Ben Affleck Makes Post-Oscars Appearance at TED2013, Talks Helping Out in Eastern Congo

Oscar winner says he wants to help "one of the most damaged, suffering places in the world"

By Alyssa Toomey Mar 01, 2013 9:10 PMTags
Ben Affleck, ShavedClint Brewer/Splash News

Ben Affleck may be an Oscar winner, an A-list movie star and a family man, but he never forgets to give back.

The Best Picture winner took the stage at TED2013 Thursday and kicked off Session 10, "Secret Voices," where he discussed his plans to aid Eastern Congo and called others to action.  

 "At the Academy Awards, I mentioned my wife, and I said: The people we love, we have to work on those relationships," the Academy Award winner said.  "The other thing that I work on is Eastern Congo."

"I felt like I wasn't doing enough to give back to the world. So I found one of the most damaged, suffering places in the world, where 1 in 5 children die before the age of 5. It's a place where a million people are displaced, regularly, inside the country. Where there's the worst gender-based violence in the world…There are a lot of things to lament, particularly in the last 15 years when 5.5 million people died from conflict-related violence."

Jennifer Garner's husband continued, explaining the public has failed to respond to the crisis in Eastern Congo because "we feel it's too big" and "it's too different to look at."

"I can understand my aunt who passed away, but 3 million deaths I can't understand," the father of three explained. "I don't want to understand—it's just too painful, so I disengage."

Finally, Affleck also responded to those who claim the situation in Congo can't be changed:

"I don't believe that's true," the Argo director stated. "I've seen and met people doing incredible things, mending the fabric of their lives—their family's lives—brick by brick, stitch by stitch. It's changed my views on what's possible."

What a stand-up star. 

Hit the comments with your thoughts on Ben's do-gooding efforts. 

Ben Affleck is a movie star