A Conversation With...Tony Hall
Original: AConversation With...Tony Hall
Three times nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, Tony P. Hall is a leading advocate for hunger relief programs and improving human rights conditions in the world. He was United States Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture in Rome for three and a half years and represented Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives for almost 24 years. Hall was a founding member of the Select Committee on Hunger and founded the Congressional Friends of Human Rights Monitors. He has received multiple national awards for his fight against hunger.
Tony Hall is the 2007 recipient of the CCCU's Mark O. Hatfield Leadership Award.
What is your current position title?
I was in Congressfor 24 years, and I was a U.S. Ambassador for three and a halfyears. I just retired from public service five months ago, butI'm still working on humanitarian work. One of theorganizations I work with is Opportunity International, whichprovides microfinance for women to get them out of poverty.
You have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times. You have received a Silver World Food Day Medal, Children's Legislative Advocate Award, U.S. AID Presidential End Hunger Award, Oxfam America Partners Award, Bread for the World Distinguished Service Against Hunger Award, and NCAA Silver Anniversary Award. What is the significance for you now to be recognized with the CCCU's Mark O. Hatfield Leadership Award?
The significanceto me is the fact that I knew Mark Hatfield and served with him.While he was a Senator, I was in the House of Representatives. Ihad great respect for him, so any award that has his name on it isa high honor for me. He was a very very good and decent man.
What is your connection to or perspective on the value of Christian higher education?
Well we needvalues and a good foundation in our life and I think what you getfrom a Christian high school or college is so important becauseit's something you'll carry withyou for the rest of your life. I never had that in my life. Ididn't become a believer until I actually came toCongress. I wish I would have had that early foundation.
Of all the roles you have held in your career of public service, which has been the most fulfilling for you?
That's a tough question. I loved being aCongressman for 24 years and I loved being an Ambassador. The onething about being an Ambassador that I really liked is that youwere completely in charge of your embassy and the direction of theembassy. I was the Ambassador to U.N. organizations in Rome whichmeans that through the U.S. we help feed about 150 million peopleevery year. I took that responsibility very seriously. I got towork on humanitarian types of programs for three and a half yearsexclusively. That was really important but I got my foundation andlove of the poor from being in Congress.
Where did your passion for alleviating hunger come from?
I went to Ethiopiain 1984. That's when they had this great famine. Isaw all these people die one day, including a number of childrendied right before my eyes from hunger, famine, disease. I never gotover that. When I came back from that trip I decided this was a wayI could bring God into my workplace. I never got over that and itbecame my passion to help those who were in distress.
In response to the abolishment of the Hunger Committee, in April 1993, you fasted for 22 days in order to draw attention to the needs of hungry people in the United States and around the world. What sustained you during this time? What responses did you get?
What sustained meis some of my closest friends and my family were with me, helpingme, praying for me. And most important, the closeness I felt to Godduring that time. When you have to fast, I did a water only fast.When you fast and you do it unto God, it's amazingthe strength of it and the power I felt and the closeness to God.It was really a great time in my life. I enjoyed it and learned alot from it.
One of theresponses was that the World Bank raised $100 million based on myfast and it went to micro finance women around the world to helpget out of poverty. Another result from the fast was a nonprofitcalled the Congressional Hunger Center, which still exists today.It trains young people just out of college how to be hungerhumanitarian advocates. The Center tries to train 50-60 youngpeople a year; it has trained 600 people so far.
You've spent time in more than 100 countries around the world. Are there a couple of people you've met during that time that really stand out in your mind?
Mother Teresa. Imet her five or six times, spent a little bit of time with her inCalcutta, I even went to her funeral. She was just incredible. Justso alive, there was like a light around her. She taught me so manythings in what she said and how she conducted herself. First thingshe did when I met her, she grabbed my hand and pointed to the fivefingers, and she said "Never forget. For the leastof these," and pointed to the five fingers whilesaying "For the least ofthese."
With all the human suffering you've witnessed firsthand, how do you not become discouraged with the overwhelming poverty?
You have to havehope. And our faith gives you hope and another thing Mother Teresasaid was that a reporter asked her once,"Don't you think that what you dois a drop in the bucket?" She said,"No, it's a drop in the ocean.But if I didn't do it, it would be one lessdrop." Her point was if we all did our drops,there would be a stream, a river, we'd be able tomakes something happen.
How does your faith in Jesus Christ relate to the career you've chosen?
It relates inevery way. I couldn't do this work without myfaith. I feel that Jesus is with the poor and I feel that andunderstand that and it's a way that I try to bringhim into the situation when I'm traveling. Ialways take a good friend with me, and we always pray every morningwherever we go- Congo, North Korea or Darfur, we walk and praythrough the situation. I couldn't do this workwithout Him.
