Hunger is the most dramatic manifestation of the socio-economic, political and environmental problems facing humanity. The United Nations has been trying for decades to mobilise the support of the international community to end this problem. Thus, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the UN General Assembly in New York in 2015, set out a series of measurable international development goals (the so-called Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs), including the ambitious and necessary goal of ending hunger in the world by 2030.
Together, we had the opportunity to explore the multiple causes of hunger and famine in the world and how they relate to food insecurity and various crises. We were fortunate to have a group of 18 students (mainly from Spain, but also one from Haiti and one from Colombia) and presentations from leading experts in the field. Finally, we had engaging debates with representatives from the Spanish government and other key political figures from Spain and Latin America, including Antón Leis García, Director of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), and Senator Laura Párraga, Deputy Coordinator of the Parliamentary Front Against Hunger in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Summer School also enabled us to deepen our relationships with our partners at the Universidad Internacional Menéndez Pelayo (UIMP), the University of Cantabria and the Spanish Network for Development Studies (REEDES).