Look To The Stars News: Jerry Weintraub

Room 23 Opens The Lives Of Celebrities For Human Rights

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 15:30:00 -0000

A new book featuring photos of over 100 celebrities will raise money for a human rights project.

Room 23 is the brainchild of entrepreneur and philanthropist Diana Jenkins and depicts a year in the life of a Beverly Hills penthouse suite. Stars to take part in the project and allow themselves to be intimately revealed include George Clooney, Cindy Crawford, Elton John, Dennis Hopper, Larry King, Heidi Klum, Kid Rock, Lindsay Lohan, Ludacris, Moby, Hayden Panettiere, Christian Slater, Sharon Stone and many more.

The book – to be released in 120 countries on September 8 – will benefit the Sanela Diana Jenkins International Human Rights Project, a non-profit entity at the UCLA School of Law that brings war criminals to justice through legal resources and technology. Established by Bosnian-born Diana Jenkins, the project aims at developing groundbreaking approaches to advancing human rights and to training the next generation of human rights lawyers and advocates.

“When good things happen for me, I pay it forward by helping my country,“ said Jenkins. "In the Bosnian-Serbian War, people lost homes, cars and money, but the greatest casualty was the loss of family and friends. No one should ever have to be a victim of human rights violations, so that is why I founded the Sanela Diana Jenkins International Human Rights Project.“

Other stars to feature in the book include James Blunt, Rachel Hunter, Peter Wentz, Jerry Weintraub and many more.

To find out more, visit the official website.

George Clooney Leads UNICEF Donation

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Not On Our Watch, the international advocacy and aid organization founded by actors George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, producer Jerry Weintraub and human rights lawyer David Pressman, has awarded the U.S. Fund for UNICEF a grant of $438,000 to assist at-risk Zimbabwean refugee children living on the South Africa-Zimbabwe border.

The grant will provide critical support for child protection and welfare services for 1,500 unaccompanied and vulnerable children in the border town of Musina, South Africa.

“I’ve seen first-hand how dire the situation is for Zimbabwean refugees in South Africa. Women are being raped, orphaned children have no protection, and thousands of people are without even the most basic supplies. Every-day survival has become a harrowing task,” said Not On Our Watch board member Matt Damon. “As the situation in Zimbabwe remains unresolved, the international community must stop sitting on the sidelines and instead take action to help those who need it most. Not On Our Watch is proud to support UNICEF’s work in this critical time.”

While the formation of a new coalition government in Zimbabwe signals hope for the Zimbabwean people, the situation for women and children in-country remains at crisis levels. In the last six months, unstable economic conditions, coupled with a severe cholera outbreak have contributed to a dramatic increase in the number of Zimbabweans undertaking the dangerous journey of fleeing to neighboring South Africa, particularly children.

Once in South Africa, refugee children live in extreme situations of risk, including physical and sexual abuse, child labor, and psychosocial trauma, with only limited access to basic necessities such as health services, shelter, education, food and clothing. In addition, their lack of documentation and poorly understood legal status in South Africa places many children in danger of detention and deportation, and forces them to lead “underground” lives.

UNICEF and its partners are supporting the South African government’s efforts to improve the care and protection of migrant children. The support from Not On Our Watch will allow UNICEF to provide emergency assistance, prevent and respond to exploitation and gender-based violence, and strengthen the capacity of the South African Department of Social Development to respond to children’s complex needs.

“UNICEF gratefully acknowledges the vital support of Not On Our Watch, which will contribute to the survival needs of Zimbabwean children in Musina,” said Caryl Stern, President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. “This charitable donation will impact the lives of 1,500 Zimbabwean children, by providing them with the emergency care they desperately need. Services also help us to achieve our ultimate goal of reducing the number of children around the world who die each day of preventable causes from 25,000 to zero.”

E! Donates To Jolie-Pitt Foundation

Thu, 12 Mar 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

It has been revealed that E! Entertainment Television made a significant donation to the Jolie-Pitt Foundation last year.

According to Fox News, the media giant made a donation of $250,000 to the foundation established by Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to assist with humanitarian crises around the world. The donation was one of four large contributions made to the fund in 2008, including $1,194,911 from Jolie, $956,961 from Pitt, and $5,000 from Jerry Weintraub.

The Jolie-Pitt Foundation has donated over $4 million to causes since it was established, including $1,364,320 to Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation, $100,000 to help build The Duk Lost Boys Clinic medical centre in the Sudan, $1 million split evenly among three organizations working with war-affected children, $1m to help Sudanese refugees of the Darfur crisis, $1 million to the Human Rights Watch’s work in Burma, $100,000 to Global Action for Children, $400,000 to Cambodia’s children’s causes and $150,000 to the Maddox Chivan Children’s Center.

