'Do we just watch people die?'

doweshowbellyad=0; Hollywood legend, Mia Farrow, heads the advisory board of 'Dream for Darfur', a New York-based anti-genocide group(TOI Photo)Darfur makes Mia Farrow angry. Leading the peace efforts for Darfur, the Hollywood legend heads the advisory board of 'Dream for Darfur', a New York-based anti-genocide group. This week, the group released a report card on the 19 big corporate sponsors of the Beijing Olympics, indicating that most of these companies were unwilling to take any action on the issue.The group graded the sponsors on whether they took steps to influence or contact China or the IOC, donated aid to Darfur or appointed a point-person on Darfur. In an exclusive interview with TOI, Mia Farrow, Jill Savitt, the Dream for Darfur's executive director, and Ellen Freudenheim, the author of the report, spoke about the nightmare in the heart of Africa. Excerpts:
Q: People are dying in Darfur and the world is sleeping. Is no one bothered about Africa?
Jill Savitt: People do care about Africa. There's been an international outcry about Darfur. The reason for discrepancy between the level of citizen outrage and governmental inaction can be summed up in one word: China. The only nation in the world that can intervene in Sudan is China. But, Beijing not only refuses to intervene, it has also disabled the international efforts for peace. China does not want to jeopardise the flow of oil from Sudan, which sells China 70% of its oil, supplying about 7% of China's energy needs.
Q: Why is the problem being allowed to deteriorate to a hopeless situation?
Mia Farrow: No meaningful action has been taken in Darfur. The bombing upon the civilian population continues. The attacks on the refugee camps have increased. I don't know at what point the international community finally decides this is enough. Is there a magic number? I am not sure what it takes. And it is much worse than the fact that people don't know. It is that they don't care. I see this as a seminal moment for each of us as individuals and within our country and within the human community. What are we? Do we just watch people die?
Jill Savitt: The international organisations have proven ineffectual because China has acted as Sudan's protector. That's why it's so important to pressure China as the Olympics approach.
Q: What is the objective of your report?
Ellen Freudenheim: We hope to motivate the sponsors to let China know that its Darfur policy represents a risk to the reputation of the Beijing Olympics and also to the companies' reputations, and therefore their investments in the Olympics.
Q: Do you think big corporations will ever displease China?
Mia Farrow: It's because of fear or some greed that we see this level of silent complicity in China's support for genocide. We see these astonishing statements of social responsibility from almost all of the Olympic sponsors. And yet they have not stepped up to live up to the responsibility. This is the moment for them to do so. If that is not reason to make good on their promises, I really don't know what more to say about them. We need some sort of ethical code in business that is actually real. I am feeling a different kind of fear. I don't care about the sponsor's fear. I don't care even if they lose money. This is blood money. I think they should step up and do the right thing.
Q: Do you think this report will put some pressure on some of the sponsors?
Ellen Freudenheim: Yes. None of these companies want to be associated with genocide. We have put them on notice that they are responsible for more than they care to be. We know that many of them spoke to the IOC, but not for attribution in our report. We think the report has hit a nerve.
Q: Are you satisfied with the role of UN, US and EU in Darfur? Are you hopeful of peace there?
Jill Savitt: No, we are not satisfied with their role. But, we are hopeful of peace. While peace can be brought to the region, all who can speak out against the violence must do so sooner than later. That means citizens, Olympic sponsors, and governments.