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Connect the World

Afghanistan Calls Off Talks With Taliban; U.S. State Department Releases Annual Trafficking In Persons Report; Russell Crowe Recalls Meeting Man of Steel Actor 12 Years Ago

Aired June 19, 2013 - 16:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

FIONNUALA SWEENEY, HOST: We know we can advance this cause and make a difference. John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State there on the right- hand side of your screen, making a remark before the publication of the United States annual report into human trafficking around the world. An assessment of which countries are doing what they can and which countries aren't. How they're handling their efforts to combat modern day slavery.

He also said that this was something that President Obama was very focused on ending. And he himself, John Kerry, recommitted his department to do the very, very same.

There they honor people who have worked around the world in areas of modern day slavery. There were 46,000 victims of trafficking brought to light in 2012. Said John Kerry, 27 million more are enslaved around the world. And he said that as this country continues to take action on this, the United States has found that any countries listed in this human trafficking report end up trying to do something about it.

We leave that there. John Kerry has had a very, very busy couple of days. And by that, we mean Afghanistan, because there has been a flurry of new developments in the last few hours over proposed peace talks with the Taliban.

John Kerry called the Afghan president to defuse tensions between Washington and Kabul. This comes after Hamid Karzai had earlier threatened to boycott peace talks with the Taliban that were widely thought to be scheduled for Thursday.

Mr. Karzai was unhappy at their opening of a political office in Qatar and of the name of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. He said no such thing existed and that it undermined the legitimacy of his Afghan government.

Well, at a State Department briefing the U.S. said it, too, would not recognize the Taliban under that name, and that reports of a meeting on Thursday were inaccurate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VICTORIA NULAND, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON: We are pleased that the Qatari ministry of foreign affairs has issued a statement clarifying that the name of the office is the political office of the Afghan Taliban and not the political office of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and has had the sign with the incorrect name in front of the door taken down.

The office must not be treated as, or represent itself as an embassy or other office representing the Afghan Taliban as an emirate government or sovereign.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SWEENEY: Well, CNN's Jill Dougherty was at that State Department briefing. She joins us now. Jill, yesterday we were hearing confirmed reports of talks scheduled for Thursday, yet now officials are saying there were never plans to have these talks on Thursday. What do you know is actually going on?

JILL DOUGHERTY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, actually in just the past few minutes Fionnuala, there's been another change. And now a senior U.S. official says that the U.S. does expect that those talks between the United States and the Taliban will go ahead in the next few days.

Now this official is not saying precisely when. And there's no, you know, exact time or anything, but they do expect that they're back on.

And I think what you'd have to say is that name was very disturbing to President Karzai. It was disturbing to the United States. Kind of an end run by the Taliban in a PR sense. But now the Qataris who have set the ground rules really for the opening of that office and how it's going to function have taken down the sign, we are told, and are making it clear to the Taliban that that's not the way it's supposed to be, that they are simply a political office. They're there to hold discussions and so the first people who would meet with the Taliban, at least publicly, would be the United States.

It's not exactly what the United States wants. I mean, ultimately they would prefer, Fionnuala, that Afghans talk with Afghans, that the government talk with the Taliban, but the Taliban don't apparently want that at this point. So the U.S., if this all happens the way it's supposed to, would go ahead and sit down with them.

SWEENEY: I mean, how much of this do you think is determined, Jill, by the United States' desire, anxious desire, to pull out all of its troops by 2014?

DOUGHERTY: Well, it certainly wants that to go forward, because the U.S. and I think probably you'd have to say the Afghan government also believes that the only way you can do this, solve the whole thing, is to have a political settlement. But they don't -- you know, they realize that the Taliban really would prefer to talk to the United States. After all, the Taliban believes that Hamid Karzai and his government are weak. They certainly would think that it -- they would get some PR value and prestige out of talking to the United States. It might ultimately give them some time of role or voice or something in how the -- what the situation will be after the United States and international forces leave.

So they -- you know, it's more in their interests, the Taliban's, to meet with the United States.

That said, the ultimate goal, if it is theirs, it to get some peace. And they seem to indicate that yesterday with their -- with the Taliban statement. If they want that, they have to talk with the government.

SWEENEY: Right. Well, we shall see as this story continues to develop. Jill Dougherty for the moment in Washington. Thank you.