Matt Damon Visits Zimbabwean Refugee Camp, Urges Answer to Humanitarian Crisis

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Isra Shah

Matt Damon visited a Zimbabwean refugee camp in the South African border town of Musina on Tuesday.

The actor and board member of the human rights organization Not On Our Watch invited members of the Associated Press to join him on his trip as a part of a high profile effort to raise awareness about the region’s ongoing humanitarian crises.

Nearly three million people have fled Zimbabwe as a result of the seemingly endless series of catastrophes that have occurred in the country. Political upheaval, state-sponsored violence, and a chronic AIDS epidemic have long plagued Zimbabwe; now an outbreak of cholera and crippling inflation due to the economic crisis have made life nearly impossible for millions of its citizens. 

Making the illegal and dangerous journey across the border to South Africa does not mean the end of one’s hardships, however. While it is estimated that 6,000 people flee the country on a daily basis, many make a return trip within days with groceries and other necessities for their families; the United Nations World Food Programme estimates that nearly half the population, seven million people, are in need of food assistance. For those seeking permanent escape from their native land, the journey means paying exorbitant fees to guides, crossing the crocodile-infested Limpopo River and entering South Africa through holes in the fence that marks the border between the two nations. Aid agencies are reporting an increase in sexual violence against women and are raising concerns over the growing trend of unaccompanied children making the trek into South Africa.

At the crowded camp center that Damon visited in Musina, 5,000 of these refugees have camped out across a sandy strip of land. Some have managed to house themselves in makeshift plastic structures, while others simply sleep on cardboard pieces with their personal belongings scattered about them. The camp is equipped with only a dozen toilets and a few taps to provide running water. Calling the living conditions “untenable,” Damon added that observing camp life at the refugee center was a “testament of the situation across the border in Zimbabwe.”

After listening to a story of a woman who was raped at the home of a taxi driver who promised her a job and a boy who had obtained legal asylum in South Africa but had nowhere to go, Damon emphasized that “action has to be taken” by the world community.

“To know that there are these kids who should be in school, who deserve to be, who didn’t create any of this mess is shocking and sad,” he said.

To this end, Damon has pledged his support by using his “celebrity capital” to raise awareness about the situation in Zimbabwe. Not On Our Watch – the international advocacy group that Damon founded along with George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Brad Pitt, David Pressman, and Jerry Weintraub – has a declared mission of “drawing upon the powerful voices of artists, activists, and cultural leaders” to protect the vulnerable, marginalized, and displaced.  "I feel it is morally incumbent, (that) if we who can get coverage, get coverage for something like this, than for the latest shampoo," Damon said. He hopes that his latest efforts will help put public pressure on state leaders to provide support for Zimbabwe to resolve its issues.

Get informed on the latest efforts of Damon’s organization, Not on Our Watch, and learn how to get involved at the official website).

Not On Our Watch Donates To Oxfam

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Not On Our Watch has announced a $500,000 grant to international aid agency Oxfam America to support their humanitarian response in eastern Chad, for victims of the violence in the Chad-Darfur region.

Founded by actors Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, producer Jerry Weintraub, and human rights lawyer David Pressman, Not On Our Watch works to focus global attention and resources towards putting an end to mass atrocities around the world. This timely gift supports Oxfam’s lifesaving work on health, hunger and poverty initiatives as the dry season approaches.

“As the conflict in Chad and Darfur continues, victims of violence remain desperately in need of basic support systems. Now more than ever it is critical that the international community work towards putting an end to this crisis,” said Not On Our Watch co-founder Matt Damon.

The grant allows for Oxfam to serve over 200,000 vulnerable people at a time of desperate need. Plagued with continuing violence, a lack of basic services, and depleted food rations, refugees and displaced persons are becoming more vulnerable to hunger, disease and poverty every day.

The funding provided to Oxfam will support immediate action to avert future hunger and provide access to clean water for some of the region’s most vulnerable citizens—displaced families and their host communities. The programs include:

Providing clean water: Communities will have safe access to water for drinking, cooking, cleaning and bathing. They will have access to sanitary facilities and learn safe hygiene practices.

Improving access to land and farming technique: Distributing tools, high yield seeds and fertilizers and improving people’s access to cultivable land, as well as new cultivation techniques to increase agricultural production.

Income generation: Implementing small income generation projects such as mills, rickshaws, handicrafts, and soap making.
Also, providing technical support for more efficient livestock rearing and organizing markets where farmers can sell their goods.

