Interfaith Leaders Meet to Discuss Their Efforts to End World Hunger

October 7, 2008

Author: Angelo Stagnaro

Source: Catholic News Service

http://www.catholicglobe.org/news7.3.html

A day before the U.N. General Assembly met Sept. 25 on the progress of the Millennium Development Goals, a group of interfaith leaders gathered to encourage one another in efforts to engage their own members in working toward achieving the U.N. goals, especially ending world hunger.

The Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, convened a meeting of nearly 80 religious leaders and directors of religious relief and development in U.S. Christian, Jewish and Muslim organizations.

The Alliance to End Hunger and interfaith anti-hunger coordinators also sponsored the Sept. 24 gathering at St. Bartholomew Episcopal Church on Manhattan's Upper East Side.

A two-hour plenary meeting on the world hunger crisis was followed by a short period of reflection and discernment.

"This is the first gathering of leaders from the Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths to discuss the Millennium Development Goals especially in the continuing context of the global hunger crisis," said Rev. Beckmann, whose organization is an international Christian citizens' movement that fights hunger.