Members of the Prep community learned more about the global food crisis in a tangible way on November 4 by gathering in the O’Keefe Commons after school for Prep’s first ever Oxfam Hunger Banquet.
According to their website, Oxfam is “a global organization that fights inequality to end poverty and injustice. We offer lifesaving support in times of crisis and advocate for economic justice, gender equality, and climate action. We demand equal rights and equal treatment so that everyone can thrive, not just survive.”
Since 1974, Oxfam has “been working with volunteers to create awareness of hunger and inequality. Oxfam Hunger Banquets give you the opportunity to make a difference, both locally and globally. They are volunteer-led interactive events that bring statistics about poverty to life.”
Proceeds from Prep’s inaugural iteration will support Oxfam’s mission.
Organized by Ms. Christine Ricca of the English Department with support from the Office of Student Life and the Office of Campus Ministry, Prep’s banquet took the form of a dinner, during which attendees received unique identity cards dividing them into low, middle or high income groups. A participant’s identity determined where they sat, from a festively decorated table to the Commons floor, and the type of meal they ate, from plain rice to a Thanksgiving feast—a metaphor for real-world global inequity.
The assigned cards reflected real statistics, and according to slides on-display that evening from Oxfam, 50-percent of the world’s population belongs to the “low income group,” earning less than $3,431 a year.
Prep’s event began with an invocation led by Fr. Lito Salazar, SJ, during which each group was invited to pray for the other groups in the room and for those in the world who go hungry each day.
After dinner, Prep student representatives shared true stories, assigning attendees roles of real individuals and encouraging them to move throughout the room, to demonstrate how people may transition unexpectedly between income groups due to circumstances outside their control.
The evening finally concluded with questions for reflection, encouraging attendees to explore what they learned and consider what actions they themselves could take as they strive to be men and women for and with others.