These actions will better equip communities to deal with upcoming challenges. With improved water, sanitation, agriculture and income, more resources will be available in times of need.

Oxfam continues to provide vital assistance to more than 500,000 people affected by the crisis, both in Darfur and eastern Chad. The agency provides essential access to clean water and sanitation, public health education, and livelihoods opportunities and training.

“Living on the brink of disaster, any additional factor could result in a sudden crisis for the people of Chad,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. “The funding from Not On Our Watch helps Oxfam to plan for the future, and will help thousands of people to provide for themselves during lean times.”

Stars Call for Action on Disaster Relief

Thu, 15 May 2008 11:48:24 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Compassion is showing itself to be a universal language, as people from around the world are taking steps to help victims of the recent natural disasters in Asia. Celebrities are flocking to support the desperate nation of Burma/Myanmar, with Not On Our Watch, the charity started by Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, George Clooney and Jerry Weintraub, donating $500,000 towards rescue operations.

The group will use $250,000 for its own relief efforts, and has donated $250,000 of that amount to Save the Children, who, with UNICEF, are two of the few relief organizations currently deployed due to the military government’s reluctance to allow aid workers into the country. According to Britain’s Department for International Development, the country needs at least 10 times the amount of aid that the ruling junta leaders are currently allowing in.

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden have just released a PSA made in support of UNICEF’s work towards helping the victims of May 2nd’s cyclone, asking people to give what they can to help the survivors of the disaster which has left tens of thousands dead, and hundreds of thousands suffering.

Queen Elizabeth II has also made a “significant” personal donation to the efforts. While the amount of the donation was not disclosed, it is believed that the donation went to Britain’s Disasters Emergency Committee. The first British relief flight left Dubai on Monday, carrying shelter material for 43,000 families.

Organizing aid for victims of Monday’s 7.9 earthquake in China is Jackie Chan, who donated $1.4 million with charity-fund partner Emperor Entertainment Group chairman Albert Yeung. The earthquake, which has killed 12,000 people, was felt as far away as Thailand.

To make donations to help cyclone victims in Burma, visit the Save the Children, UNICEF and the Disasters Emergency Committee websites, and to help victims of the earthquake in China, visit Jackie Chan’s donation page, and choose “China Earthquake Fund”.

Buy George Clooney's Gift Bag For Darfur

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:19:08 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

If you just can’t resist George Clooney -and let’s face it, who can – then you definitely won’t be able to resist checking out the new charity auction featuring the chance to pick up some of his unwanted bits and pieces.

The actor and UN Messenger of Peace has put his Oscar Nominees Gift Bag up for auction to benefit Not On Our Watch, the charity he set up with Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, and Jerry Weintraub to end genocide in Darfur. The gift bag is filled with a range of elegant items such as a Personal Heineken Beer Tender, Marilyn Monroe ‘Classic Series’ wine goblets, exclusive spa packages including a gift certificate for a two night stay at La Costa Resort and Spa, Oscar Gold Havaianas, a Swarovski Crystal Pet Collar, and more.

The auction, which ends on May 4, is one of several currently being run at www.myqlu.com to raise funds for celebrities’ favorite charities. Also on offer, actress Mariska Hargitay has invited her friends in the field of arts and entertainment to join her in an auction to benefit her Joyful Heart Foundation, a charity she established to heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse, and to shed light into the darkness that surrounds these issues.

“I am very excited to be partnering with QLu to raise funds and awareness for my organization, the Joyful Heart Foundation,” she said. “In keeping with Joyful Heart’s groundbreaking programs, designed to help survivors of sexual assault recover lives of joy, possibility, and freedom, we are always looking for partners who take an innovative and impassioned approach to making a difference in the world.”

The auction features items from a range of stars, including Sharon Stone, Maria Bello, Courteney Cox, Marcia Cross, Hilary Swank, Dana Delany, Julia Louis Dreyfus and more. Sharon Stone’s 100 piece couture shoe and gown auction – along with fabulous designer pieces, designer comp gifts and everyday fun pieces belonging to these talented women – began April 10 and will run continuously through May or until all pieces are sold.

Fans of country singer Tim McGraw might also want to head over to the QLu auction site to bid on a suede jacket the star has donated. The proceeds from the sale will go to the Tug McGraw Foundation, set up in 2003 to enhance the quality of life of children and adults with brain tumors and their families by stimulating and facilitating research that addresses the physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual impact of the disease. The auction ends May 2.

