Look To The Stars News: Alan Rickman

Charitable Celebrities To Receive 21st Century Leaders Awards

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Celebrities will be out in abundance in Doha, Qatar, next week for the Whatever It Takes Experience presented by 21st Century Leaders and Whatever It Takes.

As well as a private art experience and gala dinner, several stars will be honored with 21st Century Leaders Awards at this massive charity event.

The Doha 21st Century Leaders’ Awards are granted to individuals who, whilst being leaders in their own fields, have also made a serious commitment and significant impact on their chosen cause.

The award is given to individuals who have used their influence to raise awareness, their celebrated status to raise funds, and the respect and notoriety which they have gained from successes in their chosen profession, to make positive policy changes to progress either environmental or humanitarian concerns.

Friday, October 30, will see Sir Ben Kingsley CBE, Venus and Serena Williams, Josh Hartnett, Danny Boyle and Christian Colson honored for their outstanding charity and humanitarian work. A surprise guest will open the event, and an art exhibition will also take place featuring original artworks by George Clooney, Stella McCartney, Sir Roger Moore KBE, Sir Michael Caine CBE, and Lady Shakira Caine, Sir Ian McKellen, Samuel L. Jackson, Nicole Kidman, Ewan McGregor, Laurence Fishburne, John Travolta, Pierce Brosnan OBE, Morgan Freeman, Charlize Theron, Minnie Driver, Lucy Liu, Susan Sarandon, Courteney Cox & David Arquette, Whoopi Goldberg, Penelope Cruz, Benicio del Toro, Joseph Fiennes, Anjelica Huston, Christian Slater, Harvey Keitel, Alan Rickman, Liam Neeson, Gillian Anderson, Hilary Duff, Adrien Brody, Mickey Rourke, Robin Wright Penn, Patrick Stewart, Lauren Bacall, Stephanie Powers, Toni Collette, Daniel Craig and many more.

An active supporter and patron of charities such as the Prince’s Trust, Teenage Cancer Trust and First Star, English actor Sir Ben Kingsley CBE is very much devoted to helping disadvantaged young people and children. In 2008, Kingsley was awarded the “Cinema for Peace Honorary Award”, for the portrayal of the humanitarian role-models Simon Wiesenthal, Itzhak Stern and Gandhi.

In April 2009, following the success of Slumdog Millionaire, filmmakers Danny Boyle and Christian Colson announced a commitment of £500,000 to Plan, an international children’s development organization. The money will be spent on a five-year program focusing on education and sanitation, designed to improve the lives of children in Mumbai’s slum communities. In consultation with Plan, the filmmakers have also founded the Jai Ho Trust, an independent trust which aims to ensure that Rubina Ali (who played the youngest Latika in the film) and Azharuddin Mohammed Ismail (youngest Salim) receive an education, housing and social support. The trust will also hold a sum of money for the two children until they reach adulthood.

American actor and film producer Josh Hartnett supports a number of worthy causes and has backed Global Cool, a charity focused on climate change since its inception. Launching with a reception at No.10 Downing Street in London in 2007, Josh Hartnett met with former Prime Minister Tony Blair on behalf of the group and has since taken the message of greenhouse gas reduction far and wide, to let people know that they really can make a difference to the environmental health of our planet.

Professional women’s tennis players whom have won a combined 12 Grand Slam titles. The Williams sisters have demonstrated an immense amount of charitable work off the court. The “Williams Sister’s Tour” set out to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House Charities which provides housing for families of seriously ill children. In addition, Serena started The Serena Williams Foundation which focuses on education, and helping underprivileged children in Africa who cannot afford to go to school or college to do so.

WhateverItTakes.org is a unique charity artwork project which inspires hope by gathering artworks from leaders in all fields; royalty, film, music, Nobel Peace Prize laureates, sports, literature etc. The artworks are used to ethically produce Whatever It Takes products which are then sold to raise funds for charitable causes chosen by each contributing leader. 21st Century Leaders Foundation’s mission is to assist and encourage a generation of influencers – royalty, Nobel peace prize laureates and well-known leaders in the fields of film, music, fashion, art and literature – to raise awareness and funds for international development causes, thereby leading the way in promoting positive environmental sustainable development. 21st Century Leaders was founded in May 2003 when Charlotte di Vita was made a Goodwill Ambassador to the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. 21st Century Leaders was also the 10th Anniversary celebration of Trade plus Aid, the foundation for which Charlotte had received an MBE from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

To find out more about this event – to be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Doha on October 30/31 – click here.

Jude Law Launches Peace Day Video Contest

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Peace One Day’s annual International Day of Peace will take place on September 21, and actor Jude Law is encouraging people to enter a new video competition to celebrate the initiative.

World Peace Day has been held on September 21 annually since 2001, when the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted September 21 as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence. The initiative came from an idea by Jeremy Gilley, who founded his non-profit organization – Peace One Day – in 1999. Since then he has amassed an impressive list of supporters, including Chris Martin, Sir Richard Branson, Angelina Jolie, Alan Rickman, and Michael Douglas.

