Look To The Stars News: Amnesty International

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.

Roger Waters Supports Amnesty International On The Wall Live Tour

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Amnesty International has announced that Roger Waters is supporting the organization’s campaigning on the Middle East and North Africa on his forthcoming ‘The Wall Live’ tour.

“It’s very important to me to have Amnesty along on this tour talking about the dramatic events in the Middle East and North Africa,” said the Pink Floyd legend. “In some small way, I want to ensure that people who come to The Wall Live take away a sense that human rights matter and barriers between people and their rights need to be torn down.”

From Amnesty.org: "As a long standing supporter, Roger Waters is backing Amnesty’s campaigning on the region and volunteers will be on hand at the concerts to give out campaigning literature and discuss the issues.

Sting Gets Back To Bass For Amnesty International

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:30:00 +0000

Sting’s latest tour – titled Back To Bass – is providing a platform for Amnesty International to raise awareness on the organization’s campaign against oil pollution and human rights abuse in the Niger Delta region in Nigeria.

“I’ve long admired Amnesty International’s effectiveness, dignity and sense of commitment. We go back a long way and I’m proud to support their work in any way I can.” said Sting.

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.”

Christy Turlington Blogs On Maternal Health

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Christy Turlington Burns visited St Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital in New York – where both her children were born – earlier this month for a special screening of her documentary, No Woman No Cry.

The emotionally charged film follows the stories of women in Tanzania, Bangladesh, Guatemala and the United States as they face critical junctures in their pregnancies. The film explores the barriers millions of women face when trying to access critical care throughout their pregnancies and while delivering, along with the often simple solutions that could save their lives.

“Dr. Jacques Moritz – Director, Gynecology Division, Department of OB/GYN – served as my host for a fascinating conversation that followed about maternal mortality right here at home,” blogged Christy after the screening. "[He cited] Amnesty International’s Deadly Delivery report, which came out in 2010, just a month before NO WOMAN, NO CRY premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. In his presentation Dr. Moritz not only shared some shocking statistics with his colleagues about our national statistics, but also about NYC in particular.

Graham Nash Records Song In Support Of Bradley Manning

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:00:00 +0000

A companion video for “Almost Gone” – a new song by legendary singer-songwriter Graham Nash and musician James Raymond (son of David Crosby) – has been released in support of accused U.S. Army whistleblower Bradley Manning.

The free download is available on Nash’s website and the Bradley Manning Support Network site.

The release is timed to Manning’s first judicial hearing scheduled for December 16th, following more than 17-months in custody, including a year in solitary confinement that Amnesty International has characterized as “harsh and punitive.”

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 Support Troy Davis Ahead Of Execution

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:05:00 +0000

On September 21, the state of Georgia is set to execute Troy Davis in the face of overwhelming evidence that he is innocent, and a number of celebrities are lending him their support through Amnesty USA.

Troy Davis was convicted of murdering a Georgia police officer in 1991. However, the case against him consisted entirely of witness testimony which contained inconsistencies even at the time of the trial. Since then, all but two of the state’s non-police witnesses from the trial have recanted or contradicted their testimony.

Many of these witnesses have stated in sworn affidavits that they were pressured or coerced by police into testifying or signing statements against Troy Davis.

Joan Baez Spearheads Amnesty International Membership Drive

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 14:05:00 +0000

Legendary singer Joan Baez is encouraging people to support Amnesty International this month as part of the organization’s membership drive.

“All my life I’ve felt humbled in the face of the suffering of others,” she says. "It is only that I, by accident of birth, was born in the right place at the right time, and that someone else, not me, huddles in a prison cell, is tortured, and faces the unbearable consequences of having been born in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or, as the legendary Phil Ochs song says, there but for fortune, go you or I.

“Happily for me, I discovered early on that, in the words of Swedish Ambassador Harald Edelstam, “I cannot tolerate injustice.” This inability to tolerate injustice has brought me to the roots of human misery, called me to engage in the fight for the rights, freedoms, and the dignity of others. And in so doing, has helped me to maintain my own dignity.

Forty Years Ago Today - George Harrison's Concert For Bangladesh

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Forty years ago today, George Harrison took to the stage with a host of his celebrity friends for what is regarded as the first large scale multi-artist benefit concert – The Concert For Bangladesh. Look To The Stars Feature Editor Tim Saunders looks back at the climatic and political events that led up to the concert, and the on-going effects the show has had on celebrity charity events.

