Look To The Stars News: Amnesty International

Keane Drummer Visits Death Row Inmate

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:00:00 -0000

The drummer of British band Keane traveled to the US state of Georgia last week to visit a prisoner on Death Row.

Drummer Richard Hughes claims the case against Troy Davis is a “terrifying illustration” of why the death penalty should be banned.

“I am going to Georgia with [”Amnesty International":http://www.looktothestars.org/charity/19-amnesty-international] to meet this remarkable man and his family; to show my support for him and to try to shine a little light on his case and the terrible effects of continuing to execute people in the name of justice," said Hughes. “Troy is innocent, yet he has been on the brink of execution, only last-minute judgements keeping him alive. He continues to fight for the chance to prove his innocence.”

Davis was convicted of killing a police officer in 1989, despite authorities being unable to find evidence linking him to the crime. Seven of nine witnesses in the case later changed their initial testimonies against him in sworn affidavits.

To find out more and sign a petition, click here.

Aung San Suu Kyi Receives Unanimous Support

Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi received her sentencing last week: 18 more months of house arrest for breaking the terms of her current detention when she allowed a stranger into her home for two days to recover from swimming across a lake to her property.

The outrage at the verdict is unanimous amongst western world leaders:

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown: "I am both saddened and angry at the verdict today, 11 August, following the sham trial of Aung San Suu Kyi. The news – that she has been found guilty and sentenced to three years hard labour but that this has been “mitigated” to a suspended sentence of 1.5 years under house arrest – is further proof that the military regime in Burma is determined to act with total disregard for accepted standards of the rule of law and in defiance of international opinion. This is a purely political sentence designed to prevent her from taking part in the regime’s planned elections next year."

US President Barack Obama: “I join the international community in calling for Aung San Suu Kyi’s immediate unconditional release. Today’s unjust decision reminds us of the thousands of other political prisoners in Burma who, like Aung San Suu Kyi, have been denied their liberty because of their pursuit of a government that respects the will, rights and aspirations of all Burmese citizens. They, too, should be freed. Suppressing ideas never succeeds in making them go away. I call on the Burmese regime to heed the views of its own people and the international community and to work towards genuine national reconciliation.”

UN chief Ban Ki-moon’s spokesperson: “The Secretary-General urges the Government to immediately and unconditionally release Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.”

The European Union: is extending its sanctions such as travel bans and freezes on assets to Myanmar judiciary members involved in the verdict. The EU calls for Aung San Suu Kyi’s unconditional release.

Amnesty International: “Her arrest and trial and now this guilty verdict are nothing more than legal and political theatre.”

Human Rights Watch: “The politically motivated guilty verdict against the Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi is a reprehensible abuse of power by Burma’s military government…. This trial was a farce, a brutal distortion of the legal process. By silencing prominent opponents through bogus trials, the generals are clearly showing why the elections they have been touting for next year won’t bring change.”

According to some reports, the American swimmer claims he went to Suu Kyi’s home to warn her. Other reports say he claims God told him to protect her. He received seven years of hard labour at his own trial, and CNN reported Saturday that he has been released to American authorities. Suu Kyi plans to appeal.

U2 Make Political Statements In Dublin

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

U2 marked the Global Day of Action for Iran by showing footage from the country’s civil war during a show in Dublin on Saturday, July 25.

The Global Day of Action for Iran was organized by United4Iran and saw people in over 60 countries show solidarity with the Iranian people in their struggle for human rights.

The Irish rockers performed Sunday Bloody Sunday in front of a screen showing images from Iran.

The band played three nights at Croke Park in Dublin, and announced on the last night that imprisoned Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi had been named Amnesty International’s Ambassador of Conscience.

“This month marks the twentieth anniversary of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s arrest and twenty years since Amnesty International declared her a prisoner of conscience. In those long and often dark years Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has remained a symbol of hope, courage and the undying defense of human rights, not only to the people of Myanmar but to people around the world,” said Irene Khan, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

George Harrison Honored With Charity Mini

Mon, 18 May 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Former Beatle George Harrison is being honored by a new car that is to be sold to benefit charity.

The new one-of-a-kind Mini Cooper S will sport a psychedelic paint job based on the design of a car owned by the late singer and guitarist. Gifted to Harrison in 1966, the car featured in The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour. Now, for Mini’s 50th birthday, the automaker is commissioning a one-of-a-kind modern version of George’s psychedelic Cooper S.

The car will be auctioned later this year to benefit Harrison’s Material World Foundation, a charity the musician established to support a wide range of charities, such as Amnesty International, Greenpeace, the Elton John AIDS Foundation and many more.

