Look To The Stars News: Angelina Jolie

Angelina Jolie Supports the Malala Fund

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 14:30:00 +0000

In her BBC diary blog, 11-year-old Malala Yousafzai wrote, “I have the right to play. I have the right to sing. I have the right to talk. I have the right to go to the market. I have the right to speak. I don’t mind if I have to sit on the floor at school. All I want is an education, and I am afraid of no one.”

Actor and human rights advocate Angelina Jolie recited those words at the Women in the World Conference in New York earlier this month, and then described what happened six months ago to the now 15-year-old Pakistani girl, when Taliban gunmen boarded her school bus: “They shot her at point blank range in the head, and made her stronger. In a brutal attempt to silence her voice, it grew louder and she more resolute, calling on the entire world to ensure the right for every girl and boy to an education.”

Together with Vital Voices and Women in the World, Jolie has created Malala Fund to support the girl’s cause; Malala Yousafzai will be in charge of it. On video at the conference, Malala said that it was the happiest moment of her life to announce that she will use money from the fund to enable 40 girls between age five and twelve to attend school in her homeland. By providing the girls’ families with a monthly stipend, the girls need not be forced into domestic labor positions. “I invite all of you to support Malala Fund and let us turn the education of 40 girls into 40 million girls,” she said.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/10036-angelina-jolie-supports-the-malala-fund

Angelina Jolie Attends G8 Meeting To Stop Sexual Violence During Conflict

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:25:00 +0000

Angelina Jolie joined British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Zainab Bangura, UN Special Representative on sexual violence in conflict, for the G8 meeting in London today.

During the meeting, the G8 foreign ministers agreed to boost efforts to seek justice for victims of abuse and rape in conflict, and announced a £23 million ($35.5 million) pledge to fund prevention and response efforts.

“Hundreds of thousands of women and children have been sexually assaulted, tortured or forced into sexual slavery in the wars of our generation,” said Jolie following the meeting. “International political will has been sorely lacking, but today I believe their voices have been heard and that we finally have some hope to offer them. I welcome the long overdue stand that the G8 has taken. Wartime rape is not inevitable. This violence can be prevented, and it must be confronted.”

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/10008-angelina-jolie-attends-g8-meeting-to-stop-sexual-violence-during-conflict

Angelina Jolie Opens Girls School In Afghanistan

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:10:00 +0000

Angelina Jolie has opened a girls-only school in Afghanistan, according to a report from E! News.

The actress and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador has opened the school – which already has between 200 and 300 students – near Kabul, in an area that emphasizes boys’ education over the education of girls.

E! News also reports that Jolie plans to use profits from her soon-to-be-released jewelry collection – the Style of Jolie – to build more schools. Proceeds will go to Angelina’s Education Partnership for Children of Conflict.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/9955-angelina-jolie-opens-girls-school-in-afghanistan

Angelina Jolie Visits Displaced Women In Democratic Republic Of Congo

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 19:10:00 +0000

British Foreign Secretary William Hague and actress Angelina Jolie this week visited a displacement camp in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo where the International Rescue Committee is working to prevent violence against women and girls.

Hague and Jolie, in her role as a United Nations refugee agency special envoy, met with IRC staff and displaced women at Nzulo camp near Goma, the capital of North Kivu province. The camp shelters more than 10,000 of the estimated 218,000 people who have been uprooted by armed conflict in the region over the past year.

Camps like Nzulo and other makeshift settlements are often not a safe refuge for women and girls, who risk attack as they collect firewood or water, try to find assistance to support themselves and their families, or walk around at night.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/9922-angelina-jolie-visits-displaced-women-in-democratic-republic-of-congo

Angelina Jolie Visits Refugees On Syria-Jordan Border

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 19:30:00 +0000

UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie travelled to the Jordan-Syria border overnight on Wednesday-Thursday to meet frightened and exhausted Syrian refugees who had just completed the perilous crossing to safety in Jordan.

UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie meets with refugees at the Za'atri refugee camp in Jordan.
Credit/Copyright: UNHCR/J.Tanner

“What I saw last night is a dramatic example of the plight of hundreds of thousands of Syrians who have been uprooted by the fighting and are in a desperate search for safety,” Jolie said Thursday on her second mission to the region in three months.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/9402-angelina-jolie-visits-refugees-on-syria-jordan-border

Angelina Jolie Says Education Is A Powerful Thing

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 15:30:00 +0000

When Taliban gunmen shot Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai on her school bus a month ago, they said it was to set an example. The outspoken student, only 15 years old according to officials at her school, had been advocating for girls’ education and human rights for several years, ignoring warnings to keep quiet.

Despite receiving one bullet in her neck and one in her head, Malala survived the attack. The Taliban’s action has outraged groups and individuals across the world. It has sparked protests, vigils and petitions, including one from UN Special Envoy for Global Education and former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown demanding that all children attend school by the end of 2015. It has also prompted a national movement in Pakistan to renew commitments to ensure that girls get educated as well as the boys.

Disturbed by Malala’s story, actor and activist Angelina Jolie wrote in an article for The Daily Beast: “This violent and hateful act seems to have accomplished the opposite of its intent, as Pakistanis rally to embrace Malala’s principles and reject the tyranny of fear. A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban said, ‘Let this be a lesson.’ Yes. Let this be a lesson – that an education is a basic human right, a right that Pakistan’s daughters will not be denied.”

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/9237-angelina-jolie-says-education-is-a-powerful-thing

Angelina Jolie Donates $50,000 To Girls' Education Fund

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 18:15:00 +0000

Angelina Jolie has donated $50,000 to the Women in the World Foundation's Woman of Impact Emergency Appeal for Girls’ Education Fund.

In honor of Malala Yousafzai, the 14-year old Pakistani girl who was tragically shot by the Taliban for exercising her fundamental right to an education, the Women in the World Foundation is launching a Woman of Impact Award for Girls’ Education to provide funds to women and girls fighting for girls’ education in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Foundation is making an emergency appeal to their Women in the World Community to join Tina Brown and Angelina Jolie in this campaign. One-hundred percent of the proceeds will go towards girls’ education on the ground in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Jolie’s Education Partnership for Children of Conflict will contribute the first $50,000 to this effort.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/9119-angelina-jolie-donates-50000-to-girls-education-fund

Angelina Jolie Writes In Support Of Malala Yousafzai

Wed, 17 Oct 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Angelina Jolie has written an article for The DailyBeast.com in support of Malala Yousafzai, the 14-year-old Pakistani girl shot and wounded by Taliban gunmen for speaking up for girls’ education.

“The shots fired on Malala struck the heart of the nation, and as the Taliban refuse to back down, so too do the people of Pakistan,” wrote Jolie. "This violent and hateful act seems to have accomplished the opposite of its intent, as Pakistanis rally to embrace Malala’s principles and reject the tyranny of fear. A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban said “let this be a lesson.” Yes. Let this be a lesson—that an education is a basic human right, a right that Pakistan’s daughters will not be denied.

“This terrible event marks the beginning of a necessary revolution in girls’ education.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/9118-angelina-jolie-writes-in-support-of-malala-yousafzai

Photos Follow Angelina Jolie's Visits To Syrian Refugees

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 14:30:00 +0000

In her new role as UNHCR Special Envoy, Angelina Jolie has made five trips to visit refugees so far this year. She travelled to Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey in September 2012 to meet some of the tens of thousands of Syrians who have fled conflict in their homeland and sought shelter in neighboring countries.

Jolie wrapped up her Middle East visit in Iraq, where she met Syrian refugees in the north as well as internally displaced Iraqis and refugee returnees to Baghdad.

The UNHCR has posted a set of unpublished photos that were taken during her visit to the Middle East and show her meeting with Syrian and Iraqi refugees. The photos can be found here.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/9067-photos-follow-angelina-jolies-visits-to-syrian-refugees

Sting And Trudie Styler Awarded Green Oscar For Conservation Work

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 21:30:00 +0000

On the occasion of the 67th General Assembly of the United Nations, Sting and Trudie Styler, founders of the Rainforest Fund, received the honorary “International Green Film Award”- a Green Oscar for the ongoing and tireless work of the Rainforest Fund – at Cinema For Peace New York 2012.

