Look To The Stars News: George Clooney

Stars Join Twitter For The Critters Challenge

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:10:00 +0000

The stars are tweeting for charity – and they need your help.

Celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Billy Ray Cyrus, Peter Facinelli, Kelly Osbourne and Eric Stonestreet are taking part in the Twitter For The Critters Celebrity Challenge to benefit the Onyx and Breezy Foundation, an animal charity formed in 2004 by Mark and Wanda Shefts to honor the memory of their two labrador retrievers.

Brad Pitt Makes It Right With Celebrity Charity Auction

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 19:05:00 +0000

eBay, the world’s largest online marketplace, is teaming up with Brad Pitt’s Make It Right to take charitable fundraising to a whole new level with a physical space and interactive bidding.

Fans are invited to walk through a gallery featuring one-of-a-kind celebrity experiences and mementos to be auctioned off for charity on eBay Celebrity. Smartphones add a hands-on element to visually innovative displays, enabling attendees to participate in an interactive bidding process via dimensional QR codes by utilizing the eBay mobile app to bid in real time as well as track auction progress.

The elite exhibition brings celebrity charity auction items to life in New York’s famed Chelsea Market, with 100% of proceeds going to Make It Right, a non-profit foundation building sustainable, affordable homes in disadvantaged communities. Launched in November, eBay Celebrity is a unique shopping destination that combines celebrity experiences, memorabilia and merchandise with philanthropic causes.

SAG Awards Auction Features Items From George Clooney And Leonardo DiCaprio

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:45:00 +0000

The SAG Awards Ceremony Online Auction benefiting the SAG Foundation’s Literacy and Emergency Assistance programs is currently live until February 2.

The auction offers collectibles from many of the nominees including George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Brad Pitt, Betty White, and the casts of “30 Rock,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “Breaking Bad,” “The Descendants,” “Dexter,” “Game of Thrones,” “Glee,” “Modern Family” and more. Also going under the hammer are amazing vacations, one-of-a-kind experiences, set-visits, celebrity meet-and–greets, and premium items from the networks, the studios, and the show’s sponsors.

The SAG Awards has had a long history of championing the SAG Foundation’s philanthropic, humanitarian, and educational programs. Bidding commences at 6pm PT. The auction will run for seven days, and it will conclude at 6pm PT on February 2, 2012 at www.sagawards.org/auction.

Stars Take On 8 For Charity

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:15:00 +0000

The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) and Broadway Impact are proud to announce an all-star cast for the West Coast premiere of “8,” a play chronicling the historic trial in the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8, written by Academy Award-winning screenwriter and AFER Founding Board Member Dustin Lance Black and directed by acclaimed actor and director and AFER Founding Board Member Rob Reiner.

“8” is an unprecedented account of the Federal District Court trial in Perry v. Schwarzenegger (now Perry v. Brown), the case filed by AFER to overturn Proposition 8, which stripped gay and lesbian Californians of the fundamental freedom to marry.

Black, who penned the Academy Award-winning feature film Milk and the new critically-acclaimed film J. Edgar, based “8” on the actual words of the trial transcripts, first-hand observations of the courtroom drama and interviews with the plaintiffs and their families.

Stars Help Honor Sean Penn's Work In Haiti

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:30:00 +0000

A host of stars were out in Beverly Hills in the weekend to celebrate Sean Penn and his work with the J/P Haitian Relief Organization.

A swag of celebrities – including Leonardo DiCaprio, Julia Roberts, Kim Kardashian, Mel Gibson, Orlando Bloom, George Clooney, Demi Moore, Diane Lane, Josh Brolin, Petra Nemcova, Emily Watson, Hilary Swank, Harvey Weinstein, James Gandolfini, Rumor Willis and many more – turned out at the Montage Hotel on Saturday to watch Penn be awarded the Cinema For Peace Honorary Award for his work in Haiti.

The event also featured a huge celebrity charity auction that saw one of Angelina Jolie’s rings go under the hammer for $60,000. Damien Rice bought one of Bono’s guitars for $475,000, and Julia Roberts’ husband, Danny Moder, forked out $50,000 for the chance to work with Penn in Haiti.

