BLACKSBURG, Va., Oct. 7, 2009 – Virginia Tech’s Office of International Affairs will host the 2009 World Food Day teleconference on Oct. 16 from noon to 3 p.m. This year's broadcast will be held in the Cardinal Room at Squires Student Center.
The teleconference, now in its 26th consecutive year, draws attention to the causes of global hunger and examines possible solutions. This year’s event will focus specifically on the financial crisis of people living in poverty around the globe, the responsibilities of the rest of the world, and solutions that are emerging.
A panel of three experts from different backgrounds will exchange their views on these issues. This year’s panel members are Max Finberg, the newly appointed Director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships; Rep. Jim McGovern, currently serving his seventh terms as a representative from Massachusetts; and Joy Phumaphi, vice president and head of the Human Development Network at the World Bank.
The event is free for Virginia Tech faculty, staff, and students, as well as members of the local community. Guests are welcome to come by at any time and stay for part, or all, of the broadcast. Door prizes will be awarded during the final hour of the event. All guests are encouraged to bring a non-perishable canned food item to support the New River Community Action Emergency Assistance Program.
With a visitor’s pass, parking is available in the Squires Lot, located at the corner of College Avenue and Otey Street, or the Shultz Hall Lot, located off Alumni Drive near the North Main Street campus entrance. Parking meters within the Squires Lot will need to be paid. A visitor’s pass may be obtained Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Visitor Information Center, located on Southgate Drive. Find more parking information online or call (540) 231-3200.