Nobel Peace Prize for 2020 was given to the United Nations World Food Programme

The prestigious Nobel Peace Prize for 2020 was given to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) for its role in combatting hunger and the use of starvation as a weapon of conflict and war. In the award’s announcement, the Norwegian Nobel Committee stressed the great importance of WFP’s work as the “need for international solidarity and multilateral cooperation is more conspicuous than ever.” The WFP is one of the largest aid organizations in the world and is often found on the front lines of major global conflicts. In 2019, it was estimated that the WFP provided aid to close to 100 million people in 88 different countries. 

George Fedha, PhD

Fielding alumnus, Dr. George Fedha, has been a leader with the WFP for over a decade. This past August, he was appointed to the Head of Mission in Namibia. In this role, Dr. Fedha is in charge of the programs and operations of the WFP in the country of Namibia. He works closely with various government departments including Prime Minister’s Office, Agriculture, Rural and Urban Development, Education, National Planning Commission and Gender Equality to support systems and capacity to address hunger as well as support Namibia’s small holder farmers especially women and the youth in promoting increased local food production. This effort combined with others will help in working towards the WFP’s overall goal of “Zero-Hunger by 2030.”

Dr. George Fedha earned his PhD in Human and Organizational Systems from Fielding.  His dissertation focused on an aspect of his work with the WFP, “How aid workers adapt to complexity and uncertainty in the frontline of war against hunger” (published 2010).

Interview with Dr. Fedha

 

To learn more about the World Food Programme and the goal of “Zero-Hunger by 2030,” please visit wfp.org.

To learn more about School of Leadership Studies and the various doctoral programs, please visit the school’s web site.