George Clooney To Present Sean Penn With Critics' Choice Charity Award

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:30:00 +0000

The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) has announced that renowned actor and humanitarian Sean Penn will be presented with the fifth annual Joel Siegel Award at the 17th annual Critics’ Choice Movie Awards. The award will be presented by fellow actor and 13-time Critics’ Choice Award nominee George Clooney.

The ceremony will air live on VH1 on Thursday, January 12 at 8:00 PM ET/PT.

Given annually, this special award pays homage to beloved “Good Morning America” film critic and BFCA member Joel Siegel, who lost his long struggle with cancer in June 2007. It seeks to honor those who understand, as Joel did, that the greatest value of celebrity is as an enhanced platform to do good works for others.

George Clooney Shows Support For Clinton Foundation

Fri, 30 Dec 2011 14:45:00 +0000

George Clooney has put his name to a special message from the Clinton Foundation.

“I’ve seen how just one person can change a community,” he writes. "A farmer who sells his crops at a fair price can earn enough income to send his daughter to school. That means she can fulfill her dream of becoming a nurse, and later return home with the skills to save lives in her community.

“That’s precisely what the Clinton Foundation is accomplishing in places like Rwanda, where one program improved harvests 240% – providing 30,000 people with food and thousands of farmers with additional income.

Kate Winslet's Celebrity Friends Wear The Golden Hat For Autism

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:30:00 +0000

Kate Winslet will be releasing a special book to benefit her autism charity, the Golden Hat Foundation, in April 2012, and has called on some of her famous friends to help.

The book features a collection of stunning self-portraits from celebrities and cultural luminaries, all wearing a “magical” hat to support autism awareness and outreach.

Winslet has amassed a collection of photos from an amazing array of her friends and renowned personalities who have donned this special hat, taken a self portrait, and passed the hat along from one person to another. Among the participants whose photos are featured in the book are George Clooney, Anna Wintour, Ben Stiller, Brigitte Lacombe, Christina Aguilera, David Souffan, Demi Moore, Don Cheadle, Elijah Wood, Ellen Page, Javier Bardem, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Jude Law, Julianne Moore, Kevin Bacon, Kyra Sedgwick, Laura Dern, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Maria Sharapova, Marion Cottillard, Meryl Streep, Michael Kors, Naomi Watts, Pedro Almodovar, Peter Sarsgaard, Ricky Gervais and many, many more.

DoSomething.org Announces Top 20 Celebs Gone Good 2011

Tue, 27 Dec 2011 14:45:00 +0000

DoSomething.org, one of the largest U.S. organizations that helps teens take action on causes they care about, released today its fourth annual ‘Top 20 Celebs Gone Good’ list.

Lady Gaga continues her reign as the star who uses her celebrity to do the most good. Known for her support of gay rights, AIDS, and poverty, she focused primarily this year on bullying, even taking her thoughts to the White House in December. She also announced the creation of her own charity, the Born This Way Foundation, which aims to empower youth and lead them to a brave new society where each individual is accepted and loved as the person they were born to be.

Making a meteoric rise to number two this year is Justin Bieber, up from number 10 last year. His fast rise is due to his prolific work with Pencils of Promise, an organization that builds schools in Laos and Guatemala. Justin is also a consistent supporter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, raised funds for charity with his fragrance and holiday album, and recently distributed $100,000 to Whitney Elementary School in Las Vegas.

George Clooney's Signed Jacket Up For Auction To Benefit RFK Center

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:30:00 +0000

Celebrities spanning the worlds of politics, sports and entertainment have joined together for The Robert F. Kennedy Center’s annual Ripple of Hope Holiday Auction.

Icons including Madeleine Albright and George Clooney have donated exclusive experiences and VIP access to raise funds for the organization’s integral human rights work. Bidding is currently live and runs through December 15th at leading charity auction site charitybuzz.com at www.charitybuzz.com/RFKHoliday2011.

