Ben Affleck goes to Congress

via daylife.com

Ben Affleck is headed to Capitol Hill! He's recently agreed to attend a Congressional meeting and testify against the humanitarian crisis currently occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) through his own documentary, Gimme Shelter. Ben made this doc on a trip to the DRC to interview refugees, warlords, and government officials.

Even though the DRC is extremely rich in resources, the country has been stuck in a state of extreme poverty for many years. Why? The intense competition of power between local militias and the national government over these mineral resources has massacred millions of people. The Crisis Group, a Brussels-based organization which provides humanitarian aid in the country, said that 1,000 people were dying every day from war-related causes, including disease, hunger and violence.

And now, Mr. Affleck has agreed to use his star-power to bring Congressional attention to the calamity. He expressed his personal admiration of the members of Congress, “They are a lot of really smart, hardworking people who could probably be making more money elsewhere [and] who are really impressive.”

Though mainstream media doesn't show it, our Ben is a man of many layers. After his work on the hunger rally last month, it is clear that he’s working hard to make the change he wants to see. Yes, he's a hot star, but he's also an avid political activist that supported Al Gore and Hilary Clinton during their campaigns for office. Clearly, Ben's outgrown his "Bennifer," Dazed and Confused days, and wants to use his star-power to make a difference.

Ben is setting an example for all of us who think we have no say in how the world is run. “What I can do is care about something,” says Ben, “What I can do is make it important to my elected officials. Diplomacy is free.”

And, you can too! If you feel strongly about a certain issue, why not write, or call up your local Congress representatives and ask them to focus their attentions on the issue? Ah, the perks of living in a Democratic country. Ben's a role model for us all to use our political freedom to change the world.