Most of the time I won't publish just a plain-old press release, but I was just checking my email before going to bed for good when I saw this one. It struck me as important because I made 4 posts today from three different cities, yet there are much more important things to talk about than what happened in the Indiana primary tonight. Things like the genocide taking place in Darfur.

Actor-turned-humanitarian George Clooney met with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Tuesday to discuss the Sudan genocide crisis.

The Oscar winner visited Brown's official residence in London's Downing Street in his capacity as a United Nations Messenger Of Peace, a post to which he was appointed in January.

Clooney, who talked to Brown ahead of the British premiere of his new movie Leatherheads, emerged from the meeting with the news a "wonderful suggestion" for buying peacekeeping helicopters had been made.

The actor/director then posed for pictures with Brown and his wife Sarah. Brown said, "I am grateful for the leadership George Clooney has shown in drawing attention to this crisis - this is a humanitarian tragedy of colossal proportions and the world must take note and act.

"The U.K. is working with the international community and others to pressure all sides to agree a ceasefire and start peace talks." Clooney has become a leading celebrity advocate for action against genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan after filming a documentary about the ongoing violence and refugee crisis there last year.

He has also set up the Not On Our Watch organisation with his Ocean's Thirteen castmates Brad Pitt, Matt Damon and Don Cheadle - to help provide humanitarian aid in the region.

If you'd like to learn more about Darfur or genocide in general, take a few minutes to visit the Genocide Intervention Network.

A hunger crisis could be looming for many parts of the world

The World Food Program, at a summit in London, is warning the world that we may be on the verge of a global food crisis.

Speaking Tuesday at summit in London, Josette Sheeran, executive director at the World Food Program, referred to a “silent tsunami” of hunger in many developing countries across the globe.

Rising fuel prices and unpredictable weather and demand have all become factors leading to the first global food crisis since World War II.

"What we are seeing now is affecting more people on every continent," Sheeran said.

[...]

The price of food staples have seen drastic increases in recent months. The price of rice, for example, has more than doubled in just the last five weeks.

These changes have caused deaths in Cameroon and Haiti, while sparking civil unrest.

"We are going through a very serious crisis and we are going to see lots of food strikes and demonstrations," Said Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

[...]

This problem has been growing for quite some time, and we're even beginning to feel the pinch here in the United States, with Sam's Club deciding this week to limit the sale of imported rice in order to protect their inventory.

Food supply is extremely important in the debate about climate change. We've already seen how food shortages are causing riots in Haiti and other places, and many people believe that lost resources due to climate change will continue to be a flashpoint for violent conflicts around the world.

Annie Lennox held a special event Friday night in London to talk about her campaign to raise global awareness of HIV/AIDS in conjuntion with Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on March 10th.

In December 2006, Annie Lennox invited 23 female singers to record with her on a song she had written in order to help to draw attention to the HIV/AIDS pandemic-especially in South Africa, where women and children are most seriously affected. Annie titled her song simply "Sing," and pledged the proceeds from its sales to the Treatment Action Campaign.

In support of the effort by Annie Lennox and TAC, The Body Shop will sell and distribute a special edition of "SING" at selected UK outlets from March 10-23 -- the first time that The Body Shop has ever sold music to the public. In addition, BBC Sports Relief have agreed to broadcast footage of TAC's work, which Annie documented in September 2007 during her two-week visit to some of the most seriously affected areas of South Africa.

For more information or to get involved, check out the Annie Lennox Sing website.