Michael Moore, Martin Sheen, Mark Hamill and many more celebrities have donated exclusive experiences to raise funds for the 42-year-old organization dedicated to providing an ongoing base of support to human rights defenders around the world. Additional notable participants include: Jenna Fischer, George Clooney, Rosie Perez, Debra Messing, Bill Maher, Michael Lombardi, John Starks, Ray Romano, James Earl Jones, Chris Matthews, Marc Summers, Florence Henderson, Kate Mulgrew, Jay Leno, Joe Scarborough, Steve Case, Robert Wolf, Austan Goolsbee, Paul Volcker, Mort Zuckerman and Dr. Madeleine Albright, with more A-listers joining the auction each day.

George Clooney Joins Celebrity Speakers At Leadership Forum

Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:30:00 +0000

George Clooney, Martha Stewart and Russell Simmons will be in Sydney, Australia, in December as part of the 2011 Global Leadership Forum.

The one-day seminar will give businesses and employees the opportunity to discuss future trends, brand management, business strategy and growth, technology and how to inspire people.

Clooney will talk on the power of collaboration. For the past five years, George Clooney has been working behind the scenes in the effort to help Southern Sudan. Newsweek recently labelled him a “Twenty-first century statesman”. Using the business acumen he’s acquired in Hollywood, together with his celebrity, George co- founded the Satellite Sentinel Project (SSP) which is an unprecedented collaboration between Not On Our Watch, the ENOUGH Project, Google, the United Nations UNITAR Operational Satellite Applications Programme (UNOSAT), DigitalGlobe, the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, and Trellon, LLC. And through this powerful collaboration he has been able to achieve exponential results.

Bono And Celebrity Friends Lead PSA Against Famine

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:29:00 +0000

Bono has recruited some of his celebrity friends – including George Clooney, Jessica Alba and Joe Jonas for a new charity PSA aimed at raising awareness about the famine in East Africa.

“Drought, violence and political instability have invited in the grim reaper on a scale we have not seen in 20 years… more than 30,000 children have died in just three months,” he writes in The Huffington Post. "The pictures from Dadaab look like a nightmare from centuries past. Yet, this is the 21st century and these pictures are real and, on the whole, unseen. The food crisis in the Horn of Africa is nothing short of a humanitarian catastrophe, but it is getting less attention than the latest Hollywood break-ups and make-ups.

“ONE’s new film The F Word: Famine is the Real Obscenity isn’t a typical emotional emergency appeal. It’s about focusing the media spotlight on the tragedy unfolding. It’s about building political support in the US and around the world for interventions that will stop the suffering today and break the cycle of famine in the future. Most of all, it’s about taking action — because famine is man-made.

Actress Rashida Jones teams up with International Rescue Committee

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 08:20:00 +0000

NEW YORK – Actress Rashida Jones has become an IRC Voice—joining other prominent young artists who use their voices to spotlight the critical needs of refugees and others uprooted by violence and natural disasters, the International Rescue Committee has announced.

Jones recently returned from Thailand, where she visited IRC humanitarian aid programs for tens of thousands of refugees from Myanmar (Burma) – her first trip as an IRC Voice.

“It was great to see the IRC in action – delivering health care and water to refugees who would otherwise have no access to these basic services,” says Jones.

George Clooney's Satellite Sentinel Project Finds Mass Graves In Sudan

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:30:00 +0000

George Clooney’s Satellite Sentinel Project (SSP) has revealed visual evidence of mass graves in South Kordofan, which corroborates new eyewitness reports, obtained by SSP, of systematic killings and mass burials in this conflict-torn region of Sudan. The evidence found by SSP is consistent with allegations that the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and northern militias have engaged in a campaign of killing civilians.

Based on Harvard Humanitarian Initiative’s analysis of DigitalGlobe satellite imagery and eyewitness reports, SSP has identified a site in Kadugli consistent with three mass graves. SSP’s new evidence corroborates four, independent eyewitness accounts that SAF, northern militias and other forces aligned with the Government of Sudan (GoS) are present inKadugli and are alleged to be methodically searching houses for civilians. The four eyewitnesses claim that the SAF and GoS-aligned forces are systematically killing those suspected of supporting the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and others.

