Oscar winning screenwriter Ben Affleck visits refugee camps in Kibati, Goma (located in eastern war-torn Congo) to raise aid money to help 250,000 people displaced by recent fighting between the Congo army and fighters loyal to rebel leader Laurent Nkunda.
On Congo: I’m really glad that more people are paying more attention to (Congo) now but I’m really saddened that it’s taken this uptick in violence to make that happen. My hope in being here is primarily to bring attention to the fact that there’s a real lack of (aid agencies) here, a real lack of money going to these folks.
Karel Prinsloo / Associated Press
On becoming aware of Congo, when Hollywood’s focus began on Darfur: I thought a lot of people are advocating on Darfur. I’d just be a very small log on a big fire. I started getting interested in Congo and I thought, this is a place where I can have a really big impact. I think that, for better or worse, people with some profile in the arts have some currency to spend as celebrities. And for a time, I didn’t spend that in any particularly productive way. And I got to a point where I thought, this is wasteful.
Ben Affleck is repped by Boomer Malkin and Patrick Whitesell @ Endeavor, attorney Sam Fischer @ Ziffren, Brittenham, Branca, Fischer, Gilbert-Lurie, Stiffelman, Cook, Johnson, Lande & Wolf and publicist Ken Sunshine @ Sunshine, Sachs, and Associates.
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