THP's Strategic Direction
Achieving the End of Hunger: Scaling Up via Partnerships, Advocacy and Impact
September 2009
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The Hunger Project's vision - a world free from hunger and poverty - remains unchanged. In fact, achieving that vision is more urgent than ever.
Today, more than one billion people are living in extreme poverty, on less than $1.25 dollar a day, and regrettably, that number is growing due to the combined impact of the food price crisis and the world economic crisis.
This situation, however, is not inevitable. The Hunger Project (THP) has a deep and informed understanding - inspired by the creativity, resilience and determination of the millions of poor and marginalized people with whom we have partnered over the years - that through true empowerment, it is indeed possible for women and men to end their own hunger and poverty.
Our twenty years of work in villages on the ground has taught us that the elimination of hunger requires a vision of a different future: a future in which all people have the opportunity to be active participants in their own change; where the equality of women is an essential element in that change; and where people's partnership with local government ensures their voices are heard, they gain access to resources, and that the change is sustainable.
The purpose of this document is to set out our long-term vision of how to achieve a future where all people gain the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives and build a better future for their children. We are at the threshold of an extraordinary opportunity. In July, world leaders made an unparalleled financial commitment to end world hunger at the G8 summit and there has been an overall shift in development thinking toward long-term, sustainable approaches that acknowledge women as key to the process.
THP's role is to leverage our remarkable success, build on our strengths, and challenge ourselves to be at the cutting edge. As a learning organization, we must also continually identify areas that need improvement and ask ourselves how best to expand our scope, grow in influence and seek to participate in the public debate about the most effective approaches to achieve sustainable development.
This strategic direction is not simply about expanding our existing programs. It is about growing the organization and expanding its scope via three defined strategic priorities: partnerships, advocacy and impact. We must not only keep our programs innovative, effective and efficient, but also establish world-class policy advocacy and alliance-building skills. We will need to back these capabilities with a more systematic approach to impact assessment, one that resonates with policymakers, and validates THP's innovative and people-centered strategy.
Based on the broad thrust of our strategic direction, rolling two year implementation plans are being developed by each area of THP activity. We will review progress and update our strategy each year to ensure our focus is firmly on our priorities, ensure we are ready to respond effectively to new challenges, and keep us united as one team in striving to fulfill our vision.
Jill E. Lester
President and CEO
