Look To The Stars News: Mia Farrow

Orlando Bloom Becomes UNICEF Ambassador

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Actor Orlando Bloom has been appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in recognition of his commitment to the rights of children around the world.

“Advocacy from UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors helps build momentum to improve the lives of children around the world,” said UNICEF Executive Director, Ann M. Veneman. “We are proud to have Orlando Bloom as one of the strong voices for vulnerable children.”

Bloom has already seen the work UNICEF is doing in Nepal, Russia, and Sarajevo. And he is committed to supporting UNICEF’s efforts: “I look forward to working with UNICEF as they continue to make the world a better place for children.”

Bloom said he wants to be an active Ambassador for the children’s organization. He will follow in the footsteps of such luminaries as Audrey Hepburn, Danny Kaye, Shakira, Sir Roger Moore, David Beckham, Jackie Chan, Mia Farrow, Vanessa Redgrave and many others. These ambassadors devote their time to raising awareness of UNICEF, and influencing global policy on behalf of children around the world.

Bloom has supported UNICEF’s work since 2007, when he first visited schools in the remote western districts of Kaski and Chitwan, two of the poorest areas of Nepal. He was able to see how UNICEF’s water and sanitation programmes benefit local families. In Nepal, Orlando spoke about the importance of education; and when asked by the children, he agreed to perform a small role in their local school radio production.

Bloom went to Nepal again in June 2008 to see how UNICEF and its partners are working to provide clean water for children and families. He has also visited the Krasnoselsky centre in Moscow, a shelter for children from economically vulnerable families.

“UNICEF doesn’t just deliver humanitarian aid, which is what they are known for all over the world,” he said. “They also educate and provide tools which help women and children face challenges specific to their own lives. I responded to how UNICEF works as much as I did to the work itself. I look forward to learning more and to supporting UNICEF any way I can.”

Mia Farrow Takes Message Of Hope To Cameroon

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:00:00 -0000

The internationally acclaimed actress and humanitarian activist Mia Farrow arrived in Cameroon on Sunday with a message of hope for some of the most disadvantaged children in the country.

A priority for the UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador during her week long visit will be to travel to communities in the East, where there are over 60,000 Central African refugees, and the Langui Camp where there are more than 3,000 refugees who fled from Chad last year.

“UNICEF has asked me to add my voice to the call for urgent action in Cameroon to tackle the problem of child malnutrition which UNICEF sees as a silent emergency,” said Mia Farrow. “Most of the world probably knows little about this humanitarian crisis which threatens the lives of children under five years of age. When I get there I hope to be able to tell them they will be heard, and do my best to make sure that more will be done for them.”

Many of the refugees in Cameroon are being hosted by local communities, who themselves are desperately poor and vulnerable. A key consequence is high rates of child malnutrition according to the UNICEF Representative, Ora Musu Clemens-Hope.

“The refugees have been generously supported by communities in one of the poorest parts of Cameroon. The Government and agencies such as UNICEF, [”UNHCR":http://www.looktothestars.org/charity/5-unhcr], and the World Food Programme have been working hard to alleviate conditions and provide for basic needs, but we are seeing alarming rates of malnutrition and more funding is urgently needed."

There are around 280,000 refugees in Cameroon from both the Central African Republic and Chad. Amongst the displaced and host communities, UNICEF is working to combat disease and cut child mortality, while working to provide clean water, decent sanitation and education.

Upon her arrival in Cameroon, Ms. Farrow will hear from government ministers as well as the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and First Lady.

Ms. Farrow was appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in September 2000. As a powerful advocate for children, she campaigns tirelessly for their rights around the world, with a special focus on children impacted by armed conflict. Ms. Farrow has worked extensively to raise funds and awareness for children whose lives have been affected by violence in countries such as Angola, Chad, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Nigeria and Sudan.

Celebrities Raise Hope For Congo

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Linda St Cyr

Selena Gomez, star of Disney Channels Wizards of Waverly Place, is busy with many other stars in the hope of raising awareness for the Congo. They are doing so through charity events and fundraising efforts for RAISE Hope For Congo.

RAISE Hope For Congo is hoping to raise awareness about the violence perpetuated against Congolese women, increase news coverage and protect and empower women in the Congo.

Selena Gomez is just one of the many stars becoming an activist for RAISE Hope. Robin Wright Penn is another activist for RAISE Hope. Her moving letter is printed on RAISE’s website and details why she involved herself in the campaign to end the violence against Congolese women and girls. Other stars who have become activists include Mia Farrow, Emile Hirsch, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Javier Bardem, Joel Madden and many more.

