Look To The Stars News: Fair Trade

Robbie Williams Donates Song To Charity

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:30:00 -0000

British singer Robbie Williams is to donate his next single to Sport Relief.

Morning Sun has been chosen as the official song for the charity’s 2010 campaign, and will be released on March 8 in the UK.

“I am very happy to donate my time to help Sport Relief and I thank my co-writers for doing the same,” he said. “Please join us in helping this very worthwhile cause.”

The singer joins David and Victoria Beckham in supporting the campaign.

Sport Relief is a fundraising initiative between Comic Relief and the BBC. Money raised goes towards a number of relief programs in the UK and around the world.

Beckhams Design T-Shirts For Sport Relief Charity Campaign

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:30:00 -0000

David and Victoria Beckham are spearheading this year’s Sport Relief campaign.

The whole Beckham family have created a series of one-off designs with the hope of inspiring the nation to rise to the challenge for Sport Relief 2010– and they’re about to fly off the shelves at Sainsbury’s and TK Maxx where they’re now exclusively on sale.
As part of the series of T-shirts, David took a distinctive self portrait showcasing his renowned football skills. Even Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz joined in the creative process, armed with spray cans and a blank canvas, to create a unique one off Beckham family collaboration.

Speaking about his family’s involvement in the campaign, football Legend David Beckham said: “‘Victoria and I are excited to be involved with Sport Relief again this year. Our family had a great time designing the T-shirt range and we hope it will raise much needed funds for many important causes. The most important thing is that the money raised will make a genuine difference to people’s lives.”

The T-shirts are all made with 100% Fairtrade Certified cotton and all net profits from the sale of the t-shirt range will go towards helping people living unimaginably tough lives both across the UK and the world’s poorest countries.

Also taking part in this year’s campaign will be David Walliams, who will cycle the length of the UK, The One Show’s Christine Bleakley, who will be water-skiing across the English Channel, and Blue Peter’s Helen Skelton, who will attempt to become the first woman to sail the Amazon river in a kayak. James Corden will host a BBC TV special on March 19, and other stars involved in the campaign include Jenson Button and Fearne Cotton.

To find out more, visit the Sport Relief website.

David Beckham To Get Oiled Up For Charity

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

Comedian James Corden is about to get up close and personal with David Beckham.

Corden – in character as Gavin And Stacey’s Smithy – will give the soccer icon a massage for charity. And Beckham will return the favor afterwards – in a sketch to be broadcast in March on BBC One’s Sport Relief.

“The sketch is hilarious, they couldn’t be more different – the pair of them massaging each other will be a sight to behold,” a source told The Sun.

This is the second time Corden and Beckham have appeared together, last year they were featured in a Comic Relief skit where Smithy gate-crashed an England football team meeting and gave the players a pep talk.

Corden is also filming sketches with other sport celebrities such as Formula 1 champ Jenson Button, cricketer Andrew Flintoff, tennis ace Andy Murray and diver Tom Dale.

Sport Relief is a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, which brings together the worlds of sport and entertainment to raise money to help vulnerable people in both the UK and the world’s poorest countries.

Little Britain Star To Get On His Bike For Charity

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British comedian David Walliams is planning to cycle the length of the UK for charity.

The Little Britain star is well known for his charity stunts – in 2006 he swam the English Channel, and in 2008 he swam the Strait of Gibralter. Both swims were to raise money for Comic Relief and Sport Relief – as is his planned cycle ride.

The actor will be joined on his 875-mile trip from John O’Groats to Land’s End – to take place in March – by Jimmy Carr and Miranda Hart, as well as TV hosts Fearne Cotton and Davina McCall.

Money raised goes towards a number of relief programs in the UK and around the world.

Eddie Izzard Encourages Good Health And Fitness

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British actor/comedian Eddie Izzard is using his recent award for the 43 marathons he ran for charity earlier this year to encourage people in the UK get fitter.

The star was presented with a special award at the annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year event on Sunday, December 13, for his effort, which saw him run 1,100 miles in 51 days for Sport Relief. The run raised over US$300,000 for the charity, which is part of Comic Relief.

And now the star is urging the people of the UK to follow his lead and get fitter.

“We’ve got the Olympics less than a thousand days ahead and I want to encourage people to take something they used to do when they were a kid and start doing it again,” he said. “We’re all living to about 100 now – unless you want the last 30 years of your life to be going really downhill, get healthy, get fit. Then we can encourage our athletes going into the Olympics to be able to have the fittest country [supporting them],”

The star acknowledges that keeping fit is not easy, but insists that it would be a good idea – especially as Britain’s obesity and diabetes problem gets worse. One in five primary school children in the country are now classed as overweight, and 67,000 deaths in the UK every year can be linked to weight problems.

“I’m no athlete,” Izzard said while accepting his award. “Not like everybody here tonight. It was really tough. Everything was painful. People asked me if I enjoyed the running but I enjoyed the stopping! I staggered, I ran and I crawled.”

Wyclef Jean And Bono Receive ‘Ripple Of Hope Award’

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, producer Wyclef Jean, and (RED) founder/U2 front man Bono, were honored this week at a ceremony thrown by The Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, where each were awarded the ‘Ripple of Hope’ Award.

“As champions of justice, Bono and Wyclef have brought the national spotlight to human rights violations, empowered local activists, and transformed the lives of millions of people living in poverty from Port-Au-Prince to Darfur,” said Kerry Kennedy, founder of the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights. “Their efforts evoke the spirit of my father and we are honored to recognize them.”

Jean was honored for his work to inspire change in his native country of Haiti through his Yéle Haiti Foundation.

“It is an honor to receive this award for so many reasons,” said Jean, who was also the evening’s musical performer. “The Kennedy Family and Robert F. Kennedy have represented and fought for the rights of people around the world, and have paid the ultimate sacrifice for it. I am humbled by their work, and use it as an example in the work I continue to do in Haiti, the United States, Africa and around the globe. I look forward to working closely with Kerry Kennedy and the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights in Haiti as a part of our Yéle Center.”

Bono was recognized for his efforts in the fight against extreme poverty and preventable disease, particular in Africa with the ONE Campaign, DATA and (Product) RED.

“Though we’re not usually that partial to Royals, growing up in Ireland in the 70s, the Kennedy family felt like an Irish royal family. Bobby Kennedy was a super-hero, an Irish scrapper who didn’t see any contradiction between hard-headed pragmatism and an idealism that challenged all of us to change the world. That’s why the Ripple of Hope award means so much. RFK was the blue print for our activism in the ONE campaign,” Bono said. “The image of Bobby that will forever be in my mind is of a man with his sleeves rolled up, hard at work and showing a hint of muscle. His life is an enduring challenge to all of us to do more, get beyond ourselves and send out our own ripples of hope to the world.”

