Dinner of cold rice a diplomatic reminder (a diplomat with a conscience)

[acmavm]

http://smh.com.au/news/World/Dinner-of-cold-rice-a-diplomatic-reminder/2004/11/26/1101219748626.html

<snip>
London: Distinguished diplomats were reduced to eating handfuls of cold rice when an American ambassador in Rome threw a Thanksgiving reception designed to remind the corps diplomatique of the scale of world hunger.

Guests of Tony Hall, the US ambassador to the United Nations food agencies in Rome, were confronted on Thursday with the reality of living off cups of rice. When they arrived for his party, they were asked to draw raffle tickets, placing them in three categories of wealth. The richest were served with the customary gourmet meal.

Others were handed portions of rice and beans. But there were strained smiles among those who drew the "poorest" tickets. They found themselves shut out of Mr Hall's spacious residence in the elite suburb of Caracalla and left in the darkness to pace the garden. These diplomats were then presented with their meal - a few handfuls of cold rice. A leaflet informed them that they were representing the 60 per cent of the world's 6 billion people who struggle to find each meal.

-MORE-

[NMDemDist2]

1. wow, that took some cojones

good for him!!

[senegal1]

2. WOW that is impressive for the stuffed shirt diplomatic crowd!

I am sure that will make the foreign service journal! Also might get him PNGed (person non grata...) or at least will dampen the turn out for his events.

[G_j]

3. bravo!

that is awesome. One of the best stories I've heard in awhile.

[JanMichael]

4. There's got to be some way that one of us could pull a similar stunt.

Very cool indeed.

[G_j]

7. I think you are right

>thinking cap on....

[hlthe2b]

5. kudos, kudos, kudos!

Someone should do that to Bush*!

[Eric J in MN]

6. Tony Hall is a Democrat appointed by George W. Bush,

apparently as a way to get a Republican into his Congressional seat:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Hall

"(Tony Hall) served in the House until 2003, after which he accepted President George W. Bush's nomination to succeed George McGovern as U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Agencies for Food and Agriculture. Hall's confirmation to the U.N. post, however, was held up until September 2002, making it difficult for his Democratic substitute in the House race, Richard A. Carne, to build up much name recognition before the November election. As a result, former Dayton Mayor Michael R. Turner, a Republican who had recently lost reelection to the mayoralty, was elected to take Hall's place.?

[Pithy Cherub]

8. Now that is a World Class Diplomat !

Way to go Ambassador Tony Hall! :yourock:

[havocmom]

9. Half way thru their 'customary gourmet meal' the 'richest' guests should

have also been treated to dimmed lights and a graphic slide show of how some of the world's 60% going hungry have to live.

Dessert?

[G_j]

10. kick

[MountainLaurel]

11. Incredible

What an amazing thing for this man to do -- I'm surprised that anyone with enough connections to become a diplomat would have enough empathy for the poor to do this.

[Ima]

12. I wonder how long

it will be, before he is called home?

[Squeech]

13. Oxfam does this

"Banquets" for 100 people: 5 randomly chosen get a Western-style square meal, 35 get beans and rice, 60 just get rice. Our diplomat apparently adapted their protocol. (Must be a Clinton-era holdover; I can't imagine a Bushie doing this.)

[G_j]

14. 'nother kick

for a great story..