Alicia Keys Shouts for Peace in New Music Video

After staging her successful digital death campaign to raise $1 million for children affected by HIV/AIDS in Africa and Asia, Alicia Keys is linking with Sudanese rapper and activist Emmanuel Jal, and a host of big names, to help bring awareness to the global peace initiative. Keys appears in Jal's 'We Want Peace' video where she initiates the call for support of unity worldwide.

"I'm calling out to the whole wide world, help me scream and shout that we want peace," she says at the video's teaser. The peace video, features citizens of the country holding signs with the song's title, while Jal raps about the conditions in his homeland.

"The issue has been there for a while, but we're trying to gather support to raise awareness ... If people know, they will do something," Jal told MTV of the song which was put together to shed light on the Global Initiative in the African country. The video comes just in time as the Southern Sudanese are preparing to vote for independence on Jan. 11.

Keys doesn't stand alone in her quest to raise awareness. Oscar winner George Clooney, who has long been campaigning for peace in Sudan, billionaire Richard Branson, rocker Peter Gabriel, ex-United Nations Secretary General, Kofi Anon, and former President Jimmy Carter, are all using their star power to publicize the need for peace in poverty stricken countries like the war-torn African nation.

The on-going war in the Darfur region of Sudan has been noted as a human catastrophe started between the Sudanese military and the Janjaweed, a Sudanese militia group. Beginning in 2003, the long standing conflict has resulted in the death of roughly 300,000 citizens as of 2008, with 2.5 million residents fleeing their homes to live in camps throughout Darfur, the neighboring African country, Chad, and the Central African Republic.