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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dear all,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>following the message I received from Alejandra I
thought whether we should not be sending our document on women and the food
crisis to the meeting of the World Bank. What do you think? Please respond soon
so we can send it maybe tomorrow.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Thanks,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ana</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ana Agostino<BR>ICAE<BR>International Council for
Adult Education<BR>General Secretariat<BR>18 de Julio 2095 - Apto
301<BR>11200 Montevideo - Uruguay<BR>Tel/fax: 005982 409 79 82<BR>E-mail: <A
href="mailto:ana@icae.org.uy">ana@icae.org.uy</A> <BR><A
href="http://www.icae.org.uy">www.icae.org.uy</A><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message -----
<DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; font-color: black"><B>From:</B> <A
title=Alejandra.Scampini@actionaid.org
href="mailto:Alejandra.Scampini@actionaid.org">Alejandra Scampini</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>To:</B> <A title=ana@icae.org.uy
href="mailto:ana@icae.org.uy">ana@icae.org.uy</A> </DIV>
<DIV><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, October 09, 2008 1:19 PM</DIV>
<DIV><B>Subject:</B> FW: AA release on World Bank annual meetings.</DIV></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV class=Section1>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<DIV>
<DIV id=ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder3_pageheader>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">hi all, here's AA's press release
on the food crisis ahead of the World Bank annual meetings this weekend. <FONT
color=navy><SPAN style="COLOR: navy"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Bjs<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Alejandra<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=navy size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=4><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 13.5pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Bail Out the Hungry, demands
ActionAid</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">World Bank Summit this Week in
Washington Could Provide a Life-line for World’s Poorest </SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">For more information
contact: Denise Hughes @ </SPAN></FONT><STRONG><U1:SPAN
class=skype_tb_injectionIn id=skype_tb_text0><U1:SPAN class=skype_tb_innerText
id=skype_tb_innerText0><B><FONT face=Tahoma color=#333333 size=2><U1:SPAN
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id=softomate_highlight_0
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title="Call this phone number in United States of America with Skype: +19175492621"
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onmouseout="javascript:skype_tb_imgOnOff(this,0,'0',true,'');" durex="420"
context="917.549.2621" IamRTL="0"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: #333333; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">917.549.2621</SPAN></U1:SPAN></FONT></B></U1:SPAN></U1:SPAN></STRONG><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> or
</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><A
href="mailto:Denise@creative-connectors.com"><FONT size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Denise@creative-connectors.com</SPAN></FONT></A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><st1:City
w:st="on"><FONT face=Verdana size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Washington</SPAN></FONT></st1:City><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">
<st1:State w:st="on">D.C.</st1:State>—October 8, 2008—As developed economies
scramble to stabilize their financial markets, ActionAid is urging leaders
at the World Bank summit in <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Washington</st1:place></st1:State> to take action to save the lives of
people who are dying because of the world food crisis.</SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">The
crisis has catapulted another 100 million people into the ranks of the hungry.
Nearly one billion people – a sixth of the world’s population - now face
devastating hunger.</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><STRONG><B><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">“We are
witnessing an unprecedented effort to bail out the global financial industry and
an acknowledgement that for too long, lack of government involvement and
oversight has led to massive failures in the market,”
</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><FONT face=Verdana size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">said <st1:PersonName
w:st="on">Shefali Sharma</st1:PersonName>, Head of ActionAid’s Food Crisis
Taskforce.</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><STRONG><B><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">“A
similar rethinking needs to take place on the food crisis. At least $30 billion
a year is needed now to invigorate environmentally-friendly small scale food
production in developing countries and to ensure that the poor and vulnerable
are spared the brunt of the fuel and food crisis.
</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><STRONG><B><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">“But for
this investment to be effective, we need a clear break from past Bank orthodoxy
and prescriptions on agriculture and for the institution to support the Right to
Food Framework enshrined at the UN.”</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><FONT
face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">In its
new report, Rising Food And Fuel Prices: Addressing the Risks To Future
Generations - released on Oct. 12, the Bank acknowledges that: “for those
already struggling to meet their daily food and nutrient needs, the double shock
of food and fuel price rises represents a threat to basic survival.
</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><STRONG><B><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">“The
poorest households are reducing the quantity and/or quality of the food,
schooling, and basic services that they consume, leading to irreparable damage
to the health and education of millions of children.”
</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Women
and girls will be the hardest hit, the report warns, because “gender disparities
in the quantity and quality of food consumed increase during times of shortage,”
compelling mothers and daughters to “skip entire days of eating.”
Ironically, Women grow 60-80% of the world’s food.
</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Having
acknowledged the food crisis and the immediate need for social Social safety
nets, the Bank continues to struggle with a bigger role for the state in
resolving these crises even as it supports the financial bailout.
</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Commenting on the Bank’s strategy
ActionAid <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">USA</st1:place></st1:country-region>’s Governance Policy Analyst, Rick
Rowden said:</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><STRONG><B><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">“Today
when countries’ social protection mechanisms are being stretched, the World Bank
has noted that “Many countries have inadequate safety nets and some are
realizing that they have underinvested in these systems,” but countries are not
just “realizing” this now. </SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><FONT face=Verdana
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><STRONG><B><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">“In
fact, such chronic underinvestment has long been a result of the loan conditions
and policy advice of the Bank and the International Monetary Fund over many
years to cut back on spending and public investment in order to achieve the
IMF’s overly-austere definition of ‘macroeconomic
stability.</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><FONT face=Verdana size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><STRONG><B><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">“Even
now, as the IMF announced emergency lending to 15 countries, it has kept in
place its unnecessarily restrictive fiscal and monetary policy targets that will
continue to block countries from being able to increase public investment.
