Southwest Environmental Justice Initiative

How would you write a global vision? What strategies should be implemented that are based on the value of empowerment? What resources can we draw upon to shape these strategies?

George Kent, a professor with Transcend Peace University, and author of Freedom from Want: The Human Right to Adequate Food (2005, Georgetown University Press, Washington, D.C.) suggests that a key barrier to ending world hunger is the failure of the international community to clearly articulate a global vision and implement strategies to achieve that vision.  Creating that vision and defining strategies requires many conflicting interests, including those of nations and civil society organizations, to find common ground for a shared future.  On this network, we believe such strategies should be based on a fundamental value of empowerment.  Although emergency aid is needed in times of crisis, the ultimate intent should always be to minimze aid and promote self-reliance.

Kent suggests a global vision could be phrased as:

A world full of diverse, strong, highly self-reliant communities, each looking after the nutrition and general quality of life of its own people to the best of its abilities.

This could be rephrased as:

A world in 2020, where all communities are diverse, strong, and highly self-reliant, partnering to ensure nutritional security and quality life for all.