Photo: @williamjhague & Angelina Jolie arriving in #Rwanda to highlight human cost of #sexualviolence in #conflict. twitter.com/foreignoffice/…
— Foreign Office (FCO) (@foreignoffice) March 25, 2013
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William Hague and Angelina Jolie – caption competition
The UK foreign secretary is on a fact-finding mission with the actor. What bons mots might this great meeting of minds produce?
No, Brad Pitt hasn't accidentally gone out in his Benjamin Button prosthetics again. This is William Hague, the foreign secretary, accompanying Angelina Jolie on a fact-finding mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo. He's prioritising justice for victims of war-zone rape as part of Britain's G8 presidency; she recently directed a film on the subject. Look at them. Brains and beauty. Authority and charisma. All of these qualities, standing right next to William Hague.
But what might Angelina be saying to her companion?
Been with @williamjhague and Angelina Jolie speaking to survivors of warzone rape at camps for people displaced by war in Congo. Blog soon
— Cathy Newman (@cathynewman) March 25, 2013
I'll be talking live to @williamjhague and Angelina Jolie from Rwanda so tune in to @channel4news at 7 UK time
— Cathy Newman (@cathynewman) March 25, 2013
Angelina Jolie talks to Channel 4 News tonight at 7pmchannel4.com/news/angelina-…
— Kay Bibi (@KayBibi) March 25, 2013
Nothing would draw more attention to their trip and campaign against sexual violence than wedding news. Which makes me think its probably true. -- Fussy
Popsugar
Angelina Jolie wore a new plain gold ring on her finger as she walked through LAX on Friday night. She left LA for a trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda to raise awareness of sexual violence in war zones. Angelina is visiting the two nations with William Hague, the British Foreign Secretary, and a group of journalists. She will be meeting with survivors of sexual violence, as well as doctors and lawyers, to discuss how to help the victims. The subject of sexual violence in war-torn countries isn't a new one for Angie, who made her directorial debut with In the Land of Blood and Honey, a film that touched on Bosnia's rape victims. Aside from her humanitarian work, Angelina has been keeping busy with Miraval, the new rose she launched with Brad Pitt. The wine has been enjoying a lot of succes, including rave reviews from top wine experts.
@care #DRC just welcomed British Foreign Secretary & Angelina Jolie to DRC to see 1st hand the impact of #SGBV on women
— Adel Sarkozi (@sarkozi_a) March 25, 2013
CARE just welcomed Angelina Jolie at one of our projects working with rape and sexual violence survivors in #DRC. Photos to come
— CARE Canada (@carecanada) March 25, 2013
Angelina Jolie Visits CARE Project Addressing Gender-Based Violence in the DRC
UN Special Envoy Jolie, British Foreign Secretary, See Firsthand the Impact on Women
GOMA, Congo, The Dem. Rep. of (March 26, 2013) - Yesterday,
CARE hosted UN Special Envoy Angelina Jolie and British Foreign
Secretary William Hauge as they visited a CARE-supported sexual- and
gender-based violence (SGBV) project in the Lac Vert Internally
Displaced People's camp, on the outskirts of Goma, North Kivu. Hague said that he came to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to understand better the needs of survivors of sexual violence in advance of the coming G8 meeting in London, when, for the first time in the G8's history, foreign ministers will hold high-level discussions on the topic of gender-based violence.
"Both Hague and Jolie were very interested in finding out about the current situation in the camp, and what the sexual violence survivors needed the most," said Yawo Douvon, CARE's country director in the DRC. "CARE hopes that this visit will shed more light on the issues women are facing in DRC every day. Sexual- and gender-based violence continues to be a major concern for CARE, especially with the volatile situation that persists in North Kivu, eastern DRC."
"We are still seeing people arriving every day in camps such Lac Vert after having fled the recent eruption of violence in Kitchanga, which displaced nearly 100,000 people this month," Douvon explained. "Many of them are women with children. Many have survived sexual violence on their long journey to safety – a week by foot, through fields and forest, which was anything but safe. It is a grim situation."
