Kidman Worries About Treatment of Women While Representing the…UN?
by Pam MeisterNicole Kidman is a fine actress. I’ve enjoyed her work over the years, and heartily congratulate her for her long and storied career. I also congratulate her for getting out of her marriage to Tom Cruise, but that’s another story.
Now Kidman, like many Hollywood stars who want to prove that they’re more than just pretty faces, is involved in A Cause. Like Meryl Streep’s concern about healthy produce and Heather Graham for ObamaCare, Kidman wants to Save Something. To that end, she is the goodwill ambassador for the UN Development Fund for Women, known as UNIFEM and in that capacity, recently testified before Congress to plead for more support for the program (read: cold, hard cash).
The big story that came out of that appearance was Kidman’s concession that the film industry might play a role in violence toward women by portraying them as weak. That may be true, but it’s a topic for another day.
Kidman’s desire to help women in need is admirable. But she might want to consider an outlet other than the UN to do this good work.
The UN is not only one of the most corrupt and inept organizations in the world, but one with highly questionable values. Here’s a sampling of the UN in action:
- UN Agency Calls for Teaching Children 5-8 Years of Age about Masturbation
- Congo observers slaughtered after 6 days of unanswered pleas to UN for rescue
- Worldwide Taxes Come One Step Closer
- Committee: UN Allowed ‘Corrupt Behavior’ in Oil-for-Food Program
And this is the organization that tries to tell everyone else what’s what? The one that do-gooders like Kidman want so desperately to be a part of because it’s “respected?”
But perhaps one of the most egregious stories to come out of the fetid cesspool that is the UN is this one:
With the United Nations already under fire for the Oil-for-Food mega-scandal and other corruption, sensational allegations of rampant sexual exploitation and rape of young girls and women by the U.N.’s so-called “peacekeepers” and civilian staffers in the Congo is dragging the global body’s reputation to an all-time low.
In a new report referring to the widespread sex scandal as “the U.N.’s Abu Ghraib,” the London Times provides some specific examples, including:
- A French U.N. logistics expert in the Congo shot pornographic movies in his home, in which he had converted his bedroom into a photo studio for videotaping his sexual abuse of young girls. When police raided his home, the man was allegedly about to rape a 12-year-old girl sent to him in a law enforcement sting operation. As the Times reported, a senior Congolese police officer confirmed the bed was surrounded by large mirrors on three sides, with a remote control camera on the fourth side.
- U.N. officials are worried that the scandal. which already has nettedd 150 allegations of sex crimes by U.N. staffers, will explode if the pornographic videos and photos, now on sale in the Congo, becoming public. “It would be a pretty big problem for the U.N. if these pictures come out,” one senior official told the Times.
- Two Russian pilots paid young girls with jars of mayonnaise and jam to have sex with them, the report adds.
- U.N. “peacekeepers” from Morocco based in Kisangani – a secluded town on the Congo River – are notorious for impregnating local women and girls. In March, an international group probing the scandal found 82 women and girls had been made pregnant by Moroccan U.N. staffers and 59 others by Uruguayan staffers. One U.N. soldier accused of rape was apparently hidden in the barracks for a year. Congo’s Minister of Defense Maj.-Gen. Jean Pierre Ondekane told a top U.N. official that all U.N. “peacekeepers” in Kisangani would be remember for would be “for running after little girls,” the Times reported.
- And at least two U.N. officials – a Ukrainian and a Canadian – have been forced to leave the African nation after getting local women pregnant.
Most of the sexual abuse and exploitation, says the report, involves trading sex for money, food or jobs. However, some victims say they were raped, but later given food or money to make the incident appear to have been consensual – “rape disguised as prostitution.”
Nice. And the abuse wasn’t limited to the Congo:
The United Nation’s “sex-for-food” scandal continues to spread. As the human rights group Save the Children documents in a new report, U.N. peacekeepers in the war-torn, refugee-rich Liberia have been accused of selling food for sex from girls as young as 8. They are the latest victims in a growing tragedy that includes girls from Burundi, Ivory Coast, East Timor, Congo, Cambodia and Bosnia, proving correct a prediction made last year by the assistant secretary-general at the United Nations for peacekeeping operations. “We think this will look worse before it begins to look better,” she said last May after efforts to investigate peacekeepers in Congo had fallen short.
