Saving Lives, Nourishing Dreams ～ World Food Programme ～
GUO YI(Alan)
It is an absolute honor to have this chance provided by SIEPC to intern at JAWFP.
I would like to take this opportunity to inform more young people about the existence and responsibility of WFP, especially Aoyama Gakuin University students who are particularly interested in the SDGs.
Why am I doing this?
Nowadays, global conflicts still persist, while solutions remain elusive. Japan, as a progressive sovereign nation, recognizes its growing responsibility. It's imperative for Japan to engage constructively in global issues, embodying its role as a peaceful and collaborative nation.
This urgency requires the attention of all residents since the situation of more critical issues around the world cannot be ignored.
To uncover solutions, we must extend beyond academia and immerse ourselves in international cooperation, grasping the essence of "global governance."
Hence, SIPEC initiated the Internship Program. The program aims to spark curiosity in global affairs, deepen knowledge through practical exposure, and cultivate comprehensive understanding.
This internship gave me insight from the Japan Association for the WFP.
As a certified Non-Profit Organization dedicated to supporting the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) mission, the WFP Association is Japan's official channel for donating and supporting the WFP.
The WFP Japan Association aims to expand international cooperation within Japan by comprehending effective hunger eradication methods, conveying global hunger issues, and promoting WFP initiatives. JAWFP’s efforts encourage many to contribute materially and non-materially to these causes.
This internship empowers me to actively engage in international cooperation and grasp the broader concept of "global governance." By participating in WFP Association activities, we contribute to the noble cause of global hunger and poverty eradication while learning how Japan, especially from companies' and individuals’ views, effectively fulfills its mission on the global stage.
What is the WFP (United Nations World Food Programme)?
The United Nations World Food Programme, established in 1961 by the United Nations General Assembly and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, aims to eradicate hunger worldwide.
It provides various forms of food assistance to combat food insecurity. However, the issue of hunger is not only a humanitarian concern but also directly linked to security. Recent conflicts in regions such as Syria, Yemen, and Sudan have resulted in refugees and food insecurity. Hunger-related issues have also acted as catalysts for further escalation of conflicts. Similarly, natural disasters trigger refugee crises and famine.
The World Food Programme was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat hunger, promote peace in conflict-affected areas, and prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and conflict.
WFP works in particular to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of eradicating poverty and hunger. In 2019, more than 100 million people suffered from severe hunger, most of them as a result of war and conflict. The worldwide Corona pandemic also swelled the number of poor and hungry. In 2019, WFP provided emergency food assistance in 88 countries, but the organization also worked in a long-term perspective to increase local production of food and to meet the nutritional needs of women and infants.
What is the Japan Association for the WFP?
The Japan Association for the World Food Programme (JAWFP) is a recognized non-profit group that supports the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). This program works to end hunger and poverty. JAWFP started in January 1999 and got official non-profit status in August 2005. It is the main helper for the WFP in Japan.
JAWFP shares information about hunger problems worldwide and how the WFP is helping. It makes it easy for people to help support these important causes, and because of this, more people and groups in Japan are giving support in many ways. The group collects donations, works with businesses, and partners with other groups to help even more. Plus, if you give money to JAWFP, you can get a tax break.
Message from Chairman Ando:
Even today, in our world, 1 in 10 people cannot eat adequately. Frequent natural disasters, rising food prices, and a downturn in the global economy are among the various causes that lead to hunger, threatening the lives of those suffering from poverty in developing countries.
Food is an indispensable element that sustains human life. It's no exaggeration to say that a country can achieve self-sufficiency, prosperity, and peace only when there is enough food. The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) operates daily in approximately 120 countries and regions around the world, deploying 140 aeroplanes, 20 ships, and 6,500 trucks to swiftly and reliably deliver the "sustenance of life" to those struggling with food shortages.
We sincerely need your warm support to ensure that those people who need help can receive the food they need and save those living with struggles and can improve their lives with hope.
Yours sincerely,
Hiroki Ando, Chairman, Japan Association for the WFP.
Message from Suzuki, the previous Director-General of the Japan Association for the WFP
I would like to share a few words addressing the students at Aoyama Gakuin University.
I encourage you to reconsider the world under the principle of "taking responsibility for oneself." Please reflect on how you envision the world you will live in and take action based on your intentions.
What is necessary for the world as you move forward? Engage in actions that resonate with your desires, not just out of pity but a sincere wish to help and cooperate.
Helping developing countries is not just a humanitarian concern but also stems from the relatively stable and economically privileged environment surrounding you, even in a world with unending wars and conflicts. Maintaining this environment necessitates global stability and peace. I hope you will reexamine the world from the perspective of what you must do to contribute to that stability and peace. Aoyama Gakuin University provides an ideal setting for such introspection. I anticipate you will become proactive individuals who act with the principle of "taking your own weight."
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Official Donate Website for the WFP Saving Lives, for the world without hunger. |
