George Clooney Joins the Darfur-Beijing Olympics Cause
Hollywood big names have been increasingly active over the many social issues that have began to spring up this year. First there was the writers strike, then came the Olympic situation and its ties with the war in Darfur.
The summary of the situation is as follows: the Darfur crisis is an ongoing war between African rebels and government troops allied with Arab militia which has been going on in three years. More than 200,000 people had already died, while around 2.5 million have been displaced in their homes. China participates in the war by being a major trading partner with Sudan, and resisting the attempts of the United Nations to make Sudan accept U.N. Peacekeepers in Darfur.
Steven Spielberg was the first to make a move, by withdrawing from his position as artistic director of the Beijing Olympics opening and closing ceremonies as a form of protest to China's continued war efforts with Sudan. This time, George Clooney also follows suit, by pressuring Omega, an Olympic sponsor to speak out regarding China's forign policy in Sudan.
According to Clooney, he had been talking to Omega about China for over a year, and he will continue to do so. He also intends to keep going to places in China to do business and seek more help.
More than once, Clooney had already spoken publicly about the Darfur crisis, helping to expose the link between Beijing and Darfur to the world. On 2007, Clooney had already began his mission, by taking Olympic athletes Joey Cheek and Tegla Loroupe to Beijing to meet with the leaders of the Chinese government. He continuously negotiates with Chinese authorities to use China's leverage to improve the Darfur situation.
The sponsor Clooney's approaching is Omega, which has been the official timekeeper of the Olympic games since 1932. According to chief executive Nick Hayek of Swatch Group (owner of Omega), Clooney's proposals have been discussed with its other executives. Omega has deep respect for Clooney's enthusiasm in fighting for a very good cause, and are proud to work with him. However, they stand by their policy to not be involved in politics, as it serves no purpose to the sport, especially the Olympics, which has been a noble human endeavor to foster understanding and peace despite competition. Nick Hayek had affirmed that they would address China's issues with Sudan by means of high-level contacts, going by the continuous process popularized by the Swiss-- “little strokes fell great oaks.”
