Celebrities Raising Voices For Burma

Wed, 07 May 2008 10:46:12 -0000

Will Ferrell and Jennifer Aniston have joined the US Campaign for Burma, and are asking others to do the same for the Burma: It Can’t Wait Campaign. Stars are on a mission to raise one million voices in 30 days against the human rights atrocities occurring in the Southeast Asian country.

The people of Burma are being attacked by their own government, and, just as the world stood together to demand the freedom of Nelson Mandela, the campaign is asking people to speak up for the leader of Burma’s democratic party, Aung San Suu Kyi. The world’s only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Suu Kyi has been deprived of her freedom for 12 of the last 18 years. She has appealed to people around the world, saying, “Please, use your liberty to promote ours.”

To make matters even worse, southwestern Burma was hit by a cyclone on Friday, May 2, leaving up to 60,000 dead, with tens of thousands missing and hundreds of thousands displaced or homeless. It is being called the worst natural disaster in Asia since the 2004 tsunami. Despite knowing about the approaching cyclone days in advance, the government did not warn its citizens. The U.S. Campaign For Burma is accepting donations to help with relief efforts in the medium-term, as the Burmese government is currently blocking international aid agencies from offering their support.

Join Woody Harrelson, Sarah Silverman, Julie Benz, Eddie Izzard and the others who are speaking out for the brave young people fighting for democracy and struggling through the wake of Cyclone Nargis. For more information visit the U.S. Campaign For Burma, and to view the celebrity videos, go to BurmaItCantWait.org.

Return of the Secret Policeman's Ball

Tue, 26 Sep 2006 18:56:11 -0000

Written by Hannah Coone

In 1979, John Cleese headlined the first of a series of performances entitled ‘The Secret Policeman’s Ball’. The show was to raise awareness of Amnesty International UK, which it certainly achieved. Amnesty International UK stated that after the first 3 shows, public awareness of AIUK increased by 700%.

The first show starred other members of Monty Python, Billy Connolly, and it also gave Rowan Atkinson his big break. The Secret Policeman’s Ball was then made into a feature-length film.

In 1987, musical acts were added to the line-up, starring such artists as Kate Bush, Bob Geldof and Duran Duran.

Now, after 17 years, the Ball is finally returning, with a whole new line-up. Eddie Izzard, Chevy Chase and Jennifer Saunders are just a sample of the impressive names amongst the acts this year, as well as music performances by Gorillaz and The Magic Numbers.

The show, to be held at London’s Royal Albert Hall on October 14th and broadcast on UK’s Channel 4 shortly after, will involve stand-up comedy, sketches and music and will be given an update with animations and podcasts.

Lisle Turner, of Amnesty International UK, comments on this event, “It’s never been more important to stand-up for humanity and human rights and as it was a generation ago, the ball is our secret weapon to rally the troops.” Turner goes on to say, “We’re doing it now because the world needs a poke in the eye, it needs laughter, and frankly, it needs more balls.”

Look To The Stars News: Eddie Izzard

Celebrities Raising Voices For Burma

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Return of the Secret Policeman's Ball

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