A coalition of aid organizations is holding events for high school and college students this week that focus on world hunger. Cullen Schwarz of the “Better Safer World Campaign,” oversees what are called “hunger banquets” planned for this week. He says participants draw colored cards at random. Depending on the color card they draw, 15-percent will sit and eat a gourmet meal with lavish table setting,or they’ll be in the 30-percent who sit on chairs and eat rice and beans, or they’ll be in the 55-percent who sit on the floor and eat a cup of rice and water. Schwarz says the percentages are based on what’s happening across the world, including the 55-percent of the people he says live on less than two dollars a day. He says the banquets will help educate people about hunger in a unique way by showing them first-hand the hunger and inequality that exists in the world. Schwarz says the banquets make an impression on the students. He says it tends to be very powerful because the hunger and inequality isn’t an abstract idea, it exists in the room where they’re all sitting. Schwarz says they hope the message of the banquets carries to all Iowans during this Thanksgiving holiday. He says as we’re all enjoying our time with our families, and our feasts, he says they hope everyone will think about those who can’t enjoy a feast, and who won’t have enough to eat. The banquets will be held at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Drake University in Des Moines, Graceland University in Lamoni, Grinnell College, Iowa State University and the University of Iowa. For more information, surf to: www.bettersaferworld.org.
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