In early November, 1970, the Beatles were just about to break up and something wasn’t right in the South China Sea.

As Paul McCartney prepared his legal suit for the dissolution of the Fab Four after months of tempestuous fighting within the band, merchant shipping reported a storm was brewing to the south east of India. Moist, hot air was rising off the warm sea, sucking up water vapor as it went. When it reached a few hundred meters in height, it began to cool, condensing and becoming saturated. The low pressure system that was forming started to react with the high pressure system around it, swirling round like some celestial being was mixing a cake.

Sting Cancels Concert In Support Of Kazakh Oil Workers

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Sting has canceled a concert in Kazakhstan after learning about human rights abuses from Amnesty International.

Amnesty International recently apprised Sting about the situation in Kazakhstan regarding the repression and crackdown against oil workers, their union leaders, their legal representatives & of the human rights NGOs working with them. In light of this current situation, with the unacceptable treatment being meted to these Kazakh oil/gas workers, their families and legal representation, which is extremely serious and continues to worsen, Amnesty International feel his presence in Astana will be interpreted as an endorsement of the presidents’ administration and surely will go against everything he has stood for, while supporting Amnesty and the fight for human rights, for the past 40 years.

As a result, Sting has made a decision not to participate in the Astana Day Festival on July 4.

Richard Gere Takes Pilgrim To Korea For Charity

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Richard Gere is in Korea to support an exhibition of his photos in Seoul raising money for charities involved with the Tibetan human rights campaign.

The exhibition – titled Pilgrim – features around 60 images the actor took in Tibet and around Asia, as well as images taken by photographers interested in the cause. The collection has already toured 20 cities in 11 countries, and is in Korea until July 24.

“A lot of these photographs I didn’t show anyone because it’s such a private experience for me,” Gere told press during his six day visit to Korea. "I had no interest really in sharing them. [Taking photos] is very similar to making a movie; you’re somehow compressing lives into frame.

Amnesty International To Honor Dalai Lama

Fri, 01 Apr 2011 14:00:00 +0000

Amnesty International USA is honored to present His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama with the first-ever “Shine a Light on Human Rights” award in recognition of his lifelong commitment to social justice and human rights.

This special event will commemorate Amnesty International’s 50th Anniversary and will celebrate one of the most influential human rights figures today. His Holiness the Dalai Lama will deliver a keynote address, which will be preceded by a welcome from Larry Cox, Amnesty International USA’s Executive Director.

The event will take place on Wednesday, May 4, 2011 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach, California. Doors will open at 9:15 a.m. and the program will begin promptly at 9:45 a.m. There will be FREE parking in Parking Lot #12 directly in front of the Carpenter Performing Arts Center. For directions to the Carpenter Performing Arts Center, click here.

Annie Lennox To Be Honored With Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award

Tue, 08 Mar 2011 14:00:00 +0000

NARM, the music business association, has announced that it will honor Grammy and Oscar-winning artist, activist and campaigner, Annie Lennox, with its Harry Chapin Memorial Humanitarian Award in recognition of her outstanding work on behalf of HIV/AIDS awareness and other health, human rights and environmental causes.

The presentation will take place at the 2011 NARM Convention Awards Dinner Finale at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles on Thursday, May 12.

James Bond Joins Annie Lennox For International Women's Day

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 18:45:00 +0000

James Bond star Daniel Craig appears in drag for a special video produced for a partnership of leading charities brought together by Annie Lennox.

The two-minute short, specially commissioned for International Women’s Day, sees the 007 star undergo a dramatic makeover as he puts himself, quite literally, in a woman’s shoes.

Directed by acclaimed ‘Nowhere Boy’ director/conceptual artist Sam Taylor-Wood, scripted by Jane Goldman (‘Kick Ass’) and featuring the voice of Dame Judi Dench reprising her role as ‘M’, the film will be screened in cinemas and streamed online in a bid to highlight the levels of inequality that persist between men and women in the UK and worldwide. It is the first film featuring Bond to be directed by a woman.

Usher Donates Gadhafi Money To Charity

Mon, 07 Mar 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Usher is the latest star to confirm that money raised from performances for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi has been donated to charity.

Following last week’s announcements that Nelly Furtado and Beyoncé have donated earnings from shows to charity, Usher said: “I am sincerely troubled to learn about the circumstances surrounding the Nikki Beach St. Bart’s event that took place on New Year’s Eve 2009. I will be donating all of my personal proceeds from that event to various human rights organizations.”