The report found abuse at all age levels from 8 to 18, though the victims older than 12 were identified as being “regularly involved in ’selling sex’.” But “all of the respondents clearly stated that they felt that the scale of the problem affected over half of the girls in their locations,” the report said.
How much has changed since these scandals were unearthed? I have no idea. But if libs have no trouble continuing to vilify the Catholic Church for its sex scandals years after their exposure and the Church’s attempt to finally do something about them, I have no problem continuing to vilify the UN for its disgustingly dirty laundry. Especially when that organization tends to see itself as the world’s moral arbiter, and demands plenty of money for its continued corrupt existence from nations it constantly lectures on matters of morality and fairness - like the US.
Until the UN cleans house, that organization’s lecturing and moralizing should be taken with a very large grain of salt.
Then there’s the small matter of UNIFEM of Canada honoring Louise Frechette, former Deputy Secretary of the United Nations. What’s the problem, you ask? Well, there seems to have been “a systematic attempt by the Deputy Secretary-General, Canadian Louise Frechette, to block results of audits into the Oil-for-Food program from the Security Council”.
What a great organization!
It’s nice that Nicole Kidman wants to help women around the world. I wish her well in her efforts. But she should give as much care and research to the organizations with which she affiliates herself as she would to a role in a movie.
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69 Comments
To quote the much maligned Major Frank Burns from MASH, "Get us out of the UN!"
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Big Hollywood and Jacksonian Lawyer, Jo Bell. Jo Bell said: Kidman Worries About Treatment of Women While Representing the…UN? http://is.gd/4FN3C more Actor stupidity! [...]
BOMB THE UN INTO OBLIVION!
http://noliberalspin.blogtownhall.com/2009/10/28/...
RETAKE TURTLE PARK NY for AMERICANS!
Having seen the U.N. at work in Haiti and the subsequent abuse of young boys by its troops, I'm a firm believer this organization is completely corrupt.
Knicky is the bomb that is how a woman was supposed to look, I'm not sure I could say No to her face to face.
But as soon as she turned around I'd say Hell No Get us out of the UN
Nest of Crooks, Spy's, and useles Idiots, but I don't blame her for that.
Even better-get the UN out of the US now!
As an organization purportedly advocating world dominance and peace, the UN is as completely worthless as the overblown asses in charge of it.
As a drain on the US economy, the UN is akin to a leech sucking blood from its host.
Get us the hell out of the UN, and get the UN the hell out of the US.
Celebutard of the day.
Just another overconfident idiot for the UN. Pathetic.
Hollywood does portray women as victims,you go girl this would change if the government cares, I propose a tax cedit system on self defense classes and the buying weapons and training of girls. Let's see some pervert touch my daughter with a 12 gauge holes in him and/or a snap kick to the groin.
i just love how hollywierd memebers want to show their brain power by trolling the halls of congress, begging to open up their cause to more of our tax dollars. why don't they have cause parties in hollywierd, and beg their fellow pretty faces for money for their cause? we know the answer to that, their friends are spending their money on their favorite cause, themself.
I can't take anyone seriously who has had so much surgery that their face looks like it might shatter. Poor Nicole's nose is so small I wonder if her problem is she is not getting enough oxygen to her brain. Hmmm…that would explain some things…
With the Islamic countries having so much pull in the UN, especially the Saudis, she should take her fight to a more woman-friendly group. Of course, getting all of that "support" from the US would be difficult anywhere else. I just wish my tax dollars didn't go to these wastes of time. Evict the UN!
But, the UN does such great work …crickets….
The UN is masterful at appearing to investigate it's corruption and other criminal and unethical behavior while concluding with virtually nothing more than a slap on the wrist and often retirement by the offending official with one of the UN's outrageously grandiose retirement packages, 22% paid for by us, the American Taxpayer.
