(CARE USA) CARE helps communities in need of assistance find common ground by working together across ethnic divisions, forming Village Development Committees that represent all groups, with a special emphasis on including women and marginalized people.
From Hollywood to Darfur: Stars’ group supports CARE in Darfur
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DECEMBER 15, 2008
Not On Our Watch

Addressing urgent humanitarian needs in Darfur while building trust between ethnic groups – that’s the objective of a grant of nearly $750,000 to CARE from Not on Our Watch, a humanitarian organization headed by prominent Hollywood artists Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt; film producer Jerry Weintraub; and human rights lawyer David Pressman.
In communities scarred by conflict, and faced with dire threats to livelihoods based on agriculture and herding, people desperately need interventions like small-scale irrigation systems or village savings groups. Community-based health care, especially for pregnant women, is another crucial need in villages frequently cut off by violence or harsh environmental conditions.
CARE helps communities in need of assistance find common ground by working together across ethnic divisions, forming Village Development Committees that represent all groups, with a special emphasis on including women and marginalized people. CARE works in close cooperation with local governments, civic groups, and peace committees, making access to aid contingent on cooperation between ethnic groups.
“As the conflict in Darfur continues, victims of violence remain desperately in need of basic support systems. Now more than ever it is critical that the international community remain committed to these victims and work towards putting an end to this crisis,” said Not On Our Watch co-founder Matt Damon.
The grant from Not on Our Watch will enable CARE, one of the largest humanitarian agencies operating in Darfur, to extend peace-building work in South and West Darfur to about 55,000 people, building on an existing project that reaches some 90,000 people.
“Not on Our Watch shares our goal of creating a culture of tolerance and non-violence in Darfur,” said Dr. Helene Gayle, CARE President and CEO. “We’re extremely grateful for this gift, which brings a measure of hope to people living in the shadow of despair.”