“This evidence demonstrates the urgent need for a full-scale international investigation into the violence in South Kordofan, and underlines the imperative to protect civilian populations from their own government in Khartoum,” said ENOUGH Project Co-founder John Prendergast, who co-founded SSP with George Clooney after they traveled together to South Sudan in October 2010. “With all the killing that has occurred in Darfur, Abyei and the Nuba Mountains, we surely can’t say we didn’t know this could happen. Diplomacy as usual backed by no tangible international pressures is a recipe for ongoing death and destruction. The time has arrived for the international community to create a heavy cost for the kinds of crimes depicted in this report, and root that cost within the framework of the international responsibility to protect doctrine.”

George Clooney's Satellite Sentinel Project Releases New Visual Evidence Of Sudan War Crimes

Mon, 30 May 2011 15:30:00 +0000

The Satellite Sentinel Project (SSP) has released new visual evidence that the Government of Sudan has committed grave violations of the Geneva Conventions and other war crimes, some of which may also constitute crimes against humanity.

The totality of evidence from satellites and ground sources points to state-sponsored ethnic cleansing of much of the contested Abyei region, says SSP. The evidence is being conveyed to the International Criminal Court and the UN Security Council.

Celebrity Guests To Hit Cannes For AIDS Charity

Wed, 18 May 2011 15:30:00 +0000

The annual amfAR Cinema Against AIDS Gala will hit Cannes tomorrow, May 19, with some very special guests.

Janet Jackson, Brooke Shields, Gwen Stefani, Michelle Yeoh, Milla Jovovich and Patrick Dempsey are expected to be among the guests during the event at the 64th annual Cannes International Film Festival. Other event chairs include amfAR Chairman Kenneth Cole, amfAR Global Fundraising Chair Sharon Stone, Karl Lagerfeld and Donatella Versace.

The annual star-studded event at the Hotel Du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France, will include a formal dinner and a world-renowned live auction, all to benefit amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research. As in previous years, Harvey Weinstein will recruit talent from the room to help with the live auction.

Charlize Theron, Penelope Cruz and Many More Design Charity Gifts

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 14:45:00 +0000

21st Century Leaders and celebrities including Sir Roger Moore, Dame Vivienne Westwood, Nicole Kidman, Penelope Cruz, Donna Karan and Charlize Theron have created items that can help spread Cupid’s message while treating your loved ones to a special limited edition Valentine’s gift that shows you really care – for them and the planet!

The items are available through Whatever It Takes, a unique artwork campaign launched by 21st Century Leaders Foundation which has raised over $4 million dollars for over 50 charities. You can visit their shop at whateverittakes.org to view their range of ethically-produced celebrity-designed gifts.

George Clooney In Southern Sudan For Historic Referendum

Sun, 09 Jan 2011 20:45:00 +0000

George Clooney was in Southern Sudan on Saturday to help raise awareness of the region’s historic independence referendum, which began on January 9.

The star – who is a UN Messenger of Peace and is well known for his work in Darfur and the Sudan – has met with President Barack Obama twice about conflict in the region, and recently launched the Satellite Sentinel Project, which uses satellite imagery analysis and crowd-sourced mapping to monitor the tense border between North and South Sudan.

“Our job is trying to keep this on the front burner of the news,” Clooney told The Associated Press. "I’m the son of newsman. I understand how hard it is to keep stories on the front of news, and sometimes entertainment and news can be meshed together if you do it properly.

George Clooney's Message To Stop The War

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Earlier today, LookToTheStars.org brought you a story about George Clooney’s new initiative to bring peace to Sudan through www.satsentinel.org. He has released this personal message – with John Prendergast – on what he hopes to achieve.

“A new state is being born in Southern Sudan against a backdrop of decades of war between the South and North of Sudan. A peace deal in 2005 ended the latest round of open conflict, but the possibility of a return to war remains high as Southern Sudan prepares for independence.

