From the National Council of Churches:
Washington, D.C. June 7, 2005 -- With fervor and conviction, religious leaders from Jewish, Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, Muslim, Sikh and Buddhist traditions, urged more than 1,000 participants in yesterday's first Interfaith Convocation on Hunger at the Washington National Cathedral to advocate for the end of hunger in the United States and abroad.
"There is a new day dawning in this country. God has made it possible in our time for us to end hunger," declared The Rev. David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, which is one of the sponsors for the "Hunger No More" event. "This is an age old dream but it is also an urgent opportunity," he said.
In his keynote address, The Most Rev. Njongonkulu W.H. Ndungane, Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, South Africa, called on people of faith to speak loudly and clearly to end hunger with the goal of food for everyone being a human right.
"We must put all our weight behind the growing momentum for change," said Bishop Ndungane "Now is the time -- we have an unprecedented opportunity to make a difference."
Bishop Ndungane also questioned the increasing number of hungry people in the world while the world economy continues to grow. Calling this phenomenon a matter of political will rather than lack of resources, he urged participants not to allow politicians to "escape" without doing something to end hunger.
National Council of Churches' General Secretary, the Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, Associate General Secretary for Justice and Advocacy, the Rev. Brenda Girton-Mitchell and Church World Service Executive Director, the Rev. Dr. John McCullough, were among the national and international religious leaders who gathered for the event. Also gathered were leaders of several NCC member denominations including: Bishop George Walker, African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church; Bishop Mark Hanson, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; Jim Winkler, General Board of Church and Society, United Methodist Church; Dr. William Hobgood, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ); Bishop Vicken Aykazian, Armenian Church of America; The Most Rev. Frank Griswold, The Episcopal Church; Rev. Dr. Cliff Kirkpatrick, Presbyterian Church (USA); Rev. Dr.Stephen Thurston, National Baptist Convention of America; Bishop Lawrence Reddick, III, Christian Methodist Episcopal Church; Rev. Dr. John H. Thomas, United Church of Christ; Rev. Dr. Stan Hastey, Alliance of Baptists; and Rev. Wesley Granberg-Michaelson, Reformed Church in America.
"We cannot be at peace until all of our brothers and sisters in the United States and around the world hunger no more," Edgar declared.
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