CARE works in three camps on the outskirts of Goma, including Lac Vert, training educators to offer support and advice to sexual violence survivors on how and where to access medical care. The educators also provide advice on measures that can be taken to avoid attacks and work with women and men to address attitudes and traditions that make women and girls, in particular, vulnerable to such violence.
CARE also provides financial support to sexual violence survivors and other vulnerable groups so that they can start businesses such as selling cooked food or goods in the camp. This initiative not only helps them regain a sense of normality and dignity but also prevents them from being exposed to further sexual violence.
On March 17, CARE provided 186 cash transfers to sexual violence survivors and other vulnerable people in Lac Vert camp.
"Jolie said she was impressed by how important the cash transfers were to the women she spoke to and how, despite the many difficulties they are struggling with it, this seems to have brought them hope," said Douvon. "But there is a great need for more and better emergency medical care to tend to sexual violence survivors' needs, especially post-exposure prophylaxis. They are also in urgent need of shelter, and access to water and sanitation. It is important that we put the survivors first, and we tend to their immediate medical and psychosocial needs above all."
Hague and Jolie's visit comes less than three weeks before the issue of sexual violence against women gets attention at the G8 meeting of foreign ministers in London. Hague has said he will promote an international protocol at the April 11 meeting to end impunity for rape and other sexual assaults.
In addition, CARE has prioritized the issue of gender-based violence in our policy and advocacy efforts. Earlier this month, the issue came into the spotlight at the 2013 CARE Conference & International Women's Day Celebration in Washington D.C. More than 300 advocates and partners gathered to urge the U.S. government to continue their support behind programs that address gender-based violence.
Learn more about CARE's work helping communities bring an end to the pervasive, and often deadly, scourge of violence against women >
About CARE: Founded in 1945, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty and providing lifesaving assistance in emergencies. In 84 countries around the world, CARE places special focus on working alongside poor girls and women because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to help lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. CARE and our local partners implement long-term development programs and humanitarian assistance interventions in the Great Lakes countries (DRC, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi), including programs to prevent sexual- and gender-based violence and provide support to survivors. To learn more, visit www.care.org.
Stars are around:)) today....Angelina Jolie was in Pearl Lounge! We wish her a good stay in Rwanda!
— Pearl Lounge Kigali (@PearlLoungeKGL) March 25, 2013
Cosmo UK
Angelina Jolie campaigns to end rape in warzones
26 March 2013
Angelina Jolie, in her campaign to end rape, has joined the British Foreign Secretary to speak to survivors of sexual violence and meet political leaders of the Democratic Republic of Congo...
Angelina Jolie, in a bid to end rape on a worldwide scale, has
joined British Foreign Secretary William Hague to campaign against
sexual violence in warzones.
RAPE MEANS RAPE
And the Hollywood actress had plenty to say on the subject of sexual violence:
"It's often that we speak about the drama and the pain and the horrors of the Congo but it's also a wonderful place with extraordinary people."
BRAD PITT AND ANGELINA JOLIE'S LOVED UP MOMENTS
"The big message is that this initiative started by the Foreign Secretary is extraordinary, but what we're here to do is to try to scale it up and make this a worldwide focus."
"It's been going on in every war, every crisis and it's often an afterthought - and it's due time to end this, and put an end to impunity, and they deserve it."
REPORTING RAPE
It's not the first time Angelina has attempted to bring a worldwide focus to the subject of rape; her 2011 film In The Land Of Blood And Honey depicted the experiences of women in the infamous rape camps set up during ethnic cleansing in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
And it was this movie which acted as a catalyst for the UK's Preventing Sexual Violence initiative.
In three weeks, foreign ministers will meet in London with their counterparts in the US, France, Canada, Japan, Germany, Russia and Italy for the annual meeting of the G8.
LOVE IT OR LOATHE IT: ANGELINA JOLIE
And, there, Angelina will urge the ministers to help resolve the important issue of sexual violence, putting measures in place to secure justice for survivors of rape and deter perpetrators.
Mr Hague has revealed he's just as dedicated to the cause as Angelina Jolie, saying:
"Sexual violence in conflict has to be resolved if conflicts are going to be resolved, because when rape is used as a weapon of war it makes communities harder to bring together, and much harder for people to get on with their lives afterwards."
