CEBU, Philippines - Global film and music stars, including the Philippines’ Lea Salonga, have been Goodwill Ambassadors for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization a day before World Food Day.
Together with Salonga, U.S. actress Susan Sarandon, Canadian recording star Celine Dion, Italian actor Raoul Bova, and Indonesian singer Anggun were also named as special envoys for the U.N. Organization. The special ceremony was done at the UN-FAO headquarters in Rome, Italy.
“As an ambassador, basically what you can do is get the press, like you, to go to places where they aren’t normally, to put pictures so people identify what’s going on,” said Susan Sarandon.
Tens of millions of people are suffering from hunger in Pakistan, Haiti and the Sahel. Many receive support from hand out rations, but the aim of United Nations food agencies is to make the world’s hungry self sufficient in food.
Salonga, for her part, said she was incredibly honored to be named an Ambassador, but acknowledged it would also be an “incredible challenge.”
“I’m hoping that my image, my celebrity is able to do a change, especially where I come from. Hopefully people back home, knowing that I’m part of this, hopefully will turn their attentions to this campaign and to what FAO is trying to do.”
Delegates from around the globe were meeting ahead of World Food Day to urge world leaders to invest heavily in food security and relieve the some one billion people who go hungry every day.