You’ve reached the activism portion of today’s show. Now that you’re informed and angry, here’s what you can do about it. Today’s activism: Vote to End Hunger.
Vote to End Hunger is a coalition of organizations that includes Bread For the World, Feeding America, and the Food Research and Action Center. They joined together ahead of the 2016 election cycle to — in their words — "make hunger, poverty and opportunity a higher political priority, so that the next President and Congress take action that will put our nation and the world on track to end hunger by 2030.”
This is an ambitious, but important goal as debates come and go with numerous references to the middle class, but virtually no questions from moderators or pivots from candidates to the 14.8% of the country — 46.7 million people — living in poverty. If we can’t even talk about it, how are we ever going to to anything to address it?
At VoteToEndHunger.org you can sign and share this pledge:
"I believe we can end hunger in America and worldwide by 2030. Ending hunger is not a partisan issues and requires public policies that expand opportunity and reduce poverty. This election, I will Vote to End Hunger and to make hunger, poverty, and opportunity a higher political priority, so that the next President and Congress take actions that will put our nation and the world on track to end hunger.”
The website also has videos from ten of the presidential candidates explaining what they would do to address systemic poverty and hunger — giving us an easy way to hold them accountable as the primary season progresses. For those who want to engage candidates at town halls and other events, Vote To End Hunger has a well-done webinar with tactics and talking points. During debates, you can follow their twitter feed as they encourage moderators to ask questions about poverty and hold candidates accountable for their answers.
Primary season is the perfect time to demand issues that matter become part of the national conversation and legislative priority because candidates are the most movable. Use the tools at VoteToEndHunger.org to let those courting your vote know that you don’t accept poverty as an inevitability and you expect them address it.
TAKE ACTION:
SIGN & SHARE: Pledge to end hunger by 2030
GET INVOLVED with Vote to End Hunger
Sources/further reading:
"Pathologizing the Poor Reinforces Stigma While Deterring Advocacy and Public Policy” via Truthout
”Hunger is a Significant But Solvable Problem, Both in the United States and Internationally” via Vote to End Hunger
”Presidential Candidate Videos” via Vote to End Hunger
Hear the segment in context:
Episode #986 "The trouble with extreme wealth inequality (Economics)"
Written by BOTL social media/activism director Katie Klabusich
