On the red carpet of this year's 2010 Golden Globe Awards show, many celebrities were eager to draw attention to the plight of Haitians, who only days before had been devastated by a catastrophic earthquake that killed tens of thousands of people and left many more injured or homeless.
Some stars offered impassioned pleas for the world to intervene in the crisis. Some wore ribbons to show their support for the victims. Still others, such as George Clooney and James Cameron, pledged financial contributions and committed to helping raise additional funds.
Of course, famous people frequently try to leverage their star power on behalf of worthy social causes. Many stars have enormous financial resources, which allow them to make generous contributions.
They can also use their celebrity status to bring attention to important issues that may otherwise be ignored. Finally, they can often more easily persuade others to get involved in a particular cause.
But involvement, by a well-known figure, isn't always welcome or helpful. Critics of celebrity humanitarian efforts suggest that many famous people are inexperienced when it comes to such matters; and that the groups they organize to provide assistance are frequently inefficient and suck up large amounts of money in administrative costs. Furthermore, some celebrities don't have a good grasp on the complex problems they are trying to address.
They often see issues in black and white terms, which make it difficult to find effective solutions. Another issuecomplication is whether some celebrities are willing and able to make the kind of long-term commitment to dealing with these problems that is needed. Quick, headline-grabbing fixes can do more damage than good.
Learning Activity
Have students view the Darfur slideshow and read the Overview of the Darfur report to get a sense of the conflict in the region—its historical context as well as the current state of affairs. Students should also review the Darfur Timeline, particularly the year 2009, to find out about some of the most recent events that relate to this conflict.
Assign students to find out what well-known celebrities have done in recent years, or are doing now, to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. They should look into the efforts of George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Mia Farrow, Richard Branson, Don Cheadle, and others. Students should address the following essential questions in a report of at least 150 words that cites at least three resources--students can use other ProQuest resources to access this information.
What have these men and women tried to do in relation to the Darfur situation?
Have their efforts been effective in any way?
Is it too soon or too difficult to tell?
What do critics of these celebrities have to say?
Follow-Up Learning Activity
Lead the class in a discussion of the following essential question for critical thinking: "What are the potential benefits and costs of celebrities calling attention to humanitarian crises throughout the world?"
Use our custom ProQuest models for written or PowerPoint reports written and PowerPoint-style reports.