Sohail Shaheen is the spokesman for the Taliban's newly opened office in Qatar. He joins us now on the line from Doha. Mr. Shaheen, thank you for being with us.

My first question is, has the name of your office changed?

SOHAIL SHAHEEN, TALIBAN SPOKESMAN: You know, I'm not right now at the office. So, I'm away from the office. So, it is an office for the peace process, of course.

SWEENEY: For the peace process...

SHAHEEN: It is not for any military purpose. It is only for peace, to take toward the peace and seek a political and peaceful solution for the Afghan issue.

SWEENEY: Has the name of this office been changed from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan?

SHAHEEN: That -- you know, I'm away from the office, so...

SWEENEY: Is it possible to know whether the name or not has been changed?

SHAHEEN: Yeah, yeah, it is -- it is not -- right now it's not possible for me to -- I'm not, you know...

SWEENEY: Do you expect that the Taliban would agree to have the office name changed? The Americans say it has already been changed.

SHAHEEN: As I said, I'm away from the office, but I think this name (inaudible) and the main thing is talking about peace and stability in Afghanistan. And seeking for the Afghan people to have their legitimate rights through peaceful means. And also (inaudible) putting an end to the foreign troops presence in Afghanistan, something which bring to a peace and which is the demand of the people of Afghanistan.

SWEENEY: All right. And does that include talking to the government of President Karzai?

SHAHEEN: Yeah -- sorry?

SWEENEY: Does that include talking to the government of President Karzai?

SHAHEEN: I -- any Afghan who comes to our office -- the door of our office is open for (inaudible). We come for the -- office for all Afghans. So we can meet any Afghan who (inaudible) our office.

SWEENEY: Well, the Afghan government of Mr. Karzai says that any talks with the Taliban involving the United States as well must be led by the Afghan government. So how do you see the way forward from here?

SHAHEEN: We think all -- all groups of Afghanistan have a right to participate in peace and in bringing peace and stability to Afghanistan and for the end -- for that reason, we want all Afghans and all groups of Afghanistan.

SWEENEY: We leave it there. Sohail Shaheen, Taliban spokesman for the office in Qatar. Thanks for joining us. Saying there that the name of the office itself which has caused some complications for the Afghan government is secondary to the overall aim of bringing peace to Afghanistan.

I want to bring in Wahid Monawar now. He is the former chief of staff for the Afghan ministry of foreign affairs. I want to make it clear that Mr. Monawar doesn't currently represent the Afghan government.

But thanks for joining us.

Let me ask you, you've previously served with Mr. Karzai. You just heard there from the Taliban spokesperson. What do you make of all this?

WAHID MONAWAR, FRM. CHIEF OF STAFF, AFGHAN MIN. OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: Excellent. Thank you for having me.

I think we could -- one thing that the statement from Mr. Shaheen clarifies that he really has no understanding of the concept of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. This thing has been forced on them. But he cannot really process what does it mean. He just said that that's not important.

It is very important. For the past two days, the reaction that I have received from Kabul and throughout Afghanistan, people are quite disappointed that the name was used, the flag was raised. We have fought for the past 10 years against that. President Karzai has said that Afghanistan is open to all Afghans.

If the Taliban are Afghans, the door is open to them. But no, they are the one who has created the violence, they have created the uncertainties. They are the one who are representing the interests of Pakistan. This is a disingenuous statement coming from Mr. Shaheen. I'm disappointed, but I'm not surprised, because he really doesn't understand what does it mean to be a part of the Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan.

SWEENEY: Well, let me ask you, what do you make of the United States' role in all of this saying that there weren't to be no talks on Thursday as had previously been indicated. And then in the last few minutes, we hear from our State Department correspondent Jill Dougherty that talks are indeed scheduled with the Taliban in the coming days?

MONAWAR: Well, actually this is a good news, because we do need to have the talks. Talks are part of the peace building process. If we are talking to the Taliban, we are talking to bringing all parties to find the -- seek a solution and compromise on issues, this is an excellent news.

This is not the first time that the U.S. government has met with the Taliban. They have met with them last year. And then it fell apart because the issues were not solved.

