt affects our neighbors around the world and to do what we can to keep them “living among us.” Poverty is complex, and debt is one of the many factors that influence it. To take action or to learn more about Jubilee USA’s work, visit www.jubileeusa.org

-Allie Stehlin

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” –Mother Teresa

I am a big fan of quotes and this is one that is particularly powerful to me. It is one that keeps me motivated to work for worldwide justice. It reminds me why it is important that I think about others when I make lifestyle choices each day. It is a quote that reminds me that I am connected to each and every human being on this planet.

First, I want to reflect on the word “peace”. In college I am pursuing a minor in Peace Studies, so I’ve thought a lot about what this word means. One aspect of peace that I have learned in my classes is that there are two different kinds of peace. One is negative peace, which sounds bad but it really just means an absence of war and violence. The other is positive peace which is a little more comprehensive. Positive peace includes anything related to justice: social, racial and economic, gender, environmental, etc. In a document from the University of Hawaii, Professor R.J. Rummel states, “This is not only peace from violence, but also peace of mind.” The quote serves as a reminder to me to work for justice, to work for creating a worldwide “peace of mind.”

 “We belong to each other” also resonates with me. Although we tend to divide humankind by race, religion, nation, geographic location, class and caste, I believe we are all neighbors, no matter how far away we are from each other. Simply because we are all human beings, we need to take care of each other. But more than that, we are all connected – even if it doesn’t feel like it sometimes. For example, I know that personally, on a day-to-day basis, I don’t notice the effects of climate change. However, this is not the case everywhere. While I was in India, I talked with a tribal village that truly relied on the land. Their water supply came from the local river, they relied on plants and animals around them for food, and much of their livelihood came from the surrounding forests. As we talked to them, they explained how in recent years, life has gotten more difficult. The river is drying up and the forest is disappearing. Performing their daily tasks is getting harder and harder. These people, who lived in a manner much more sustainable than I do, were suffering in part because of the actions of others around the world. They asked us if God was punishing them for something. My connection to strangers halfway across the world has never been clearer to me than at that moment. My actions and habits can affect others.

“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.” This is a quote I turn to again and again for inspiration and motivation. Are there anymore quote lovers out there? What quote helps you on your road to justice?

As I was doing research for a paper I am writing on gender and development, I ran across an intriguing definition of the word poverty. Through my classes in college and my work at ELCA World Hunger I have done a lot of thinking about big issues related to poverty, but seldom do I sit down and think about what the word actually means. I decided to do some investigating on how others define poverty and here is what I came up with.

Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines poverty as “the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions,” “renunciation as a member of a religious order of the right as an individual to own property,” “debility due to malnutrition,” and even a “lack of fertility”! Besides the last part, this definition covers a basic view of what poverty is, not having money or property or enough food to eat.

Next, I looked up a more concrete way of defining poverty. According to the World Bank, the international poverty line, as of 2005 defines poverty as living on less than $1.25 a day. Domestically, the United States Department of Health and Human Services poverty guideline for a four person household in 2009 was an annual income of $22,050 or below. According to the CIA World Factbook, Israel views poverty as living on $7.30 a day or less, and Mexico bases their definition of poverty on the amount of food one has. 

The definition I ran across in my research comes from Charlotte Wrigley-Asante in the Norwegian Journal of Geography. She argues that poverty is more than lack of income, but also incorporates “lack of dignity and autonomy and vulnerability.” She states that poverty is “the uneven distribution of life changes and experiences” and that “poverty is equated with deprivation and lack of social power.” She also includes vulnerability to “risks, shocks and stress and the inability to deal with them without sustaining damaging loss” in her definition of poverty.

Now that I have shared what I found, I want to hear what you think! What is poverty? Lack of money? A specific number? Being deprived of human capabilities? How would you define poverty?