Somewhere in the world a child dies of hunger every five seconds. Over 840 million people suffer from chronic malnutrition—at the same time, food assistance is diminishing, while food prices are on the rise. As United States Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies in Rome, Gaddi Vasquez leads a team comprising the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, that works to build bridges between Washington and Rome and to maintain the best stewardship of America’s aid to feed the hungry. As the largest donor to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Program, and the International Fund for Agricultural Development, the U.S. is the leader in the global war against hunger and poverty, playing a critical role in policy development, strategic planning and emergency preparedness for humanitarian crises, such as prevention of a bird flu pandemic. Ambassador Vasquez works with other diplomatic missions in assessing the effectiveness of UN programs to eradicate world hunger. He has been active in raising international awareness including leading foreign journalists on visits to countries where the U.S. is actively engaged in hunger relief, poverty alleviation, and agricultural development efforts. From 2002 to 2006, Ambassador Vasquez served as Director of the U.S. Peace Corps, leading the agency during a historic expansion of new country programs. Since 2002, he has traveled to over 60 countries.

RSVP/Pre-Paid Reservations Required by Noon on January 22nd