But I'm optimistic about this news. It's good news. But I'm also really happy to hear the State Department spokesperson speaking that the name will be taken down. That will resonate well with the Afghan people. They are...

SWEENEY: And what about the Afghan government? I mean, what does President Karzai to make of all this? The talks are on, the talks aren't on. Where does he think that he's going to be able to make progress?

MONAWAR: Well President Karzai, as I mentioned, had said numerous times that Afghanistan is open to all Afghans. If the process is to initiate that, because for the past 12 years we really did not have an address where to go and talk to the Taliban, you know, an emissary came, a representative came to Kabul and assassinated the former president in the name of peace emissary.

So now they have an address. If something goes wrong, we can know where to go.

SWEENEY: There literally is an address in Doha, in Qatar.

MONAWAR: Yeah, and this is -- I think the entire process, the entire purpose of this is to have an address and to see what are the issues instead of going back and forth and bringing people that are really don't represent the program.

SWEENEY: We must leave it there. Wahid Monawar, thank you very much indeed for joining us. Former chief of staff for the Afghan ministry of foreign affairs.

We shall be back on Connect the World with more after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SWEENEY: This is Connect the World. The top stories this hour. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has called the Afghan president to defuse tensions between Washington and Kabul. This comes after Hamid Karzai had earlier threatened to boycott peace talks with the Taliban that were widely thought to be scheduled for Thursday.

Mr. Karzai was unhappy at the rhetoric being used around the Taliban's new office in Qatar.

U.S. president Barack Obama made a speech at Berlin's iconic Brandenburg Gate earlier Wednesday. He called on Russia to join the U.S. in slashing its supply of nuclear warheads. The president said wanted to see a global nuclear weapons stockpile cut by a third.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We may no longer live in fear of global annihilation, but so long as nuclear weapons exist, we are not truly safe.

(APPLAUSE)

OBAMA: We may strike blows against terrorist networks, but if we ignore the instability and intolerance that fuels extremism, our own freedom will eventually be in danger.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SWEENEY: Militants in Somalia have attacked the United Nations headquarters in the capital Mogadishu. Police say 14 people are dead, another 15 were wounded. The Islamic group al Shabaab has claimed responsibility.

Brazil says it will deploy special security forces to handle protests focusing on cities hosting FIFA's Confederation's Cup. Organizers of anti- government demonstrations across Brazil took a breather on Wednesday, but there were clashes between police and protesters outside a football stadium in Porto Lovo (ph).

The U.S. State Department has just released its annual trafficking in person's report. It is an assessment of how nations around the world, including the United States, are handling efforts to combat modern day slavery.

Here at CNN, we have joined the fight to end this global scourge. Let's bring in Jim Clancy. He's in Washington.

Jim, the highlights, please.

JIM CLANCY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right. Here's the report, all 418 pages of it. It's a massive tome that goes through 188 countries or so taking a look at the record of each one. And the headline here is that three countries that have had strong relations with the United States, not always great relations, but Russia, China, and Uzbekistan, who were seen on the tier two watch list for years, have now been automatically downgraded to tier three countries with the worst record. Not doing really very much of anything in order to improve their record on human rights on the fight against human trafficking.

Already, we're seeing some of the groups that are involved in all of this come out and say it's a tough report, but it's a fair one. It is one that is really looking at the reality on the ground.

Somebody here in Washington that's long fought for the fight against human trafficking is Congressman Chris Smith. He joins us now.

Congressman, if you can come in here, how do you see it? The U.S. really pulling no punches here. A lot of people thought that they would just let this slide. They didn't.

CONGRESSMAN CHRIS SMITH, (R) NEW JERSEY: There was a worry. I actually had a hearing a few months ago focusing on countries like China where human trafficking has exploded, in large part because of their one child per couple police and the missing girls and young women who have been exterminated through sex election abortion.

Sex trafficking has exploded. There is such a lack of women.

CLANCY: We're in worse shape today...

SMITH: We are.

CLANCY: Than we have been in past years. This report downgraded more countries, two to one, over the number of countries that it upgraded.

SMITH: There's no doubt that there's been a deterioration despite excellent efforts on the part of the United States and other countries and a lot of faith-based NGOs as well as secular NGOs that have really been saying this modern day slavery has to stop. Labor trafficking is on the rise. Sex trafficking is getting worse.

