Look To The Stars News: Queen Rania Al Abdullah

Jordan’s Queen Rania Visits Save the Children Early Childhood Development Programs

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 12:48:00 +0000

Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah visited Save the Children’s early childhood development program “Khatawat” or “Steps” on January 9 in Amman.

The visit was part of her continuous efforts to bring attention to the need for early learning opportunities for children in Jordan and the Middle East region.

Nigel Barker Joins Charity Campaign For Young Girls

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Nigel Barker, renowned fashion photographer, TV personality and author, announced today that he will be supporting the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up campaign as one of its newest champions, joining the movement to improve the lives of adolescent girls in the developing world.

Girl Up is a “for girls, by girls” campaign that enables American girls to make a global impact by raising funds and awareness for proven UN programs that help some of the world’s hardest-to-reach adolescent girls. Girl Up supporters can give a “High Five” donation of $5 or more that provides girls in the developing countries with basic needs like access to school supplies, clean water, life-saving health services, and safety from violence.

Victoria Justice Joins Charity Campaign For Young Girls

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 11:30:00 +0000

Teen actress and singer Victoria Justice announced today that she will join the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up campaign in its mission to educate, protect and empower girls in developing countries. In her role as a Girl Up Champion, Victoria will help inspire other teens to get involved and take action for girls around the world.

A “for girls, by girls” campaign, Girl Up mobilizes the energy and compassion of American girls to help raise funds and awareness for UN programs that provide girls in developing countries with basic needs like access to school supplies, clean water, life-saving health services, safety from violence and more.

Queen Rania Latest Celebrity To Join Charity Campaign

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan announced today that she will join the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up campaign as a global advocate for adolescent girls. Her leadership will help drive Girl Up’s mission to educate, empower and protect millions of girls around the world.

This “for girls, by girls” campaign mobilizes the energy and compassion of American girls and empowers them to improve the lives of girls beyond their borders. Through Girl Up, supporters can contribute to UN programs that provide girls in developing countries with basic needs like access to school supplies, clean water, life-saving health services, safety from violence and more.

Ewan McGregor Urges Fans To Help Pakistan

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Long time UNICEF UK Ambassador and actor Ewan McGregor has launched a compelling video appealing to the UK public to help in whatever way they can to help Pakistan’s children whose lives have been devastated by the floods. The video will be shown online and as a TV appeal.

McGregor is one of many UNICEF Ambassadors doing what they can to raise crucial funds for the emergency. Ambassadors and High profile supporters including Jemima Khan, Robbie Williams, David Beckham, Sir Roger Moore, HRH Queen Rania Of Jordan, Michael Sheen, Charley Boorman, Cat Deeley and many others are tweeting, using facebook, writing news and doing what they can to support Pakistan’s children. To date, the tweets and re-tweets have reached more than 6 million people and helped raise well over £3m for UNICEF from the UK’s public.

McGregor, who has travelled all over the world and seen the work of the world’s leading children’s organization hopes to boost funds for Pakistan this week with his filmed message that can be viewed across social networking sites, online and on TV.

Celebrities Pen Letter From Oxfam To G8 Leaders

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 15:30:00 +0000

A group of celebrities have put their names to a letter on behalf of Oxfam addressed to the G8 leaders meeting in Canada this week.

“G8 leaders meeting in Canada this week must face the fact that collectively their countries have failed to deliver on the promises made to the world’s poorest five years ago,” wrote the stars, who include Annie Lennox, Helena Christensen, Kristin Davis, Colin Firth, Gael Garcia Bernal, Scarlett Johansson, Jim Kerr, Angélique Kidjo, Bill Nighy, Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Martha Wainwright, Desmond Tutu, classic German rockers Die Toten Hosen and many more. "Had the promised aid been delivered it would have had a dramatic effect on the lives of poor people, allowing mothers to survive childbirth, children to attend school and people of all ages greater access to medicines and healthcare.

“Where aid has increased it has made a massive difference. The number of people receiving HIV treatment, for example, has increased tenfold in recent years.

