David Beckmann, executive director of Bread for the World, a nationwide Christian movement against hunger world-wide, will speak at Berea College Saturday, Oct. 22. Beckmann is the keynote speaker for “Engaging Our World” a conference sponsored by the Center for Excellence in Learning Through Service (CELTS) at Berea this weekend.

Admission is free and open to the public.

A Lutheran minister and an economist, Rev. David Beckmann has been president and executive director of Bread for the World since 1991, after serving for several years on the organization’s board. Bread for the World is a grass-roots, Christian citizens' movement against hunger. Its 54,000 members and member churches urge the U.S. government to take actions to reduce hunger, both domestic and international. Rev. Beckmann is also president of Bread for the World Institute, which does research and education on hunger.

In addition, he is the founder and president of the Alliance to End Hunger, which engages diverse institutions in building the public will to end hunger. The Alliance includes corporations, unions, foundations, charities, and governmental and U.N. institutions. He has written many books and articles. His books include Grace at the Table: Ending Hunger in God's World, Transforming the Politics of Hunger and Friday Morning Reflections at the World Bank

Called by his church to be a "missionary-economist," connecting Christian faith and moral teaching to economic life, Beckmann first served in a church-supported development program in rural Bangladesh from 1975-76. He then moved to the World Bank for 15 years, where as a World Bank economist he played a prominent role in the Bank's heightened focus on poverty reduction and fostered greater collaboration between the Bank and grassroots groups that work for poor people. He supervised slum improvement projects, later wrote speeches for the president of the Bank, and finally led the Bank's efforts to engage with religious, environmental, and other grass-roots groups around the world.

Rev. Beckmann earned his Master of Science in Economics from the London School of Economics, a Master of Divinity from Christ Seminary in St. Louis, and his undergraduate degree from Yale University. He has received honorary doctorates from Villanova University, the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale and Capital University.

“ Engaging Our World: A Southeastern Global Leadership Conference” was organized by Berea College students and volunteers to raise awareness among students in the region about global ssues that include trade and economic justice, global AIDS, environmental justice, world peace, world hunger and climate change. The goal of the conference is to educate students about global problems and offer ways in which students can be involved in searching for solutions.

William Gyude Moore, a Berea student from Liberia and a primary organizer of the conference, says he hopes “to empower conference participants to creatively engage these problems and participate in the creation of a better and safer world.” Moore, through his involvement with Oxfam America, an international humanitarian assistance and human rights organization, was instrumental is gaining financial sponsorship from Oxfam for the conference and for Beckmann’s participation as keynote speaker. In 2004-05, Moore was an Oxfam America CHANGE leader.

Engaging Our World is scheduled Oct. 21- Oct. 23 on Berea’s campus. Students from throughout the region are invited to take part. There is a registration fee, but no student will be turned away. Registration is now open to all who are interested. For more information, contact Betty Hibler at (859) 985-3936, William Gyude Moore at (859) 979-0523.

To register for the leadership conference and for further information please visit the following website, www.engagingourworld.org.