Auburn University is hosting its fifth annual Hunger Summit February 26-28. This three-day conference will give hunger activists and the local community an opportunity to be updated and challenged to be a part of the war on hunger.

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According to the World Food Programme Web Site, every six seconds a child dies because of hunger and related causes. Also, one out of four children- roughly 146 million- in developing countries are underweight.

After hearing these statistics, you might be wondering how you can help. The first step is to understand the issue. The Hunger Summit is the perfect opportunity for you to be informed.

Harriet Giles, director of external affairs in the College of Human Sciences at Auburn University, explained the university’s passion to stop the war on hunger. “We must first raise awareness of the issue. People need to understand why this issue is important to them. Whether its religious beliefs or anything else, it’s in one’s self-interest as an American to take care of those who need it,” said Giles.

In 2003, the College of Human Sciences created an initiative to make college students more aware. With the help of an academic partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme, Auburn is taking steps toward putting an end to hunger. “Our focus is not just a global one, but a domestic one as well. We must look in own backyard and see where were can make a difference,” said Giles.

The Hunger Summit will feature keynote speakers to inform, educate and ignite people to end global and domestic hunger. Speakers from across the nation include Marc Nord of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as well as Joel Berg of the New York City Coalition Against Hunger.

The cost for the weekend is $100, which includes meals from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon.

“We hope this Hunger Summit will be a bonding experience for faculty and staff to see what we collectively can do to make an impact. We also want this to be a ‘think tank’ for people to share ideas,” Giles explained.

For more information on the Hunger Summit, visit www.universitiesfightingworldhunger.org or call Jane Kucera at 334-844-3790.

You’re sure to be left hungry to see a difference in the war on hunger.