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From left: U.S. Ambassador to the UN Agencies in Rome, Tony P. Hall;
U.S. Ambassador to Italy, Ronald P. Spogli;
U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Francis Rooney
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U.S. Ambassadors Tony Hall, Francis
Rooney and Ronald Spogli hosted an unusual holiday event to spotlight
the cause of the world's poor . At the sumptuous Villa Taverna, guests
began the evening as they might have suspected - with a receiving line
and a glass of prosecco - unaware of how the evening would unfold.
Following opening remarks, guests were divided
into three groups based on the color of a card randomly chosen when
entering. Fifteen percent of the guests were fed a full-course meal,
replete with white-glove service and crystal brimming with red wine.
Another 25 percent of the crowd was given a little protein in a combination
of rice and beans - they represented the world’s
middle-income group. But the vast majority of
the guests, representing the world's poor--60% of the population--ended
up in a room at Villa Taverna with a cold bowl of rice, the meager
food ration that they can afford. The occasion was inspired by Oxfam
America, an NGO that uses “hunger banquets” to illustrate
the severity of poverty and hunger.
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