AngelinaJolie hinted on Friday she could one day enter politics, as she urged globalleaders to do more to help refugees and women in conflict. Asked whether shewas moving toward a political career, the Hollywood star, an envoy for the U.N.refugee agency who has also campaigned on sexual violence against women, saidshe would “go where I’m needed”. “If you asked me 20 years ago, I would’velaughed,” she said in an interview with British broadcaster the BBC. “I don’tknow if I’m fit for politics, but then I’ve also joked that I don’t know if Ihave a skeleton left in my closet.”
Joliesaid her work with the United Nations and other organizations enabled her to“get a lot done without a title”, but did not rule out a future switch. “Ihonestly will do whatever I think can really make change and right now, I amable to work with a U.N. agency ... to do a lot of work directly with thepeople in need,” she said. “I’m also able to work with governments and I’m alsoable to work with militaries. And so I sit in a very interesting place of beingable to get a lot done without a title and without it being about myself or mypolicies. So for now I’ll sit quiet.”
TheOscar-winning actor has in recent years visited refugee camps to highlight theplight of those uprooted by war, and broadened her international efforts toprotect women, working with NATO and governments to help stop the use of rapeas a weapon of war. With 68.5 million people uprooted globally, she said moreneeded to be done to support refugees and host communities in developingcountries. “The focus should be what is happening to these people? Why is thishappening? How do we have this many people uprooted and what are the causes?”Jolie said.
U.N.members earlier this month adopted a deal aimed at improving the way worldcopes with rising migration. The non-binding pact, meant to foster cooperationon migration, was agreed in July by all 193 U.N. members except the UnitedStates, but only 164 formally signed it at the meeting. “This should not beseen as a headache for people. This is how we need our leaders to be thinkingabout balancing our world,” she added.
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Jolie,a mother of six who last year released her film “First They Killed My Father”about Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge regime, launched the Preventing Sexual ViolenceInitiative in 2012 with Britain’s former foreign minister William Hague.
NATOagreed in January to help report on sexual violence in war to help bringperpetrators to justice and challenge the idea that rape is an unavoidableaspect of conflict.
Butthere have been questions over the effectiveness of the initiative, especiallyin light of the mass rape of Rohingya women in Myanmar during a crackdown thatforced 720,000 refugees to flee to Bangladesh.
Interviewed on BBC Radio’s Today program, which she guest edited, Jolie said the campaign had made a difference. “I have met victims who finally got reparations when they didn’t have them before,” she said. “When there are prosecutions and when there is accountability, we will see a real change.”
Source:Reuters
