Not only is Ryan Gosling one of the most talented actors in Hollywood today, he uses his celebrity to bring attention to very a very important cause–ending the suffering and genocide in Darfur.
From the Chicago Sun Times:
International human rights activist John Prendergast, who has long worked with many stars to help alleviate genocide and other tragedies in Africa, calls a recent connection with Ryan Gosling a great ”case study of success … showing how Hollywood can truly help turn things around.”
For years, Prendergast, a former White House and State Department official, had lobbied hard for the Bush administration to appoint a special envoy to help negotiate a terrible conflict in northern Uganda where child soldiers are used in an ongoing battle between rebels and the central government.
”We were totally shut down,” Prendergast told me recently, until he accompanied Gosling to the region to take a look at the tragic situation.
”When we returned, Ryan went to Capitol Hill and testified about it at a congressional committee hearing, the kind of hearing that usually gets 20 or 30 people, if you’re lucky. This time hundreds came, admittedly a lot were young, female staff members, but they all went back to their respective House and Senate offices and told their bosses about the urgency of the issue.
”Within a month, the administration had named that special envoy.
”That just goes to show you how celebrity can do good, by shining a light on issues that are often overlooked.”
Prendergast will be in Chicago today for the program sponsored by ”Facing History and Ourselves” and the Allstate Foundation at Northwestern University’s Thorne Auditorium. The 5:30 p.m. address is free and open to the public.
No doubt, Prendergast will share stories of working with Mia Farrow on two trips to Sudan and Chad, his co-authoring with Don Cheadle Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond, watching Angelina Jolie “as she developed a platform to inform people about the plight of African children” and getting excited as NBA star Tracy McGrady of the Houston Rockets ”literally marked his progress as a human being … as he observed the dignified suffering of these people [in Africa].”
Watch this video to learn more:
What can you do to help right now?
Take 5 minutes out of your day to visit the Enough Project’s Website and use the simple form on their site to encourage your Congressional representatives to be a voice for action. Strong legislative support is essential to successfully stopping the violence in Darfur, Eastern Congo, and Northern Uganda. Make a difference!! Do your part today.
Let’s see how many people we can get to do this. Leave a comment and let Hollygood News know you gave your support.
Filed under: Ryan Gosling | Tagged: Ryan Gosling