This year’s World Peace Day will be preceded by a concert featuring Lenny Kravitz and Kasabian in Paris, and the organization has launched the video competition to help spread the word of peace. All you have to do is create a video showing how you will be making a difference on World Peace Day, no matter how big or small the action whether it’s bringing people together; making amends with someone; organizing a football match; doing something in the home, the workplace, the community; or simply offering your take on what peace means to you.

“Show us what Peace means to you,” said Jude Law. “It doesn’t have to look professional, just have a go. Share it with the world on Peace One Day’s YouTube channel. We’ll select the most inspirational finalists and then you’ll decide the winner. The prize is a state-of-the-art HD camera and a day with Jeremy Gilley learning the art of documentary filmmaking.”

The competition ends on September 30, and more info can be found here.

Stars Record Nelson Mandela's Favorite Tales For Charity

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:00:00 -0000

In honor of Nelson Mandela, Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA) and Hachette Audio have produced an audiobook edition of Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales, an award-winning book of stories hand-picked by the Nobel laureate.

Diverse, acclaimed performers donated their talents to the charitable endeavor by voicing stories, including: Gillian Anderson, Benjamin Bratt, LeVar Burton, Ricardo Chavira, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Whoopi Goldberg, Sean Hayes, Hugh Jackman, Samuel L. Jackson, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Debra Messing, Helen Mirren, Parminder Nagra, Sophie Okonedo, CCH Pounder, Alan Rickman, Jurnee Smollett, Charlize Theron, Blair Underwood, Forest Whitaker, and Alfre Woodard. Archbishop Desmond Tutu recorded a message to the world’s children, and African music legends Johnny Clegg and Vusi Mahlasela composed original music.

Academy Award nominee, Emmy and Golden Globe winner Alfre Woodard, who co-founded ANSA in 1989, served as the audiobook’s director. She said, “I was privileged to be with Nelson Mandela last year in London, where he challenged us, saying, ‘…our work is far from complete. Where there is poverty and sickness, including AIDS, where human beings are oppressed, there is more work to be done. It is in your hands now.’ With this audiobook, ANSA pays tribute to our friend and hero, Nelson Mandela. It will take the hands of all mankind to lift that burden and carry on the work. We hope you will join us and support this effort.”

Samuel L. Jackson, a leading ANSA supporter, commented, “I’ve traveled with ANSA to rural villages and met children whose lives will be changed by this audiobook. This is our way of honoring Mr. Mandela, by assisting children who are the future of his nation and our world.”

“We hope the audiobook will be enjoyed by people of all ages, increasing awareness of Africa’s rich cultures while creating a better future for South Africa’s vulnerable children,” said ANSA Executive Director Sharon Gelman.

In his foreword for the book, Nelson Mandela wrote, “It is my wish that the voice of the storyteller may never die in Africa, that all the children of the world may experience the wonder of books.” The audiobook brings these timeless tales to a new oral tradition to be heard around the world.

ANSA is a nonprofit organization working in South Africa and the U.S. to combat HIV/AIDS, assist children orphaned by the disease, educate and empower youth, advance human rights, and build bonds between our nations through arts, culture, and the shared pursuit of social justice.

To find out more about the recording, click here.

British Stars Sign Favorite Books For Africa

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Some of Britain’s best loved stars have signed editions of their favorite books for a new charity auction.

Helen Mirren, Joanna Lumley, and Ian McKellen are amongst the celebrities to sign the books, which cover a wide variety of genres.

“Education offers a route out of poverty and books are the foundation of lifelong learning, yet the majority of people in Africa cannot afford books of their own,“ said Lesley Pinder, Book Aid International spokeswoman. “The proceeds from this online auction will help Book Aid International support reading and learning in some of the world’s poorest countries by getting books into libraries, universities, hospitals and refugee camps.”

The range of books chosen as favorites by the stars is vast and revealing. Mirren has signed Suite Francais by Irene Nemirovsky, Sir David Jason has chosen Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows – which he voiced for a BBC series in the 1980s – and Gary Lineker has inscribed A Good Walk Spoiled by John Feinstein. Joanna Lumley has chosen Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, while Robbie Coltrane has signed Huckleberry Finn. Other names to take part include Twiggy, Alexander McCall Smith, Alan Rickman, Sue Townsend, Frederick Forsyth, Tim Rice, and Julian Fellowes.

Book Aid International is a non-profit organization that sends over half a million books to sub-Saharan Africa every year to support literacy, education and development. The books are almost always new books donated by UK publishers, and are distributed to national libraries, local and regional libraries, community libraries, schools, prisons, refugee camps, and NGO resource centers in 12 African countries. They also provide grants for purchasing books locally (especially those in local languages), and training and advice to ensure that books are targeted to the right groups of people and are well used.

The auction runs until October 27, and can be accessed through eBay.

Peace Day Concert 2008 To Rock London

Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

After last year’s sell out show, the annual Peace One Day concert is set to rock the Royal Albert Hall in London.

