Actor George Clooney is using his celebrity to shine a light on atrocities taking place in Africa. Clooney, who recently returned from a dangerous trip to Sudan with activist John Prendergast said, “there is no question about it,” that ethnic cleansing is happening there.
“We think that unless there’s that kind of crisis diplomacy that needs to be interjected now, that the worst case scenario could come to pass,” Prendergast added.
The two men testified before the Senate Foreign Relations committee this past week and argued that diplomatic action between the United States and China would be the only way to curb the outbreak of violence in that region. Clooney, who has been involved in a number of international humanitarian causes, thinks the cause in Sudan and the case for cooperation between China, which has a significant oil interest in the region, and the U.S., is bolstered by a common economic interest.
“We’re not appealing to anyone’s better angels, we’re not looking for humanitarian causes -- I’ve done that before, it doesn’t work,” Clooney said. “This is economically important for you and can be helpful. We can work together, and it would be beneficial for both of us, to make sure that we help orchestrate peace.”
Clooney says he has focused his attention on Sudan because, as a celebrity, he needs to lend his fame to issues that are not already in the public eye. “It is difficult, and it is hard to shine a spotlight on it. I don't need to go to places that already have a spotlight on them; I need to go to places that don't”
Watch the entire PRESS Pass conversation above to hear more from Clooney and Prendergast about the conflict in Sudan, the rapid rise of the Kony 2012 video, and how President Obama has done during his first term.