It's well past time for something like what John McCain suggested, "A League of Democracies," to counteract the hideously corrupt and Orwellian, Byzantine bureaucracy that is the UN.
NIcole says "Hollywood" contributes to abuse of women, but that she doesn't take those types of roles. Does Nicole think, as a mother, that her roles could contribute to abuse or exploitation of children? Nicole has played both a mother who murders her own children and a pedophile pursuing a young boy.
"The UN is not only one of the most corrupt and inept organizations in the world, but one with highly questionable values"
Right on! Why would anyone use the UN to bolster an argurment?
I'm reminded of a thought from the columnist Mark Steyn. If you take a pound of ice cream, and mix it with a pound of manure. The result tends to taste the latter a lot more than the former.
The UN will not be able to provide what Americans expect from it as long as its filled with dictators, monarchs, theocrats and thugs.
Dear Pam, your article is ridiculous in so many ways, and your argumentation is so flawed that it' s almost impossible to respond. It seems evident that you don't know anything about UNIFEM and their work. You confuse the UN Secretary, the Security Council, the DPKO, the Agencies, and the military involved in Peacekeeping operations. Please, if you are going to write about something, try to research it at least a bit. The work of UNIFEM is admirable is many ways and can certainly not be related to the violations committed by uneducated, untrained and unpaid soldiers from the developing world working as UN peacekeepers. In comparison and proportionally, there is still a lot more rapes and abuses committed by the US army, and these cases just vanish in YOUR military bureaucracy. And if you want to criticize the UN, as in the UN secretary/Security council, well you should know that the US basically RULES the UN in NY. If not enough is being done by the Security Council(or too much), well blame it on yourself first because you are in charge.
Anyway, I hope you stay comfy in your little conservative thinking, while dedicated UN employees from all over the world die to promote democracy in Afghanistan, Human RIghts in Sudan, and freedom in Iraq, when they sacrifice everything to protect refugees in Congo, Darfur, or Sri Lanka, when they help women regain dignity in West Africa, or bring food to children in Ethiopia or Somalia.
I remember reading & enjoying that column not too long ago. It is an apt analogy. Steyn is great.
I read & enjoyed that column too. Steyn is great.
Had to put in an extra "I", can't have UNFEM as an acronym…
Anybody suffer through this movie that came out a few years ago with Nic and Sean Penn (before I swore off his movies forever) where La Kidman played a South African UN employee? She talked the whole time in a strange harsh whisper and kept bleating out things like, "Do you want war?" whenever somebody would knock the UN. It was ridiculous.
Her goal is quite a noble one – just the wrong vehicle. As many of you know, Charity Donations always have some sort of red-tape involved. We can't just give money to them (would be nice) it has to go through organizations that "have their best interest at heart." blah blah blah, yeah yeah yeah. Organizations that are tied to governments, or are corrupted otherwise, and very little makes it to the intended recipients (if any at all) while the poachers (for lack of a better term) profit mightly.
I admire those that want to help others (bashing this particular starlet does no good) and I wish we each personally had that pull (star celebrity power) to move things in our charitable corner.
Advocating for something/someone brings attention to that situation. Just shedding light on the topic helps. Money does too, but money cannot solve all the world's problems (as we all well know from what our own govn't is doing).
Pam, I slammed UNIFEM and Kidman here at BH way back on April 25th in my "Why Is Hollywood Silent on Roixana Saberi?" oped. Did some background on the org. Example. Iran is perhaps the worst offender of human rights in the world, and they didn't even discuss Iran in their last world conference. Only two references to stoning in their entire website! They didn't even mention women were being imprisoned in Iran for PROTESTING all the stonings!
I was none too pleased at the time about UNIFEM rep Kidman about her deafening silence on Roxana Saberi either. She should have been screaming the loudest! Crickets. As with any UN agency, you have to ask the key question: what good are they? All things considered, more harm than good, IMHO. They haven't even mentioned the five women buried alive in Pakistan for choosing their own husbands! UNIFEM is just more celebrity window dressing. Looks good on a PR resume, you know? That's about it.
