Key Points

The actress attended the 5th annual Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Program Block Party on the Universal lot, reports ‘Variety’.

She said at the event, “The world feels like it’s burning because it is. Here in Los Angeles, in the US and across the globe, we are moving backwards fast. Immigration policy is destroying the lives of families, not criminals. Women’s rights are becoming less and less every day, queer and trans lives are increasingly being erased, and gender-based violence is on the rise. This isn’t just policy, it’s personal. F*** them”.

She continued, “Foreign aid cuts brought HIV and AIDS programs in my home country of South Africa to an absolute standstill. All of this is not just detrimental, it’s dangerous. People will lose their lives. Many have already unfortunately and at a frightening rate. It’s absolutely heartbreaking to see this kind of unnecessary suffering”.

As per ‘Variety’, Theron did not mention President Donald Trump by name but his administration has made cutting foreign aid a core part of its agenda.

However, Theron said she is not without hope. “What we also see, what we cannot miss, is the resistance”, she said. “There is hope, there is power in all of us standing up, organising, protesting, voting and caring for each other, and refusing to accept that this is the new normal”.

“That spirit of resistance, justice and care for each other, that’s the spirit that drives the work at CTAOP. Although our focus is on the youth in southern Africa, what we’re really talking about here tonight is that all lives should be valued. Everyone should have the right to be healthy and safe and should be able to be seen”, she added.

- IANS