“One of the biggest risks in this dangerous moment is that an incident on the highly armed border could lead to wider conflict. The government in Khartoum has armed militias in contested bordering regions, the government air force has bombed border areas, and both sides have massed military units and equipment along the hottest border spots.

George Clooney Teams With Google To Stop War In Sudan

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 13:00:00 +0000

A new human rights project — initiated by George Clooney — will combine satellite imagery analysis and field reports with Google’s Map Maker technology to deter the resumption of war between North and South Sudan.

Launched this week, the Satellite Sentinel Project will use satellite imagery analysis and crowd-sourced mapping to monitor the tense border between North and South Sudan.

Oil-rich southern Sudan will vote next month in a referendum on independence from the rest of Sudan. Analysts say that this could plunge the country back into civil war and may spark the world’s next genocide.

George Clooney And Friends Support We Want Peace Campaign

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 15:30:00 +0000

London-based former Sudanese child soldier, political advocate and hip-hop recording artist Emmanuel Jal is spearheading a political awareness campaign supported by George Clooney, Alicia Keys, Kofi Annan, Richard Branson and Peter Gabriel. The singer launched the digital download single “We Want Peace” on Monday 13th December 2010.

The song will be available to download from all leading digital download retailers or from the official website www.we-want-peace.com. Emmanuel Jal is encouraging people around the world to visit the official website, to become ‘peace soldiers’ and sign a peace awareness petition that will call for a timely, free and fair referendum in Southern Sudan and equality, freedom, and justice for all Sudanese.

“The main objective is for supporters from around the world to visit the official “We Want Peace” website and sign up to become ‘Peace Soldiers’," says Jal.

George Clooney’s Endgame In Sudan Video Is Released

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Not On Our Watch and the ENOUGH Project’s new Endgame in Sudan short video was released last week, in which George Clooney appears on the ground in southern Sudan, where he visited earlier this year.

The film is the latest effort of the “Stop a War Before It Starts” campaign, which is gaining momentum and getting some high-level attention, including from US President Obama. Viewers are asked to go to www.SudanActionNow.org to join a rally, fundraiser and/or sign a petition to ask world leaders to negotiate a peace between northern and southern Sudan before a referendum on independence is held there in January. Without international diplomacy to help lay the groundwork, Clooney believes that a renewed war and humanitarian disaster is probable, since 2.5 million people were killed in the last north-south war.

“Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir is an indicted war criminal,” says the video.

Celebrate George Clooney's Charity Honor With Celebrity Auction

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 15:30:00 +0000

George Clooney was honored for his charity work at a celebrity-studded event in New York City this week.

The Ripple Of Hope Awards, held at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan, were presented by the RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights. Clooney’s award recognized his work as a UN Messenger of Peace and his work in Darfur.

To celebrate the Ripple of Hope Awards, the organization is holding a special online celebrity charity auction, featuring lots such as dinner with Kevin Spacey, the chance to meet Andrea Bocelli, VIP tickets to see Ray Romano live in Las Vegas, dinner with Mario Batali, a meet-and-greet with Kevin Bacon, Luciano Pavarotti’s cufflinks, George Clooney’s slippers and much more.

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.

George Clooney Tries To Prevent A Potential Genocide

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 12:30:00 +0000

“If you had had the opportunity three months ahead of time to prevent Darfur’s genocide, what would you have done?” So asks George Clooney in a Washington Post op-ed last month.

This is part of Clooney’s ongoing efforts to prevent a repeat of the last war and genocide that took place in Darfur earlier this decade, which he sees as inevitable without international intervention. The circumstances are the same – northern Sudan does not want to give up oil-rich southern Sudan, and will resort to obscene measures of intimidation to prevent such an event: unspeakable atrocities which include genocide.

What’s different this time is that we can see it coming – there will be a referendum in January for southern Sudanese to vote for independence, which Clooney says they surely will if it’s held freely and fairly, but will surely beget another war if no one intervenes. The Dinka residents of Abyei, a southern town that was burned to the ground two years ago while hundreds of their people were murdered, are not prepared to give up their land and are determined to fight for it if necessary.