Angelina Jolie defended internationalism and the United Nations in a lengthy speech Wednesday at UN headquarters in Geneva, where the actress and humanitarian warned of a “rising tide of nationalism” in the West “masquerading as patriotism.”
In a nearly 20 minute-long speech, Jolie — who serves as a U.N. Special Envoy — honored the life of the late UN diplomat Sergio Vieira de Mello, who was killed in Iraq in 2003, and praised the United Nations as a vital forum where countries could come together to seek peace and unity.
But Jolie also sounded a warning note, saying that as an American citizen, she sees a global environment “more troubling and uncertain” than at any time in her lifetime.
“We are grappling with a level of conflict and insecurity that seems to exceed our will and capabilities,” Jolie said, “with more refugees than ever before, and new wars erupting on top of existing conflicts, some already lasting decades.”
“We see a rising tide of nationalism, masquerading as patriotism, and the re-emergence of policies encouraging fear and hatred of others,” she added.
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