George Clooney’s arrest last week at a protest outside the Sudanese embassy reminded pop culture observers just how active the Oscar winner is on the global stage.
Clooney isn’t alone.
Foreign Policy magazine compiled a list of the 10 most powerful celebrities on global issues, a list ranging from the obvious (Clooney) to the unexpected (Kristin Bell). What the stars have in common is a lack of conservative principles:
GEORGE CLOONEY
Cause: Sudan.In 2010, the actor helped found the Satellite Sentinel project to monitor human rights abuses in South Sudan. More recently, he traveled to Sudan to document violence in the Nuba mountains, where the Sudanese government is accused of blocking humanitarian assistance as part of an effort to crack down on separatists. Upon his return, he testified before Congress, debriefed President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on his trip, and sat next to First Lady Michelle Obama at David Cameron’s state dinner.
DON CHEADLE
Cause: Sudan, specifically Darfur.The “Hotel Rwanda” star has, for years, been associated with the Enough Project, which works to raise awareness of crimes against humanity, particularly in Sudan’s Darfur region. Cheadle toured Darfur with the group in 2005 and said the experience made it impossible to return to “my comfortable life and take stock in all the privileges … and do nothing.” In 2007, Cheadle co-wrote “Not On Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond” with Enough Project founder John Prendergast. Cheadle was an outspoken advocate for South Sudanese independence.
Read the full list here.
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