RAISE Hope For Congo wants to raise awareness but would also like to wipe out sexual violence, torture and other atrocities by using the 4P method; Peace, Protection, Punishment and Prevention. This is the four ingredients needed to stop the massive violence happening in the Domestic Republic of the Congo.

The motto of RAISE Hope For Congo – which is an initiative of the ENOUGH Project – is “Enough is Enough! Congo is not hopeless. There are solutions. Together, we can stop the violence. Where there is hope there can be peace.”

Mandy Moore Returns From Charity Trip To Africa

Wed, 13 May 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Singer and actress Mandy Moore has just returned from her first trip to Africa, where she handed out malaria nets for Population Services International.

“It was a humanitarian trip to southern Sudan and I’d never been to Africa before and I absolutely fell in love,” she told WENN. "I was like, ‘I want to see the entire continent.’

“Although the Sudan is not a vacation hot spot, I fell in love with the people and their spirit; I was blown away by everything and I’m ready to begin traveling in that sense. I’m going to start working with this organization, called PSI (Population Services International) and they’re like this organization that works in, like, 65 different countries around the world.

“Through that, I’ll be able to see different countries and I’ll be able to use this position that I’ve been given and this power, I guess, and this platform to raise awareness for things that mean something to me.

“I’m going to be working on this thing called Five & Alive which is about helping children around the world in impoverished countries reach the age of five, so combating malaria and cholera and all water-borne diseases.

“I got to hand out the first of three million malaria nets. It was an incredible trip. It had a profound effect on me.”

Moore also talked about her support for Mia Farrow’s recent hunger strike to raise awareness of problems in the African nation.

“She has been an incredible humanitarian and she has dedicated her life to the cause. [The hunger strike] was a bit extreme but there are lots of other ways we can help.”

Richard Branson Takes Over Hunger Strike For Darfur

Mon, 11 May 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actress and activist Mia Farrow has ended her hunger strike to raise awareness over atrocities in Darfur, but is passing the torch to Richard Branson, who has taken over her fast for three days.

A spokesman for the actress said her health had deteriorated after 12 days, and her doctor requested that she end her liquids-only fast. But she asked British billionaire Branson to take over the fast for three days over the weekend.

“We all need to stand up and demand that international aid is restored and that the people of Darfur are protected and given the chance to live in peace,” said Branson.

Farrow’s hunger strike was part of Genocide Prevention Month, and attracted the support of George Clooney. The 64-year-old said the strike was “a personal expression of outrage at a world that is somehow able to stand by and watch innocent men, women and children needlessly die of starvation, thirst and disease.”

“I’m honored to be taking over the fast for the next three days from Mia Farrow in her courageous stance to support the people of Darfur,” said Branson. “Over a year and a half ago, I traveled to Darfur and was horrified by the stories that people of all ages shared with us. Young children had watched their entire family get killed and then had to survive on their own in unimaginable conditions. I was humbled and inspired by the courage of the Darfuri people and the commitment of the aid organizations that were working on the frontlines. Now, with 13 aid organizations expelled from the country, over 1m people are at grave risk. We cannot stand and watch as 1m people suffer.”

To follow the hunger strike and lend your support, visit the Fast For Darfur website.

George Clooney Supports Mia Farrow's Hunger Strike For Darfur

Tue, 05 May 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Actress Mia Farrow began a 21-day hunger strike on 27 April to force the spotlight on the dire situation in Dafur.

Frustrated at the continued inattention to the plight of millions, she stated that she began her fast of water “in solidarity with the people of Darfur and as a personal expression of outrage at a world that is somehow able to stand by and watch innocent men, women and children needlessly die of starvation, thirst and disease.”

Actor George Clooney, who has also campaigned for a political solution to the Dafur situation, supports Farrow’s attempt to bring some serious attention to it. So far, Farrow is feeling hungry but good, and is still able to post daily reports on her website

“I have a doctor coming to see me on Monday,” she says on her Day Four video blog. “The people [in Darfur refugee camps] have no doctors because [”Doctors Without Borders":http://www.looktothestars.org/charity/208-doctors-without-borders] has been expelled. I have clean water that I can drink, and people there don’t have clean water because Oxfam isn’t there to repair the well pumps and the well pumps are breaking."

She is concerned that camp food stores are dwindling, that aid workers are unable to deliver what there is from Port Sudan to some camps and that latrines are overflowing, which could lead to disease.