This year’s concert will see performances from Annie Lennox, Bryan Adams, and a guest appearance from Jude Law. There will also be a gala screening of The Day After Peace, the acclaimed new documentary film made by Jeremy Gilley. The film, which received a great reception at its premiere during the 61st Cannes Film Festival, features Kofi Annan, The Dalai Lama, Angelina Jolie, Jude Law, Annie Lennox and Jonny Lee Miller.

The 2007 concert featured acts such as Corinne Bailey Rae, Kate Nash, James Morrison, and Yusuf, with video segments from David Beckham and the Dalai Lama.

Tickets to the 2008 Peace Day Concert can be bought from Ticketmaster, and cost between £35 and £55.

Stars Record Nelson Mandela's Favorite Stories

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:30:00 -0000

In honor of Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday this week, Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA) announced plans to produce an audiobook version of Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales, an award-winning book of legendary tales hand-picked by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.

An array of celebrated performers are donating their talents to the charitable endeavor; those already signed on to voice stories include Gillian Anderson, America Ferrera, Whoopi Goldberg, Samuel L. Jackson, Alan Rickman, and Jurnee Smollett. Nobel laureate Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu will record a special message to the world’s children that will be featured on the audiobook.

Emmy/Golden Globe winner/Oscar nominee Alfre Woodard, who co-founded ANSA in 1989, will serve as Creative Director of the audiobook. She said, “I was privileged to be with Nelson Mandela recently in London, where he challenged us, saying, ‘…our work is far from complete. Where there is poverty and sickness, including AIDS, where human beings are oppressed, there is more work to be done…after nearly 90 years of life, it is time for new hands to lift the burdens. It is in your hands now.’ With this audiobook, ANSA pays tribute to our friend and our hero, Nelson Mandela, on his 90th birthday. It will take the hands of all mankind to lift that burden and carry on the work. We hope you will join in and support this effort.”

Proceeds from the audiobook – slated for a Summer 2009 release – will benefit the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund (NMCF), a South African organization founded in 1995 to improve the way society treats its children; and ANSA, which works in the U.S. and South Africa to combat HIV/AIDS, provide comprehensive assistance to children orphaned by HIV/AIDS, advance human rights, educate and empower at-risk youth and build bonds between both nations through arts, culture and the shared pursuit of social justice. Both organizations are working to address the impact of the AIDS pandemic on children in South Africa, which has more people living with HIV/AIDS and more children orphaned by the disease than any other country.

“We’re deeply grateful to our generous partners and to the gifted artists who are helping bring these remarkable stories to life,” said ANSA’s Executive Director Sharon Gelman. “Our goal is to create an audiobook that can be enjoyed by people around the world, increasing awareness of Africa’s rich cultural heritages and creating a better future for South Africa’s most vulnerable children.”

In his original foreword for the folktale collection, Nelson Mandela wrote, “It is my wish that the voice of the storyteller may never die in Africa, that all the children of the world may experience the wonder of books.” With the forthcoming audiobook edition of Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales, his vision comes full circle, as the timeless tales he selected return to the great oral tradition that allowed them to be passed down for centuries, and will now enlighten and entertain children of all ages the world over

Jude Law to Make Film in Afghanistan For World Peace Day

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 09:37:25 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British actor Jude Law is to film a new documentary for the BBC in Afghanistan, as part of the lead up to World Peace Day on September 21.

The 35 year old star of “Cold Mountain” and “The Road To Perdition” will join documentary maker and humanitarian Jeremy Gilley in a film about the effects of war on Afghan children, and the efforts of UNICEF to provide aid. The pair will also record the preparations made by UNICEF in the war-torn country to celebrate this year’s World Peace Day.

“This is a historic project, rooted in film,” said Law. “I’m immensely proud to be a part of it.”

World Peace Day has been held annually since 2001, when the United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted September 21 as a day of global ceasefire and non-violence. The initiative came from an idea by Jeremy Gilley, who founded his non-profit organization, Peace One Day, in 1999. Since then he has amassed an impressive list of supporters, including Chris Martin, Sir Richard Branson, Angelina Jolie, Alan Rickman, and Michael Douglas.

As well as the documentary, Gilley is also organizing a charity concert event at the Royal Albert Hall on World Peace Day 2007. Annie Lennox will join James Morrison, Beth Orton, and Corinne Bailey Rae for a night of music and performances benefiting Peace One Day. The show will also contain video messages from Jude Law and David Beckham.

“This process is about creating an annual moment of global unity,” said Law, regarding the work of Peace One Day and the upcoming concert. “It can only work if we all become involved, and it’s essential that we do”.

Concert tickets can be purchased online at www.peaceoneday.org.

Look To The Stars News: Alan Rickman

Charitable Celebrities To Receive 21st Century Leaders Awards

Related past articles

Jude Law Launches Peace Day Video Contest

Related past articles

Stars Record Nelson Mandela's Favorite Tales For Charity

Related past articles

British Stars Sign Favorite Books For Africa

Related past articles

Peace Day Concert 2008 To Rock London

Related past articles

Stars Record Nelson Mandela's Favorite Stories

Related past articles

Jude Law to Make Film in Afghanistan For World Peace Day

Related past articles