The event was emceed by actor Peter Gallagher, and guests included: Matthew Modine, Matt McCoy, Joey Pantoliano, Gloria Reuben, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Governor Jon Corzine, Harry Belafonte, Martha Stewart, Bill O’Reilly, Ana Ortiz, Aasif Mandvi, Liya Kebede, Earl Graves, Terry Kinney, Rebecca Minkoff, Charles Nolan, Richard Plepler, Tom Freston and Orin Kramer.

The evening ended on a high note as Bono joined Wyclef on stage for a rendition of “Redemption Song,” after which Wyclef performed “Carnival” and brought the entire crowd of over 800 people – including Ethel Kennedy – to their feet singing and dancing.

Eddie Izzard Completes 43 Marathons For Charity

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British comedian and actor Eddie Izzard has completed his massive charity marathon challenge.

The actor set out in August to run 1000 miles and raise money for Sport Relief – a part of Comic Relief – and the 47-year-old finished his odyssey across Britain on Tuesday when he crossed the finish line at London’s Trafalgar Square.

“I feel dead!” he said as the London rain fell around him.

The challenge saw Izzard run 43 marathons in 52 days, a feat that Comic Relief founder Richard Curtis described as “amazing.”

“What I so admire is the length of it,” said Curtis. “He’s been doing it for so long, every single day. [These celebrities] are really putting themselves on the line for these issues. People in schools and at home think ‘Well, if Eddie can do that, then I can certainly do something to raise money and help people’.”

Double Donations For Eddie Izzard's Epic Charity Run

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 13:35:00 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

Comedian Eddie Izzard is running over 1000 miles around the UK for charity, and an anonymous donor is helping every last mile count double.

Eddie’s running his 39th almost-consecutive marathon today in support of Sport Relief, and with only five more marathons remaining before he reaches his destination in London on Tuesday 15th September, a donor has promised to match up to £43,000 ($71,000) in donations made by midnight on Sunday 20th September.

In exhausted breaks between his full days of running, Izzard has been sharing via twitter how significant even a small donation can be:

“£6 ($10) could pay for enough school books for a whole year for an 8-year-old street child in Bangladesh.”

“£15 ($25) could provide essential drugs so 20 Ugandan children with malaria survive until they reach hospital.”

“£10 ($16) could pay for an hour’s counselling for an older person who has been abused.”

Sport Relief is a fundraising initiative for the UK Comic Relief campaign, harnessing the power and passion of sport to change lives for the better.

Donating online takes just a few moments, and your donation will now provide twice the help; just click here.

UK residents can also donate by simply texting EDDIE to 66609; they’ll be charged £5 plus the standard network rate, of which at least £3.37 goes to Sport Relief. Click here for more information, or donate online.

Eunice Shriver's Charity Legacy

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Eunice Shriver – founder of the Special Olympics – has died at the age of 88.

The fifth of nine children and sister of John F Kennedy, Shriver led a life of service to the community that she handed down to her children. Her daughter, Maria Shriver, is the First Lady of California and is married to Arnold Schwarzenegger. She runs the annual Women’s Conference in California. Her son, Bobby Shriver, is well known for co-founding the organizations DATA (Debt AIDS Trade Africa), the ONE Campaign and (RED) with U2 lead singer Bono. Her other sons are also leaders in philanthropy: Timothy Shriver is the Chairman and CEO of the Special Olympics; Mark Shriver is the Vice-President and Managing Director of U.S. Programs for Save the Children; and Anthony Shriver is the founder of Best Buddies International.

Awarded the US Medal of Freedom in 1984, Eunice Shriver was a founder of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Center for Community of Caring in the 1960s. But it was her work with the Special Olympics for which she will be remembered. Her work with the disabled started early – In 1962, she started a day camp, known as Camp Shriver, for children with intellectual disabilities at her home in Potomac, Maryland. From there, she promoted the concept of competition opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. Camp Shriver became an annual event, and the Kennedy Foundation (of which Shriver was Executive Vice President) regularly gave grants to universities, recreation departments and community centers to hold similar camps. In 1968, Shriver was approached to help fund a huge Olympic-style athletic competition for over 1000 people with special needs. The Special Olympics were born, and today it involves over 2.5 million in 180 countries.

Her family released the following thoughts reflecting on her life:

“Inspired by her love of God, her devotion to her family, and her relentless belief in the dignity and worth of every human life, she worked without ceasing — searching, pushing, demanding, hoping for change. She was a living prayer, a living advocate, a living center of power. She set out to change the world and to change us, and she did that and more.

“She founded the movement that became Special Olympics, the largest movement for acceptance and inclusion for people with intellectual disabilities in the history of the world. Her work transformed the lives of hundreds of millions of people across the globe, and they in turn are her living legacy. We have always been honored to share our mother with people of good will the world over who believe, as she did, that there is no limit to the human spirit. At this time of loss, we feel overwhelmed by the gifts of prayer and support poured out to us from so many who loved her.

“We are together in our belief that she is now in heaven, rejoicing with her family, enjoying the fruits of her faith, and still urging us onward to the challenges ahead. Her love will inspire us to faith and service always.”

Bono Talks World Hunger In Amsterdam

Wed, 05 Aug 2009 15:30:00 -0000

U2 singer Bono recently took time out from his current world tour to get up-to-date on global hunger by meeting with World Food Programme (WFP) head, Josette Sheeran, in Amsterdam.

During their meeting, Sheeran gave the singer one of the distinctive red cups which symbolize WFP’s ‘Fill the Cup’ campaign to raise funds to help the 66 million children in the world who go to school hungry.

Numbers Rising

Bono noted that the number of hungry people in the world is “rising fast” and expressed admiration for WFP’s work providing free meals to more than 20 million children in school every year.

Sheeran and Peter Bakker, head of WFP’s corporate partner TNT, met Bono backstage at Amsterdam’s ArenA stadium, where U2 played the ninth show in their current European tour to tens of thousands of fans.

When Bono asked about WFP’s work in Eastern Congo, Sheeran explained how the agency buys food from small farmers in that country to give to people displaced by conflict, thus boosting the local economy as well as responding to urgent hunger needs.

Activism for Africa

Bono is widely known for his activism in seeking solutions to the problems afflicting Africa. He co-founded DATA ,an NGO aimed at eliminating third world debt, and the ONE Campaign, which aims to increase US funding for international aid programs.

