Last night, actress Robin Wright, best known for her roles in The Princess Bride and Forrest Gump, paid a visit to Georgetown. But she didn’t come to entertain, sign autographs, or weaken the knees of the student body—she was here to inform students about her work with RAISE Hope for Congo and the Conflict-Free Campus Initiative.

Wright did not come alone—two of her colleagues in RAISE Hope, Fidel Bafilemba and John Prendergast, came to share their experiences with the Congo as well.  Prendergast is the co-founder of The Enough Project, which aims at ending violence in the Congo, and for which Bafilemba is a field researcher.

RAISE Hope for Congo, a campaign of the Enough Project, also advocates human rights in the war-torn nation.  One of its key goals is to end the mining and trade of “conflict minerals” in Congo, which are minerals that are used in the production of many electronics that American college students we use daily, like cell phones and laptops.  The purchase of these conflict minerals, according to last night’s speakers, funds armed groups that force men, women, and children alike to mine them, and commit atrocities like mass rape and murder as means of control and intimidation against the Congolese. The Conflict Free Campus Initiative aims at informing college students not to buy electronics that support such groups.

Despite the violence in Congo, Wright visited the country a month ago.  At last night’s talk, she discussed her visit to an Internally Displaced Persons camp, where victims of the conflict asked her to bring their call for help to the world.  In an emotional appeal for support, Wright stressed the need for young people to become the voice for the oppressed Congolese.

“You are the next generation, as you know, and I think you can save them,” Wright said.

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Apparently, having Donald Glover perform on Wednesday wasn’t enough to fill Georgetown’s famous person quota for the month of September. Next week brings the arrival of a few more celebrities to the Hilltop, for talks not only about performing arts, but about humanitarianism and justice in Africa.

The first up is an event on Wednesday, September 14, about the Conflict-Free Campus Initiative, and its speakers are actress Robin Wright, field researcher Fidel Bafilemba, and author and activist John Prendergast. Conflict-Free Campus Initiative is a national project aimed at encouraging students not to purchase electronics for which the profits fund the war in the East Congo. Wright, who recently visited Africa with Raise Hope for the Congo, is new to the organization’s growing list of celebrity endorsers, which includes the likes of Ryan Gosling.

The other two speakers are much better known for their work with justice for the Congolese. Prendergast is co-founder of The Enough Project, which aims at ending genocide and crimes against humanity, and for which Bafilemba is a researcher and blogger. The event is is co-sponsored by the Georgetown University African Studies Program, and takes place at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday night in the ICC 7th Floor Executive Conference Room. Due to limited space, students should reserve their spots in advance.

The next stop on the Georgetown Celebrity Tour is on Thursday, September 15, at 4:30 p.m. in the Hariri Building. This talk features Oscar-winning actress Geena Davis, who is discussing the “role of women in the movies” as part of the McDonough School of Business’s Distinguished Leaders Lecture series. Davis, who is also an accomplished athlete and member of Mensa, is highly qualified to speak on the subject, as she is the founder of the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media, which promotes the improvement of women’s portrayals in entertainment, especially in those targeted towards young children. Space on this event is also limited, so RSVP is required.

H/T Ecorazzi, photo from the Geena Davis Institute.