In 2000, the United Nations held a conference on a program to help advance underdeveloped nations. The result was the United Nations Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals. This global partnership consisted of eight goals ranging from poverty and hunger reduction to environmental sustainability, all with the primary goal of increasing the quality of life of the world's most disadvantaged citizens. Although the United Nations had a deadline to achieve its goal of reducing and/or eliminating hunger by 2015, it has become apparent that more time and resources are needed in the mission to achieve that goal and the others listed in the declaration. Eradicating world hunger within the next 30 years is a feasible goal, however fundamental steps must be taken to achieve effective and sustainable change. In many regions of the world, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia, high levels of hunger remain high. prevalent. Over the past decade there has actually been an increase in hunger statistics in sub-Saharan Africa, while the developed world has collectively seen a decrease. Many factors are attributed to the lack of progress on this socio-political issue. The most common are the lack of fertile land to produce food, natural disasters and soaring food prices. Several initiatives have been taken to reduce hunger, but the root of the problem must be identified before any legitimate change can occur. According to the Task Force on Hunger (a United Nations publication), the percentage of individuals suffering from hunger globally has been reduced from 1/5 to 1/6 of the population. This decline has occurred over the past twenty years, but… middle of paper… nger is a systemic problem that goes beyond simply donating money or even food supplies. A common thread I have noticed throughout my personal, academic, and professional experiences has been the power of information. I believe education truly is the great equalizer. The more informed people are, the more likely they are to make better decisions that will have a positive impact on their future. By investing in education programs, governments will reduce the likelihood that their citizens will fall into the cycle of poverty that includes suffering from hunger. To solve the problem of hunger, the global community must examine all the social ills facing underdeveloped nations. Poverty, hunger and disease are all interconnected problems. To make strides in even one of these arenas requires investment and progress in all of these issues.