However, she is grateful for the support she has been getting: “Some people are interested in how I am doing, but we need to be thinking of Darfur’s people. If my hunger brings focus to where it belongs, if more people know what is happening in Darfur and will raise their voices, then what I am going through now is well worth it.”

Mia Farrow To Hunger Strike For Darfur

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actress and human rights activist Mia Farrow has threatened to start a hunger strike today in a bid to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in war-torn Darfur and Sudan.

“I undertake this fast in the heartfelt hope that world leaders who know what is just and right will call upon the Government of Sudan to urgently readmit all of the expelled agencies,” she told People magazine. “I am going to get my blood tested after two weeks and if there is organ damage, I will have to stop.”

Farrow was moved to begin the hunger strike as part of Genocide Prevention Month, after the Sudanese government expelled international aid agencies from the country last month. The 64-year-old said the strike is “a personal expression of outrage at a world that is somehow able to stand by and watch innocent men, women and children needlessly die of starvation, thirst and disease.”

To find out more about Genocide Prevention Month, visit the official website.

BBC Interviews LookToTheStars.org Founder

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:45:00 -0000

LookToTheStars.org founder Myrlia Purcell was invited by the BBC’s World Today show to take part in a radio interview on the subject of celebrity philanthropy.

Myrlia explains what the site is trying to accomplish, and responds to the suggestion that celebrities undertake charity work mainly for publicity.

The segment includes soundbites from George Clooney, Angelina Jolie, Mia Farrow, and other celebrities mentioned include Paris Hilton, Forest Whitaker, John Hurt, Natalie Portman, Samuel L. Jackson, Lucy Liu, and Run DMC frontman Darryl McDaniels and his Felix Organization.

Audio: BBC World Today interview (approx. 4 mins).

Angelina Jolie Tops Celebrity Charity Poll

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Angelina Jolie has been voted top celebrity humanitarian for the second year running in a Reuters AlertNet poll.

The actress received almost a third of the votes in the poll for her charity work this year, which included a $100,000 grant to Global Action for Children, a $1 million donation to Human Rights Watch, another $1 million to to four organizations working with children who have lost parents and homes in Iraq, $2 million towards a new children’s hospital in Ethiopia, and a trip to Afghanistan to visit poverty-stricken refugees who have returned to their homes.

“She manages to raise the issues on the plight of refugees and IDPs in ways that are very human, simple but poignant,” said UNHCR spokeswoman Marie-Noelle Little-Boyer. “I’m not surprised she won. She has a way of reaching people that is something particular to her. I think she is so moved by the situation herself that it really comes from the heart.”

Second place in the internet poll went to Mia Farrow, who protested for Darfur, visited storm-ravaged Haiti, and called for help in The Congo. Third place was scoped by Bono, who was awarded the Man Of Peace Award by Nobel Peace Prize laureates.

To read some of the views of the people who voted in the poll, click here.

Celebrities Blog In The New Year For UNICEF

Wed, 31 Dec 2008 16:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

For the final 12 days of 2008, UNICEF’s celebrity ambassadors and supporters have been blogging on their site about the impact UNICEF Inspired Gifts are having on children around the world.

“Thanks to lifesaving vaccines, measles is mostly history in our country,” wrote Al Roker. "But in working with UNICEF, I was shocked to learn that this terrible disease still affects hundreds of thousands of children every year. In fact, it steals the future of 540 children around the world every day.

“Not one child should die needlessly, and UNICEF is giving us a chance to help those remaining few whose lives could be saved with simple vaccines. For just $26.30, you can give the gift of health to children in need, providing 100 doses of anti-measles vaccination. This year, let’s celebrate the New Year together by resolving to make measles a thing of the past.”

UNICEF Ambassador Lucy Liu, who was recently honored with the prestigious Danny Kaye Humanitarian Award in recognition of her tireless work on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable children, also took part.

“Of the 25,000 children who die every day from preventable causes, many of those children lack the most basic nourishment needed to survive,” she wrote. "On my recent trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo, I witnessed firsthand how something so simple could save so many lives.

“High-energy/protein biscuits (a kind of nutritious “cookies”) were specially developed to help children in emergency situations and are crucial to their survival. For only $40.26 you can purchase two cartons of biscuits, full of the vitamins and micronutrients needed to improve children’s health and prevent them from developing severe malnutrition, which can be deadly."