He has organized and played in several benefit concerts and has often met with influential politicians as part of his efforts to drum up support for development causes.

Eddie Izzard Runs For Sport Relief

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Comedian Eddie Izzard has just set out from London for a 1000-mile run to raise money for Sport Relief, which supports Comic Relief, a charity that helps vulnerable people in need both at home in the UK and abroad.

Izzard’s effort is a serious marathon challenge with comedic results, at least when reading the Press Association’s report: Running 30 miles per day, Izzard achieved a blister and bandaged leg by day two, following a damaged hamstring and shin problems during his mere four-week training period. “He is not a runner,” says Izzard’s publicist.

The pay back, however, is more than honking horns from passing fans in recognition of his daily run. It’s in getting kids with behavioural problems into team sports, child labourers in Bangladesh into school, abused children off the streets of Brazil and finding homes and care for AIDS orphans in Zambia.

Support for Izzard’s run can be made at www.eddieizzard.com, and twitterers can follow him at www.twitter.com/eddieizzard.

Bob Geldof Launches One Campaign Report On G8

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A host of leaders and stars helped launch the ONE Campaign's DATA Report in London yesterday.

Bill Gates, Desmond Tutu and Bob Geldof all talked at the event, which launched the annual report that aims to measure the G8 against commitments made at their 2005 summit in Scotland. But the news is not good, revealing that France and Italy are performing so poorly that they are threatening to cause the G8 as a whole to default.

“It saddens me and angers me that great nations like Italy and France are going in the wrong direction,” said Archbishop Tutu of South Africa. “We must all campaign to encourage the forthcoming G8 meetings to do better and do what is right.”

“That [the Italian] economy is in such a disastrous meltdown condition, they must steal from the poor, rob the ill and snatch education from the minds of the young not only beggars the imagination but must also surely beggar the soul of that most beautiful country,” added Geldof. “Shame on you.”

The report laid out a number of findings:

By 2008, the G8 had delivered only a third of their commitment—just $7 billion of the total $21.5 billion increases promised to Africa by 2010. Some countries fared better than others: the US, Canada and Japan are meeting or beating modest targets; Germany and the UK are striving to meet their more ambitious commitments. France’s delivery is disappointing, and Italy—the host of the upcoming G8 Summit—has utterly failed to make progress on its promised aid.
Looking ahead to 2009, ONE estimates that the G8 will have delivered only a half of their commitment. 80% of the 2009 shortfall will be due to France and Italy. That means that in 2010, the G8 must deliver the entire other half to reach their target.
In 2008, the G8 met in Accra to review progress on improving aid effectiveness. While the forum helped accelerate progress towards achieving better aid, more must be done to reach the 2010 goals.
The steps taken by the G8 since 2005 have brought them close to fulfilling their commitments on debt. At the end of 2008, Africa had been relieved of $92.8 billion of its debt obligations.
But the global financial crisis threatens to overturn these advances. Among the 20 African countries that reached ‘completion point’ in the debt cancellation process, 11 now face a risk of debt distress through reaccumulation of debt.
The G8 are not living up to their promise to “make trade work for Africa.” Despite an increase in exports, Africa accounts for only 3.5% of global trade—the lowest share of any region in the world.

The report was launched the day before finance ministers from the G8 countries — Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United States — are to meet for two days of talks in Italy, ahead of the next G8 meeting in July.

“Why do we have the obligation to help another person we will never know and never see,” said Geldof. “Why would [Bill Gates] decide to devote the rest of his entire life and his entire fortune to that end? It’s because that singular condition of poverty can be removed. Indeed, it must be removed [otherwise] we cannot build a new global financial architecture, one that collapsed because 50% of the planet was not included. They live on less than $2 a day – you cannot live on $2 a day! I will repeat that – you cannot live on $2 a day. So you die. So we remove from the world economy, the creative dynamic, the intellectual stimulus, the productivity that these people have. By injecting that into the world economy, they can have their own health systems, they can have coherent governments, they can buy our stuff and we can buy their’s. And we won’t have to give aid any more.”

A video of highlights of the launch can be found here.

Sir Edmund Hillary's House On Display For Charity

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Thousands of New Zealanders flocked to a charity open home on Sunday, March 1, to raise money for the Himalayan Trust.

The Auckland home of Sir Edmund Hillary is going up for auction on March 15, and members of the public were yesterday invited to view the former dwelling of the mountaineering legend.

“The house itself breathed Ed and it breathed the Himalayas,” Hillary’s biographer Pat Booth told the Sunday Star Times. “It was full of precious things, of things that were precious to him, referencing the things he had done, and the people he had met.”

Hillary – known as Sir Ed to his fellow New Zealanders – was an adventurer famous for being the first person to ascend Mt Everest in Nepal and for his humanitarian work with the Nepalese Sherpas since the 1960s. He passed away in January 2007.

People who visited the home yesterday were asked to donate a gold coin ($1 or $2 in New Zealand) to the Himalayan Trust, a non-profit organization Hillary established in 1960 to provide the basic infrastructure needs that the Sherpas of Nepal really want (education, health, forests, monastery repairs and response to natural disasters).

To view the property and for auction details go to www.bayleys.co.nz and enter the property code #360901.

Bono Becomes A Man Of Peace

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Aime Pingi

Nobel peace laureates gathered in summit in Paris on Friday 12th December to award Irish rocker-turned-activist Bono the annual “Man of Peace” prize for his struggle against poverty, disease and debt in Africa.

Paul Hewson (born 10 May 1960 in Glasnevin, Dublin, Ireland), more commonly known by his stage name Bono, is the main vocalist of the Irish rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his future wife, Ali Hewson, and the future members of U2. Bono writes almost all U2 lyrics, often using political, social and religious themes. During their early years, Bono’s lyrics contributed to U2’s rebellious tone. As the band matured, his lyrics became inspired more by personal experiences with members of U2.

Among his non-U2 endeavors, he has collaborated and recorded with numerous artists, sits on the board of Elevation Partners, and owns a hotel with fellow band member, The Edge. Bono is also widely known for his activism concerning Africa, for which he co-founded DATA. He has organized and played in several benefit concerts and has met with influential politicians. He is the co-founder of EDUN, the ONE Campaign and Product (RED). Bono has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, was granted an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, and was named as a Person of the Year by Time, among many other awards and nominations.

In the presence of five Nobel Prize winners, Bono received his latest accolade from the hand of Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe, the host of this annual summit in recognition of two decades of global anti-poverty activism.