George Clooney Makes A Stand For Darfur

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:09:52 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

UN Messenger of Peace George Clooney is putting pressure on a major Olympic sponsor to make a stand against China’s foreign policy in the Sudan. And to drive the point home, Clooney’s non-profit organization Not On Our Watch has just donated $500,000 to the World Food Program to provide aid in the war torn region of Darfur.

“World Food Program planes and helicopters deliver humanitarian workers and urgent supplies to nearly every aid organisation working in Darfur,” said Clooney, who co-founded Not On Our Watch with Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, and Jerry Weintraub. “This is a critical time for the program. Without immediate additional funding, humanitarian aid in the region will be crippled. We are proud to help ensure the survival of this lifesaving programme and strongly encourage others to do the same. Protection of these victims should not fall solely in the hands of charitable organisations. Governments have a responsibility to help those who cannot defend themselves.”

The 46-year-old actor is also calling for Omega Watches, official timekeepers of the Olympic Games since 1932, to take a hard line against China’s involvement in the Sudanese region of Darfur, where over 200,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million people displaced in three years of fighting between African rebels and government troops allied with Arab militia known as janjaweed.

“I have talked with Omega [about China] for over a year and will continue to talk to Omega,” Clooney told the BBC earlier this week. “I have and will go to the places I and China do business and ask for help.”

China is an important trading partner with the Sudan, and a major investor in Sudan’s oil industry. It has also been accused by lobby groups of breaching international rules and encouraging bloodshed by selling Sudan weapons that have been diverted to Darfur.

“Last year I took Olympic athletes Joey Cheek and Tegla Loroupe to Beijing to meet with the heads of the Chinese government,’’ said Clooney. “I have and will continue to ask China to use its considerable leverage with the government of Sudan.”

The news follows Steven Spielberg’s decision last month to withdraw as an artistic adviser to the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Spielberg said his conscience would not allow him to continue working, and he pledged to spend his time and energy not on Olympic ceremonies, but on trying to end the “unspeakable crimes against humanity” in Darfur.

Omega Watches confirmed that they had been in touch with Clooney, and would work towards addressing the issues he raised, although they are unwilling to take the hard initiatives he has suggested.

“We have full respect for his strong engagement in the fight for the good cause and share his opinion, especially concerning Darfur, and we are proud to work with a person who has such high ethical views,” said Omega chief executive Nick Hayek. “It is our policy not to get involved in politics because it would not serve the cause of the sport which is one most noble human endeavors for creating understanding and peace all over the world.”

Ocean's 13 Stars Donate $750,000 To Oxfam

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 07:55:15 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The stars of the hit movie Ocean’s 13 have donated $750,000 (US) to Oxfam for on-going humanitarian efforts in Darfur.

George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, and producer Jerry Weintraub are behind the non-profit Not On Our Watch organization, and have already raised $9.2 million for the cause.

In a recent press release, Penny Lawrence, Oxfam’s International Director, said “This is a fantastic donation from the Ocean’s 13 stars. It will make a difference to some of the most vulnerable people in the world… even a small donation can go a long way. For example, a donation of $160 could feed a family of five for three months.”

“The people of Darfur urgently need the help of organizations like Oxfam,” added George Clooney.

The donation will assist in Oxfam’s goal to serve 500,000 displaced people in Darfur and Chad. It will go towards providing clean water, safe sanitation, safety for women, and community leadership training.

Ocean's Thirteen Team To Support Darfur At Première

Thu, 10 May 2007 08:15:30 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

The team behind the upcoming movie “Ocean’s Thirteen” is uniting to form a new non-profit organisation aimed at helping relief efforts in war-torn Darfur.

Leading actors George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, and Don Cheadle and producer Jerry Weintraub will launch the Not On Our Watch organisation at a benefit party on May 22nd in Cannes, two days before the movie’s première at the city’s famous film festival.

The U.S. première will take place in Los Angeles on June 5th, after which the extended cast will travel to Las Vegas for a further benefit showing at the CineVegas film festival.

Finally, the crew will travel to Chicago for a third benefit preem hosted by Vanity Fair.

In a press release about the launch events Weintraub stated, “It was such a privilege to reunite with Steven Soderbergh and an amazing cast to make Ocean’s Thirteen. I am very proud of the film, and I am excited about premiering the film in multiple cities across the country. However, the thing I am most proud of by far is that these events will benefit a cause that is very important to me and my colleagues.”

The cast members are no strangers to philanthropy, and prior to co-founding Not On Our Watch, Don Cheadle co-authored a book of the same name with human rights activist John Prendergast, offering background information about the Darfur crisis and how the public can help.

Look To The Stars News: Jerry Weintraub

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