Mia Farrow - Activism and Africa

Activism and Africa

Farrow has been a high profile advocate for children's rights, working to raise funds and awareness for children in conflict-affected regions, predominantly in Africa. She is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and has worked extensively to draw attention to the fight to eradicate polio, which she survived as a child. She has traveled to Darfur three times to advocate for Darfuri refuges. She traveled there in November 2004 and June 2006, joining her son Ronan Farrow, who has also worked for UNICEF in Sudan. Farrow visited 2006 Berlin to be part of a charity auction of United Buddy Bears, which feature designs by artists representing 142 U.N. member states.

Her third trip was as part of a documentary film expedition in 2007. Farrow's photographs of Darfur appeared in People magazine in July 2006 and she authored an article on the crisis, published in the Chicago Tribune on July 25, 2006. On February 5, 2007, Farrow authored an editorial for the Los Angeles Times. On August 7, 2007, Farrow offered to "trade her freedom" for the freedom of a rebel leader being treated in a UN hospital, but afraid to leave. She wanted to be taken captive in exchange for his being allowed to leave the country.

Since 2007, Farrow has been involved with the Dream for Darfur campaign, which has made a major effort to focus public attention on China's support for the government of Sudan, with a special focus on the 2008 Summer Olympics held in Beijing. Swayed by Farrow's campaign to pressure him, on February 12, 2008 filmmaker, Steven Spielberg withdrew as an artistic adviser to the 2008 Olympics broadcast. During the Olympics broadcast, Farrow televised via the internet from a Sudanese refugee camp to highlight China's involvement in the region.

Farrow has recently agreed to narrate a documentary film relating the struggle of many of the survivors of the Rwandan Genocide to forgive those who murdered family and friends. The documentary has been completed and is titled As We Forgive.

Farrow has set up her own website, miafarrow.org, which features a guide on how to get involved with Darfur activism, along with her photographs and blog entries from Darfur, Chad, and the Central African Republic.

The International Criminal Court issued a warrant for the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on March 4, 2009, after which Sudan expelled 13 international aid agencies from Darfur. To raise awareness of this situation, Farrow began a water-only fast on April 27. Farrow's goal was to fast for three weeks. On May 8, after 12 days of fasting, she called a halt to the fast due to a downturn in her health.

In 2008, Farrow received three awards: the France Legion of Arts and Lettres award, the Refugees International McCall-Pierpaoli Humanitarian Award for "extraordinary service to refugees and displaced people"; and the Tiannamen Square Award.

In 2009, Farrow was the recipient of the Leon Sullivan International Service award. She testified in the trial against former Liberian President Charles Taylor in August 2010.