I’m sharing this article because I like the message that Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Don Cheadle is trying to bring which is care for others.
Pitt, Clooney, Cheadle move spotlight to Darfur
CANNES, France (Reuters) – Hollywood celebrities Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Don Cheadle have more than just acting in common — they share a passion for trying to help people from the troubled Darfur region of Sudan.
At least 200,000 people have been killed and more than 2.3 million made homeless in the Darfur conflict among African rebel groups, the Arab-dominated government and militia who back them. The United States calls it a genocide.
The trio of actors, in the midst of promoting their new movie “Ocean’s Thirteen,” took some time at the Cannes film festival to talk to Reuters about a fund raising group they formed, Not On Our Watch Foundation, to funnel aid to Darfur refugees:
Q: Why should people in other countries care about what is going on in Darfur when they have their own domestic issues, such as poverty in inner cities?
Clooney: “They don’t have genocide in the inner cities, necessarily.”
Cheadle: “And this is the highest crime, by definition, that occurs in the world.”
Pitt: “There’s also a self-interest argument … If you’re really looking for a peaceful world, you really feel subjected to conflicts that are raging, then investment in these conflicts is in our interest for our own safety.”
Q: What can you, as actors, do to help?
Clooney: “We’re not politicians. We’re not able to actually make decisions. We’re not able to do anything except bring attention to something, and that’s the thing we can do. This is an event that needs continually for someone to bring attention to it because it completely goes off the radar because it’s Africa.”
Pitt: “Can I add, personally, I’m very bothered by this idea of us versus them … It’s a fact that kids are dying from diarrhea. There’s something we can do about it. That just shouldn’t be in this day and age. It just becomes unacceptable, and I guess it’s that kind of thing I’d like to see change.”
Q: There is this notion that while you can use your celebrity to raise money, some people think you are just big-time Hollywood stars looking for publicity.
Clooney: “At what point do you think any one of us needs more publicity? Brad has said he can’t get out of the spotlight, and these people can’t get in. I’m not going to defend what I believe is doing the right thing. At the end of the day, there is nothing to be gained for us, personally, except more work. But we are doing it because we all believe we would be criminal if we didn’t.”
Q: What does the money raised by the Not On Our Watch Foundation go toward?
Clooney: “The idea is to immediately affect change, which is something we’ve been able to do …We’ve been able to dig wells, get mosquito nets, plastic covers for the rainy season that is coming — things that will save lives immediately.”
Cheadle: “You know, I co-authored a book (with activist John Prendergast called “Not on our Watch”) that is No. 6 on the New York Times best seller list, and it just shows – not anything about me – but that people want to know. People are interested and want to investigate. That is very heartening.”
Q: So, what can the public do to help?
Clooney: “Believe me, if you’re an industry and you get 1,000 letters from people saying, “How dare you do business with a government that is committing genocide,” that has an affect on whether those businesses want to sit down with the leaders of that country.”
Pitt: “What people can do is gain the will to understand. It’s a simple message I preach.”
Clooney: “Get involved.”
Cheadle: “Educate yourself, and organize.”
In my simple way, Ellen, I have joined the campaign for the oppressed people in Africa. I am in a movement to help collect donations for the people of Darfur. Just got a message in fact from Don Cheadle, the leading man in the movie that is a must see, “Hotel Rwanda.” What is happening in Mindanao is in fact no different from what has happened to many countries especially now in Africa because of bad leadership.
It is a sign of the times as a matter of fact, but it is no reason that we leave things to fate and do nothing to stop this cruelty of man to his own kind.
Ellen, Yuko,
Also, just received an e-mail from one of our friends with attachment of latest Amnesty International press release: Report 2007: Politics of fear creating a dangerously divided world. (Can be accessed here: http://www.thereport.amnesty.org/page/1670/eng/)
I replied to the e-mail with the following off the cuff comments:
As a ‘proponent’ of human rights, I am very grateful that Amnesty International exists. If I were perhaps a little braver, I probably would pack up and actively join their campaign team against human rights abuse away from the confines of my comfortable swivel chair, but I am not brave enough.
Failing in courage, I would like to believe nevertheless that I am a moral supporter of Amnesty International’s cause and because I believe in the nobility of their aims and the beauty of their actions, I am always happy to know of their achievements and usually devour with gusto the reading materials about them that come my way.
Sadly, I must take exception to a one-liner in the latest AI press release that says:
“In Afghanistan, the international community and the Afghan government squandered the opportunity to build an effective state based on human rights and the rule of law, leaving the people to chronic insecurity, corruption and a resurgent Taleban. ”
While AI’s perception is that the international community, by that they mean NATO member nations, along with the Afghan government, squandered the opportunity to build an effective Afghan state, the reality on the ground is different. The international community in Afghanistan today are composed of military and thousands and thousands of people that make up NGOs although belonging mainly to member nations of NATO.
