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United Nations Global Ambassador on World Hunger

A war hero, 22-year U.S. congressman and presidential candidate, George McGovern will long be remembered for his courage in speaking out against U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, his friendship and respect for the common man, and his work on behalf of American farmers and hungry children throughout the world.

In 1956 McGovern was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives where he served until 1960 when President John F. Kennedy named him the first director of the Food for Peace Program and special assistant to the president. In this position he made the first offer of U.S. assistance that paved the way for the establishment of the World Food Programme. Throughout his congressional career, McGovern was instrumental in creating programs to alleviate hunger, including Food for Peace, the school lunch program and food stamps.

In 1998, President Bill Clinton appointed him ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome, and in 2000 honored him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In 2001, he was appointed the first United Nations global ambassador on world hunger.

McGovern is a native of South Dakota and a graduate of Dakota Wesleyan University where he was also a history professor.

A Kimball native and former president of Dakota Wesleyan University, Donald E. Messer has traveled extensively in Asia, Africa, and South America, addressing issues related to global HIV/AIDS and world hunger.

Messer is President Emeritus and the Henry White Warren Professor of Practical Theology at The Iliff School of Theology in Denver. He served as president at lliff from 1981-2000.

Messer's most recent book, “Ending Hunger Now: A Challenge to Persons of Faith” (Minneapolis: Augsburg Press, 2005) was co-authored with Sens. George McGovern and Robert Dole. An author of 11 books, other titles include “Breaking the Conspiracy of Silence: Christian Churches and the Global AIDS Crisis” (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004); and “Calling Church and Seminary into the 21st Century” (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995).

A 1963 graduate of Dakota Wesleyan University, Messer holds his Ph.D. in Christian social ethics from Boston University. He has lectured and preached nationally and internationally, been elected a delegate to five General Conferences of the United Methodist Church, served as president of the Association of United Methodist Theological Schools, and helped initiate the Russia United Methodist Theological Seminary in Moscow.

General Secretary, National Council of Churches

An ordained elder in the United Methodist Church, Bob Edgar is the general secretary of the leading U.S. organization in the movement for Christian unity.

Edgar took office in January 2000, as the 50-year-old council began to reshape its life and mission. Under his leadership, the council is focusing its energies on major initiatives in the areas of overcoming poverty, protecting the environment, fostering interfaith understanding and building international peace.

He was president of Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, Calif., from 1990-2000. He also served six terms as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, where he was the first Democrat in more than 120 years to be elected from the heavily Republican Seventh District of Pennsylvania.

Edgar's wide-ranging career has also included pastorates at United Methodist congregations and stints as a teacher, college chaplain, community organizer and director of a "think tank" on national security issues.

He received a bachelor of arts degree from Lycoming College, Williamsport, Pa., and a master of divinity degree from the Theological School of Drew University, Madison, N.J.
 

Director of Services, The Cutting Edge

Cade Fields-Gardner, is an HIV-specialist dietitian providing training, education, research and program development services for public agencies, professional organizations, health facilities and industry.

She has authored professional research and review articles including the 1994, 2000 and 2004 position papers for nutritional management in HIV/AIDS for the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada; patient-oriented pamphlets, handouts and articles; a Clinician’s Guidebook on Nutritional Management in HIV/AIDS; two books on HIV medication interactions; and she is working on a cookbook for patients in the era of HAART (Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy).

Fields-Gardner is currently working on field-testing nutritional management guidelines for pediatric HIV-infected patients in the US, and developing, implementing and monitoring nutritional projects in selected geographic areas.

She is a regular consultant providing body composition recommendations and training for the Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trial Group and selected Adult ACTG projects. She has a special interest in public policy on HIV infection and disease and has presented her work on nutrition-related issues in HIV disease internationally.

Fields-Gardner earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nutritional sciences from San Jose State University in California.