It's demand driven. And I think that's what came out of China, because there's -- of the missing daughters, as we call them, the brokers for the selling and buying of brides...

CLANCY: Places like Tibet.

SMITH: ...prostitutes -- including China especially, but Tibet, all over.

North Korean women who make their way over into China are trafficked almost on a one-to-one basis. I mean, it is outrageous. And the government has done almost nothing, the government of China.

CLANCY: Are you concerned that the U.S. that this State Department has gone too far? That they're really taking this...

SMITH: Not at all. We can't do enough...

CLANCY: There could be a backlash, though.

SMITH: Let there be a backlash. This is all about victims. Let's empathize. What if that were my loved one? My brother or sister, my wife, or me, or any of us, especially when it comes to women who are subjected to the cruelest exploitation, raped every day. This country can't do enough. And this book, this trafficking in persons report, which really comes out of a law that I did in 2000, the trafficking victims protection act -- I was a proud sponsor -- makes it very clear that we're going to speak truth to power. We're going to hold countries to account for whether or not they're on the side of combating this, or whether or not they're indifferent and enabling it. And in many cases, there is actual government complicity like in China.

On labor trafficking, they run gulags that make slave labor made goods. I was actually in one with Congressman Frank Wolfe back in 1992. And we saw Tiananmen Square activists, human rights activists, they were in concentration camps and making products that ended up on our shelves -- jelly shoes, socks for export.

So the labor trafficking and sex trafficking is outrageous. This book pulls no punches.

CLANCY: Congressman Chris Smith, I want to thank you very much.

SMITH: And I congratulate Secretary Kerry. He has really gotten behind this fully.

CLANCY: Certainly. All right. Appreciate it.

There you have it, a lot of enthusiasm here in Washington for this report, a lot of support for the state department going ahead. But you can be sure, too, that there's going to be reaction that comes from Moscow, one that comes from Beijing, all of these things -- and Mr. Kerry, the secretary of state, pointed it out. He said in reality when someone hits a tier two watchlist, or the lowest level tier three where China, Russia, Uzbekistan find themselves today along with about 19 other countries, 18 other countries, they're twice as likely to take effective action, Fionnuala, against human trafficking.

Back to you.

SWEENEY: That's right.

Jim, before you go. For those, the initiated when it comes to this tier system, how does it work?

CLANCY: Well, tier one, countries like the U.S. and Britain -- you've got to understand tier one doesn't mean you don't have a trafficking problem, it means that you've recognized it, you've addressed, you've reach out, you've tried to talk to people, you've tried to bring them in and identify the victims of human trafficking and provide for them.

Tier two means you've got a lot of work to do. Tier two watchlist, which is sort of a two-and-a-half level, that is really telling countries that you are in danger of going to tier three, you've got to begin to take action. You've got to have a plan. You've got to formulate it and begin acting. And tier three is basically telling you that you're not doing enough nearly and it's been going on not just for weeks or months, it's been going on for years.

This is the situation that Russia and China and Uzbekistan were in. Uzbekistan with its annual cotton harvest where it brings out young people from across the country. And they are forced labor. They are forced to harvest that cotton. The country said it was going to do away with it all, it announced it, it signed declarations, but it just didn't do it. And they're now on the third tier.

So that's a little bit about how it works.

SWEEENEY: All right, 27 million people enslaved around the world. Jim Clancy, thanks for joining us from Washington.

And you can find out about CNN's commitment to end human trafficking and fight modern day slavery by going to CNN.com/freedom for our latest reporting and information on how you can take a stand.

In Brazil, the government is sending elite security forces to five states where FIFA's Confederation's Cup is underway. Hundreds of thousands of people took part in anti-government protests on Tuesday. CNN has obtained dramatic video of those protests from inside a government building in Sao Paulo. It captures a violent standoff between police and protesters.

Well, by contrast, Wednesday was largely quiet as protesters took a break. But there were clashes outside a football stadium in Porta Lovo (ph). Police firing tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters. The organizers say they'll resume demonstrations on Thursday.

