UNICEF: Clay in Somalia, Asks World "Not To Forget"

Clay is currently on an UNICEF trip to the African nation of Somalia, his latest trip abroad for the UN organization. He is using his goodwill ambassador status to once again to remind us "not to forget" about children living in poverty. Clay told OK! Magazine via Thomson Reuters:

There hasn't been much discussion of Somalia since the early 1990s in the U.S. In the lower part of the country, southern part, I feel it's a more desperate situation than any place we've ever been. In Somaliland, you really do have a sense of people who really want to help themselves, who want to do better, who want to effect change for themselves, that is very hopeful.

Reuters.com has a full wire story about Clay trip:

U.S. pop star Clay Aiken appealed on Wednesday for the world not to forget Somalia, where conflict and hunger have created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises.

Aiken said U.S. and international interest in Somalia had been minimal since failed military intervention in the early 1990s.

"There hasn't been much discussion of Somalia since the early 1990s in the U.S.," said Aiken, a U.N. goodwill ambassador, on a visit to Somalia. "The American population kind of got a bad taste of Somalia in the early 90's and hasn't really had much interest in the country since."

Somalia has suffered relentless civil conflict since the 1991 toppling military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.

[...]

Aiken, 29, who was travelling on behalf of U.N. children's agency UNICEF, was in Somaliland, a relatively peaceful northern enclave of Somalia that has declared itself independent but not been recognised internationally.

On Sunday, July 6 at 8 PM EDT, both the US and international CNN networks will air a UNICEF special titled "The Survival Project: One Child at a Time". "CNN will explore why 26,000 children die every day from preventable causes, and what UNICEF doing to save young lives."

Clay Featured in ABC News' UNICEF Article

Paris Hilton is going to Africa! Working with a humanitarian organization, Ms. Hilton will soon make a trip to Rwanda. ABC News published an article titled "Paris to Rwanda: Socialite Becomes Latest Star Hitched to Charity" detailing how some celebrities have used their voice to bring attentions to the issues plaguing Africa and African children.

In the article, Clay is quoted very often, about his 2005 trip to Uganda

Celebrities' association with humanitarian aid organizations is nothing new. Danny Kaye was one of the first actors to join a charitable organization when he was named a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) in 1954. The comedian paved the way for other entertainers, among them Audrey Hepburn, Sarah Jessica Parker, David Beckham and Clay Aiken.

[...]

Attention that leads to big bucks. Aiken asked fans to donate money to Unicef to help the children in Lebanon and raised more than $75,000 in 24 hours.

[...]

Aiken made the cut when he was named a Unicef ambassador in 2004. The organization approached Aiken after hearing of his involvement with his own charity, the Bubel/Aiken foundation that helps young people with special needs.

Aiken said he felt obligated to help those in need.

"One of the most important responsibilities that you have if you're answering to the public is that you try to use that position in a way that serves the people you're trying to entertain," said Aiken. "I think you have a responsibility when you realize you have kids watching you. ... You can set an example to have kids doing drugs, or you can set an example to have kids helping their communities or their world."

[...]

Celebrities sit through classes to learn about Unicef and all the various issues that threaten children's survival around the world.

"We study as much as we possibly can before we go," said Aiken. "And I study after I go, because I want to be an expert on it. I think it's a disservice to the country you're going to and the children you're trying to help if you don't know what's going on and can't speak knowledgably about your experience.'

Aiken said the preparation is necessary in order to meet with health ministers and other officials on these trips.

"It wouldn't behoove anyone if we just went in to take pictures and came back," said Aiken. "The goal of all these visits and the reason we sit through extremely long sessions sometimes is so when we come back we know what we're talking about."

[...]

Aiken didn't know what to expect during his first visit to Uganda. He walked into the minimalist community center, where he expected nobody to know his name. Suddenly, he was greeted with bows from the crowd.

"When we walked in, they kept calling me your excellency," laughed Aiken. "I think both visits we've been on there have been misconceptions about how important I am."

All joking aside, no matter how famous -- or infamous -- a celebrity is, celebrity support is essential.

[...]

"It's usually a tent somewhere.That's our standard accommodation," said Szarkowski.

Aiken and others pay their own way when they travel on behalf of Unicef. However, once they reach their destination, they don't have the need for many expenses. Most nights they're sleeping in tents on the ground.

In addition to the bare bones travel accommodations, celebrities must cope with extremely dangerous situations. In order to avoid conflict, Prendergast said every minute detail of the trip must be mapped out.

"These trips have to be planned very well to ensure maximum impact and security," said Prendergast.

[...]

"I look to Angelina Jolie as a prime example of someone who is doing an amazing job," said Aiken. "She really has a passion and she goes in and makes a point to educate herself about what's going on and that's the only way to do it."

Tidbits 5/9

• Cute Clay mention on Jimmy Kimmel's show last night, says the CB's Heidiseek. Clay makes an appearance on the hit ABC late night show on Thursday.
  

