I participated in a panel discussion this past week for a Global Citizen Corps event sponsored by Mercy Corp and the Portland State University Philipino student group. Global Citizen Corps (www.globalcitizencorps.org) is a group created by Mercy Corp which seeks out and trains high school students about the issue for hunger and how to become active in fighting it. I was part of the opening panel discussion, but they also had workshops on advocacy, messaging, and online activism. Its was a very exciting and dynamic group of about 50-70 young people who attended (many high school and some college age).
My focus was on discussing advocacy and the importance of combining it with direct relief work. Arthur Simon’s idea that the response to hunger must stand on two legs. I hope we will have more opportunities to work with this group. Its seems like a very important outreach to young people, building awareness and getting them committed to join the figth against hunger. My hats off to them!