Jet Li And Natalie Portman Show Faith In Charity Short Film Competition

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 15:30:00 +0000

A stellar line-up of celebrities and world leaders are to judge a short film competition for a special foundation that aims to promote respect and understanding about the world’s major religions and show how faith is a powerful force for good in the world.

The Tony Blair Faith Foundation has announced a judging panel that consists of Tony Blair, Jet Li, Natalie Portman, Nik Powell, Queen Rania of Jordan, Jonathan Caplan, Amr Khaled, Wendi Murdoch, June Sarpong and Deepak Verma for the the competition.

The competition asks entrants “How does your faith inspire you?”, and the winning entries will be premiered at the BAFTAs. There are separate categories depending on whether you are a filmmaker with access to film making equipment or you just have a great story and want to send a pitch in for the chance to win a portable video camera to make your film.

Shania Twain Takes Over The Airwaves For Charity

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Country star Shania Twain took over the airwaves with something other than her music as she appeared as the guest host of Canadian Broadcasting Corporations national morning show, “The Current.”

Twain appeared on the Radio One series Thursday to discuss her difficult childhood and charity work with host Anna-Marria Tremonti. You can listen to the interview here, where they discuss Twain’s deep empathy for underprivileged kids and how that passion prompted her to start a brand new charity called Shania Kids Can.

The Shania Kids Can charity aims to give underprivileged children the chance to play music or take lessons their families could not otherwise afford. Shania intends to be closely involved, visiting schools and finding out how to make a difference in children’s lives.

World March For Peace Starts In New Zealand

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:30:00 +0000

The World March for Peace and Non-Violence kicked off in Wellington, New Zealand, today, beginning a trek that will visit 90 countries on 6 continents, ending in Argentina on January 2 of next year.

Marchers braved chilling winds in the country’s capital to start the march, which has been endorsed by world leaders and celebrities such as Penelope Cruz, Viggo Mortensen, Desmond Tutu, Martin Sheen, Jane Fonda, Jimmy Carter, Lou Reed, Yoko Ono, Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Bryan Adams and many more.

The 160,000-kilometre (99,419 mile) march has been organized by World Without Wars. A core group of 25 marchers will complete the entire journey, carrying with them a “nuclear abolition torch” taken from the Hiroshima Flame which was lit from embers following the 1945 nuclear explosion in Japan. The primary goals of the World March include:

Jessica Alba Blogs For 1GOAL

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Actress Jessica Alba was at the Clinton Global Initiative last week to publicize the 1GOAL campaign, which aims to ensure that the legacy of the 2010 Football World Cup will provide universal access to education for all children. And now she has blogged about her support.

“President Clinton convened his Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) annual meeting last week in New York City and I was fortunate to attend,” she wrote in the Huffington Post. "While there, I received a first class education, listening as some of the world’s brightest and most committed people argued and agreed on new ways to solve the most pressing problems, from global education to climate change. I spoke with activists, policy experts, generals, CEOs and everyday people working tirelessly at non-profits and NGOs in countries around the world. From them, I learned about ways we can all assist in reducing the obstacles to creating systemic change.

“I was part of a CGI commitment with 1GOAL: Education for All to talk about the 75 million children denied access to education around the world today. If you’re keeping count, that’s as if every school in the U.S. and Europe combined decided one day to close their doors. Joining Global Co-Chair Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, ONE co-founder Bono, FIFA and private sector leaders, I signed up to be US Co-Chair of 1GOAL and help work for a breakthrough on global education centered around the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Stars Have 1GOAL In Mind At Clinton Global Initiative

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Actor Brad Pitt was honored at the Clinton Global Initiative on Thursday for his humanitarian work in helping rebuild New Orleans.

Former President Bill Clinton presented Pitt with a plaque from the U.S. Green Building Council which said the actor and his Make It Right Foundation had created the “largest and greenest single-family community in the world.”

‘Make It Right’ has exceeded my expectations," said Pitt. "Our criteria from the beginning were at odds, to say the least. We demanded that these homes be sustainable, that they have aesthetic qualities … that they be storm resilient and take safety in mind of the families who live there and that they would be affordable.

Roving Billboards Marked Hiroshima Day

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Organizers of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence marked Hiroshima Day last week by launching roving celebrity billboards throughout midtown Manhattan.