LDR, your statement is such a whitewash. And where is your proof of more rapes being committed by the US Army than UN Peacekeepers, who commit rapes of young girls as SOP? Got any video like in the Congo? But no, let's just forget all those rapes because they're the almighty UN and the US Army is worse. With friends like you and the UN, rape victims in the Congo don't need any enemies.
BTW I did research UNIFEM, and made my statement below and in a previous BH oped. UNIFEM is worse than useless. You can't hardly even find any references to Iran in their entire website! How screwed is THAT? But no, let's forget all the stonings and hangings in Iran of women and young girls, even for the crime of being raped. The US military is SOOO much worse!
Hollywood talk about moral's lol they have none well at least the elit's don't the sad thing is Hollywood now a day's is about doing what feel's right and good when it can come back and bite you in the ass. Yvonne strahovski did a interview with carson daily and im starting to lose respect for her now to as how she is acting in real life is not a good role model for kid's and relationship's. I know carson is creepy but basicly the interview was basicly about how she went on vacation with her boyfriend i don't wanna hear that. These nut job's are to upfront about their lives i think.
I believe that celebrities like Kidman who act as spokesmen for some UN organisations simply don't fully realize just how corrupt the UN has become. First, most of the celebs really don't do any research past the UN glossy's that their agent hands them. Their agent is responsible for making them look good and this is a cheap and easy way to do it. If the celeb does have questions, then there are enough people around them to assure the celeb that what they heard is all lies or they had some problems but it's cleaned up now. Another reason could be that the celeb knows the problems but decides (in the usual liberal way) that the greater good of the organisation overrides the terrible things that are done by a relative few.
I believe that most celebs (there are some exceptions) are not in any way intellectually curious and as a result you tend to get this sort thoughtless suppport. Please note as well that you can't seperate departments within the UN by saying that UNIFEM (for example) isn't as guilty of corruption and cruelty as the Peacekeeping group therefore they can receive support. This only serves to allow the corruption to spread.
LOL These celebs get their picture and phony PR out there and think that qualifies their opinions to mean something.
It's all about money and publicity hell to me the agent's rule in hollywood they tell them what to talk about and what to say. Hell im now losing respect for newcomers due to their foolishness and naiveity I respected Yvonne strahovski but now i realize she and meny other's are going down the what makes me feel good path. Even if it screw's you in the end but that's the world today New comer's alway's fall into that trap without knowing it. they can't talk about moral's as depraved as they are even the new comer's it's such a danm sad cycle. Ending in heart break and sadness Hollywood is a soap opera of the worst kind
I just looked at the Unifem website and they are clearly involved in doing all kind of good works all over the world , fighting AIDS in Africa was just one section I saw. To dismiss the whole organization because they are not criticizing Iran or Pakistan enough is loony.
Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF! Sheesh!
I just looked at the Unifem website and they are clearly involved in doing all kind of good works all over the world, fighting AIDS in Africa was just one section I looked at. To dismiss the whole organization because they don't criticize Iran enough is loony.
You don't need the government for that, sounds like you have it under control.
If some one touches my daughter (besides he boy friend – and then only light kissing) they'll get to meet my little 7 month old German Shepherd Wolfgang.
He's pushing 90 lbs!
Yeah! I hear they throw a great meeting.
That caused a weird image to pop into my head.
Kidman goes to Arabia to address Saudi officialls. And after about 30 seconds the Saudis say
"Who owns this woman? How much for this woman?"
Oh they do, but it depends upon what your definition of "great work" is.
And I'm guessing your idea of great work is starkly different from Iran, Sudan, Arabia, etc. etc. etc.
Um, palmtree, it does suggest their priorities are severely misplaced. The UN Human Rights Commission, yet another sick joke, voted to end scrutiny of Iran in 2006. WTF? By teh way, did you know that in 2008 UNIFEM was investigating human rights abuses against women in Canada while totally ignoring Iran and other Islamic countries that treat women worse than dogs? How screwed is THAT?