On the military front: As we all know, the stabilisation operation is sanctioned by the UN and it is accepted as the right way forward by the global community. The longer actual “PEACE” takes to arrive the more difficult providing security becomes. We are still at a stage when outside intervention is maintaining sufficient security to be hopeful for the future.
It’s rather unfair therefore of AI to make a summary ‘judgement’ of the international community in Afghanistan. For instance, the Netherlands forces are not fighting in Afghanistan. They have made it their motto to AVOID military conflict and instead focus, yes, focus with all their might on re-structuring programmes. The Canadian forces today do more humanitarian efforts than fighting at all. Last year, they were involved in heavy fighting with the Talebans but fortunately are luckier this year and there’s been less of the brutal fighting. Same is true of the German contingent as well as the French contingent. Most nations involved in the stabilisation of Afghanistan, including many of the British are doing a marvelous job towards nation building. The NGOs from all these nations are doing a magnificent job amidst the turbulences and the incessant infighting.
However, if there’s one NATO nation member involved from that international community that AI should have singled out for having squandered and continuing to squander the opportunity, the milestones that the rest of NATO member nations have laboriously tried and are trying to achieve, it’s the UNITED STATES.
But even there, I’d like to be more specific:
America has two contingents in Afghanistan: One that’s directly under US DoD and another which is subservient to NATO. The one under direct US command has about 8,000 (Operation Enduring Freedom) officers and troops while the US ISAF part has about 12,000 troops.
NATO member nations commanders have absolutely no authortity over Operation Enduring Freddom forces. These US forces are what I call the “forces of vengeance”. I see them being there almost as if just to wreak havoc on a nation without so much as an indiscriminate glance to factors that affect conditions for the people of Afghanistan. Recently, they undid in a few days the achievements that NATO British Gen Richards made in 9 months, i.e. winning of hearts and minds.
As a European taxpayer, I contribute directly or indirectly to the stability and the ambitious programme of nation building in Afghanistan. I don’t believe my taxes are being squandered by NATO; I therefore support NATO in Afghanistan, I support the efforts of the NGOs in place and I support the Afghan government in place today because it is the next best thing the Afghans have towards achieving progress in their nation. Let’s face it – the Afghans elected a government, which is having considerable difficulty bringing the disparate factions in the country together. They are making every effort to be inclusive (the elected government is talking to the Taliban). The international community is doing all it can to ensure the environment is secure so that infrastructure can be built and the nation can develop and join the international community.
But I am appalled by the continuing military destruction and with that, the human rights violations that are and may be committed by the US Operation Enduring Freedom forces – it is there where American efforts in Afghanistan seem to fail.
AI should perhaps re-calibrate their investigations and look in that direction…
Pressure arab countries (the Arab League, to be exact), to support UN intervention against darfur.
we all know china is against sanctions for economic reasons. but why are the muslim countries in the mideast opposed to UN intervention in darfur as well?
http://www.google.com.ph/search?q=arab+league+sudan+genocide+UN&sourceid=mozilla-search&start=0&start=0&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official
The Public here support the Idea of Canada leading the U.N. peacekeeping troops in Sudan’s Darfur Province. Right at the moment there are only 100 Canadian Forces troops in Darfur acting as advisers to the African Union peacekeeping troops who use borrowed Canadian armoured vehicles.
Liberal Senator Romeo Dallaire, the former general who led the doomed UN peacekeeping mission in Rwanda, has called for Canada to play a lead role in a proposed 20,000-member UN peacekeeping force.
But the dilemma facing the nation right at the moment is the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan, where troops and enormous resources has been committed also for Civil projects. And also our forces are in many parts of the world, doing the peacekeeping for the U.N. But the good news, the public support the Idea of our Forces doing what they do best, Peacekeeping. Canada invented the concept of UN-led peacekeeping forces under (then diplomat Lester) Pearson in the 1950s. And Lester Pearson became the 14th Prime Minister of Canada.
The UN is a useless agency now. The movie, Hotel Rwanda, in fact revealed many of the UN failings to protect those who are helpless to protect themselves. It was pathetic.
At the time of the genocide in Rwanda, I actually became acquainted with a Rwandan scholar in Japan, and together we helped her look for her family and helped relocate them somewhere they could be safe especially after Japanese peacekeepers were sent there.