CONTACTS AND CENTRE POINTS FOR RAPE VICTIMS
We hope that Angelina Jolie and the British Foreign Secretary succeed in their worthy cause; it's amazing to see a Hollywood actress working so tirelessly to create a better world for women worldwide.
RAPE MEANS RAPE
And the Hollywood actress had plenty to say on the subject of sexual violence:
"It's often that we speak about the drama and the pain and the horrors of the Congo but it's also a wonderful place with extraordinary people."
BRAD PITT AND ANGELINA JOLIE'S LOVED UP MOMENTS
"The big message is that this initiative started by the Foreign Secretary is extraordinary, but what we're here to do is to try to scale it up and make this a worldwide focus."
"It's been going on in every war, every crisis and it's often an afterthought - and it's due time to end this, and put an end to impunity, and they deserve it."
REPORTING RAPE
It's not the first time Angelina has attempted to bring a worldwide focus to the subject of rape; her 2011 film In The Land Of Blood And Honey depicted the experiences of women in the infamous rape camps set up during ethnic cleansing in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
And it was this movie which acted as a catalyst for the UK's Preventing Sexual Violence initiative.
In three weeks, foreign ministers will meet in London with their counterparts in the US, France, Canada, Japan, Germany, Russia and Italy for the annual meeting of the G8.
LOVE IT OR LOATHE IT: ANGELINA JOLIE
And, there, Angelina will urge the ministers to help resolve the important issue of sexual violence, putting measures in place to secure justice for survivors of rape and deter perpetrators.
Mr Hague has revealed he's just as dedicated to the cause as Angelina Jolie, saying:
"Sexual violence in conflict has to be resolved if conflicts are going to be resolved, because when rape is used as a weapon of war it makes communities harder to bring together, and much harder for people to get on with their lives afterwards."
CONTACTS AND CENTRE POINTS FOR RAPE VICTIMS
We hope that Angelina Jolie and the British Foreign Secretary succeed in their worthy cause; it's amazing to see a Hollywood actress working so tirelessly to create a better world for women worldwide.
The Week One-Minute Read
The odd couple of international relations stranded in Rwandan capital by cancelled helicopter flight
THE Hollywood star often described as the most beautiful woman in the world and the balding Foreign Secretary from Yorkshire described as William Hague have hit a snag in their joint mission to Africa.The unlikely couple have been marooned in the Rwandan capital of Kigali after a "tropical downpour" grounded their helicopter, reports Channel 4 presenter Cathy Newman, who is travelling with them. Hague and Jolie were supposed to meet survivors of "warzone rape" today, tweeted Newman, but the storm has forced "stressed diplomats" to "reconfigure" the schedule.
"No gorillas, but plenty of mist," Newman wrote in a cheerful message from the Rwandan capital.
At least the delayed flight will give Jolie, Hague and Newman plenty of time to chat. Which may not be a pleasant experience for Hague, given Newman's burgeoning reputation as a tenacious reporter following her dogged pursuit of allegations of improper conduct by the Liberal Democrat peer Lord Rennard earlier this year. Newman even managed to speak about the issue to Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg by posing as a caller – Cathy from Dulwich – to his LBC radio phone-in programme.
Newman has reported that the British government's efforts to help victims of warzone rape include a £1 million pledge to help UN efforts secure justice for victims and a 70-strong team of police, lawyers, psychologists, doctors and forensic experts to gather evidence of rape in warzones. Whether these efforts will "outlast Britain's G8 presidency" is one of the questions she’ll be putting to Hague, possibly in the rain-lashed airport terminal at Kigali.
Newman seems less likely to interrogate Jolie, whom she has vigorously defended against those who deride her work as a UN special envoy as a "vanity project".
"A glance at her [Jolie's] humanitarian work to date may leave you wondering how she ever finds time for her acting," marvelled Newman on her Channel 4 blog. "And if anyone wonders if she'll receive special treatment on this trip, I'm assured the answer is no. She'll be travelling without an entourage, and sharing the same accommodation and travel arrangements as the rest of us."