Joe Berlinger, Sting, Trudie Styler and State Secretary Hans-Jürgen Beerfeltz,
Credit/Copyright: Getty Images via Carolyn Gitomer, James Grant PR

Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development presented support for the Rainforest Fund and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/9002-sting-and-trudie-styler-awarded-green-oscar-for-conservation-work

Sting And Trudie Styler To Be Honored By Cinema For Peace

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 14:30:00 +0000

On the occasion of the UN General Assembly, composer, singer, author, actor, and activist Sting and Trudie Styler, actress, film producer, director, human rights activist, environmentalist and UNICEF Ambassador, will be honored for their worldwide environmental work on Tuesday, September 25 at The Harvard Club in New York City by the Cinema for Peace Foundation and the BMZ, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Last year, Cinema for Peace New York introduced the Universal Human Rights Logo, and this year, an evening on Climate Change and Development. During the program Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development will present support for the Rainforest Fund and the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/8982-sting-and-trudie-styler-to-be-honored-by-cinema-for-peace

Angelina Jolie Visits Syrian Refugees In Iraq

Mon, 17 Sep 2012 12:15:00 +0000

UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie has hailed the Iraqi government’s willingness to host Syrian refugees fleeing violence and said she hoped all Syrians seeking asylum in Iraq would be welcomed.

Angelina Jolie spent the weekend in Iraq. In Baghdad, she visited Iraqi families who had been displaced twice: first to Syria to escape the war in Iraq, and now back to Iraq.
Credit/Copyright: UNHCR/J.Tanner

“I want to highlight the noble efforts of the Iraqi government and the people of Iraq to support Syrian refugees,” said Jolie. “At this juncture, it is critical that Iraq receives urgent international support and continues to welcome refugees across its borders.”

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/8944-angelina-jolie-visits-syrian-refugees-in-iraq

Angelina Jolie Visits Syrian Refugees In Turkey

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 20:10:00 +0000

UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) António Guterres and his Special Envoy Angelina Jolie were in Turkey today, continuing their mission to visit Syrian refugees.

The trip follows their visits to Jordan and Lebanon over the last few days, and saw the pair reiterate the need to help countries that are hosting tens of thousands of people fleeing violence in Syria.

From UNHCR.org: "During their trip, Guterres and Jolie thanked Turkey for keeping its borders open for anyone seeking asylum; for adopting a system of temporary protection; and providing assurance that no Syrian would be forcibly returned. They also praised the role of the Turkish Red Crescent in providing aid to the refugees.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/8936-angelina-jolie-visits-syrian-refugees-in-turkey

Angelina Jolie Visits Syrian Refugees In Lebanon

Wed, 12 Sep 2012 20:10:00 +0000

UNHCR chief António Guterres and Special Envoy Angelina Jolie have spent a second day visiting Syrian refugees who have escaped the violence in their country.

Angelina Jolie meets today with a young Syrian refugee in the Bekaa Valley, Lebanon.
Credit/Copyright: UNHCR/J.Tanner

From UNHCR.org: "Guterres and Jolie, his Special Envoy, visited the Bekaa Valley neighbouring Syria on Wednesday morning and met some of the 67,000 registered refugees in Lebanon as well as members of host communities. In the afternoon, they held talks with top officials, including President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Najib Mikati, on the situation and challenges facing Lebanon and the humanitarian response from UNHCR and others.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/8926-angelina-jolie-visits-syrian-refugees-in-lebanon

Angelina Jolie Meets Syrian Refugees In Jordan

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 20:00:00 +0000

UNHCR chief António Guterres and Special Envoy Angelina Jolie have heard harrowing tales of suffering and cross-border escape during meetings with Syrian refugees in northern Jordan.

Angelina Jolie meets with refugees on the Jordanian border minutes after they crossed from Syria.
Credit/Copyright: UNHCR/J.Tanner

Guterres and Jolie both visited Za’atri, a camp holding almost 30,000 people in very difficult conditions, on Tuesday. Jolie, on Monday night, also met a group of around 200 traumatized refugees – including many children – just after they crossed the border, some with injuries and many telling of loss and brutality.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/8918-angelina-jolie-meets-syrian-refugees-in-jordan

Angelina Jolie's World Humanitarian Day Message

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 20:00:00 +0000

UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie has written a special message on the organization’s Facebook page to mark World Humanitarian Day.