“This is a very big award for me because, let’s be honest, this is as close as I am going to get – as close as a rock star is ever going to get – to the Nobel Peace Prize,” the 48-year-old Bono quipped to the audience. “I am an over-awarded, over-rewarded rock star. You are the people who do the real work,” he said to Nobel winners present, who included F.W. de Klerk of South Africa, Lech Walesa of Poland and Northern Ireland’s John Hume.

“So I am very, very pleased to be in such esteemed company.”

Organizers said Bono was chosen for his global campaigning to persuade rich nations to lighten Africa’s debt burden, combat poverty, promote fair trade and raise funds for the treatment of HIV-AIDS and malaria.

“We decided to nominate a man who has given a lot and will continue to give a great deal to the struggle for human rights, to the fight against poverty, with his music and with his words,” said Italian left-wing leader Walter Veltroni, co-host of the event. “He has put pressure on the world’s governments to reach the UN’s Millennium Goals. To give him the prize, is to say that fight will carry on.”

Last year’s recipients of the peace award were US actors George Clooney and Don Cheadle, who have spoken out against the violence in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur.

Nobel winners were meeting in Paris for a three-day summit, coinciding with celebrations marking 60 years since the UN declaration of human rights was adopted in Paris.

Colin Firth Helps Oxfam Food Drive

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

After disappointing results from the latest G8 Summit in Japan, Oxfam is organizing a desperately needed food drive for Africa’s east region. Actors Colin Firth, John Hannah, and Daniela Nardini are campaigning for Britons to answer Oxfam’s call.

As food prices continue to rise, the people of Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya are finding it increasingly difficult to feed themselves, millions verging on destitution.

A Make Trade Fair campaigner since 2002, Colin Firth is a vigorous supporter of Oxfam projects.

“It’s devastating to hear that these people are facing another food crisis,” he told The Press Association. “A dangerous storm of factors – drought, conflict, grinding poverty and skyrocketing food prices – have stacked on top of each other and are pushing people over the edge. Malnutrition rates have spiked and children grow ever hungrier each day.”

Frustrated with the Summit results, Oxfam International Executive Director Jeremy Hobbs said, “Several governments championed steps to tackle the crucial issues sitting on the G8 agenda, but in the end this summit did not deliver the breakthroughs that are so urgently needed. The consensus reached was shallow at best… Rich country biofuels are a major cause of the global food crisis at this moment, yet the leaders barely mentioned them and blithely continue to burn food in their cars. It’s like discussing the Titanic but failing to talk about the iceberg.”

“Oxfam desperately needs the support of the British public,” says Firth, “to help avert catastrophe and keep people alive.”

See Oxfam’s Big Heads video here

John Oliver Questions Fair Trade

Tue, 06 May 2008 10:12:47 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Amidst the growing confusion between fair trade products – there’s fair trade, fairer trade, fair and organic, fair and local, fair and non global warming, fair to the last drop, etc. – political humourist John Oliver may have found a much easier way to determine what product to buy.

In one of his stand-up comedy acts last month, Oliver asked, “What is fair trade, when you boil it down, other than basic human politeness? …Rather than praising fair trade, we need to be demonising unfair trade. So, I suggest that from tomorrow onwards, all unfairly traded products should be forced to carry this logo: It’s a cartoon of an international businessman urinating upon an Africa boy. I think that might really help nag at your subconscious when you’re queuing up at the supermarket with a basket full of shattered lives.”

In another example of unfair trade, Oliver targeted outsourcing: “I try and write new material as much as I can, but unfortunately, recently, I have been forced to outsource my job writing operation to a little 10-year-old Indonesian boy. …I’ve brought one of his blood splattered notebooks. Most of his material is observational stuff, you know, what its like to be a little 10-year-old Indonesian boy: ’What’s up with the guy hitting me with a big stick? What’s going on there?’”

A long time political satirist, Oliver explains where this focus came from in an interview with Cool’Eh Magazine: “I guess with stand-up you end up gravitating towards talking about things that you care about… As globalization tightens its grip around the equator and squeezes, there is so much to write about. I’ve found that as I’ve become increasingly disenfranchised with party politics, I’ve become more interested in the wider issues which I no longer trust politicians to address.”

Radiohead Joins Child Labor Awareness Campaign

Fri, 02 May 2008 12:05:11 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

With a 20-year history of raising awareness for human rights and environmental causes, Radiohead is no stranger to the activist scene. And now, in partnership with MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking), the band has released the “All I Am” video to bring child labor practices into the spotlight.

“It’s cool that MTV is taking this up, because normally, this is something I only get to talk to people about who are considered ‘extreme left-wing’ or whatever, but it’s good it’s hitting the mainstream, because I don’t consider it a left-wing issue; I consider it a political-stability issue,” he told MTV UK. “I think if [the campaign] does one good thing, it would be to make this concept of slavery — which is what it is — less taboo. If they can make it something that is OK for us to talk about, and for politicians in the West to actually accept that this is an issue, well, then we’re doing a good thing.”

There are currently more than 2.5 million men, women and children who are forced, defrauded or coerced into various forms of labor or prostitution. Radiohead recommends checking out Amnesty International, Witness and The The Fair Trade Resource Network to learn more.

“I think it’s important for everyone in the West or on High Street to understand the consequences of our economic activity. You must be aware of the level of exploitation that’s going on,” Yorke said. “It’s part of our Western life, and one we should accept responsibility for. There’s no such thing as a free lunch or a free ticket to another country.”

Watch video of Thom Yorke speaking on the topic of child labor at Think MTV.

David Walliams Splashes Out For Charity

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:15:16 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British comedian David Walliams has completed his second epic charity swim… and swallowed some water at the same time.

“Swimming and throwing up… it shouldn’t really go together,” said the star of Little Britain. “It was really tough.”

The 36-year-old swam across the Strait of Gibraltar, from Spain to Morocco, with Olympic rower James Cracknell. The event was part of Cracknell’s 10 day “Swim To Africa” adventure, which raised money for Sport Relief.

Cracknell’s trip started from Dover on February 27, when he rowed across the English Channel in atrocious weather conditions. This was followed by cycling 1,400 miles through France and Spain.

The final leg of the trip was the 12-mile swim, and having Walliams along was a boost for Cracknell’s morale. Walliams is certainly no stranger to swimming long distances – in 2006 he swam the English Channel and raised $2 million for Sport Relief in the process.

“I can’t believe David volunteered to do that after having done the Channel,” said Cracknell. “[The swim] was horrible.”

