Little-known facts about our global community
Forty percent of the people on our planet—more than 2.5 billion—now live in poverty, struggling to survive on less than $2 a day. Oxfam is working to change that. Hunger is the most visible face of poverty. In every nation on earth, people go to sleep hungry—more than 854 million people worldwide—even though our planet produces enough food to feed every woman, man, and child.
How does the Oxfam Hunger Banquet work?
Few experiences bring to life the inequalities in our world more powerfully than an Oxfam America Hunger Banquet event. Organizers and participants alike can experience firsthand how our decisions affect others in the world.
Guests draw tickets at random that assign them each to either a high, middle, or low-income tier and receive a corresponding meal. The 15% in the high-income tier are served a sumptuous meal. The 35% in the middle-income section eat a simple meal of rice and beans. The 50% in the low-income tier help themselves to small portions of rice and water.
Guests can also assume characterizations that describe the situation of a specific person at the income level to which they’ve been assigned. Finally, all guests are invited to share their thoughts after the meal.
After an Oxfam America Hunger Banquet event, few participants leave with full stomachs, but all possess a greater understanding of the problems of hunger and poverty and will hopefully be motivated to do something about them.
Forty percent of the people on our planet—more than 2.5 billion—now live in poverty, struggling to survive on less than $2 a day. Oxfam is working to change that. Hunger is the most visible face of poverty. In every nation on earth, people go to sleep hungry—more than 854 million people worldwide—even though our planet produces enough food to feed every woman, man, and child.
How does the Oxfam Hunger Banquet work?
Few experiences bring to life the inequalities in our world more powerfully than an Oxfam America Hunger Banquet event. Organizers and participants alike can experience firsthand how our decisions affect others in the world.
Guests draw tickets at random that assign them each to either a high, middle, or low-income tier and receive a corresponding meal. The 15% in the high-income tier are served a sumptuous meal. The 35% in the middle-income section eat a simple meal of rice and beans. The 50% in the low-income tier help themselves to small portions of rice and water.
Guests can also assume characterizations that describe the situation of a specific person at the income level to which they’ve been assigned. Finally, all guests are invited to share their thoughts after the meal.
After an Oxfam America Hunger Banquet event, few participants leave with full stomachs, but all possess a greater understanding of the problems of hunger and poverty and will hopefully be motivated to do something about them.
Join us for a Hunger Banquet on Saturday, September 18th, at The Women's Building in San Francisco's Mission District, from 3-5pm. RSVP at oxfam.sf@gmail.com.