The Mini will be on display May 22-24 at Mini United, the Mini’s largest fan event, to be held at Silverstone raceway in the UK. The event will provide three days of nonstop entertainment for Mini enthusiasts and owners, with concerts, shows and car races.

For more info about the Material World Foundation, visit their official website.

Stars Speak Out About Gaza In New Video

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A group of British stars have appeared in a new video produced by Amnesty International, speaking out against the bloodshed and violence in Gaza.

Annie Lennox, Thandie Newton, former Monty Python star Terry Jones, comedian Alexei Sayle, filmmaker Mike Figgis, designer Katharine Hamnett and The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button actor Jason Flemyng all voice their support for Amnesty’s ongoing efforts to secure justice for both Palestinians and Israelis and make an impassioned call for Israel to lift the blockade on Gaza in the video.

“Right now – this very minute – innocent people like you and me, children like mine and yours, are victims of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza,” said Thandie Newton in the film. “I want the UK government ready to initiate criminal investigations and carry out prosecutions in their own courts.”

“We’ve had a ceasefire in Gaza, a tentative ceasefire, and we now have the opportunity to get access to over 200,000 civilians who have no access to facilities,” adds Annie Lennox. “Their homes have been pulverized, they have no running water, they have no proper access to medicines, to fuel, to foods. They are desperately and urgently in need of these things and it is essential that the international aid agencies get access to the Gazan people now… In a situation like this, there are no victories. Only victims. What’s important is that we try to find a path to peace.”

More than 1,300 Palestinians died during the Israeli military offensive in December and January, but hundreds of thousands remain in desperate need of aid. It is a very real and heartbreaking humanitarian crisis. Amnesty International UK director Kate Allen hopes the film will encourage people to speak out against the war crimes and pressure the British government to make a stand.

“There’s almost a conspiracy of silence over war crimes in Gaza that’s totally unacceptable,” she said. “Speaking out is one way of trying to stop this horrible cycle of violence beginning all over again.”

Benjamin Button star Jason Flemying also appears in the video.

“This humanitarian crisis is not the result of a natural disaster,” he says in the film. “It is entirely manmade, as the result of extremely stringent Israeli blockades and international sanctions. Over 80% of the population of Gaza now relies on international aid. That compares with 10% a decade ago. The blockade guarantees bloodshed and violence.”

To view the film and learn more about the conflict and how you can help, visit the Amnesty International website.

Keira Knightley Rhymes For Amnesty International

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British actress Keira Knightley has joined the Amnesty International Protect The Human campaign by appearing in a rhyming video.

The 23-year-old actress in one of a number of celebrities – including Minnie Driver – who have appeared in a new short film for the organization to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) last week.

“I wanted to be part of this film for Amnesty to help raise awareness of the UDHR and to help them, in a small way, to campaign against the abuses of human rights that are still happening every day,” She said. “It seems that ‘human rights’ has become a bit of a loaded term in this country, but if you look at the declaration that countries made 60 years ago, it just sets out a series of basic rules about how people should treat each other. The UDHR is something that every one should be aware of and be proud of as a statement of our common humanity.”

The rhyming video – which also features Rosario Dawson – can be viewed here.

Annie Lennox - Human Rights Now!

Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Annie Lennox was awarded a Special Achievement Award at the German Sustainability Awards last week.

The ceremony – which took place in Düsseldorf – recognized the music legend’s commitment to a sustainable future through her work in the fight against HIV/AIDS, including her commitments to the Treatment Action Campaign, Oxfam, the 46664 Campaign, and SING.

The event was followed this week by a special documentary that aired on BBC2 radio. Human Rights Now! was a 1 hour presentation hosted by Lennox that highlighted the important part artists and musicians play in generating support and awareness for Amnesty International.

The program included a discussion of the Secret Policeman’s Ball events and the Conspiracy Of Hope and Human Rights Now! tours which featured performances from such artists as Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel and Bono.

The program – which celebrated International Human Rights Day on December 10 – included contributions from U2’s The Edge, Sting, and Pete Townshend from The Who.

The program can be heard at the BBC website.

Annie Lennox Talks Amnesty To Filmmaker

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Singer Annie Lennox has been collaborating with Mexican filmmaker Gael Garcia Bernal on a new film for Amnesty International.

Bernal – who is best known for his performance as Che Guevara in The Motorcycle Diaries – is currently working on the film, titled Resist, to be released in 2009. He spent an afternoon with Lennox late last week, researching background information.

“I spent a little bit of time with Gael Garcia Bernal in collaboration with Amnesty International,” said Lennox on her blog. "He is making a documentary film, and wanted to ask me some questions on film. He is really switched on… and looking for ways to contribute to “positive change” in the world. In this we have a shared passion and interest."

