Instagram/@markruffalo
Mark Ruffalo has many times over and sincerely and passionately asked, at the end of the year, for people not to forget to help and donate to Médecins Sans Frontières, or simply Doctors Without Borders. Besides making a contribution, the actor also spread the word via a video, inviting people to assist the organization’s highly controversial but much-needed humanitarian work in places such as Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine. The actor stressed that a donation from one person is a very much welcomed help for the non-profit to continue to save lives all over the globe.
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Over the years, the end of the year has been a time for giving and Mark Ruffalo is using his status as a celebrity to advocate for a cause that is hard to ignore. The Oscar-nominated actor can, through a video on the official Doctors Without Borders channel, solicit donations directly. “End of the year and it’s giving time for people,” Ruffalo says and looks the camera right in the eye. “So, I am kindly asking you to be very generous to doctors without borders.”
He later discusses the organization’s operations and backs up his statement by saying that “it is the hardest work” and what is more, the organization is still relying on the kindness of people who donate. “It is more essential than ever that we come forward,” insists Ruffalo. His message is very loud and clear: “Please make your donation before the year-end. You will be giving life.”
The post from Médecins Sans Frontières that goes with this video explains how every donation contributed is turned into the medics being able to treat people in 75 countries, thus, helping the neediest. The actor’s engagement is not a new thing; he has been using his powerful voice to draw attention to humanitarian causes and advocating for them for very many years.
His call was met with instantaneous and extremely personal reactions. Many people commented saying how much they admired him: some for his advocacy, others for his unconditional support of human rights. “Thank you for the support you gave to Palestine. I am half Italian and half Palestinian.” a young woman of Italian-Palestinian descent wrote. People living in war zones, who are indirectly affected, have also expressed similar sentiments. A boy from Gaza sent a very moving note: “Mark, I want to say something…. When you were The Hulk, you were my hero. And now that I have grown up, you are still my hero because you chose to speak out for Palestine and you never stopped telling the world about our suffering in Gaza. Thank you, Mark.”
A girl wrote simply, “The ONLY Superhero @markruffalo,” implying that he is the only one who truly matches the conventional image of a superhuman that everyone has. This view very much reflects how the public’s perception of the actor has changed due to his activism. Comments such as “real life heroes” and “so much respect for this man” were common, indicating that the actor’s off-screen influence is very powerful and deeply felt.
At the same time, the request for money also sparked a more critical discussion on the morality of celebrity philanthropy. One post expressed a clear and opposite standpoint: “I love Mark Ruffalo but if I have to see a millionaire asking ME for charity donations again, I’m gonna eat my own brains.” This indicates that the public is very much concerned about the wealth of the charity messenger and it often happens that the messenger’s financial strength is equated with the message’s effectiveness. A user, in another comment, would like to ask Mark Ruffalo, “Let me ask you, @markruffalo , to give me enough money to pay for my cardiac surgery.”
There was widespread negativity, yet the prevailing mood was one of support and mobilization. Some of the supporters have been suggesting the ways to help, someone directed others to a link with “about 40 verified families in Gaza who need help”. At times, the debate was very much political, dealing with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and there were some comments that got quite heated. However, the discussion was never very far away from the humanitarian requirement reinforced by Ruffalo’s candid statement.
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A bridge between the Hollywood world and the troubled regions of the earth is still built on Mark Ruffalo’s advocacy. His end-of-year message for the Doctors Without Borders is not merely a request for money but also a reminder to pray for the needy worldwide as their very urgent and continuous needs must be met. By speaking up, Ruffalo makes the unobstructed, universal compassion appeal stronger and thus it becomes difficult for the audience not to look beyond their confines during the holiday season when the theme is giving. The audience response demonstrates that his influence is not confined to the cinema sector and this only serves to confirm that he is a key player in the fight for humanitarian aid. Fans can also look forward to his upcoming work, as Mark Ruffalo announces Task season two. His recent projects include the ARCO animated film with an all-star cast. He recently earned a Golden Globe nomination for his role in ‘Task’. He is also set to reunite with Chris Hemsworth for the intense crime thriller ‘Crime 101’, a project that also brings together Mark Ruffalo and Chris Hemsworth for a new heist thriller.