Feel free to believe what you will. But when it comes to attacking REAL women's rights issues that should be their to priorities, UNIFEM is totally MIA. Worse than useless.
The UN is such a fine example of the good organizations we dump tax dollars to. I bet if we would only give them more money they could get this all straightened out.
"[W]hen they help women regain dignity in West Africa, or bring food to children in Ethiopia or Somalia."
Are you sure that shouldn't be:
"[W]hen they help themsleves to women in West Africa, or bring food to children in Ethiopia or Somalia."
So, Ms Nicole Kidman doesn't take roles that degrade women huh? What about 2003's "Dogville"? Plot sysnopsis can be found here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276919/synopsis
Sounds like a real female-positive role to me.
So, Ms Nicole Kidman doesn't take roles that degrade women huh? What about 2003's "Dogville"? Plot sysnopsis can be found here: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276919/synopsis
Sounds like a real female-positive role to me.
I think she settled the question nicely; looks, money, and brains, two out of three ain't bad!
With regards to the UN's support of women in developing countries, all I have to say is "SAY WHAT?"
The UN fields its own peacekeeper troops complete with their baby blue helmets to poor nations dealing with civil unrest and/or war. But don't make any mistakes here, when actual fighting gets close, UN forces retreat to the safety of outlying villages out of harm's way. But in doing so they become harm's way. When UN troops retreat to these outlying villages they often grow bored and resort to using their weekly UN pay to entice young 8 and 9 year old children to turn sexual tricks for groups of UN soldiers. This has been reported time and time again but not through our own MSM. Its a dirty secret of both the UN and the left. So when I hear anything about representing the UN in their fight for women, I can only say, "WHAT"?
LDR:
You don't know what you're talking about. The UN has been fielding soldiers in poor nations that experience civil unrest for years. The problem is its all show. Its been reported time and time and time again by many international reporters that when the fighting gets close the blue helmeted UN soldiers retreat to outlying villages where they grow bored and restless. Being they don't represent any individual nation but an organization, they are more ready to spend their UN pay on the type of entertainment that is illegal in the rest of the world. They've been hiring 8 and 9 year old children to turn tricks for years. It goes on because the UN doesn't want to investigate it and air their dirty laundry and our own MSM refuses to report it much as they refuse to report any negative news on the Obama administration. Wake up!
And I raise you two English Mastiffs, girl 140#, boy 160#, yes she has a green belt and weapon proficient, bow staff, nunchuckus although a poor shot, that's why I boght her a 20 Gauge. Mastiffs are great with kids, once you get past that drolling thing.
Solution to U.N. *problem*: Evict U.N. from U.S. soil. Six months from today begin tearing down that socialist monolith. Clear the site. Auction off the land. Establish a park in honor of all the victims of the U.N. and it's socialist policies.
Would it be bad for us if we quit the UN? Or at least stopped pledging so much money?
I understood the premise, the film didn't lie. But more disturbing than the film (and it bothered me for a few days) was the fact that it didn't go further. It's likely a small majority of the viewers "got it" , but I really don't think the film makers and/or actors "got it" either. I think it is because it was their own mirror. That film should have sparked a lot of dialogue, and unless I was awol, which I might have been, I read little to nothing after its release.
Nicole Kidman is a beautiful woman, and seems to have more substance than most in Hollywood. However, I agree with the person who spoke of agents and PR. Maybe Nicole will take a longer, deeper look at the UN and who they are, rather than appear on behalf of her agent's request. Or, she could watch the two hour 24 movie from 08, that oh so subtly portrayed the UN character spot on…..
Dear LDR, please STFU. I don't hear the NOW gals standing up for anyone that is conservative, and I also don't see them standing up for women who are getting their arms chopped off and raped overseas.Women support causes and support other like minded women. you disagree with them, they don't recognize your gender and discard you. There is a reason the word bitch isn't used as a male term. The UN is a corrupt, anti American piece of crap that needs to be leveled to the ground. It would serve a better use as a homeless shelter than the embarrassment it is now. Interesting how you painted a poster conservative because they don't line up with your twisted view of the world. Of course that's the problem with people of your ilk. We're to blame, everyone else outside the good ol USA isn't. You should go over there and wander the countryside and see what happens to you. Shave your pits before you leave. You might offend someone when they behead you.