“On World Humanitarian Day we remember the aid workers who have lost their lives in the line of duty and we honor the extraordinary courage and dedication of humanitarian workers around the world,” she wrote. “I had the honor and the pleasure of meeting one of these brave individuals before his murder during a visit to Pakistan, where I witnessed first-hand the incredible devotion of a very kind and gentle man. His name was Mr. Zill-e-Usman.”

For this year’s observance of the Day, which fell on 19 August, the UN launched a campaign, entitled ‘I Was Here,’ aimed at engaging one billion people through social media so they can pledge a humanitarian action, and share their individual actions with others through an interactive website, www.whd-iwashere.org. On the morning of Sunday, 19 August, more than one billion messages were shared at the same time.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/8811-angelina-jolies-world-humanitarian-day-message

Charity Auction Gives You The Chance To Meet Muhammad Ali

Tue, 03 Jul 2012 15:30:00 +0000

A new charity auction is giving you the chance to meet Muhammad Ali.

You and a guest will enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet “The Greatest,” Muhammad Ali, at the Cinema and Sports for Peace Gala in London on July 25, 2012. Brad Pitt successfully bid against Angelina Jolie to win an almost identical experience this year!

You will also watch the amazing opening of the most important sporting event of the year, the Olympic Games in London, live on July 27, 2012. Moreover you will be invited as a VIP guest to the Sports for Peace Gala, an important platform on which athletes can join to promote the essential values of sports, in honor of legend Muhammad Ali.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/8585-charity-auction-gives-you-the-chance-to-meet-muhammad-ali

Angelina Jolie Donates $100,000 On World Refugee Day

Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:10:00 +0000

Angelina Jolie has made a donation of US$100,000 on World Refugee Day to the UNHCR for their work in helping Syrian refugees.

“UNHCR believes even 1 person forced to flee is too many,” said the actress. "And it’s true. Every individual refugee matters. Each has their own story. Each has suffered and survived more than I could ever bear. And yet, they rise up to live another day.

“We risk forgetting the individual when we speak in numbers, but the numbers tell an important story. In the past year 4.3 million people have become displaced. There are still 2.7 million refugees from Afghanistan. 12 million people are stateless. And for the fifth consecutive year the number of forcibly displaced people worldwide exceeded 42 million.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/8541-angelina-jolie-donates-100000-on-world-refugee-day

Angelina Jolie Leads Celebrity PSAs For World Refugee Day

Thu, 14 Jun 2012 15:30:00 +0000

In the past 18 months, the UNHCR has faced one of the busiest periods of its history, with crisis after crisis keeping the agency at full stretch, but over the next week staff across the globe will take time to commemorate World Refugee Day and the millions they help.

The focus for UNHCR this year will be in Brazil, where High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres will be spending World Refugee Day (June 20) in Rio de Janeiro at the UN Conference on Sustainable Development. He will be attending and addressing Rio+20 after visiting refugees in Ecuador.

Two days before World Refugee Day (WRD), UNHCR will be releasing worldwide its eagerly awaited Global Trends 2011 report, which updates the number of people of concern to the organization, including refugees, asylum-seekers, the stateless and internally displaced people.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/8517-angelina-jolie-leads-celebrity-psas-for-world-refugee-day

Angelina Jolie Narrates Tours Of Minefields On Google Earth

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 13:15:00 +0000

The HALO Trust is leveraging Google Earth technology to bring added transparency to humanitarian landmine clearance. Tours of mine-affected areas are created for viewing in Google Earth software and narrated by Angelina Jolie, a longtime HALO supporter, taking viewers to mine-affected areas in Cambodia and Angola.

Explore a Minefield shows how mine-clearance has allowed families to return home, land to be used for agriculture, roads to be re-opened, and children to walk to school safely – in short, communities to thrive. It also shows viewers minefields that remain in villages which still require clearance.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/8507-angelina-jolie-narrates-tours-of-minefields-on-google-earth

Angelina Jolie Meets Refugees In Ecuador

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:55:00 +0000

Angelina Jolie made her third trip to Ecuador to meet Colombian refugees this week, and urged the government to maintain its open asylum policy.

