Look To The Stars News: Bob Geldof

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.

Stars Line Up For The Return Of The Secret Policeman's Ball

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:50:00 +0000

The Secret Policeman’s Ball is back – and its heading for America!

Amnesty International’s legendary charity show – featuring a plethora of music and comedy talent – will hit the Radio City Music Hall on March 4. Organizers have confirmed Coldplay, Russell Brand, Mumford & Sons, Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and Reggie Watts as part of the lineup, with more to come.

“We are so happy to be involved with the 2012 Secret Policeman’s Ball,” said Chris Martin of Coldplay. “We have followed and supported Amnesty International – and the amazing work they do around the world in the field of human rights – for years, and it is a pleasure to be asked to contribute to such an inspiring event.”

Glee Stars Cover Do They Know It's Christmas For Charity

Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

In the spirit of the holiday season, Glee will donate 100% of the net monies from the sales of their version of Band Aid’s 1984 hit “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” to The Band Aid Trust.

The Band Aid Trust, a registered British charity since 1985, has raised in excess of 190 million dollars to support projects designed to make a lasting difference in Ethiopia, Somalia and surrounding countries in East Africa. This includes the construction of schools, hospitals, boreholes, wells, rain-water harvesting facilities and latrines, as well as food security, hygiene, sanitation, livelihood diversification and income generating activities, training in-country for teachers, doctors and nurses, assistance for those living with HIV/AIDS, and emergency interventions such as nutrition screening programs, seed and animal distribution and the procurement of emergency food aid to treat severely malnourished children and adults.

By July 1985, over $6 million had been spent on buying and transporting food, shelter, medical supplies, water equipment and other essential items to famine victims Ethiopia and Sudan.

Chimes Of Freedom: Stars Cover Bob Dylan For Charity

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Two iconic forces that have impacted the past 50 years – the life-saving human rights activism of Nobel Peace Prize-winning Amnesty International and the incomparable artistry of Bob Dylan – are being saluted by 80 musicians who contributed new or previously unreleased recordings to Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International.

The collection is scheduled for physical (4 discs) and digital release in North America on January 24, 2012 through Fontana Distribution. It will be distributed internationally through Fontana International, a Universal Music company, on January 30.

Chimes of Freedom features a stellar and diverse group of artists across the generational and musical spectrum. The performers, including many of Amnesty International’s longtime supporters, range in age from teenage pop star Miley Cyrus, 19, to folk music legend Pete Seeger, who, at 92, records Dylan’s poignant “Forever Young,” with a children’s chorus.

Celebrities Call On World Leaders For Urgent Horn Of Africa Funds

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:00:00 +0000

A group of global artists, activists and business leaders have signed a joint letter urging world leaders to step up their response to the famine in the Horn of Africa. They call on them to act “without reservation, prevarication or equivocation” when they meet at an emergency summit in Rome.

Among the signatories are Annie Lennox, Bob Geldof, Simon Cowell, Richard Curtis, Stephen Fry, Eddie Izzard, Kristin Scott Thomas, and representatives from charities such as Oxfam, the ONE Campaign, Comic Relief, CAFOD, ActionAid, Save the Children and many others.

“As we write, more than 11 million people are suffering the great agony of the worst famine in Africa for many years. It is incomprehensible that in 2011 anyone should die of starvation. $600 million* is needed now for our fellow humans. Not a great sum for the world, even in a time of great economic difficulty for some. Last week European leaders found over hundred times this amount to shore up the euro and bail out banks, yet countries like France, Italy, the Arab States and Germany have so far given miniscule amounts of money to prevent people dying from hunger. Surely this must be unacceptable? A true measure of strength is how one cares for the weak. A true test of power is how one protects the frail.

Elton John To Host Annual Celebrity Charity Ball Next Week

Fri, 17 Jun 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Sir Elton John will once again host his annual White Tie and Tiara Ball at his home in the UK next week to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Thirty years ago this month, a mysterious new illness that seemed to attack the body’s immune system was first diagnosed in the United States. Buoyed by denial, stigma and lack of understanding, HIV spread across the world infecting 60 million people and taking the lives of 30million.

Bob Geldof To Play Charity Concert For Australia, New Zealand And Japan

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Bob Geldof is to play a special concert in Sydney next month to raise money for recent natural disasters in Australia, New Zealand and Japan.