But Walliams had his own way of dealing with the cramp-inducing swim, and hummed Elton John songs to himself to keep his mind off the sharks that seemed to circle around the pair.

“I was singing to try and get me through it,” he said. “I was singing Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word and Your Song. When you’re in the water, if you start thinking about where you are, you think ‘I want this to be over.’ But if you think about nice things like Elton John songs, it kind of passes the time. I found it really tough. About two hours in I started to get seasick. The sea was really rough and I swallowed a lot of seawater. I started feeling really nauseous and throwing up. I got really demoralized so I had to talk to myself and say ’you’ve got to do it, you’ve got to do it.”

The pair completed the swim in four and a half hours.

A Game, A Dress, And A Brawl For Charity

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:29:30 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A special surprise for Look to the Stars readers

Be sure to visit Look To The Stars tomorrow, Wednesday March 12, to read our exclusive interview with Leeza Gibbons as she tells us a little about the causes that are closest to her heart.

Between a Rock and a hard place

It’s a case of a bad boy wanting to be good with singer Kid Rock. The Devil Without A Cause looks like he is turning over a new leaf, and is returning to the Waffle House restaurant where he was arrested last year – but this time it’s for charity.

The 37-year-old was charged with battery after a brawl in Duluth, Georgia, in October. But the musician has now decided to make amends by greeting fans and signing autographs at the scene of the crime as part of a fundraiser for a local homeless shelter, Nicholas House.

“For a while now, we’ve been working with Kid Rock’s management to try and turn a negative into a positive,” said Waffle House spokesperson Pat Warner. “We’re hoping to raise some money for a worthwhile charity.”

The event will occur later today, March 11.

Tennis for charity in the desert

Another event taking place today is the fourth annual K-Swiss Desert Smash Charity Tennis and Golf event being held at the La Quinta Resort in Palm Springs. The event benefits the Coachella Valley chapter of Variety - The Children's Charity and features a special tennis match between 2008 Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova and Novak Djokovic.

Other celebrities expected to attend include Bush frontman (and husband of Gwen Stefani) Gavin Rossdale, Borat star Ken Davitian, and David Spade.

Theron shares her threads for charity

Another star in the mood for giving is the stunning Charlize Theron, who is auctioning off the first red carpet gown she was ever given to wear by a designer.

No, the dress isn’t made from red carpet – it’s actually a one-of-a-kind silk dress designed exclusively for the actress’ debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000 by Narciso Rodriguez.

All of the proceeds from the auction, which can be accessed through Theron’s eBay page, will go to the Charlize Theron African Outreach Project, a mobile clinic that serves more than 3000 high school students in Theron’s home country of South Africa. The project was launched in 2007 in association with the Entertainment Industry Foundation to create a safer, healthier, and better life for families in South Africa, especially those touched by the effect of HIV/AIDS.

The auction runs until March 13, and the bids have already gone over $1,000.

Other auctions running on eBay Giving Works right now include the chance to have lunch with JAG and Bruce Almighty star Catherine Bell in LA. The auction runs until March 17, and proceeds go to Communities in Schools, nation’s largest dropout prevention organization. The original Hannah Montana_, Miley Ray Cyrus, is also holding an auctionW0QQitemZ260217660695QQihZ016QQcategoryZ61QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QqcmdZViewItem right now. The young star is selling an autographed chair, with proceeds to go to Variety - The Children's Charity.

Leona Lewis – a star on the rise

Another star with an interest in South Africa at the moment is singer Leona Lewis. The 22-year-old X Factor winner is currently enjoying a meteoric rise to fame, with her album Spirit holding the record for the fastest selling debut album ever released in the UK. And now the young star has witnessed the extent of the AIDS pandemic during a recent trip to South Africa.

Lewis has just returned from a 3-day trip to Johannesburg with Sport Relief, an initiative of Comic Relief, in which she raised awareness of the plight of AIDS orphans and sufferers. But it was all almost too much for the singer, who describes in her diary how she broke down while visiting some of the worst cases.

“Some of the horrors I have seen will never leave me,” she said. “It’s amazing to see the great work that Sport Relief does firsthand and the difference they make, their projects and centres keep communities going and give them something to be proud and positive about.”

In response to her trip, Lewis has just announced that the stunning purple gown she wore for her performance at last month’s Brit Awards will be auctioned on eBay, with all proceeds going to Sport Relief.

“It’s been a great pleasure for me to work with Leona Lewis right from the start,” said Roberto Cavalli, who designed the dress. “She has an incredible voice, beautiful eyes, and a fresh and positive attitude. I’m happy that a dress I have created for her for an important occasion is now being auctioned for a charity. It’s a sign of her great generosity and I’m proud that the name Roberto Cavalli is linked to it.”

As if all of that is not enough, the singer is also donating the proceeds from her new double A-side single, Footprints In The Sand/Better In Time, to the charity.

Orlando Bloom Visits Nepal

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 11:25:30 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actor and heartthrob Orlando Bloom has just returned from a trip to Nepal, where he visited several UNICEF programs working to help the impoverished nation and its children.

The 31-year-old star of “Lord of the Rings” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” spent four days touring the western districts of Kaski and Chitwan, as well as visiting Lumbini, birthplace of Lord Buddha.

During the trip, Bloom had his forehead smeared red with “tika” and was presented with the traditional garlands of flowers, which he wore around his neck. He spoke with young mothers at the Sayapatri Community Organization in the village of Dibyanagar, and learnt about the ways that UNICEF works to promote safe hygiene and sanitation practices in the country.

Nepal, with an estimated population of 29 million, is currently recovering from a decade-long civil war that left 13,000 people dead. The conflict hampered the delivery of basic services to many of the more remote villages, and malnutrition became rampant, accounting for over 60% of child deaths. Even today, 48% of children are grossly underweight, maternal mortality is high, and many people suffer needlessly from treatable medical conditions. As of six years ago, only 84% of children received a formal education, but thanks to work by UNICEF and the Himalayan Trust, that figure is now closer to 100%.

“Previously, only 25% of the households were taking iodized salt [to prevent iodine deficiency disorders such as goiter],” said Chali Subedi, who facilitates over the village of Kalika. “The figure has now increased to 38%. Similarly, women’s workloads have decreased from 17 hours per day to 14 hours a day.”

Bloom also spent time with over three dozen blind children who attend a special school in the village of Pokhara, deep in the Pumdi Bhumdi hills, and learned about their studies, ambitions, and the world in which they live.