According to the UNHCR, "Ecuador hosts 56,000 refugees and 21,000 asylum-seekers and receives 1,300 new applications for protection each month from people fleeing neighbouring Colombia’s continuing violence. Many live in the remote and poor northern areas of the country close to the border.

“Jolie’s two-day visit began on Saturday in Lago Agrio, capital of Sucumbios province in the north of the country. She visited the oil town’s San Valentin neighbourhood, where she met young Colombian refugees and Ecuadoreans who were part of a youth group supported by UNHCR. They told her about their tough lives in an area where the young are often targets for recruitment by armed groups and traffickers.”

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/8248-angelina-jolie-meets-refugees-in-ecuador

Angelina Jolie Named As UNHCR Special Envoy

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:15:00 +0000

The UN refugee agency announced on Tuesday that actress and humanitarian Angelina Jolie will take on a new and expanded role for UNHCR as Special Envoy of High Commissioner António Guterres.

During a decade of service as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, Jolie has conducted more than 40 field visits around the world, becoming an expert on the phenomenon of forced displacement and a tireless advocate on behalf of refugees.

“In her new role, she is expected to focus on large-scale crises resulting in the mass displacement of people, to undertake advocacy and represent UNHCR and Guterres at the diplomatic level, engaging with relevant interlocutors on global displacement issues,” spokesman Adrian Edwards told journalists in Geneva.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/8215-angelina-jolie-named-as-unhcr-special-envoy

Angelina Jolie Witnesses Conviction Of Congolese Warlord

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 19:15:00 +0000

Angelina Jolie was in The Hague yesterday to witness the conviction of a Congolese warlord for his part in abducting and training children as child soldiers.

The International Criminal Court found Thomas Lubanga guilty of violently kidnapping children and turning them into killers in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“The delivery of the ICC’s first verdict is an important moment for the court, for the DRC and for the rule of law,” said Jolie, who has been funding a public information campaign in the DRC. “Most of all, it sends a strong message against the use of child soldiers.”

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/8027-angelina-jolie-witnesses-conviction-of-congolese-warlord

Angelina Jolie Awarded At Cinema For Peace Gala In Berlin

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:20:00 +0000

“10 Years of Cinema For Peace" was the theme of the Cinema for Peace Gala on February 13 at Berlin’s famous Gendarmenmarkt Concert Hall under the patronage of His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama, featuring guests of honor Angelina Jolie and Bob Geldof.

For the last ten years, Cinema for Peace has been supporting the fight for human rights, social justice, humanitarian missions, and environmental protection through captivating social film expression. Recognized as one of the world’s most important film events, the Cinema for Peace gala now has partner events in both New York City and Los Angeles, with many projects funded by generous sponsors and private donations.

This year’s Cinema for Peace gala focused on Bosnia and Burma through Angelina Jolie’s directorial debut “In the Land of Blood and Honey”, which was presented with a special Award for Opposing War and Genocide. In November 2011, the Cinema for Peace Foundation opened an office in Sarajevo in Bosnia Herzegovina, as recognition of the 1995 Srebrenica genocide, which is the primary focus of the foundation. The foundation hopes to conduct over 10,000 interviews with witnesses and survivors of the massacre in order to bring clarity to the horrific event. The interviews will be made available in an online library and eventually the subject of documentary. Students, scientists and non-government organizations will provide detailed insight regarding the event of the massacre in Srebrenica during the war in former Yugoslavia. The international criminal court for former Yugoslavia has placed 161 accused war criminals before the court.

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/7844-angelina-jolie-awarded-at-cinema-for-peace-gala-in-berlin

LTTS Exclusive: Dancing With The Stars' Louis Van Amstel Talks Charity

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:30:00 +0000

Misty Schwartz of Look To The Stars recently caught up with Dancing With the Stars pro Louis Van Amstel, who is on tour to promote his lifestyle brand (and just-released 5-disc workout DVD set) called LaBlast Fitness.

Louis Van Amstel‏

What is the criteria for choosing the charities that you so strongly support?

More: http://www.looktothestars.org/news/7751-ltts-exclusive-dancing-with-the-stars-louis-van-amstel-talks-charity