Bernal’s Resist project is a quest for people whose actions are shifting perspectives on the world, a search for people who are inspiring new ways of thinking, acting and being, who are instigating change from below.

“Social Justice is not something that is just delivered or produced,” he said about the film. I want to make a film that really explores resistance – not casting people as victims, but rather that shows that ‘it is better to die on one’s feet than to live on one’s knees’. For millions of people worldwide the system will not change in their lifetime, yet they do not concede defeat. Real people at the risk of being alienated, hurt and killed, still fight back. To me, resistance is the human spirit expressing itself at its most creative, at its most instinctive."

More information about Resist can be found at the film’s website.

Amnesty International Publish Children's Book

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Doctor Who star David Tennant has written the foreword for a book celebrating the 60th birthday of the Declaration of Human Rights.

We Are All Born Free is a picture book published by Amnesty International celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Artists and illustrators from all over the world have offered their personal interpretation of the Articles included in the Declaration, making them easy to understand for young readers. Children aged 6 and over will take great pleasure in discovering the lavish illustrations that accompany each Article.

“There are so many of us humans squeezing on to this wee planet and there’s no Tardis coming to spirit us away,” wrote the Scottish actor. “We need to look after each other. The declaration inspired the founding of Amnesty. It represented such a simple idea: that everyone everywhere deserved to be treated fairly. The UDHR reads like a list of common sense – maybe everyone should have a copy pinned up in their bedroom.”

Other contributors include Polly Dunbar, Chris Riddell, and Debi Gliori.

‘Amnesty International’s vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," said Kate Allen, Director of Amnesty International UK. “An attempt to learn from the horrors of the Second World War, the UDHR set out for the first time the fundamental rights to which everyone, everywhere is entitled. It inspired the founding of Amnesty International, which now has more than a quarter of a million members and supporters in the UK and over two million worldwide, and campaigns to abolish the death penalty and end torture, for the release of all prisoners of conscience, to control the arms trade and to stop violence against women. The world of 2008 needs the UDHR just as much as the world of 1948 and this book puts the UDHR’s importance into sharp focus with a series of stunning drawings from some of the world’s most famous illustrators.”

The book is available in 30 languages from the Amnesty International website.

Secret Policeman's Ball Returns This Weekend

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 13:00:00 -0000

Amnesty International has revealed some of the names to take part in its famous comedy event The Secret Policeman’s Ball, which returns to London’s Royal Albert Hall on Saturday 4 October.

The event – which made its name with seven shows between 1976 and 1991 – is a star-studded night of comedy, entertainment and music. It is set to feature some of the most cutting edge and leading comedic and musical talent and will also highlight some of Amnesty International’s campaigning activities for human rights all over the
world.

This year’s Secret Policeman’s Ball will also mark the start of Amnesty International’s celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in December.

This year’s show will feature a lineup of some of Britain’s best comedy talent, including Frank Skinner, Alan Carr, Graham Norton, Sean Lock, Katy Brand, Tim Minchin, Kristen Schaal, Sarah Millian, Kayvan Novak, Russell Peters, Fearne Cotton, Meera Syal, Sean Williamson, and many more.

The first Secret Policeman’s Ball took place over four consecutive nights in London in June 1979, and featured John Cleese. In 1979, Pete Townshend became the first major rock musician to donate his services to the human rights organization when he performed three songs for the show, a performance that went on to inspire the human rights work of Bono, Sting, Bob Geldof, and many others.

This year’s show will be “cinecast” in cinemas all around the world, from Canada to Australia. A list of the cinemas who will be showing the Secret Policeman’s Ball live – and ticket information – can be found at the Amnesty International website.

Annie Lennox Hosts Amnesty Arts Fund Launch

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Singer Annie Lennox hosted the launch of the Amnesty Arts Fund at The Twentieth Century Theatre in London last night, September 25.

The Amnesty Arts Fund brings together people who believe passionately in freedom of expression and projects which have the potential to reach new audiences and inspire creative activism around the world. Amnesty International has a long and proud tradition of working with creative industries and individuals to raise awareness for human rights issues across the globe. This work has inspired change, action and momentum throughout the audiences which have been reached. The launch event celebrated past, current and future creative projects and creative activism.

“Arts and artists have the unique power to bring people together and inspire positive action,” said Lennox. “The Amnesty Arts Fund recognizes that power and uses it to call for change.”

The Amnesty Arts Fund will provide essential resources and funding to creative projects across the arts including film, photography, music, fashion, art, comedy, theatre and literature. It will also support creative projects and individuals to ensure that the human stories behind the statistics and reports of global human rights violations are understood and brought further into the public consciousness. Founding members include Elton John and Nicolas Cage.