You're watching Connect the World. After the break, we take you on a journey through six time zones from China all the way to Germany. That's coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SWEENEY: All this month we're following a transcontinental rail route that is linking east to west, from China to Germany. And tonight we join the train as it snakes through the mountainous terrain of the world's largest landlocked country Kazakhstan. Here's Becky Anderson with this week's Gateway.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BECKY ANDERSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORREPSONDENT: Vetkali Tarksabanov (ph) is a manager at Zollman Station (ph), southern Kazakhstan. Trains have been part of his life for over 30 years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I've been working in the railway industry since 1983. I started as a traffic serviceman.

I love my job, because my father worked in this industry as well as the rest of my family. Besides, I grew up here.

ANDERSON: Minutes from now, he'll witness the passage of our freight train on its 11,000 kilometer transcontinental journey.

The train, with its cargo of computer products, crossed the Chinese- Kazakh border a few hours ago. It'll travel the length of the entire country, about 3,000 kilometers or railroad. To keep it on track, driver Ibek Arkembekov (ph) and his assistant control a locomotive so powerful it could pull 170 Boeing 747 jetliners.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We have to monitor the condition of the engine and other data on the control panel. We need to stay focused and be ready for any kind of situation.

We are on our way to Vespol station (ph). According to the schedule, the crew will change there.

ANDERSON: 21 different drivers will be used to cross Kazakhstan, the largest landlocked country in the world. For centuries, these vast plains have served as corridors for trade between east and west. This railway route, known as the southern route, now offers an alternative to its more illustrious counterpart to the north, the Trans-Siberian. Built more than a century ago, it remains the world's longest single railway, but it's becoming overloaded.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We as a railway, we're kind of on the front line of this project. Last year, we served around 40 trains, container trains for this route. And this year we're expecting to serve up to the 60 trains.

We're really dreaming to improve our transit ability as a country and to be really transit (inaudible).

ANDERSON: After two hours, the train stops for a change of drivers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): We have arrived at Vespol Station (ph). This is the first stop where the locomotive crew changes in Kazakhstan.

Our part of the journey is completed.

ANDERSON: A change of shift, but not direction. On to Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, and ultimately the consumers of western Europe.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SWEENEY: And join Gateway next week to see what happens once that train reaches the finish line in the Germany city of Duisberg, home to the world's largest inland port. And you can check out all of our Gateway coverage by visiting our website. Just go to CNN.com/Gateway.

Coming up after this short break on Connect the World. Hear the new details on where the new British royal will be born, how it will be announced, and even Prince Williams paternity leave.

And we'll introduce you to a remarkable young lady from Cambodia who has big dreams.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SWEENEY: The CNN film Girl Rising asked writers from around the world to tell the stories of girls trying to get an education.

In Cambodia, many girls drop out of school early to work or care for family. A writer and activist introduces us to a girl who was orphaned at the age of nine and scavenged in a garbage dump to make money. Here is her story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think westerners know of Cambodia primarily through the movie "The Killing Fields." People don't understand that this is 30 years later. We have really resilient, strong people that if given an opportunity will succeed. This is a new Cambodia. Soka (ph) is a new Cambodian.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello, everybody. My name is Soka (ph).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, I'm Luong Ung (ph) and I'm the writer of Soka's (ph) story.

Soka (ph), your story for me is a narrative of resiliency and toughness. If you were poor and your family needs you to work in a garbage dumps, you don't get to go to school.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I had no choice, so I had to decide to work on the dump. And it is a bad place.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Soka (ph) has been given an opportunity to go to school. For a lot of girls in Cambodia, the one way we can have a better future is through studies.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My dream is to be a teacher and also run a school by myself to have other girls. Education can solve everything.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SWEENEY: And Soka (ph) is now at the top of her class. She's teaching English to younger students.

To learn more about the 10 times 10 fund for girl's education, go to CNN.com/GirlRising and see a special presentation of CNN Films Girl Rising. That's on Saturday night June 22 at 8:00 in London, 9:00 in Berlin and 11:00 in Abu Dhabi.

The tiniest member of Britain's royal family is due to arrive some time next month. And plans have been in the works for some time now, as you can imagine. But as the big day approaches, we are learning some of the details right down to the hospital wing where he or she will be born.

Royal correspondent Max Foster has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX FOSTER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is where we expect the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to present their new royal baby to the world for the very first time, sometime in mid-July.