Ellen,
Something is wrong with the Malaya site. It says:
Account for domain http://www.malaya.com.ph has been suspended
200,000 is a minimum estimate. Some human rights organizations are pointing it closer to 500,000… Whatever the figure, it’s yet another sad reason, Why the international community, lead by America, has failed in its role, and why the interest of the Bush administration and their business partners have paved way for the decisions they have made…
If another president would have been in The White House, International pressure would be far greater than it is today..
Anna, Malaya needs to upgrade its bandwith level.
Ellen:
Whilst I also like the message that Brad Pitt, George Clooney and Don Cheadle is trying to give which is care for others, we don’t need to look as far as Sudan to make a difference to peoples lives because there is so much we can do to help people here at home.
I also agree with the comment of ystakei:
“What is happening in Mindanao is in fact no different from what has happened to many countries especially now in Africa because of bad leadership. It is a sign of the times as a matter of fact, but it is no reason that we leave things to fate and do nothing to stop this cruelty of man to his own kind”.
There’s a saying “charity begins at home” but I know from my own experience most people only pay lip service to this saying. I have many small projects here on Mindanao the latest being eight clsaarooms with no ceilings and as we know with the sun beating on a bare zinc roof students have a problem with the heat generated. Proper frames were installed to support the plywood ceilings, painted white the cost was minimal and I eventually scrounged free labour to complete the job. Paint artist volunteered to draw suitable childrens paintings on the walls making it brighter.
Now I plan to cover a large earth play area with cement to cope with the rainy season.
There’s no need to go to Sudan, just look around you and you will find plenty ways to assist filipinos and make a difference to their lives “charity begins at home!” Don’t you think?
eight classrooms – sorri smile
For me, its easy to find filipino mothers with children here in the philippines having drastic ailments that require urgent surgery and long term medication.
No medical insurance (thats only a dream to these mothers) and trying desperately to earn a little cash with extra washing of others clothes in an attempt to give their child a life – the truth is the cost is too great for the mother.
Why do we, as human beings turn our backs on, instead of grouping together as a community, a very small amount donated by each citizen who are earning and can afford to give a little could save the lives of many children. Its a great feeling to witness the recovery of a cronic medical condition and a new smile on a kids face.
A dollar a month from the many thousands of OFW’s could set up several permanent private medical clinics as a worthwhile legacy serving the many poor filipino unable to pay for expensive treatment. If these clinics were set up and working, many foreigner from many countries would be willing to assist, as they already do so.
WWNL, that’s a wonderful project. Congratulations. It simply proves, it doesn’t take so much to save a life , a future. What’s important is a heart that cares.
Unknown to many, the Pandak has been collecting money from OFWs around the world for her so-called “classroom ni Gloria” but where are those collections now? This crook has actually hoodwinked a lot many Filipinos overseas for this kind of phantom projects so much that I have actually become wary and really very careful about giving any contribution to numerous fund-raising campaigns for Filipinos. I’d rather give a fast offering to our church, because it is safer and I know a lot of people are being benefitted by it.
The message—BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU ARE ASKED TO GIVE DONATIONS TO SOME CHARITIES COURSED THROUGH THE MALACANANG OCCUPANT!
WWNL,
Very admirative indeed. A very good friend of mine and godfather to one of my sons was vice president of Medecins sans Frontier – he told me years ago that they would have liked to perform missions in Pinas (he is an opthalmologist) so I set him up with Hagedorn in Palawan but for some reason, the mission didn’t happen.
Perhaps, if Pinas is in their radar, I could ask him about considering Mindanao? Problem is he was saying to me a few months back that they prefer to go to areas in the world where Americans don’t have a stronghold because he says, they find that Americans already do the same things. He’s now somewhere in Africa.
I agree, Anna. Americans are doing the same things in Mindanao and Medecins sans Fronteir is better doing the things they do best in Africa where they are most needed.
Dito sa Pinas naman, ang nagpapagulo lang ay si Blinky Gloria at mga kampon na demonyo! Pinas is taken cared of by Tianak’s big bro Dubya!
Anna:
I have a plan for a mobile cataract clinic that is a copy of an existing very suscessful project on Bali Island by a Australian John Fawcet.
He started small but now has the support of big Corporate Companies including airlines. For the moment I am okey digging deep into my own pocket with plenty of volunteer labour and having control of my own projects. The secret of success is having control and audit of the project. Should anyone know of anyone interested assisting the start up of such a clinic I am always available to talk.
The reason I mentioned OFW’s was not to elicit finances my thinking was more that they could eventually become hands-on and an imput of there experience gained from their time abroad.
their experiences – even!