These contradictions must be addressed.” </SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><FONT
face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Commenting on the report, Sharma
said:</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><STRONG><B><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">“ActionAid supports the need to
address short-term safety nets so that cash to buy food gets to the most
vulnerable – women and children. </SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><FONT
face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><STRONG><B><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">“However, the report falls far
short of supporting the free and universal provision of basic health care and
education, pushing for reduction in costs to the poor
instead. </SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><STRONG><B><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">“While
the Bank is finally waking up to the need for government spending on essential
services such as health and education, it does not go far enough in
acknowledging the policy space that developing country governments need now more
than ever to be able to deal with the triple
crises.</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><FONT face=Verdana size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> </SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><STRONG><B><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">“If the
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">US</st1:place></st1:country-region> can spend $700 billion dollars on
bailing out Wall Street, surely a case can be made that developing country
governments need the investments and the policy flexibility to use the best
tools at their disposal in protecting their poor.”
</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">ActionAid’s report
</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><A
href="http://www.actionaid.org/docs/failing%20the%20rural%20poor%20-%20aid,%20agriculture%20and%20the%20millennium%20development%20goals.pdf"><STRONG><B><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Failing
the Rural Poor </SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG></A></SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana
size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">covers the right to
food, problems in the current aid architecture for agriculture and outlines
recommendations for governments and donors to steer investment in agriculture in
the right direction. </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Aftab
Alam Khan, ActionAid’s International Food Rights Coordinator,
said:</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><STRONG><B><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">“The
World Bank has been a promoter of free market ideology that has brought the
global food and financial structures to a collapse. The Bank needs to
acknowledge its own failures in order to change the direction that is pushing
millions more people into hunger.”</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG><FONT
face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">“ActionAid is presenting a
</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><A
href="http://www.actionaid.org/assets/pdf/HF%20Manifesto%20FINAL.pdf"><STRONG><B><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">10-point
plan to end hunger</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG></A></SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">, and
the most fundamental solution that the Bank must recognize is every State’s
power to ensure that every one of their citizens has the right to
food.”</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">ActionAid’s </SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><A
href="http://www.actionaid.org/main.aspx?PageID=677"><STRONG><B><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">HungerFREE campaign
</SPAN></FONT></B></STRONG></A></SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">to push for the right to food has
been launched in over 30 countries over the past 18 months. On 16 October
2008, World Food Day, protests and actions by women will present how poor women
farmers can help solve the food crisis in Africa, Asia and <st1:place
w:st="on">Latin America</st1:place>. </SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">But
enshrining nutritious food as a human right, as ActionAid has long encouraged,
is no mean feat in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Washington</st1:City> <st1:State
w:st="on">D.C.</st1:State></st1:place> </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">For
months, for example, journalists have pressed the <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region>
presidential and vice presidential candidates to single out just one spending
item they might have to cut given the nation’s present economic
crisis.</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Only Joe
Biden, in his debate with Sarah Palin last week, was specific, suggesting that
in such hard times his administration might have to “slow down” the nation’s
commitments to increase foreign assistance. </SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Though Senator Biden’s response
may have eased the insecurities of the American middle class, it was a reminder
of the costly political capital that leaders must spend to aid the poor.
</SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Verdana size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><BR></SPAN></FONT><FONT
face=Verdana size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">On that
point at least, the World Bank’s report offers some reassurance. “The costs to
national treasuries and the development community of responding to the crisis
now,” it says, “are many multiples less than the potential costs of millions
more undernourished children.” </SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Verdana><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Verdana"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></DIV></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P><B><FONT face=Verdana color=gray size=1><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 8pt; COLOR: gray; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana">Alex
<SPAN class=spelle>Wijeratna</SPAN> <BR>Campaigns Officer <BR>ActionAid
<st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">UK</st1:place></st1:country-region><BR><st1:address
w:st="on"><st1:Street w:st="on"><SPAN class=spelle>Hamlyn</SPAN> House
<BR>Macdonald Rd</st1:Street> <BR><st1:City w:st="on">London</st1:City>
<U2:POSTALCODE u3:st="on"><st1:PostalCode w:st="on">N19
5PG</st1:PostalCode></st1:address><BR>Tel: + 44 (0) 207 561 7613 <BR><st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mobile</st1:place></st1:City>: 07725 406 730
<BR><SPAN class=spelle>Skype</SPAN>: <SPAN class=spelle>alex.wijeratna</SPAN>
<o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></U2:POSTALCODE> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></FONT></P>
<DIV class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">
<HR align=center width="100%" SIZE=2>
</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial color=gray size=1><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 7.5pt; COLOR: gray; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">ActionAid is a
registered charity No. 274467 and a company limited by guarantee<BR>Registered
office: ActionAid, Hamlyn House, <st1:place w:st="on">MacDonald Rd, <st1:City
w:st="on">London</st1:City> <st1:PostalCode w:st="on">N19 5PG</st1:PostalCode>,
<st1:country-region w:st="on">UK</st1:country-region></st1:place><BR>Registered
in <st1:country-region w:st="on">England</st1:country-region> and
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