We also, according to royal sources, think the Duchess is going to try to have a natural birth, but these things are never predictable.

They don't know the sex of this baby, we're told. So all that speculation was completely unfounded. In fact, we're only going to find out some time after the birth. Someone will come out of that doorway and go by police escort to Buckingham Palace carrying a notice, a piece of paper. They'll hang it on the railing there. And that will be the official announcement that a new heir has been born and will be the first time we'll officially know whether or not they've had a boy or a girl.

So we're getting some bits of information here. We also know that Prince William is planning two weeks of paternity leave, that's the standard statutory amount of time you get in this country.

And we are not quite clear about what's going to happen after they leave hospital here. It could be Kensington Palace where they currently live, or some speculation that they may be going home to Bucklebury, which is where the Middletons live.

So we're getting some details, but not all the details, but of course when you're having a baby nothing is all that predicable.

Max Foster, CNN, London.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SWEENEY: And Max will be there for us, of course, come the hour.

Now the actor Russell Crowe is known for playing tough, ruthless characters such as the Gladiator Maximus, or the police inspector in Les Miserables. But the inspiring tale of his first meeting with fellow Man of Steel actor Henry Cavill 12 years ago reveals a softer side to his character. CNN sat down with the stars of the block office blockbuster to get their side of the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HENRY CAVILL, ACTOR: I was in boarding school. I was about 16 years old. And Russell was filming a scene from Proof of Life in the boarding school with the chap called Merlin (ph) who is one of the actors. And I was just an extra in the background.

RUSSELL CROWE, ACTOR: I'm on my way to the airport.

In the scene, I was there as the character to tell my son that yet again I had another job overseas and I wouldn't be around for the important things in his life. So there was a rugby game being played in the background and there was one kid on that field who was quite dominant and fluid, you know, and so he caught my eye. And in between shots, that kid came over and talked to me, you know, but all his questions were about acting.

CAVILL: And so I walked up, stuck my hand out and said, hi, my name is Henry. I was thinking of becoming an actor. You know, any tips. What's it like.

And he said, well, you know, the pay is great, but sometimes they don't treat you so good. And I'm paraphrasing.

CROWE: A day or so later after we'd finished shooting at the school, I was putting together a package for Merlin (ph) because I figured the greatest thing you could get when you're in boarding school is unexpected mail. And after I finished putting a package together for him, I thought I'll put one together for that other kid, as well, the one that came and talked to me.

CAVILL: Two days later, I receive an Aussie rugby jersey, some Aussie sweets, some Vegemite, a band CD, and a picture of him in Gladiator saying "Dear Henry, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Russell."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He'll be an outcast. They'll kill him.

CROWE: No. He'll be a god to them.

12 years later, I'm in a gym in Naperville, Illinois. And I'm working out. And I'm working out, you know, with my son in this movie that I'm doing. And he's on the other side of the gym. And we probably worked out together -- or were working with each other or around each other for eight to 12 weeks. And I knew I knew him from somewhere, I just didn't know, I couldn't place him.

CAVILL: I didn't want to walk up to him, put him in that embarrassing situation where he has to lie to me. It's like, oh, hi, remember me, the kid from 12 years ago, the one kid you met during shooting one day. I just assumed he wouldn't.

CROWE: So one day, you know, after a workout we were just sort of sitting there sweating, you know. And I said, do I know you?

And he had this kind of quiet smile and he went, do you remember visiting Stowe School (ph)?

I said, yeah.

He goes, do you remember that kid that came and talked to you?

I went, yeah.

And he talked to you about acting?

I said, yes, I do remember that. What did I say?

And he said, well, you said they pay you pretty well, but they treat you like (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

And I said, yes, Henry, I did say that. Good to see you.

(LAUGHTER)

CAVILL: It meant a lot to me, because for all those years when I was coming home after three months in L.A. and not getting a job and working in a bar and everything and, you know, you look at that and aside from all the support that my family gave me, the idea that so you go OK it's a long and hard journey. It's 1,000 miles and just keep on taking those single steps.

CROWE: And it's amazing like comic circle.

CAVILL: That's what the symbol means.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SWEENEY: What a great story. What a great way to end the program.

I'm Fionnuala Sweeney, that was Connect the World. Thank you for watching.

END