In an exclusive interview with South Korea’s Dong A Daily, the U.N. humanitarian and actress Angelina Jolie opened up about how she believes the coronavirus is deepening the divide between haves and have nots.
The 44-year-old also discussed Harvey Weinstein and the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), among other things. Excerpts, below.
CORONAVIRUS—EDUCATION:
On the pandemic, she said that “half of students worldwide is out of education currently due to school shutdown.” She added: “some children depend on school to get one meal a day that can help them survive extreme poverty. Other young people may be more vulnerable to abuse or domestic violence. So there’s an urgent need to help young people to continue their education.”
Jolie recently donated $1 million to No Kid Hungry in a bid to help hungry kids during the pandemic.
CORONAVIRUS—DISPLACED PEOPLE:
On the impact of the pandemic on struggling communities: “The immediate focus is of course the coronavirus and impact it could have on the world’s displaced people who are so vulnerable. Many, for example, live in refugee camps where they don‘t have the option of self-isolating. Or where they might not even have access to water to wash their hands regularly. The most important thing to understand is that even before the virus, the situation for refugees globally was dire, with chronic shortfalls in basic humanitarian assistance including, for instance, a lack of basic healthcare. So while of course it is right that governments are moving quickly to protect their own citizens, it is urgent that we help more vulnerable societies and communities that could be devastated by this disease.”
HARVEY WEINSTEIN
Regarding the recent Weinstein trial, which sent him to prison for 23 years for rape, she said: “I respect the women who took part in the trial and bravely put evidence forward. Sadly, the issue is bigger than this one case. In my experience, there is much more that people choose to accept, or don't feel the need to change.”
BEAUTY
As a person frequently praised for her physical beauty, Jolie said: “I would say that true beauty is someone being their true self, whatever that might be, and not feeling that they have to hide their spirit or some aspect of their identity. Above all, a generous spirit. A kindness.”
INTEGRITY
On preparing her six children for the rise of AI, and how it is impacting how we perceive truth said: “I tell them to hold on to what they know to be right and to value truth, honesty and integrity. I would say to young people anywhere, don‘t listen when adults tell you ‘that‘s just the way things are’.”
She added: “We see with the coronavirus just how important it is that young people can have access to independent, impartial and accurate information – and know the difference between news that is fact-based and vetted, and information that is propaganda or a hoax. We’ve never had access to so much information, but we all also need to question where that information comes from, if we can trust it, or whether someone is trying to manipulate us in some way.”
Jolie shares Maddox, 18, Pax, 16, Zahara, 15, Shiloh, 13, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 11 with her ex-husband, Brad Pitt.