The billboards featured the faces of many of the national presidents, Hollywood actors, musicians, Nobel Laureates and religious leaders who have endorsed the World March to demonstrate their deep concern about the unprecedented nuclear threat facing the world today. These included Penelope Cruz, Viggo Mortensen, Desmond Tutu, Jimmy Carter, Lou Reed, Yoko Ono, Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Bryan Adams and many more.

“It’s important to mark this day not only to remember what happened but to prevent a future nuclear catastrophe,” said World March spokesperson Chris Wells. “The situation is far more dangerous and unstable than people realize. There is a growing call for abolition, in the UN, with Obama and Medvedev, and civil initiatives like the World March for Peace and Nonviolence and Global Zero. But we need to build up massive public support to make sure it happens.”

Be Published Next To World Leaders For The ONE Campaign

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 15:30:00 +0000

The ONE Campaign is giving you the chance to have your writing featured in a book alongside Nelson Mandela, Queen Rania Al Abdullah, Desmond Tutu and other world leaders, as well as Natalie Portman and Paulo Coelho.

In June, ONE and the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) plans to present a book called The Big Read to President Barack Obama, urging him to keep his promise to ensure children in developing countries have access to basic education through a U.S. contribution of $2 billion to a Global Fund for Education.

Contributions for the book come from children and adults who have struggled to gain an education; and local heroes who have helped make education possible for others. The book will be translated and distributed in over 100 countries, and will be used as a tool for promoting literacy and good quality, free and public education for everyone.

Gwyneth Paltrow Attends FINCA UK Launch

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:00:00 +0000

FINCA International, a leading not-for-profit microfinance organization for nearly 25 years, launched FINCA UK this week, with a little help from Gwyneth Paltrow.

Paltrow was on-hand at a special fundraising evening held in London on Tuesday, December 9, to raise awareness of FINCA UK, which aims to help alleviate poverty by supporting the provision of small loans to the world’s lowest-income entrepreneurs living in the developing world.

The evening raised over $100,000 for FINCA, and was followed on Wednesday by a symposium attended by representatives from major corporations – including GE, British Petroleum, Credit Suisse and Standard Chartered Bank – who are involved in microfinance projects around the world. Former UK Trade Minister Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham was the keynote of the Symposium.

CNN Hunts For Humanitarian Heroes

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:30:00 +0000

Anderson Cooper will host the “CNN Heroes – An All-Star Tribute” event this weekend to find ordinary people who have accomplished extraordinary deeds.

CNN launched its search for the most outstanding humanitarian in February, and has been showing weekly profiles of the finalists chosen from over 3,700 nominations from 75 countries. The Top 10 finalists have been chosen by philanthropic leaders such as Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Jane Goodall, Magic Johnson, George Lopez, and Queen Rania Al Abdullah.

The Top 10 finalists for 2008 are:

A Big Concert For A Big Man With A Big Heart

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:30:00 +0000

A charity concert honoring Luciano Pavarotti took place at the site of the ancient Jordanian city of Petra on Sunday night.

The show – which featured many of Pavarotti’s friends from across the music industry, including Sting, Jose Carreras, Andrea Bocelli, Jovanotti, Laura Pausini, Angela Gheorghiu, Andrea Griminelli, Cynthia Lawrence, and Roberto Alagna – raised money for projects in Afghanistan run by the UN Refugee Relief Agency and the World Food Program, as well as for the Petra archaeological site 180km south of Amman where the concert took place.

Organized by Nicoletta Mantovani – Pavarotti’s widow – with the support of HRH Princess Haya of Jordan, a UN Messenger of Peace, the concert was attended by 500 guests, including Jordan’s Queen Rania Al Abdullah.

Lance Armstrong To Announce Global Cancer Plan

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 12:00:00 +0000

Lance Armstrong is to make a special announcement today regarding the new global effort in the fight against cancer and his return to professional cycling at the Clinton Global Initiative being held in New York City.

The annual meeting launches at 10am ET today, with Bill Clinton, Bono, Al Gore, Queen Rania of Jordan and President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of Liberia all in attendance. The initiative brings together current and former heads of state, corporate leaders, celebrities and activists to address pressing issues like climate change and global health.

