George Clooney and Don Cheadle brought their Darfur campaign to Rome on Thursday, where they received a peace award for their efforts to raise awareness on the humanitarian crisis in the region.
“We do concerts, rallies, where thousands of people show up and say how terrible it is,” Clooney told a news conference. “But the truth is not one single thing has changed. Now it’s time to turn that corner.”
The Hollywood actors have raised money and attention to stop a conflict that has claimed more than 200,000 lives and uprooted 2.5 million people since ethnic African rebels took up arms against Sudan’s Arab-dominated government in 2003.
On Thursday, they asked world leaders to provide helicopters for a joint U.N.-African union peacekeeping force scheduled to take over security in the Sudanese region later this month. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appealed for the aircraft, which he said are critical to protect both military personnel and civilians.
“If we get 24 helicopters in there we can protect 4 million people,” Clooney said. “If they are lucky enough to escape rape, torture, murder ... and survive malaria and AIDS and starvation, (they) should at least have the chance to live.”
The ceremony marked the opening of a yearly meeting of Nobel Peace Prize laureates organized at city hall by a foundation headed by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The meeting gathered Gorbachev, the Dalai Lama and other Nobel winners.
Clooney, who has a home at Lake Como and often travels to Italy, was accompanied by girlfriend Sarah Larson.
He and Cheadle co-founded a humanitarian organization, Not on Our Watch, together with other stars including Brad Pitt and Matt Damon to focus global attention on the plight of Darfur’s people. They have raised more than $9.3 million for humanitarian efforts in the region.
“These people need help and protection; but they do have hope,” Cheadle said.