“I may be disabled, and might need assistance from others for everything I do,” said 10th-grader Sujan Dhakal. “Yet the world I see for myself is one where I can be of assistance to others and work for the betterment of my society and country.”

Bloom joined the students in recording a UNICEF-supported radio program entitled “Saathi Sanga Manka Kura” (Talking With My Best Friend). The drama dealt with the plight of a group of girls in a hostel with no female warden, and Bloom played a guest who offers advice to the girls.

“Talk about your problems,” he said during the program. “There’s no need to feel shy. It’s always good to talk about issues that concern you.”

Sir Edmund Hillary - The Passing Of A Legend

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:12:07 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Sir Edmund Hillary – adventurer, explorer, and philanthropist – has died of a heart attack, age 88.

The thing I will always remember about Sir Ed is his hands. They were huge, the size of frying pans. Every time I met him, his face would break into a grin that seemed to light up the room, his eyes would smile, and he would wrap one of those huge hands around mine. It was like a blanket enveloping a pea. But he was a big man. At 188cm, Sir Ed never failed to tower over everyone in the room.

But he never wanted to stand out from the crowd. Sir Edmund Hillary, conqueror of Everest, the third person to reach the South Pole by land, was incredibly humble.

“I like to think that I am a very ordinary New Zealander, not terribly bright perhaps, but determined and practical in what I do,” he once said.

Hillary never starred in a movie, he never released a song. Yet he was probably the most famous and well-respected person ever to come out of New Zealand. Born just outside of Auckland, the country’s biggest city, Hillary began his professional life as a beekeeper, as part of the family business. But a trip to the mountains that run up the southern land like a backbone gave him a love of the outdoors that would eventually lead to bigger things. A stint in the Royal New Zealand Air Force in World War II, in which he was badly burned (“I realized what it was like to feel like bacon,” he once told me), was followed by three trips to the Himalayas in Nepal.

His close friend and famous British climber, Eric Shipton, selected Hillary to be part of the 1953 expedition to Everest. However, when Shipton was replaced by John Hunt, Hillary nearly backed out of the trip. But with dogged determination, he stayed. And on May 29, 1953, Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, his Sherpa climbing partner, became the first people to stand on top of the highest peak in the world.

“Awe, wonder, humility, pride, exaltation – these surely ought to be the confused emotions of the first men to stand on the highest peak on earth, after so many others had failed,” he said in High Adventure, his book about the achievement. “But my dominant reactions were relief and surprise. Relief because the long grind was over and the unattainable had been attained. And surprise because it had happened to me, old Ed Hillary, the beekeeper, once the star pupil of Tuakau District School, but no great shakes at Auckland Grammar and a no-hoper at university – first to the top of Everest! I just didn’t believe it.”

A knighthood from the newly-crowned Queen Elizabeth followed, much to Hillary’s horror: “It was a tremendous honor, of course, but I had never really approved of titles and couldn’t really imagine myself possessing one… I could see myself walking down Broadway, Papakura [his hometown in New Zealand], in my tattered overalls and the seat out of my pants, and I thought ’That’s gone forever. I’ll have to buy a new pair of overalls now’.”

In a lasting testament to his humbleness, Hillary always maintained that he and Tenzing – who died in 1986 – reached the summit together, despite repeated questioning over who actually stepped on top first. However, in later life, Hillary did finally admit that he stepped onto the summit a few steps ahead of Tenzing, but he always insisted that the pair did it as a team, and to single out one or other of them was inherently wrong.

Back in New Zealand, Hillary married Louise Rose, and they later had three children, Belinda, Sarah and Peter. Sir Ed then continued a life of climbing and adventure, which included involvement in the 1958 British Trans-Antarctic expedition lead by Sir Vivien Fuchs. Hillary’s job was to use three small tractors to lay a supply trail for Fuchs’ party, but in a controversial decision he raced to the pole himself and reached it before Fuchs. He was the first person to reach the South Pole over land since Amundsen and Scott. Antarctica always remained a special place for Sir Ed, and he visited the frozen continent for the last time in 2005. Both he and his son, Peter, have campaigned extensively for better environmental laws in Antarctica over the years, a topic that I discussed at length with Peter in 1999.

But it was his continuing work with the native Sherpa people in Nepal that Sir Ed wants to be remembered for. The Sherpas had long been used by explorers as porters in the Himalayas, but they remained uneducated and their living conditions were primitive. Many had no access to clean water, and others suffered from debilitating yet treatable medical conditions.

“It was impossible not to see that they lacked all the things we regard as essential in life,” said Hillary. “They didn’t have any schools, and they didn’t have any medical care or anything of this nature. I suddenly decided that instead of just talking about it, why didn’t I try and do something about it.”

In 1960, Hillary established the Himalayan Trust, a non-profit organization designed to ease poverty in remote Nepalese villages. Since then, the Trust has increased its fold to include reforestation programs, cultural preservation, and emergency relief work.

Over the years, the Trust has built 3 hospitals, 13 health clinics, and 30 schools for the Sherpa people. They have provided training for teachers, and have been involved in the construction of bridges, water resources, and airstrips. Every year until the 1990s, Hillary would lead groups of volunteers to the Himalayas, and thousands of Nepalis now owe their education and health to his generosity. Six months of every year were spent outside New Zealand, on the fundraising trail.

In Nepal, Hillary is seen as a god, and his passing has been especially hard for those who have worked closely with him on his projects.

“He was a hero and a leader for us,” said Bhoomi Lama of the Nepal Mountaineering Association in Katmandu. “He did a lot for the people of the Everest region and will always remain in our hearts.”

And it is work Hillary does not want to stop after his death.

“When I kick the bucket… of all the things I would like to be kept going, the things I would really feel had some continuing activity, would unquestionably be my Sherpa schools.”

Hillary’s work with the Sherpas helped him to get back on his feet after the death of his wife and youngest daughter in a plane crash in the Himalayas in 1975, and in 1989 he married June Mulgrew, widow of fellow climber and explorer, Peter Mulgrew.
He was also a special ambassador for UNICEF to promote Nepalese aid, and continued to advocate for tougher environmental laws in the Himalayas.

The native Maori people of New Zealand have a phrase they say when a well-respected person passes away – “Ka hinga te totara i te wao nui a Taane engari Mate atu he teeteekura, Whakaete mai he teeteekua … A mighty totara tree has fallen in Tane’s forest.” Sir Edmund Hillary may have been the mightiest totara tree of them all.

He will be sadly missed by the people of Nepal, New Zealand, and adventurers everywhere.

“In some ways I believe I epitomize the average New Zealander. I have modest abilities, I combine these with a good deal of determination… and I rather like to succeed.”