More than 12 million people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer each year and eight million will die from the disease. And by 2010, cancer will be the leading cause of death worldwide. Yet a third of all cancers could be cured if detected early and treated adequately. For the past two years, the Lance Armstrong Foundation has researched ways to take their mission to other countries. Combined with Lance Armstrong’s return to professional cycling, the Clinton Global Initiative is the perfect vehicle to take the cancer fight international.

Celebrities Support In My Name

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:30:00 +0000

will.i.am has worked with more than thirty other celebrities and activists to create an inspiring short film titled Be the Generation, part of the In My Name campaign to end poverty.

The film, which can be viewed at the White Band Action website, explains how people can end poverty in our lifetime if leaders are held accountable to their promises. It is part of a campaign organized by White Band Action ahead of next week’s emergency UN Summit on the Millennium Development Goals in New York, and a host of activists and celebrities – including Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan, Emeritus Archbishop Desmond Tutu , Annie Lennox, John Legend, Rahul Bose, Angélique Kidjo, Scarlett Johansson, Missy Higgins, Emmanuel Jal, Wyclef Jean, Kristin Davis, Fergie and Mischa Barton – have come together for the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) to challenge their leaders to keep their promise to halve poverty by 2015.

Black Eyed Peas singer will.i.am has also penned a song for the campaign titled In My Name, which calls on world citizens to exercise their power and demand their governments keep their promises to the worlds poor. The song will be downloadable free of charge from September 25.

A Conversation With Natalie Portman

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 15:30:00 +0000

Natalie Portman recently spoke about her philanthropic interests with our guest contributor, Marianne Schnall.

Natalie Portman is an Oscar-nominated actress who became an international star with her role as Queen Amidala in the “Star Wars” trilogy. She is an advocate of many social causes and was recently named the first Ambassador of Hope for FINCA International, an organization that promotes micro-lending to empower women in poor countries by helping them start their own businesses. She traveled to Africa and South America promoting FINCA’s work and in April 2007 completed a documentary about the power of micro-financing to change lives in impoverished countries.

For people who may not be familiar with FINCA, how would you describe the overall goal or mission of the organization?

Natalie Portman - Beauty, Brains, And Heart

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 10:01:00 +0000

She may have made her name as Luke Skywalker’s mother in Star Wars, and has since gone on to make some of the most interesting art-house films produced in the last five years, but young starlet Natalie Portman is more than just another Hollywood bimbo. Under the beauty lies a brain and heart many people only dream of possessing.

Born Natalie Hershlag in Jerusalem, Israel, to an Israeli father and an American mother, the 26-year-old actress comes from a family with a long history of social and political activism. Her grandfather, for example, was a socialist economics professor of the developing world who set up one of Israel’s first Kibbutzes. It was an atmosphere that left its lasting mark on Portman – she became a vegetarian at the age of eight, and joined an environmental dance troupe at the age of 12.

The star of the Star Wars prequels, as well as independent films such as “Closer” and “Garden State”, is an enthusiastic advocate for animal rights, and refuses to wear products made from fur, feathers, or leather. In 2007 she even launched her own range of vegan footwear, and she has also appeared in a documentary in which she trekked through a Congolese national park in search of the endangered Rwandan Mountain Gorilla.

Vanity Fair Charity Issue Edited By Bono

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 12:35:00 +0000

Bono is putting his philanthropic energy into Vanity Fair’s July 2007 special issue about Africa. The issue has 20 different cover photos of high-profile individuals, all taken by renowned photographer Annie Liebowitz.

The magazine includes information about the issues and charities supported by actors, athletes, models, politicians, musicians, activists, and billionaire philanthropists, all of whom are using their celebrity status and the publicity they receive to bring attention to the complex set of problems faced by the inhabitants of Africa.

Africa is a continent with great need, and has been given a disproportionately low amount of attention and aid from wealthy nations. It is the first Vanity Fair issue to have a guest editor, and Bono’s highly publicized commitment to aiding Africa makes him an obvious choice for editor of this issue. In recent years, celebrities have used their status to bring a great deal of attention to Africa.