  I just got a chance to watch Tuesday nights Kimmel show. He was announcing who would be on and when he got to Thursday he said "Clay Aiken will be here" at which point some in the audience went "ohhhhh". Jimmy then gave a chuckle and said "don't say ohhhh, it makes the other guests feel bad." It wasn't a loud ohhhh, sounded like just a few, but it was a cute mention.
  

• Access Hollywood - some loser thinks Clay doesn't know Africa is a continent and that Clay was dissing "Idol Gives Back". It seems obvious to me that Clay was just stating his opinion:

  Another star who acheived fame on TV is reportedly not as enthusiastic about the show that gave him his big break. YAHOO MUSIC interviews ex-"Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken, who says that the "Idol Gives Back" benefit special did not do a satisfactory job of aiding Africa, despite the millions of dollars raised. "You take a look at something like 'Idol Gives Back,' and you realize that the main piece of information we got is that people are hungry in Africa, but we didn't find out why they are hungry in Africa and we didn't find out where in Africa they are hungry, nor did we find out the major causes," he is quoted as saying. "Without the education about what's going on in the country, we're doing no service except for perpetuating that same stereotype that Africa, or any other country in the world, is lesser than the U.S., and we're in the role that we have to give to them."
  
  Editor's Note: Hey, Clay, Africa's a continent... not a country.

• GoUpstate.com - UNC tries to ban ticket scalping -

  According to state ticket-scalping laws, tickets cannot be resold for more than $3 above their original sale price. Normally, the university leaves monitoring tickets sales up to the state. However in 2003, when "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken graduated with a degree in special education from the university, the school expected huge crowds at the ceremony.

We're seeing deja vu over at There Was A Man (left) and Too Much (right). Probably unintentionally, both blogs blogged about Clay's AI2 performance of "To Love Somebody" AND the two blogs share an almost identical colour scheme. Hee hee... pretty funny, eh?

• Southern Girl - Clay giving back & his Yahoo interview
  

TIdbits 2/15

• Progressive U - An article about American Idol being more popular than politics says, "Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Katherine McPhee, Clay Aiken, Jennifer Hudson? These people have all received stardom and then some (keep in mind not all of them were the first place winners either.)"
• WSOCtv.com - For the first time since its inaugural season, "American Idol" will hold a competition without any contestants from North Carolina...Fantasia Barrino of High Point won the 2004 competition, while Raleigh's Clay Aiken was the 2003 runner-up.
• Raleigh News & Observer - Same article as above
• Los Angeles Times - AI article ... "It certainly is no longer necessary to win “American Idol” to become a star; losers from past top 12’s have gone on to produce bestselling albums (Clay Aiken), receive Oscar nods (Jennifer Hudson) and hold microphones on red carpets (Kellie Pickler)."
• Buzzle.com - another AI article... "Even a second place finish can make a career, as evidenced by season two winner Clay Aikens moderate success."
• FOX 30 Online - nicknames already popping up for AI6 contestants -

  Phil Stacey's fans have even already given themselves a nickname. Just like Clay Aiken had the “Clay-mates”, and Taylor Hicks had the “Soul Patrol”, Phil now has the “Phil-natics”.
  

• Reality TV World - poor representation for Southern "Idols" on AI6 ... top 24 revealed last night:

  Although the South has traditionally been a hot bed of American Idol talent -- former Idol finalists Ruben Studdard, Bo Bice, and Taylor Hicks all came from Alabama and Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino, Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler, and Bucky Covington are all from North Carolina -- only a handful of Idol's sixth season semifinalists are from the southern part of the United States and neither Alabama or North Carolina are represented in this year's semifinals.

• Reality TV Magazine ... this is so similar to the preceding article, it makes us wonder whether someone plagiarized:

  Another Southern state which is typically well represented in the American Idol top twenty-four was also shut out. North Carolina has produced the likes of Fantasia Barrino, Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler, and Bucky Covington, but the state doesn’t have a single contestant in the top twenty-four for American Idol

• Blogcritics - AI article ... "Only those who were truly talented or unique enough can overcome obscurity — people like Clay Aiken and Bo Bice, neither of whom was featured at all during the early auditions."
• Los Angeles Times - article about a band called "Altar Boyz" and how one of the members is a "Clay Aiken type" (anyone care to tell me if this is in a good or bad sense?)
  
• Reality TV Magazine has also picked up the story about a possible "American Idol All Stars" special.
  
• ZNet - Celebs attacted to the power of Africa -

  Before the end of the year [2006], the continent somehow managed to attract the interest of big name stars – and therefore big media – beginning with Bono, then Clay Aiken, Jessica Simpson, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, George Clooney and a few others.

• Box Office Prophets - some random Clay mention in a music article.
• Since no one else is reporting this, this is probably just a typo. The Dallas Fort Worth Star Telegram says Clay is on Leno tonight.... they probably got confused with last night's Kimmel appearance.
  

• Nothing here today