The Rock and Rebuild Concert will take place at the Lyric Theatre, Star City Casino, on May 1 to help support the Australian Red Cross for their Victoria Floods Appeal, New Zealand Earthquake Appeal and Japan and Pacific Disaster Appeal, as well as the Queensland Premier’s Disaster Relief Fund.

Joined by his band, Geldof will be playing tracks both from his Boomtown Rats days and later solo material including new songs from his just released album How To Compose Songs That Will Sell. He will be supported by New Zealand-born singer Jon Stevens and Russell Crowe’s wife, singer Danielle Spencer.

Elton John To Host Celebrity Charity Ball In June

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 14:00:00 +0000

In July 1999, Sir Elton John and David Furnish opened the doors of their Old Windsor home for the first White Tie & Tiara Ball, and the tradition will continue in 2011 on June 23..

Set amongst 37 acres of rolling English countryside next to Windsor castle, the White Tie & Tiara Ball is a spectacular evening, raising money for the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Since then, it has become an annual event hosted by Elton and David and one of the premier fundraising events of the UK.

Indie Bands Unite For Charity Supergroup

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders has joined fellow indie artists such as The Libertines’ Carl Barat, Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys and Babyshambles’ Drew McConnell to form a charity supergroup.

The Bottletop Band will donate all of the profits from their debut album, Dream Service, to education and employment projects around the world. The album will be released in April, 2011.

Nobel Peace Laureates Gather In Hiroshima For World Summit

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 15:30:00 +0000

The 11th Edition of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates was held in Hiroshima on November 12th-14th, 2010.

The international conference was historic and groundbreaking in that it marked the 65th anniversary of the atomic bombings of two Japanese cities. In light of recent meetings between the United States and the Russian Federation to reduce each nation’s nuclear weapons arsenals and of the results of the recent U.N. Conference of New York, the Summit confronted the issue of nuclear disarmament and propose concrete measures to address this most pressing issue.

Chaired by Mikhail Gorbachev and Walter Veltroni, former Mayor of Rome, the event attracted Nobel Peace Laureates such as His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Fredrik Willem De Klerk, Lech Walesa, José Ramos- Horta, Oscar Arias Sanchez, Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Mohamed ElBaradei, Shirin Ebadi and Jody Williams. Senior representatives of such international organizations as the United Nations (UN), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), International Labor Organization (ILO), United Nations Children’s Found (UNICEF), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC), International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW), Pugwash Conferences (PUGWASH), International Peace Bureau (IPB), American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International (AI) and many others also attended.

Bono Interviews Barack Obama

Tue, 18 May 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Will the 21st century be the African century? This is the question ONE’s founders Bono and Bob Geldof examined by guest editing one of Canada’s top newspapers, the Globe and Mail, as part of a month of Africa content on the Globe’s website.

During a previous interview with American President Barack Obama, Bono had the upcoming guest edit in mind when he posed some questions to include in the special edition. The Q&A looked briefly like this:

Bono: You’re going to be in Canada in June for the G8. It’s not straightforward to get eight people to agree on anything, let alone eight countries. What do you think you can achieve?

Status Quo Honored For Charity Work

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Veteran British rockers Status Quo have been honored by the Queen for their services to charity and music.

The band’s two founders – Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi – were awarded OBEs in the Queen’s New Years Honors List.

“To be perfectly honest with all the hard work we have put in over the years I accept it graciously – I do think we deserve it with all that work and what we have done for charity,” said Parfitt. “We’ve worked hard over the years and done a lot for Nordoff Robbins, the Prince’s Trust and the Heart Foundation and other charities, so I thought there had been a chance that we may have got something, but I had kind of given up hoping.”

Bob Geldof Talks Climate Change In Copenhagen

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Veteran campaigner Bob Geldof is spearheading a petition for the ONE Campaign to be delivered to top members of the US delegation to the Copenhagen climate summit.

The petition calls for adequate resources to be provided to developing countries to cope with the effects of climate change.

“Last week I was back in Ethiopia, and the question I’m always asked is, of course, is it all worth it, what’s changed in Ethiopia and in Africa as a whole?” said Geldof. "A great deal, I answer – for both better and worse.