Tea Leoni – a board member of the US Fund for Unicef – had this to say: "A mother will always do whatever it takes to protect her child from danger. And no mother would intentionally put her child in harms way. Yet every minute of every day, somewhere in the world, a child dies of AIDS-related causes and another child becomes infected with HIV—usually contracted during pregnancy, labor or delivery.

“Your gift of $100.00 will provide 100 HIV/AIDS tests so expecting mothers can be sure they are doing whatever it takes to save their child.”

Other stars to blog on the UNICEF site include Benji Madden and Joel Madden from Good Charlotte, Nicole Richie, Mia Farrow, Ne-Yo, Marcus Samuelsson, and Alyssa Milano. The full celebrity blogs can be read here.

Mia Farrow Calls For Help In The Congo

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow, who’s just returned from a three day visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, urged all armed groups in North Kivu to allow aid organizations to provide life saving assistance to women and children.

Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, Farrow said because of the violence in many areas, aid workers were facing huge challenges and were frustrated because they were unable to access thousands of people in need.

“Aid workers themselves are not safe yet they are doing heroic work under a very difficult situation,” she explained. “They are deeply concerned about those they cannot reach, particularly the most vulnerable: the women and children. All armed groups must give aid workers immediate and complete humanitarian access.”

Since August this year, fighting between government forces and rebel groups have forced more than 250,000 people to flee their homes, contributing to the one million already displaced in eastern Congo.

Last week the actress spent three days in North Kivu, eastern DRC. Whilst there she visited camps for the internally displaced in Kiwandja and Kibati and UNICEF supported health and therapeutic feeding centres in Shasha and Kanyabayonga. She also went into villages where she spoke to women and children many of whom had been raped, beaten and forced from their homes.

“What is unfolding in DRC is one of the worst situations I have ever encountered,” she said. “In their own homes, people are raped, tortured, mutilated and abducted. All ordinary ways of life have been disrupted. People can’t farm, don’t have access to their land, there is no way to get food, children can’t go to school for fear of being raped or abducted. It’s a dire situation.”

Farrow also visited a centre where more than two hundred former child soldiers, including three girls, were being protected and cared for. She said that after speaking with families, mothers, women and children, she discovered that what most of them wanted was protection and peace.

“In an atmosphere of complete impunity, multiple armed groups are on a rampage, committing the most barbaric atrocities against women and children. The international community needs to be vigorous in pursuing a halt to the fighting and a restoration of the rule of law,” she concluded

Mia Farrow Visits Storm-Ravaged Haiti

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actress Mia Farrow has made a humanitarian visit to Haiti to visit victims of the recent devestating storms.

The trip – organized by UNICEF – will last from September 19 to 23, and will take the 63-year-old actress to projects in Gonaïves, Cite-Soleil, and Cabaret, all affected by heavy flooding.

“I saw a city mostly submerged in deep mud [and] people still stranded on roof tops,” said the actress after her visit to Gonaïves, by far the worst area affected by the storms, with an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 people in temporary shelters according to local Civil Protection. “Other people are still living in school and in a church. There is a sense of confusion, loss and anger. The people in the shelters had not eaten for days, [there is] not enough water coming – of course there is in no sanitation of any kind.”

Four successive hurricanes have pounded the country since August 16 and affected more than 800,000 people. Cities like Gonaïves remain partly flooded where relocated families wait for the filthy water to recede and to discover what is left of their homes. UNICEF is providing potable water, hygiene kits, water purification tablets, oral rehydration salts, blankets, school kits, and additional items to help women and children in need. They are also providing school furniture and school kits to help get children back into school by October 6.

“My hope is to be a good steward of this information, to take this message to the United States and the international community with the hope that the conscience of the world will respond,” said Farrow.

Farrow’s visit follows a similar trip by Matt Damon and Wyclef Jean earlier this month.

Mia Farrow To Discuss Political Rights Of Women

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actress Mia Farrow is to attend a special seminar next week to discuss the political-rights crises faced by women in Thailand and Burma.

The seminar – to be held in Thailand’s Chiang Mai University on July 21 – will be led by Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams, and will feature female activists from all around the world. Organized by the Nobel Women’s Initiative, the seminar will cover a range of issues relating to the treatment of women in the political arena, and will include video testimony from Aung San Suu Kyi, the 1991 Nobel Peace Laureate who has been under house arrest in Burma.

“We don’t have such a special event very often in Thailand, let alone Chiang Mai, so I do hope that it will create interest, more understanding and support for women’s causes,” said Virada Somswasdi, president of the Foundation for Women, Law and Rural Development. “The efforts of NWI members and other women involved in the delegation to Thailand are not only to keep alive the issues of peace with justice and equality, which include violence against women and the crisis of political rights, but also to highlight the importance of a just and peaceful global community for women.”

