Angelina Jolie recently addressed the United Nations, and her remarks were stinging.
One of the big concerns that Angelina Jolie has is the situation in Syria. She involves herself in that heavily.
“Since the Syria conflict began in 2011, I have made eleven visits to Syrian refugees in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Malta. I wish that some of the Syrians I have met could be here today. Any one of the Syrians I have met would speak more eloquently about the conflict than I ever could. Nearly four million Syrian refugees are victims of a conflict they have no part in. Yet they are stigmatized, unwanted, and regarded as a burden.
Angelina Jolie felt that she had an opportunity to speak on behalf of the people suffering in Syria. She called the United Nations to task for not acting in that region.
“So I am here for them, because this is their United Nations. Here, all countries and all people are equal – from the smallest and most broken member states to the free and powerful. The purpose of the UN is to prevent and end conflict: To bring countries together, to find diplomatic solutions and to save lives. We are failing to do this in Syria.
Angelina Jolie recognizes that the conflict in Syria was not the making of the U.N. But she says the peopel of Syria thought the U.N. would act to help the people most harmed by a conflict they have no part in.
“Responsibility for the conflict lies with the warring parties inside Syria. But the crisis is made worse by division and indecision within the international community – preventing the Security Council from fulfilling its responsibilities.
“In 2011, the Syrian refugees I met were full of hope. They said “please, tell people what is happening to us”, trusting that the truth alone would guarantee international action.
“When I returned, hope was turning into anger.
“On my last visit in February, anger had subsided into resignation, misery and the bitter question: ‘Why are we, the Syrian people, not worth saving?'”
Angelina Jolie used the United Nations’ own policies to call them to action in Syria.
“The UN has adopted the Responsibility to Protect concept, saying that when a State cannot protect its people the international community will not stand by – but we are standing by, in Syria. The problem is not lack of information … The problem is lack of political will.”