Photo by Diane Moyer, Burkina Faso 2014
The coming of a new year is a time for us to look back upon what we have accomplished and pledge to make the most of the coming year. 2014 was full of important conversations on ending malnutrition such as the Global Nutrition Report released in November or the Second International Conference on Nutrition held in Rome. These important discussions have set the stage to see real change in 2015.
This year Action Against Hunger (ACF) has responded to multiple crises: the Ebola epidemic in West Africa, the Syrian crisis and large number of refugees in the area, the ongoing conflict response in South Sudan, and most recently Typhoon Hagupit in the Philippines. Beyond the more practical impact on the ground, 2014 has been a remarkable year for increasing awareness around the problem of malnutrition – all necessary steps towards effective change.
Action Against Hunger Canada held a successful Love Food Fest event in October that not only allowed us to fund our work, but was also an opportunity to get people talking about ending malnutrition.
In November of 2014 the Global Nutrition Report was released. The report provided a never before seen picture of global- and country- level progress on all forms of nutrition. As Action Against Hunger Canada emphasises the importance of data collection as a way to highlight the persistence of global malnutrition through the SMART methodology, the Global Nutrition Report allows for the operationalization of the information collected.
From November 19 to November 21, 2014, ministers from 193 countries also met in Rome for the first time in 22 years to tackle malnutrition at the Second International Conference on Nutrition (ICN2). In addition to these discussions, civil society organisations, including ACF, have defined this decade as a Decade of Action on Nutrition. While these discussions and commitments are encouraging, it is important to recognize that the commitments are entirely voluntary.
This all brings us to 2015: As Melinda Gates eloquently noted at ICN2, “we have created a golden opportunity” because “we know more about what works than ever before”. With this in mind, 2015 can become the year we urge politicians to ensure their commitments lead to concrete action and real change. 2015 can become the year that we end malnutrition.
To do this, we need your help – our extraordinary Canadian expats who join our international missions, our dedicated volunteers, businesses that provide us with sponsorship and individuals who support us.
Together we can make 2015 the year we end malnutrition.