At last! A group of ordinary people are taking a stand against world hunger – and a powerful one at that.

Initiated in Iowa, USA, Presbyterians all around the world will fast for the global food crisis the first weekend of every month for the next year. Of course, there are those who are sceptical about the productivity of this kind of protest, but it is definitely a whole lot better than continuing life in a blissful bubble of complacency. Nancy Lister-Settle, who is “hunger-action enabler” for the initiative, believes that over 800 million people are going hungry not because the planet can no longer sustain us, but rather as a result of the political power-play and poor systems set up around the trade of food.

This protest is not, however, open to Presbyterian’s alone, but the whole world is invited to actively empathize with the growing number of malnourished and starving people across the globe. Fasting, while making a statement, will not work alone so it is imperative that participants, and others, make an effort to donate money saved to those who don’t have the option of fasting, but are forced into it. If you need to find a reason to join the protest, simply look at Egypt as an example of worldwide desperation - people physically fighting their way to the front of bread queues, getting crushed against the steel bars of bakery counters and being pushed to the ground when owners can’t handle the chaos anymore. 

As Robert Zoelick, president of the World Bank, says, we can no longer call this a food crisis, but rather a human crisis. So why not – why not make a sacrifice of 2 days once a month to aid those who go to bed with nothing to replenish their bodies or the ability to guarantee their survival everyday of the month. It’s the least we can do