Bono's Fishy T-Shirt Benefits African Farmers

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:41:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Bono has designed a new T-shirt for charity, joining a host of other celebrities in an on-going and major charity campaign.

The 47-year-old singer from U2 is the 25th artist to design a shirt for Hard Rock Café’s Signature Series clothing line, an initiative started in 1990 as a way for musicians to raise money for charities of their choice. Sales from the shirts have raised over $6 million for a variety of causes.

Bono’s creation, available for $26 from the Hard Rock website, features his stylized drawing of a fish soaring past the moon, and is adorned with the words “Fish Can Fly”, as well as his signature. 15% of the proceeds will go to the Wildlife Conservation Society's Conservation Cotton initiative – a scheme designed to lift African farmers out of poverty by providing education on proper land management, organic cotton growing techniques, and wildlife conservation. The shirts will also support the trade for aid ethos of EDUN, the conscious consumerism fashion label founded by Bono and his wife in 2005, by being made from 100% African cotton and manufactured by African garment workers.

Other artists to have designed shirts for the initiative in the past include Green Day, who raised money for Amnesty International's Campaign To Save Darfur, Shakira who chose to benefit Pies Descalzos, Ozzy Osbourne for the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program, Bruce Springsteen for World Hunger Year, Eric Clapton for the Crossroads Centre, Peter Gabriel for Witness, Sting and Elton John for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Michael Stipe for Artists for a New South Africa, Don Henley for the Walden Woods Project, John Mellencamp for the Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy Foundation, and Stevie Nicks for the Special Olympics. Carlos Santana and Aerosmith have also contributed designs. Many of these shirts are still available from the Hard Rock website.

Bono’s “Fish Can Fly” is more than just a phrase – it is a message that tomorrow can be better than today.

Colin Firth - Pride And Philanthropy

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 08:53:28 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

“Fame hasn’t got much use to anybody really, except for getting upgraded tables in restaurants.”

These are the words of British actor Colin Firth, who believes more celebrities should use their stardom to highlight good causes.

At Look To The Stars, we believe it is important to highlight the work that celebrities carry out to support charities and good causes. It is all too easy to be cynical and think to yourself that the stars only use their so called “good work” to bolster public opinion and their own fame, but the more you dive into the topic, the more you find that this just is not true. Firth is a perfect example of someone who, in his own words, “puts my money where my mouth is” and prefers to get involved with issues he believes are worthwhile.

“I think you can have a profile and you can also use it as a tool,” said the 47-year-old actor. “One is increasingly aware that there are too many people trying to get heard in the world, and there are all too many people who are heard too easily but have absolutely nothing to say. If you can try to be a vessel for [those without a voice], then I don’t see what’s wrong with that.”

Born in Hampshire, England, Firth has become the benchmark for the perfect English Gentleman in modern film, and is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Mr Darcy in Jane Austin’s Pride And Prejudice. It seems that for almost every role he takes on, from the almost tragically over-mothered Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones Diary to love
struck writer Jamie Bennett in Love Actually, female movie-goers fall over themselves to look up into his smoldering eyes.

But Firth is not the kind of actor who is scared to get his hands dirty out in the real world. A passionate supporter of Oxfam and its Make Trade Fair initiative, Firth has both feet planted firmly on the ground.

“I suppose what attracts me to Oxfam is that I trust them,” said the actor. “I have been helping Oxfam out a little bit for about 5 or 6 years now. Oxfam is a household name in England. You grow up with Oxfam. It’s a very, very big fixture in life. Basically, they are not a charity in the conventional sense of the word – they are not just about raising money and throwing it at problems. It’s about actually trying to raise the awareness that we are very much connected with some of the stuff that goes on in far-away places.”

Firth, who divides his time between London and Italy, is also extremely vocal in his support of Amnesty International. Early in 2007, the actor intervened in the deportation of a Congolese nurse from Britain. Firth, whose mother is the president of an asylum-seekers support group, firmly believes that people should not be deported from a country if there is a strong chance they will be murdered when they reach their destination.

“To me, it’s just basic civilization to help people,” he said during the court case involving the nurse. “I find it incredibly painful to see how we dismiss the most desperate people in our society… it makes me furious.”

Along with his wife, Livia, Firth also produced a film called “In Prison My Whole Life” to highlight the plight of prisoners on death row in America.

Firth is a supporter of Survival International, and in 2003 openly condemned the Botswana government for evicting Gana and Gwi bushmen from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.

In 2006, Firth won the title of Campaigner of the Year, an honor voted by the senior editors of The Economist and advisors drawn from the European Union community. The award was primarily for the work Firth has done with Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair campaign, in which the actor engaged in meetings with politicians from all around the world, including the head of the World Trade Organization.

His involvement in the initiative led the star to found Café Progreso, a chain of fair trade co-operative cafes in London. Profits from the sale of coffee in the cafes are shared directly with farmers in coffee growing regions.

“The failure so far of the governments of so many of the world’s most powerful countries, in the face of such egregious unfairness, to make the slightest progress on the issue of fair trade is hard to explain,” said the actor, who also lobbied against Starbucks on behalf of Ethiopian coffee farmers to own the trademarks of their own specialty coffees.

Café Progreso has now led Firth to open Eco Age, an eco-friendly shop in Chiswick, London. The store, lit and heated by sunlight, is fully self-sustainable and offers shoppers the chance to buy commodities that are completely environmentally friendly.

“It’s all about rethinking our habits,” said Firth just before the shop opened to the public. “A huge number of people support the idea of eco-living, but don’t know what to do next.”

Firth’s three-storey shop offers a huge array of eco items, ranging from a bamboo computer to recycled pencils, solar mobile phone and MP3 chargers, natural paint and wallpaper, environmental kitchen appliances, Estonian Christmas decorations, and coat hangers recycled from old chairs.

The venture sits well alongside Firth’s other work, which includes being patron of Out Of The Blue, a theatre that provides the opportunity for disabled and non-disabled young people in the south of England to perform onstage together. But although he occupies himself with philanthropic work, Firth still worries the public may soon suffer from what he calls “celebrity aid work fatigue”.

“I’m not against the idea of celebrities using what they have to raise awareness, " he said recently. “But you have to be very circumspect about how you employ it.”

Colin Firth’s next movie, “St. Trinian’s”, will be released in England on December 21.

It's Never Too Crowded For Charity

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 10:35:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Half of the band is American, yet they originated in Australia, and the lead singer is a New Zealander. Veteran pop band Crowded House can truly be considered as one of the most international music groups ever to grace the airwaves. And even though they are currently halfway through a world tour to promote their latest album, they still find time to be part of a new collaborative CD to raise money for Oxfam.

