But during the conference, sponsored by the USCCB and Catholic Relief Services, ...[Cardinal Timothy Dolan] also called on Catholics to deepen their knowledge of this issue and register their concerns with their elected representatives.

"Americans generally, and our Catholic brothers and sisters especially, need to become better informed of the systematic challenges to the fundamental right of religious freedom in far too many countries," the cardinal urged.

The first freedom, which we too often take for granted in our own nation, even as we are vigilant in its defense, is under often violent attack.

Read it all.

Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Globalization • Hunger/Malnutrition • Religion & Culture • Violence • * Economics, Politics • Foreign Relations • Politics in General • * International News & Commentary • Africa • Libya

Significant progress on global malnutrition can be made in 2011, the ecumenical anti-hunger group Bread for the World said Monday (Nov. 22) in its new annual report on hunger.

The U.S. government’s “Feed the Future” initiative has the potential to reduce hunger by addressing long-term economic development and focusing on small farmers, said Asma Lateef, director of Bread for the World Institute.

Read it all.

Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Dieting/Food/Nutrition • Globalization • Hunger/Malnutrition • Poverty

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Watch it all

Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Hunger/Malnutrition • Poverty • * Economics, Politics • Economy • The Credit Freeze Crisis of Fall 2008/The Recession of 2007-- • * International News & Commentary • America/U.S.A.

The president of a Christian anti-hunger lobbying group won the premier award for fighting world hunger.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton awarded the World Food Prize to Bread for the World President David Beckmann at the State Department on Wednesday (June 16).

Beckmann, an economist and ordained Lutheran minister, shared the $250,000 prize with Jo Luck, president of Heifer International.

Read it all.

Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Dieting/Food/Nutrition • Globalization • Hunger/Malnutrition • Poverty • Religion & Culture

It's hard to get credit these days, except when it comes to fixing your teeth. Across the country, dental credit cards are becoming more popular for those who don't have insurance or enough money to pay for a procedure. But a growing number of critics warn the cards cause more problems than they solve.

Joseph Lopez, 75, lives in a Sacramento trailer park. Last year, his wife needed a bridge for her teeth. It had a $3,000 price tag and Lopez didn't have dental insurance. So, he says, he got a special kind of loan.

"They told me I would not have any interest for two years," Lopez says, but when the bill came, the treatment hadn't been completed. And it was for $5,000 — $2,000 more than he agreed to.

Read it all.

Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Hunger/Malnutrition • * Economics, Politics • Economy • Consumer/consumer spending • Personal Finance

A painful reminder of the consequences of the current recession--watch it all.

Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Hunger/Malnutrition • * Economics, Politics • Economy • The Credit Freeze Crisis of Fall 2008/The Recession of 2007--

Thanksgiving came early this year for residents of Johns and Wadmalaw islands.

Nineteen churches pulled together Saturday to host "Feeding the Multitude," which included a free Thanksgiving meal, entertainment and Christian fellowship.

Although Sunday mornings have been called one of the most segregated times in America, black, white and Hispanic volunteers contributed food, time and talent to serve their neighbors Saturday afternoon.

The event was held at St. John's Episcopal Church on Johns Island, and organizers hope it will become an annual event.

Hooray for Saint John's! Read it all.

Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Episcopal Church (TEC) • TEC Parishes • * Christian Life / Church Life • Parish Ministry • * Culture-Watch • Hunger/Malnutrition • * South Carolina

Food insecurity in America continued to rise last year, and participation in the food stamp program is approaching record highs, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday (Nov. 17).

In 2007, 11.1 percent of U.S. households reported food insecurity -- what used to be labeled as "hunger" -- up from 10.9 percent in 2006. About 4 percent of households were severely food insecure, meaning one or more adults had to adjust their eating habits because the household lacked resources for food.

The food stamp program now has more than 30 million people enrolled, an increase of 9.5 percent from 2006, and half of all babies receive supplemental nutrition from the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, according to the report.

Read it all.

Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Globalization • Hunger/Malnutrition • Poverty

A lovely and inspiring story, watch it all.

Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Hunger/Malnutrition • Science & Technology

You've probably never heard a good news story about malnutrition, but you’re about to. Every year, malnutrition kills five million children -- that's one child every six seconds. But now, the Nobel Prize-winning relief group "Doctors Without Borders" says it finally has something that can save millions of these children.

It's cheap, easy to make and even easier to use. What is this miraculous cure? As CNN's Anderson Cooper reports, it's a ready-to-eat, vitamin-enriched concoction called "Plumpynut," an unusual name for a food that may just be the most important advance ever to cure and prevent malnutrition.

"It's a revolution in nutritional affairs," says Dr. Milton Tectonidis, the chief nutritionist for Doctors Without Borders.

Another from the long list of have-not-had-time-to-post-yet stuff. Read it all or better yet take the time to watch the video (a little over 11 minutes)

Filed under: * Culture-Watch • Globalization • Health & Medicine • Hunger/Malnutrition