World Food Programme official visits UW-Madison

Bettina Luescher, United Nations World Food Programme chief spokesperson for North America, will visit the UW–Madison campus on Thursday, March 8, and Friday, March 9. 

Luescher joined the World Food Programme in 2004, and since has worked in numerous crisis areas, such as Afghanistan, Darfur, Gaza, Guatemala, Haiti, Kenya, and regions of Indonesia and Sri Lanka affected by tsunamis. Prior to joining the World Food Programme, she spent 15 years at CNN International as an anchor, reporter and field producer, based in Atlanta, Frankfurt and Berlin. While part of CNN’s 2002 investigative team, Luescher won first place in the National Headliner Award for “Attack on America – 9/11.”

Luescher has a master’s degree in political science from UW–Madison and has won two Fulbright Scholarships.

Luescher’s first presentation, “Stories from the Frontlines of Fighting Hunger,” will be held at North Hall, Room 422, on Thursday, March 8, from noon to 1 p.m.  Her second presentation, “Holy Cow! From the UW to CNN to the UN,” will be at Tripp Commons in the Memorial Union from 4:30-5:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 8. Luescher’s final talk that day, “Quakes, Wars and Celebs—Fighting Hunger Worldwide,” will also be held at Tripp Commons in the Memorial Union from 7-8 p.m.   

The “Globetrotting to End Hunger” presentation will be held Friday, March 9, at the Pyle Center Auditorium from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Limited space will be available for this presentation. To attend, please register on the Wisconsin Alumni Association site at uwalumni.com/ghs.  

All events are free and open to the public.

The visit is co-sponsored by CALS-International Programs, Global Health Institute, Global Studies, the Wisconsin Alumni Association, ISS-Millennium Development Goals Awareness Project, United Nations Association-Dane County and Wisconsin Union Directorate-Global Connections.

Individuals can help support the World Food Programme by joining the Badger Rice Challenge. Sign up at www.freerice.com, then join the group “Badgers Worldwide.” For each question answered correctly while playing this simple online game, grains of rice will be donated to the hungry.

— By Kylie Peterson