GEORGE CLOONEY DAFUR

Darfur and Why George Clooney’s Heart Belongs to It

Darfur—a small African region that borders other countries, such as Libya, Central African Republic, and Chad. Geographically, the vast desert areas transform themselves into green pastures once the rainy season sets in, which usually happens between the months of June and September. This is considered to be such a blessing for Darfur farmers, who constitutes majority of the population. Trees thrive all throughout the year in the south, providing a stark but beautiful contrast of too much sun and sand.

Despite the natural wonders that Darfur offers to the world, the country itself is suffering. For one, it becomes a venue of the largest ongoing wars between tribes over a common human need: water. Together with drought and overpopulation, people from the north, commonly made up of Baggara nomads, have no other choice but to bring themselves—and their livestock—to the south just so they can always nourish their thirst and allow their business to survive. But then again, the newfound land doesn’t belong to them but of farming communities of non-Arabs.

And so far, Darfur holds one of the largest, if not the biggest, numbers of genocide killings for the past several years. According to the United Nations, there are more than 400,000 who have succumbed to various diseases and forms of violence. And by the looks of it, it will continue to rise—not until we learn to support the cause of fighting back against Darfur conflict.

George Clooney is considered to be one of the most glamorous and highest-paid actors in Hollywood. He also had numerous titles attached to his name. He’s also a director, scriptwriter, and a business owner, to name a few. But what others may not have known is the fact that he’s the champion against finding solutions to end the wars in Dalfur. As early as 2005, he had already expressed his desire to provide as much assistance and awareness to this war-torn country.

In 2006, George spent more than a week in Sudan and Chad together with his father so he can secretly tape the worsening conditions of its people. Five months after, in September, George stood in front of the United Nation’s Security Council so he can shed light about the conflict and ask for support from an organization that’s supposed to champion human rights and welfare of individuals all over the world. If these weren’t enough, on December, along with fellow actor Don Cheadle, he traveled all the way to Egypt and China just to express his strong sentiments to the Sudanese government.

He is also currently working with an organization known as Not on Our Watch, which basically raises awareness and gathers resources to prevent the spread of mass atrocities not only in Darfur but to all corners of the world.

Indeed, George Clooney is an inspiration to many when it comes preserving the life and tradition of Darfur. But he’s only one. Together, we can share his vision and change the face of this beautiful country even if it’s just going to be one step at a time.