Usher followed his statement by donating to Amnesty International on Friday.

Annie Lennox Invites You To Join Big Inequality Debate

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Annie Lennox and the EQUALS partnership of charities invite you to Join the Big Inequality Debate and celebrate the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day, on 8 March 2011.

Oxfam’s global ambassador and Barclays Woman of the Year, Annie Lennox OBE, has brought together a coalition of charities that champion women’s rights to ensure that the centenary of International Women’s Day (IWD), on 8 March, is a catalyst for celebration and positive change.

The EQUALS coalition comprises ActionAid, Amnesty International, The Fawcett Society, Oxfam, Plan International, Save the Children, The White Ribbon Alliance For Safe Motherhood, Women’s Aid and Women for Women International. It is supported by an evolving partnership of organisations, including 1Goal, Bond, Merlin, Mumsnet, Object, One World Action, UKFeminista, VSO, WomanKind and Women for Refugee Women, and is collaborating with arts partners such as Birds Eye View, Brightwide, Britdoc/Good Screenings, Funny Women and the Southbank Centre.

Christmas Gift Idea: Stars Sign Guitars For Amnesty International

Mon, 13 Dec 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Last week, LookToTheStars.org suggested those looking for the perfect Christmas gift bid on Bruce Springsteen’s Amnesty International guitar. Now we have some other great celebrity charity gift ideas.

A host of other artists have also signed guitars designed by Fender to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights in 2008. Among the stars who have added their signatures to the instruments are U2’s The Edge, Peter Gabriel, David Bowie and The Cure.

Christmas Gift Idea: Bruce Springsteen Signs Guitar For Charity Auction

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Now is your chance to get your hands on the perfect Christmas gift for that special Bruce Springsteen fan in your life, and help a good cause at the same time.

This incredible, limited edition, anniversary Fender is signed by Bruce Springsteen. The Boss really added his special touch to this one-of-a-kind collectible.

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.

Annie Lennox: Woman Of The Year For Charity

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Annie Lennox received the Barclays Woman of the Year award for her charity work in a ceremony in London this week.

The Barclays Women of the Year Award salutes an exceptional and selfless woman who has used her vision to help change the lives of many.

‘A lot of music you might listen to is pretty vapid, it doesn’t always deal with our deeper issues,’ says Annie Lennox, singer, songwriter and philanthropist. ‘These are the things I’m interested in now, particularly at my age.’

Ozzy Osbourne's Charity Birthday Song For John Lennon

Fri, 08 Oct 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Ozzy Osbourne has celebrated John Lennon’s 70th birthday early by releasing a version of the former Beatle’s song “How?” for charity.

Proceeds of the song, which first appeared on Lennon’s 1971 album Imagine, will go to Amnesty International. Ozzy has recorded a music video – shot on the streets of New York City – to accompany the single, which is currently available from iTunes.

“Lennon was a driving force for humanity,” said the rocker.

Damien Hirst Paints Guitar For Charity

Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Canadian guitar-maker Carparelli has created a series of 10 guitars, each painted by well known artists, to be auctioned off to raise money for 10 charities.

The first of these unique guitars – to be auctioned later this year by Christies – was painted by British artist Damien Hirst. The guitar is expected to fetch close to $100,000 to benefit the War Child charity.

Annie Lennox Blogs For Women's Rights

Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Annie Lennox has just returned from an event for Amnesty International, focusing on the plight of women in the Congo, and has blogged about the experience.

“There’s an unquestionable zeitgeist in the air, with a big capital “W” at the fore of it," she wrote. "Many western women are complacent. We inherited the benefits of an emancipation that we didn’t have to struggle for, therefore we took it for granted, and the message became skewed… even ridiculed, for all kinds of reasons.

John Cleese Fans Create Book For Charity

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 11:30:00 +0000

Fans of British comedy actor John Cleese have produced a book to celebrate the star’s birthday, with all proceeds going to charity.

The book features a selection of contributions to the official John Cleese forum, with proceeds going to charities such as Amnesty International and the Prince’s Trust.

“I am touched that you are donating proceeds from the book, and the digital download of the book, to my favourite charities,” Cleese said to the creators of the book. "And why have you gone to all this trouble? Because you wanted me to have a good laugh on my 70th birthday. Though it was more than six months ago, I do appreciate the illustration of tardiness on the book jacket.