Organizers hope the seminar will promote the unseen work of women in local governments in Thailand and Burma, and give them a chance to speak out.

Other well known activists expected to attend include labor rights activist Qing Zhang from China and Dr Sima Samar from Afghanistan.

Pitt and Jolie Among Time's Most Influential People

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:30:24 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

TIME magazine placed Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie together in 21st place in its latest annual list of the world’s most influential people, and George Clooney stepped up to write a glowing tribute.

Jolie and Pitt were among the “Heroes and Pioneers” of the list, and the couple’s friend summarises the reasons for their selection:

“There are hundreds of people who could be honored for their good works, but I’ve seen Brad and Angelina firsthand, and their commitment together is truly impressive.”

Clooney praised the pair’s concrete and personal actions, saying, “They brought help to Pakistan in 2005, after a catastrophic earthquake killed tens of thousands of people and left millions homeless. They have tended to the poor and sick in Africa. And they’ve raised global awareness — and contributed $1 million of their own money—for the victims of atrocities in Darfur.”

Pitt and Clooney co-founded Not On Our Watch to address the Darfur crisis, and Clooney was obviously impressed by the charitable integrity his friends demonstrated in helping with the Hurricane Katrina aftermath: “They actually moved to New Orleans and have set about trying to make right what so many have made wrong. Brad established a project [[”Make It Right":http://www.looktothestars.org/charity/859-make-it-right]] to finance and build 150 new homes in the Ninth Ward."

Similarly proud of charity poster child Jolie, Clooney writes, “Angelina has worked tirelessly through the United Nations on behalf of refugees around the world, touring border camps in Africa, Asia and Latin America and lobbying on Capitol Hill.”

Other celebrities noted in the TIME 100 list for their philanthropy include Oprah (with a tribute written by Michelle Obama), Mia Farrow (for her work with UNICEF and more), Andre Agassi (with a tribute by Andy Roddick), and Lance Armstrong (at position 26).

Celebrities Bring Attention To UN Efforts

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 08:11:03 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

With the press watching their every move, more and more stars are making their moves count by sharing the spotlight with United Nations missions.

In the past months alone, actress Drew Barrymore pledged $1 million to the United Nations’ World Food Program to bring attention to rising food prices; actress and Avon Global Ambassador Reese Witherspoon began raising money for the United Nations Development Fund For Women for education, job training and better laws for underprivileged women; Bono raised an impressive $42 million at his (RED) charity auction for the United Nations Foundation AIDs programs; and actress and UNICEF spokeswoman Salma Hayek promoted her anti-tetanus campaign on Oprah.

Outspoken actress and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Mia Farrow uses her celebrity in ways that politicians might not, relentlessly reminding us of the tragic details of Dafur. Farrow says, “I’m completely free to say anything I want. I have no trade agreements with anyone.”

George Clooney, the latest to be named Messenger of Peace by the United Nations for his efforts in Chad, Congo and Dafur, told ABC News, “I think what they’re looking to gain from [awarding me] is cameras following me to places that they’re trying to get attention to and that’s fine. That’s a good use of celebrity if you ask me.”

Celebrity faces fronting causes may help attract broader attention or raise bigger money more quickly, but it may also do something for the celebrity.

Actress and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie, who is pushing governments to plan an Iraq refugee relief effort, told ABC News, “[Activism] gives celebrity some reason. Celebrity is very weird… So when you’re doing something good and you can bring attention to that or discuss that, then it feels like you have some sense in your life.”

Mia Farrow Blocked From Darfur Peace Rally

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:03:29 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Police have stopped actress Mia Farrow from holding a rally in Cambodia as part of a campaign to end atrocities in Darfur.

Around 100 baton-wielding military police blocked Farrow, who established Fund4Darfur in 2007, and her fellow activists from entering the compound at Tuol Sleng, the Phnom Penh high school at the center of Cambodia’s Killing Fields.

“Darfur has nothing to do with Cambodia,” said Phnom Penh police chief, Touch Naruth. “Go protest in Darfur!”

The group planned to hold a peaceful rally in which they were to lay flowers and light a symbolic Olympic torch in the compound. The event was to follow similar rallies in Chad, Rwanda, Armenia, Germany, and Bosnia as part of a campaign to persuade China to push the Khartoum government in Sudan into ending the violence in Darfur.