Win Dave Stewart's New Book From Nelson Mandela's Charity

Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0000

46664 Ambassador Dave Stewart has just released his new book “The Dave Stewart Songbook” and the charity has a signed copy to give away.

This stunning 300-page work of art contains stories by the legendary Eurythmics co-founder, songwriter and producer Dave Stewart. These are revealing and intimate stories behind some of his many smash-hit songs written with Annie Lennox, Bono, Mick Jagger, Jon Bon Jovi, Gwen Stefani and Bob Geldof, including his work on the Nelson Mandela 46664 song “American Prayer”.

  Included are never-before-published photographs of these international superstars, many of which were shot by Dave Stewart, a renowned photographer himself. This wonderful package also comes with a double-CD set of all 21 hit songs newly recorded by Dave Stewart & His 30-piece Rock Fabulous Orchestra along with the sheet music to each track. This is an amazing book for universal music fans and contains a foreword by Bob Dylan.  

Beds Are Burning For Climate Change

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Kofi Annan, President of the Global Humanitarian Forum, was yesterday joined by Mélanie Laurent (star of Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Inglourious Basterds’) and David Jones (Global CEO, Havas Worldwide) for the launch of a specially re-recorded version of Midnight Oil’s Beds are Burning as a global musical petition to demand climate justice at the UN’s Copenhagen Climate Change Summit in December.

‘Beds Are Burning’ was produced by The:Hours, and is to be made available on all major music download platforms for free. It will also be available on the campaign’s own website: www.timeforclimatejustice.org.

The song has been supported by over 60 international music stars and celebrities including Duran Duran, Mark Ronson, Jamie Cullum, Melanie Laurent, Marion Cotillard, Milla Jovovich, Fergie, Lily Allen, Manu Katche, Bob Geldof, Youssou N’Dour, Yannick Noah and many more.

Duran Duran Join All-Star Recording For Climate Awareness

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:00:00 +0000

Some of the biggest selling singers and groups of all time – and even a Nobel laureate – are lending their voices to a new song to raise awareness of global warming.

British superstars Duran Duran are joining together with Germany’s The Scorpions, French ‘Piaf’ actress Marion Cotillard, Senegalese star Youssou N’dour, Sir Bob Geldof, Chinese singer Khalil Fong and South African archbishop Desmond Tutu to record the song. Entitled “Beds’r Burning”, and based on the song originally released by Australian group Midnight Oil in the 1980s, the single will be available for download from October 1.

The song is part of a campaign to raise awareness of climate change organized by the Global Humanitarian Forum, headed by former UN secretary general Kofi Annan.

Bob Geldof Launches One Campaign Report On G8

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

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.”

Bob Geldof Explains His Turning Points

Fri, 05 Jun 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Sir Bob Geldof has revealed some of the turning points in his life that led to his charity work.

In a new book – Turning Points by Julia Ogilvy – Geldof talks candidly about losing his mother to a brain haemorrhage when he was just seven years old.

“It was so out of the blue, you know – there was no warning or lingering illness. Just bang… It’s unbearable to be that small and to have to take care of yourself. At the time, you just get on with it and it becomes routine to shop, to cook and to get the coal from the basement to light the fire. It was c**p coming home alone.

Bob Geldof To Meet With IMF Over Gold Sale Funds

Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Sir Bob Geldof will today meet with Dominic Strauss-Khan, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), on behalf of the ONE Campaign to deliver the organization’s message that the IMF must make gold sale funds available to developing countries without harmful conditions and without creating new debts.

According to ONE: "The IMF is about to sell a small fraction of its gold reserves to raise $6 billion, but their plan for what to do with that windfall is completely backwards.

“Instead of using that money to fund direct grants focused on poverty-fighting results and accountability, it looks as though the majority will be spent on IMF operating expenses and staff salaries, with a small portion being disbursed as loans to developing nations. That’s bad news for impoverished countries, who will be forced to choose between getting the help they need now and facing crippling debts after the financial crisis is over.

Annie Lennox Supports Bottletop Initiative

Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:30:00 +0000

Singer Annie Lennox is one of a group of stars who supports a charity initiative that funds projects that have a positive impact on the health and well-being of young people world-wide.

