JIM MORRIS JOINS ALLIANCE AS HONORARY CO-CHAIR

The Board of Directors, members, and staff of the Alliance to End Hunger welcome Jim Morris, former executive director of the United Nations World Food Program, as an Honorary Co-chair. 

Jim Morris, president of Pacers Sports and Entertainment, served as the executive director of WFP from 2002-2007.  During his tenure, Jim visited staff, beneficiaries and NGO partners in most of the 80 countries where WFP operates. He met with heads of state and government in developing and developed countries, addressed the U.N. Security Council and spoke to most of the parliaments and congresses in the world as part of his tireless campaign on behalf of hungry and poor people.  Jim led the effort to bring U.N. and humanitarian agencies together to fight the triple threat of food insecurity, HIV/AIDS and the loss of capacity.  This effort improved the lives of 15 million people, especially women and children, in Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi, and Mozambique and also produced significant reform within the U.N. 

Jim firmly believes that it is possible to end hunger in a generation if governments, civil society groups, the business community and concerned individuals work together, “Often we think about these sectors as if they are unconnected. But while resources may flow through different channels, they serve the same people, the same communities and the same children. We must do more to ensure that our investments in the agriculture, health and education arenas are working together on the same outcomes.(1)”

Jim’s personal commitment is to ending childhood hunger, “Few experiences have changed my life more than holding an acutely malnourished child in my arms…One can’t help but feel grief for this child’s pain; shame that this should be allowed to happen in the 21st century; anger that this child will not be the last to suffer this fate.(2)” Jim worked vigorously to build a worldwide partnership to end childhood hunger, led by WFP, UNICEF and the High Commission for Refugees to End Child Hunger.  In 2006, WFP fed 56 million children, including 22 million children through school feeding programs. 

The Alliance is honored to have such a powerful, passionate voice for hungry people as a part of its team.  Click here for Jim Morris’s biography and learn more about his career and public service.