Ending Hunger Now: A Challenge to Persons of Faith

Bob Dole is former U.S. Senator from Kansas and 1988 presidential candidate. He has worked previously with Senator McGovern on food- related initiatives, both national and international, and resides in Washington, D.C.

George McGovern is a former U.S. senator from South Dakota, 1972 presidential candidate, and now United Nations ambassador on issues of hunger. He lives in South Dakota.

Donald E. Messer is a United Methodist theologian and author of twelve books. Currently the Executive Director of the Center for the Church and Global AIDS, Messer was President of Dakota Wesleyan University from 1971-1981 and President of Illiff School of Theology from 1981-2000. He was named both President Emeritus and the Henry White Warren Professor Emeritus of Practical Theology at The Iliff School of Theology. Concern for the escalating global HIV/AIDS pandemic has prompted Dr. Messer to travel and speak in Asia, Africa and Latin America, as well as to initiate a Center for the Church and Global AIDS that serves as a catalyst for Christian involvement in the major issues related to global HIV and AIDS, world hunger, and clean water. A college and seminary president for 29 years, Messer holds a Ph.D. from Boston University in social ethics. In 2005 he was honored with a "Lifetime Achievement Award" from a medical university in India for his humanitarian work. Among other awards received over the years was being named "One of American's Ten Outstanding Young Men" in 1976 by the United States Jaycees. Throughout the world, the Center supports various projects of education, prevention, care and treatment, aimed at helping to create an AIDS-free and hunger-free world.

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.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.