Day 11 -- I'm really struggling today. Mia Farrow, 5-7-09
Darfur Crisis Upate: Mia Farrow on 11th Day of Her Hunger Strike
By Richard Power
Larry King deserves a kind word here for following up on Mia Farrow's hunger strike for Darfur -- even if the segment was sandwiched between James Carville and a woman who had her face rebuilt after it was shot off. So far, Larry King's is the only show on any prime time cable news network to interview her or give the story any degree of the respect it deserves.
On Monday, the Los Angeles Times discovered the story; yesterday, the New York Times discovered the story. When will the story hit the White House press room?
Here is a brief excerpt from the transcript of this second Larry King show segment, followed by Mia's video blog from Day 10.
Remember the point of the hunger strike is to get as many people as possible to contact the White House online (www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/) or by telephone (202-456-1111) and tell President Obama that "it is not acceptable for you to watch a million or more Darfuris die of starvation, thirst and disease."
The immediate goal of this action is to prevail upon the international community to force either the return of the expelled aid agencies or at least the admission of other aid agencies to replace them.
KING: Welcome back. Tonight, we're kicking off our impact your world series. Every few weeks, we'll focus on a cause and show you ways to help that cause. Tonight, we're focussing on the crisis in Darfur. What better person to do it with than Mia Farrow, who's in the second week of her fast to draw attention to the plight of the people of Darfur. How are you feeling, Mia?
MIA FARROW, ACTRESS: I feel OK, Larry. I think the first six days were the hardest. I have low energy, but, strangely, it's kind of a spiritual journey. I have less tolerance for TV. I listen to a lot of Bach. I try to read. And sometimes I just look out the window.
But thank you for doing the show on Darfur. That's the reason I'm doing this and it's great that you're doing the show. ...
KING: I understand someone is with you, Mohamed [Yahya]. He's from Darfur, is that right?
FARROW: That's right. Yes, he's a respected Darfuri leader here in the United States. He has news of Darfur.
KING: Mohamed, are things getting any better?
YAHYA: Unfortunately, Mr. Larry, things doesn't go very well. And it's really getting worse and worse, especially after the government of Sudan expelled about 16 aid workers, the organizations who are supporting my people in Darfur, giving them food, shelter, water and medicine.
And right now, so many people dying. Hundreds of people dying, especially kids, due to Meningitis and disease, and Cholera, so many difficult situations in Darfur right now.
KING: Mia, what can ordinary Americans do to help?
FARROW: Everyone can call the White House ... 202-456-11. And ask President Obama to please, please make good on those campaign pledges to help to bring an end to the suffering in Darfur. And I know a lot of -- I received tremendous support from all over the world. And some supporters have set up a website, FastDarfur.org, where you can go there and figure out from them what else you can do. ...
KING: ... When we come back, she received the nation's first face transplant after having her face blown off with a shotgun. You will not believe how she looks now. Don't go away. Larry King Live, CNN, 5-6-09
[NOTE: If you are reading this via your free e-mail subscription to Words of Power, click here to go to Mia Farrow's video blog for Day 10 of her hunger strike. But if you are reading this post at Words of Power on the WWW, you will find it embedded below.]
Day 10 of Mia Farrow's Hunger Strike for Darfur, Video Blog
Day 10 of Mia Farrow's Hunger Strike for Darfur, Video Blog
As always, I encourage you to follow events in Darfur on Mia Farrow's site, it is the real-time journal of a humanitarian at work; the content is compelling, insightful and fiercely independent.
For a Words of Power Archive of posts on the Crisis in Darfur, click here.
Here are other sites of importance:
Dream for Darfur
Enough: The Project to End Genocide and Mass Atrocities
Genocide Intervention Network
Divest for Darfur.
Save Darfur!
Richard Power's Left-Handed Security: Overcoming Fear, Greed & Ignorance in This Era of Global Crisis is available now! Click here for more information.
Darfur, Divestment, Enough, UN, Genocide, Mia Farrow, Dream for Darfur, Sudan, Investors Against Genocide, Richard Power, Words of Power