So Ms. Kidman is worried about the treatment of women. Oddly, I don't remember her enthusiastic support of America's toppling of the Taliban.
[...] of six Palestinian families – 26 people, including 10 children – in East Jerusalem today. Kidman Worries About Treatment of Women While Representing the…UN? – bighollywood.breitbart.com 10/28/2009 Nicole Kidman is a fine actress. I’ve enjoyed her work [...]
Did you even read what LDR wrote? They were making a distinction between soldiers and all the other work that is going on. Go look at the UNIFEM site and explain to me why you are opposed to their work fighting AIDS in Africa, a problem that George Bush also considered important and directed a lot of funds toward.
Expect Nicole to come away from her UN experience wiser and sadder. I don't know her politics but she sure brightens up the screen.
Excellent.
As I said, you don't need no stinkin' government. You handled it yourself. I'm confident the founding fathers would salute you.
My ancestors saluted them withfreezing and numb feet, elitism was rampant then also, we must not keep the Eyes Wide Shut.
I''ve been advocating that since I was old enough to understand what the UN really is.
Don't even get me started on what UNICEF funds are eventually used for.
from the movie clue (paraphrased):
Bulter: Professor Plum, your job used to entail spending all your time dealing with psycopaths, murderers and thieves. What are you doin now?
Professor Plum: I'm a consultant for special projects at the United Nations.
Butler: So your work hasn't changed then.
Just a common sense observation: Any specific organizations's website is going to give information that will represent said organization in a postive light. All good intentions will be listed for all to see. What is true or not true cannot be gleaned from what one says about oneself, especially when they are part of a larger entity that is known all over for widespread abuse disguised by well intentions.
I don't know , fighting AIDS in Africa seems like a pretty top priority to me. George Bush thought so too.
The top priority for you is clearly issues which reflect badly on Muslims. I agree with you that the Islamic world has lots of problems with the way it treats women. But I still think that failure in one area doesn't wipe out everything else . That's the way it is in the real world , it's not perfect.
I guess it helps to be able to keep an eye on other countries' slimy politicians (and give our slimy politicians some company) but anything that puts freakin' Libya on equal footing with… I dunno, Spain, or some place I'm not frightened of visiting, is ridiculous. Talking is fine. But can't they do it via Skype?
palmtree, using the analogy of a fire department, where do you devote your resources? To the six-alarm fires blazing (Iran, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan) or the cat stuck in a tree (Canada)? I'm not slamming the AIDS funding, but this UNI-FEM! Shouldn't they be addressing issues like women being stoned and buried alive instead of "Gender Dimensions of Climate Change"? WTF?
And if the issues reflect poorly on Islamic countries, maybe that's because women are treated the worst there? But that's just me. I'm just a dumb guy, after all. Don't mind me. Let's talk seriously about women. Doesn't Nicole look GREAT in that picture?
I've been to alot of those frightening places. The politicians are the same. The only difference is the measure of power they have and wether or not their populace are free to arm themselves.
As the months go by I am more and more determined to put my hound dog in the car, drive down to Texas and buy a gun. And stay there.
from all I've been hearing about Texas, I'm tempted to do the same, only I would miss the cold too much. Of course for me, there's always Alaska.
*warblemuttergrumble*Jump. Jump… now*grumblemutterwarble*
Roxana Saberi had a side to her life that the Western media did not want to report and no one wanted to be associated with. Before defending Ms.Saberi and buying into the mainstream medias hype, perhaps you should research the topic a bit more. Ms. Saberi had run in twice before her arrest while filming her movie. She took documents. She lied during her interviews. She refuses to take any responsiblity and her brother was working in military intelligence the whole time. I am sorry but I would rather see a real victim defended than one that put herself in that position, believing she was above the law, while asking the world for their sympathy.
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