Last night during the 2015 People’s Choice Awards, Ben Affleck was given the honor of the People’s Choice Favorite Humanitarian Award. The Boston-born actor and soon-to-be Batman was recognized for his work spearheading the Eastern Congo Initiative.
Affleck was introduced by actress Amy Adams, who applauded Affleck for not just writing a check, but “diving in head first,” after learning about the crisis in East Congo. According to Adams, five million people have died due to violence and disease. Affleck has met with Congolese leaders, civilians and warlords, directed a documentary surrounding the issues, and appealed to U.S. Congress for government intervention.
In 2010, alongside Wendy Williams, Affleck launched the Eastern Congo Initiative, which helps Congolese children go to school, helps businesses to flourish and gives abuse victims a chance to be heard. In a prerecorded segment, Affleck said that in repairing the country, it’s not “some giant, singular grand solution, but rather brick, by brick, by brick.”
During his acceptance speech, Affleck said that he’s been called a lot of things in his life, but “I’m not sure, until recently, that humanitarian has ever been one of them.” He continued:
To be honest, it’s something that I have a hard time accepting, because I’ve had the privilege of working alongside so many incredible people in Congo and all over the world who I assure you are far more deserving. And I’ve been lucky to spend time working with real humanitarians, who, in the face of challenges like war and poverty and disease, dedicate every waking moment to rebuilding their country for a better future for their families and communities.
Affleck accepted the award on behalf of those people of the Eastern Congo Initiative and the organization’s partners. He went on to say that while the world can be a “scary and terrible place,” every bit of help, no matter how small, can go a long way.
“The one way to combat the sad things we see, the terrible things we see, is to try to bring a little bit of kindness to the world,” he said.
Watch the entire speech above, and learn more about the Eastern Congo Initiative here.
Featured image: Screengrab via YouTube
