On 11th May, the FPSC was inviated to participate in the presentation of an alliance for peace and food security between FAO and Nobel Peace Laureates, within the framework of the formal agreement that the foundation has with FAO. The presentation was celebrated in the headquarter of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in Rome.
Peace contributes to the achievement of food security, but is not enough. Food Security and hunger also concern peace.
“Wherever food security may promote stability, we must see feeding and agriculture as paths to achieve peace and food security”, stated Da Silva in an information note.
In this regard, in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, FAO Director-General, José Graziano da Silva, invited the Nobel Peace Laureates Oscar Arias, Muhamad Yunus, Tawakul Karman and Betty Williams to make joint efforts in order to guarantee that hunger will not provoke more conflicts and that, in the case any conflict occur, may the food systems be more resilient and have more opportunities to last.
After a speech of Da Silva, in which he stated that “there is no peace without food security, nor food security without peace”, he asked the Nobel Peace Laureates for advices on the improvement of FAO work in the establishment of stable and peaceful societies.
The former president of Costa Rica, Óscar Arias Sánchez, stated that “the absence of war does not mean peace. Hunger, food security, lack of health are any kind of violence. if we want peace, we need to solve the poverty problem”.
Moreover, Betty Williams, activist for peace in Northern Ireland, noted that “hunger is a great issue affecting also rich countries: countries are able to produce bombs but they are unable to feed their people”.
Likewise, Tawakkol Karman, Yemenis women rights activist and peace advocate, stressed that “in Arab countries, women are calling for peace, they are sacrificing in favour of peace. They need support for that”.
Finally, Muhammad Yunus, Grameen Bank founder, launched this reflection aimed to the youth: “Technology is a great power available to young generation. They must ask themselves: What are we going to do with this power?”.