“The Cake Sale” (CD /MP3) is a new record featuring a loose and expansive collective of musicians and writers, including Crowded House founding member Nick Seymore, who have combined to create a 9 song CD of previously unreleased recordings. Profits from the album, which also features Nina Persson from The Cardigans, Damien Rice, and Snow Patrol, will go to Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair campaign, as well as to their overseas program work. It was released in Britain in September, where it has already raised almost $300,000, and was made available in the US on October 16.

Crowded House formed in 1984, as a result of the demise of an earlier band called Split Enz. Ex-Enz singer/songwriter Neil Finn, and drummer Paul Hester, joined bass player Nick Seymore to form the new band, then travelled to Los Angeles. There they were signed to Capital Records. Over the next 12 years, the band released four albums, and garnered a loyal fan base with a strong repertoire of hits on both sides of the Atlantic, including “Don’t Dream It’s Over”, “Weather With You”, and “Four Seasons In One Day”.

In 1996, the band called it a day, and played a final Farewell To The World concert to 120,000 people in front of the Sydney Opera House. Proceeds from what many regard as one of the most emotional gigs ever all went to the Sydney Children’s Hospital.

The following years saw the members of the group pursue new musical directions. Finn released two solo albums, and also travelled to Africa with Oxfam, a trip that resulted in him becoming an Oxfam Ambassador. In 2005, he was part of Oxfam’s Big Noise program, an international petition of more than 10 million signatures which called on decision makers to change unfair global trade rules so that people in developing countries have the chance to work their way out of poverty. He has since been part of a number of concerts to raise money for Oxfam, and also took time time entice his fellow New Zealanders to be a part of Oxjam in October 2007.

“You can do something,” said 49 year old Finn. “You can use your voice and tell the world that we won’t stand for people living in poverty any more. It’s not just about charity, it’s about justice. So stand up. Get singing, get playing. Make as much noise as you can and support Oxjam.”

Finn, who was awarded an OBE in 1993 for services to New Zealand music, also supports other charities in his native country, often contributing to celebrity auctions. One of the most popular of these is the annual auction held for the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust, New Zealand’s only dedicated music therapy centre catering for special needs children. In 2005, the hand-written lyrics to his most popular songs raised $15,000 for the charity.

In February 2007, Neil Finn played a charity show for Scope, England’s largest organization for people living with cerebral palsy. The concert was held at Stowe School in Wales, and also featured Aussie rocker, Jimmy Barnes. The event was followed by a celebrity auction featuring items donated by Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, Elton John, and Australian cricketer, Shane Warne.

2007 also saw the reforming of Crowded House as a band, with the release of their new album, “Time On Earth”. The album, dedicated to the memory of drummer Paul Hester, went straight to the top of the charts in Britain, Australia, and New Zealand, and was in the top twenty in many parts of Europe. One of the first gigs the band played together to promote the album was Hyde Park Calling, a benefit concert festival held in London on June 23 and 24. Organized in conjunction with Hard Rock Cafe, it was the first concert in the second annual Ambassadors of Rock Tour, a global concert series featuring top artists and bands, benefitting charities worldwide. The London concert, which also featured Peter Gabriel, Chris Cornell, and Aerosmith, raised funds for the Nordoff Robbins Foundation, a charitable organization that provides music therapy to autistic children, and Global Angels, a charity that acts as an umbrella fundraising mechanism for children’s projects throughout the world.

A few weeks later, Crowded House played at the Live Earth concert in Sydney, closing the show in memorable fashion, despite a power failure that meant most of their set was played in the dark.

“It feels right to us that the band should re-emerge at this time,” said Finn before the Live Earth concert. “We aim to make this show as vital and spirited as what has come before.”

More information about “The Cake Sale” album, which Hot Press describes as being “the album other charity records aspire to be”, can be found at www.thecakesale.com, and the official Crowded House website can be viewed at www.crowdedhouse.com.

Bono, DATA to Receive Liberty Medal via Webcast

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 13:02:12 -0000

U2 singer and activist Bono and DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade, Africa), the advocacy organization he co-founded to combat poverty and disease in Africa, are scheduled to receive the 2007 Liberty Medal today to at 7:00 p.m. at the National Constitution Center in Historic Philadelphia.

The National Constitution Center, in partnership with the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation and WPVI-TV, will webcast the 2007 Liberty Medal ceremony live, making the event available to a worldwide audience for the first time.

“We are thrilled to provide global access to the 2007 Liberty Medal ceremony,” says National Constitution Center President and CEO Joseph M. Torsella. “This year’s recipients serve as inspirational examples of the power of citizens to elevate important issues to the world stage. The global reach of this webcast allows us to generate greater awareness of Bono’s and DATA’s exceptional contributions, and to support those that strive to ensure ‘the blessings of liberty’ throughout the world.”

The webcast will feature a special introduction by National Constitution Center Chairman, President George H.W. Bush. The live webcast will be streamed on www.libertymedal.org beginning at 7:00 p.m. EDT; a condensed version of the ceremony will be available later that night on www.constitutioncenter.org and www.gophila.com/libertymedal, and will be available for viewing through October.

The prestigious Liberty Medal, and its accompanying $100,000 prize, will recognize Bono and DATA’s groundbreaking work in raising awareness about and spurring a global response to the crisis of AIDS and extreme poverty in Africa.

Established in 1988 by We the People 2000 to commemorate the bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution, the Liberty Medal annually honors an individual or an organization from anywhere in the world that has “demonstrated leadership and vision in the pursuit of liberty of conscience or freedom from oppression, ignorance or deprivation.” Since 2006, the National Constitution Center has administered the Liberty Medal, which includes the annual presentation of the award and a host of supplemental programs and activities designed to extend the Medal’s reach throughout the year.

The National Constitution Center, located at 525 Arch St. on Philadelphia’s Independence Mall, is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing public understanding of the U.S. Constitution and the ideas and values it represents. The Center serves as a museum, an education center, and a forum for debate on constitutional issues. The museum dramatically tells the story of the Constitution from Revolutionary times to the present through more than 100 interactive, multimedia exhibits, film, photographs, text, sculpture and artifacts, and features a powerful, award-winning theatrical performance, “Freedom Rising”. The Center also houses the Annenberg Center for Education and Outreach, which serves as the hub for national constitutional education. For more information, call 215.409.6700 or visit www.constitutioncenter.org.

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