Three advocacy organizations joined forces Monday night to discuss their goals to combat global poverty and hunger.

David Beckmann, president of Bread for the World, and Jo Luck, president of Heifer International, share this year’s World Food Prize.

Luck and Beckmann presented at the ninth annual Norman Borlaug lecture and discussed the role of non-governmental organizations in the fight toward ending global poverty and hunger.

Sheila Nix, U.S. executive director of the organization ONE, and Kim Hunter, U.S. press secretary for ONE, also led a discussion with the local ISU ONE chapter about the advocacy and efforts of the group.

The organizations shared a lot of common ground. They discussed the fact that agriculture is a big part of helping developing countries end poverty.

“Small holder farms is the future to making progress,” Nix said in regards to how ONE advocates for getting small land holders the proper education and tools to working and sustaining their own land.

The speakers also described how average American citizens need to get the message of solving world poverty out to their elected officials.

“To make dramatic changes you need to change laws and policies,” Beckmann said.

Nix and Hunter echoed Beckmann during the ONE discussion. They said ONE is not an organization that works hands-on with aid to countries, but the “key is to raise awareness” and to “get the message out to elected officials,” Hunter said.

Beckmann, a Lutheran pastor and economist, said faith goes hand-in-hand with ending hunger.

Bread for the World is a faith-based organization trying to influence federal government leaders to end hunger not only abroad but also here in the U.S.

Bread for the World is also focused on policies and long-term solutions to end world hunger.

Luck shared her personal experiences from overseas with the people Heifer International is directly helping.

“I’ve been influenced and impacted by the extraordinary individuals I’ve met,” Luck said.

Heifer International brings food, income and animals to poverty-stricken families in various nations and guides them, with those opportunities, to a better livelihood.

The three organizations are all trying to get people involved in ending world poverty and hunger through government policies, educational opportunities and help from average citizens of the world.

All three organizations will be attending and speaking at the World Food Prize Dialogue, Oct. 13 to 15 in Des Moines. Other attendees will be Kofi Annan, former United Nations secretary-general and 2001 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.