“Our hearts are breaking for what happened in Cambodia today,” said Farrow, who is on the advisory committee for the Dream For Darfur campaign. “The Chinese government was trying to prevent us from commemorating the genocide in Cambodia, and denying survivors the chance to show solidarity with the people in Darfur.”

The United Nations is currently trying to deploy a peacekeeping force in Darfur, where international experts say 200,000 people have been killed and more than 2 million driven from their homes during fighting between Sudan’s government and Darfur rebels. China is a major investor in Sudan’s oil industry, and has been accused by lobby groups of breaching international rules and encouraging bloodshed by selling Sudan weapons that have been diverted to Darfur.

“I grieve every day about what is happening now,” said Darfur refugee Omer Ismail, part of the group in Cambodia for the rally. “As we gather here, [there continue] the attacks, the rapes, the systematic murder of innocent men, women, and children.”

The Cambodian government has threatened Farrow and her supporters with deportation and other unspecified “consequences”.

In other news relating to Darfur, George Clooney has been named as a United Nations Messenger of Peace by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Clooney is the ninth UN Messenger, and joins Michael Douglas, Jane Goodall, Muhammad Ali, and Vijay Amritraj in helping to expand understanding of how the ideals and objectives of the UN demand everyone’s attention.

UN spokeswoman Michele Montas said Clooney had been “recognized for focusing attention on crucial international political and social issues”, especially in Darfur. Along with fellow actors Don Cheadle and Brad Pitt, Clooney, 46, has used his celebrity status to raise public awareness and money for refugees through their Not On Our Watch initiative.

Clooney is currently visiting the Sudan, and will receive his designation on January 31 at UN headquarters.

Celebrities Offer Support To Darfur

Mon, 10 Dec 2007 11:29:43 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

The Sudanese region of Darfur is benefiting from several new initiatives this month, all designed to raise awareness and money for the war-torn area. And the biggest effort comes from an independent record label that has waded into the music industry to put its money where its mouth is.

Waxploitation, established in 1997 by Jeff Antebi, is a label for innovative artists that has broken with the tradition of managing “producer/engineers” and instead manages artists as record producers – a huge difference in the industry, and one that has led to a huge shift in industry interests.

But not only are they challenging the way record companies operate, Waxploitation is leading the way with programs to fight poverty and hunger, especially in war-affected Sudan. The label has just released a compilation CD, featuring a host of artists who have donated songs to the effort, which has debuted at number 32 on the iTunes chart and almost sold out its first physical CD printing.

“Causes 1:Darfur” includes songs by The Cure, Travis, Death Cab For Cutie, and Spoon, with all proceeds going to three non-profit organizations: Doctors Without Borders, Human Rights Watch, and Oxfam America.

“This level of attention is not something we were expecting, given how grassroots our marketing efforts have been,” said Jeff Antebi. “But it shows the strength of the fans and artists who participated and the enormous desire to help Darfur. It’s quite telling that on iTunes people have chosen to buy the album, instead of cherry-picking individual songs. That says people are aware of how important the donation is.”

“Causes 1:Darfur” follows the label’s first charity release, “Genocide In Sudan”, and is available from www.waxploitation.com and iTunes for only 90 days to highlight the urgency of the situation.

The label has also hit the news this week by launching its fourth Darfur Benefit Auction, a massive online event that aims to raise money for the 2 million people forced to flee their homes in the wake of conflict in the region.

The auction, which can be viewed on www.ebay.com/causesauction, features a huge range of unique and collectible items, many of them personally signed by celebrities such as Kanye West, Coldplay, Macy Gray, and Gnarls Barkley. Norah Jones, Avril Lavigne, and Nickleback have all signed guitars for the auction, and other items have been donated by Sony, Xbox, Nintendo, Nokia, and Adidas.

Also joining the fight for Darfur this month is Golden Globe winning actress, Mia Farrow. The 62-year-old has launched Fund4Darfur in association with the Aegis Trust, the UK’s leading genocide prevention organization.

“I have visited Darfur seven times since 2004,” said Farrow on the Fund’s new website. “In these visits, I have seen the suffering that the people of Darfur endure. I believe strongly we should work together to give dignity and hope to survivors and enable Aegis to continue its work against genocide.”

Singer Annie Lennox has also lent her support to the initiative, and has donated a track from her new album to be used to promote the Fund.

Fund4Darfur will directly support survivors of Darfur’s ethnic cleansing, and one third of the money raised will be used to fund campaigning for the protection of Darfur’s threatened African population. Donations can be made at www.fund4darfur.org.

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