The Advocates for Human Rights - Challenged to Provide Safe and Adequate Food

The right to food is the human right of every person to have regular access to sufficient, nutritionally adequate and culturally acceptable food for an active, healthy life. The right to food means that everyone has the right to be fed with dignity, and that governments must respect and protect the rights of individuals to feed themselves. The right to food is guaranteed under numerous United Nations documents including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). In the United States, food is abundant, varied and inexpensive. Additionally the government provides food assistance to vulnerable populations through multiple programs. Nonetheless, funding and eligibility restrict the provision of ample nutritious food to many in America, limiting the realization of the right to food in a land of plenty. This lecture will help us to understand who the hungry are in America, what it means to be a food insecure U.S. household, and what is being done on local and national levels to address the issue of hunger.

Carla Johnson is the Vice President of Partner Relations at the Second Harvest Heartland. Ms. Johnson is responsible for agency relations and community programs, including the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), Child and Senior Hunger programs, and other food distribution programs of the organization. Carla Johnson has a solid knowledge of and background in food banking, serving most recently as Executive Director of Channel One Food Bank & Food Shelf in Rochester, MN. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. Ms. Johnson holds an MA in Management from St. Mary’s University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and a BA in Psychology from St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN.

Colleen Moriarty is the Executive Director at Hunger Solutions Minnesota. Ms. Moriarty focuses her work at Hunger Solutions on building partnerships with other statewide organizations like the Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota and the Legal Advocacy Services Project. She is the co-chair of Minnesota Partners to End Hunger, which successfully rolled out the MN Food Stamp Challenge Diet this summer. Ms. Moriarty began her professional life as a community organizer for the Southside Child Care Committee and Greater Minneapolis Day Care Association. She served two terms as Chief of Staff to former Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton. In 2002, Ms. Moriarty was elected to the Minneapolis School Board. In addition, she has served on the boards of many community organizations, including the YWCA and The Jeremiah Program.

Please R.S.V.P. to Julia Kashaeva at Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights by noon on Tuesday, October 16.
(612) 341-3302 ext. 127 or Email: jkashaeva@mnadvocates.org
Lunch will be provided for those who RSVP. Application will be made for one CLE credit.

As part of its 2007 Human Rights Lecture Series

“Respect for Human Rights in the U.S.: The Challenge of the 21^st Century”

Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. and Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights

As part of its 2007 Human Rights Lecture Series

“Respect for Human Rights in the U.S.: The Challenge of the 21st Century”

Fredrikson & Byron, P.A. and Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights

“Respect for Human Rights in the U.S.: The Challenge of the 21^st Century”