Bottletop raises funds through fashion and music, focusing on helping small, dynamic education initiatives, with a particular emphasis on sexual and reproductive health education. One of these fundraising initiatives is a beautiful ring pull bag crafted by 24 people in Salvador. Each bag is handmade by linking hundreds of recycled ring pulls together in a crochet formation.

Celebrities Paint Masks For African Education

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Twenty of the biggest celebrities from music, film, sport and business have painted face masks for a new charity auction on eBay.

The auction is raising money for Education Africa, an organization established in 1992 to assist disadvantaged South Africans in their quest to obtain a quality, relevant education in order to ensure that they are in a position to become global citizens and a competitive force in the local job market.

Up for grabs in the auction are masks decorated by Paris Hilton, Bob Geldof, Stefi Graf, Andre Agassi, Lily Cole, Amanda Holden, Annie Lennox, Piers Morgan, Jude Law, Simon Cowell, Melanie Brown, Lewis Hamilton and many more. The masks will be on display at the chaity’s annual gala dinner to be held at the May Fair Hotel in London on March 31st 2009.

Classic Rockers Join Led Zep Guitarist For Charity

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:30:00 +0000

Some of the biggest names in classic rock have donated items to an auction that benefits a charity supported by one of their contemporaries.

Task Brazil is a UK-based charity established in 1992 that improves the lives and supports the needs of children and pregnant teenage girls living on the streets of Brazil. The charity received a huge boost in 1997 when Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, who witnessed first hand the deprivation of the children and troubles in the favelas whilst playing in Rio de Janeiro, made a massive donation. The money was used to buy a plot of land in Santa Teresa on which ‘Casa Jimmy’ was built to provide a safe and happy home for a lucky few of the abandoned children.

The current auction features loads of Led Zep items signed by Page, as well as guitars signed by Slash and the Eagles’ Joe Walsh, and items signed by Phil Collins, Bob Geldof, Iron Maiden and many others.

Peaches Geldof Gets Second-Hand Makeover

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 15:00:00 +0000

Celebrity Peaches Geldof – known for her sense of style and love of labels – has been given a makeover with a difference from a group of elderly women who work in second-hand clothing stores.

With the help of fashion expert Mary Portas – who is making a documentary on second-hand stores for BBC2 – the group of fashion-conscious grannies decked the young socialite (and daughter of Bob Geldof) in a vintage, fifties-style red dress at their stall backstage at London Fashion Week. Portas believes that charity shops will be relied on more during the recession, and she has spent time filming in shops for Save the Children, Barnardo’s and many other charities for her new series.

“I brought my style volunteers up to London Fashion Week to give a message to the fashion world that charity shopping is not just great for the environment and for a good cause,” she said. “These are places where you can get unique, fashionable outfits that are on trend and look great.”

Band Aid Founder Awarded Honorary Degree

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 12:00:00 +0000

Midge Ure – the musician who helped Bob Geldof organize Band Aid and co-wrote Do They Know It’s Christmas? – has received an honorary doctorate for his humanitarian work.

The 55-year-old former singer for Ultravox was presented with the degree at Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland, an honor that follows similar awards from universities in Edinburgh, Abertay and Paisley.

Ure – who was awarded with an OBE in 2005 – is still a member of the Band Aid Trust and still gives his time to organizing benefit events, such as Geldof’s Live 8 events three years ago.

Nicole Kidman Delivers Anti-Violence Petition To UN

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:00:00 +0000

Nicole Kidman has presented U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with a petition that calls on world leaders to end impunity for perpetrators of violence against women, provide services for survivors and, most importantly, invest in prevention.

The petition was run online throughout this year and contained 5,066,549 names. UNIFEM Executive Director Ines Alberdi said the campaign’s supporters included 29 world leaders, 188 ministers and over 600 parliamentarians, and celebrities such as Hilary Swank and Bob Geldof.

“I think in some ways I’ve always been heading towards wanting to put some meaning into my life and this is probably how I see myself doing it,” said Kidman, who has been a UNIFEM Ambassador since 2006. “The reason I chose the subject of women is because I was raised by a mother who was very passionate about … having her daughters educated, and wanted her daughters to have an equal opportunity. I was the product of that, and now I’m out there hoping to pass on to the next generation and work in a greater capacity then just as an actress.”