Lennox’s attendance at the launch follows her appearance at the World Peace Day concert at the Royal Albert Hall on September 21. The concert – which also featured Bryan Adams, John Legend, and Peter Gabriel – was a resounding success, and raised awareness for the annual Peace One Day campaign founded by Jeremy Gilley.

To view a video of the Peace Day Concert, visit the iConcerts website, or to hear Annie Lennox talk about the Amnesty Arts Fund, click here.

Peter Gabriel To Receive Amnesty International Honor

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Peter Gabriel is to receive a special award for his humanitarian work today, September 10.

The 58-year-old singer has been named as the recipient of Amnesty International’s 2008 Ambassador of Conscience Award, an acolade that recognizes exceptional individual leadership in the fight to protect and promote human rights. Inspired by a poem written for Amnesty International by Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney, the award aims to promote the work of the human rights organization by drawing attention to the work high profile people carry out, and former recipients include Nelson Mandela, U2, Mary Robinson and Vaclav Havel.

Gabriel is well known for his work with human rights around the world, and first worked with Amnesty when he helped organize the Conspiracy of Hope Tour with Bono in 1986. He went on to found Witness, a video community campaigning for Human Rights, and more recently became a founding member of The Elders – a private alliance of senior global figures who want to launch diplomatic assaults on the globe’s most intractable problems – along with Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, Richard Branson, and Jimmy Carter.

The award will be presented at London’s Hard Rock Cafe by U2 guitarist The Edge, who credits Gabriel with introducing the Irish rockers to Amnesty International in the early 1980s. The event will also mark the launch of Amnesty International’s Small Places Tour 2008 , the organization’s most ambitious global music project since the Human Rights Now! tour in 1988. Details of the tour will be announced following the award presentation.

Presidents Speak Out Against Government Condoned Torture

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Amnesty International, in challenging the arguments for torture, has posted interviews on YouTube of former US president Jimmy Carter, former Ireland president Mary Robinson, government officials and experts to prove that “Torture Can Never Be Justified.”

“When our top leaders profess, publicly even, that torture should be permitted in our prisons in order to protect security, that is embarrassing to me,” says Carter. “It’s obviously contrary to the basic principles on which our nation was founded.”

Although most countries of the world have adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights – in which Article 5 states that “No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment” – prisoners in various regions of the world spend 23 hours a day in tiny cells and are being held illegally and treated inhumanly while governments are not only condoning it, they’re ordering it.

Murat Kurnaz, a former Guantanamo detainee, said, “They used electro shocks on me, and they did water boarding. It’s called water treatment. There’s a bucket filled with water, they stick my head in it and at the same time they hit me into my stomach so I had to inhale all this water.”

Abu Omar, a victim of secret detention for four years, said, “I feel like a destroyed man. All I want is to be on my own. All night long I suffer nightmares and all day long I remember torture. So I shake.”

“It’s important that governments do protect against acts of terrorism,” says Mary Robinson, former Ireland president. “That’s their responsibility. But they also have a responsibility to uphold their commitments to human rights. Unfortunately there is a very worrying trend… in different parts of the world: secret places of detention, abuses in detention, the ambivalence about torture that’s led to the situation in Abu Ghraib and elsewhere that has become known. What about the places that are not known, where torture is being carried out? …It’s very important that governments reaffirm that torture is not acceptable, that there is no impunity.”

See Amnesty’s Torture Can Never Be Justified here.

Radiohead Joins Child Labor Awareness Campaign

Fri, 02 May 2008 12:05:11 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

With a 20-year history of raising awareness for human rights and environmental causes, Radiohead is no stranger to the activist scene. And now, in partnership with MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking), the band has released the “All I Am” video to bring child labor practices into the spotlight.

“It’s cool that MTV is taking this up, because normally, this is something I only get to talk to people about who are considered ‘extreme left-wing’ or whatever, but it’s good it’s hitting the mainstream, because I don’t consider it a left-wing issue; I consider it a political-stability issue,” he told MTV UK. “I think if [the campaign] does one good thing, it would be to make this concept of slavery — which is what it is — less taboo. If they can make it something that is OK for us to talk about, and for politicians in the West to actually accept that this is an issue, well, then we’re doing a good thing.”

There are currently more than 2.5 million men, women and children who are forced, defrauded or coerced into various forms of labor or prostitution. Radiohead recommends checking out Amnesty International, Witness and The The Fair Trade Resource Network to learn more.

“I think it’s important for everyone in the West or on High Street to understand the consequences of our economic activity. You must be aware of the level of exploitation that’s going on,” Yorke said. “It’s part of our Western life, and one we should accept responsibility for. There’s no such thing as a free lunch or a free ticket to another country.”

Watch video of Thom Yorke speaking on the topic of child labor at Think MTV.

Bono's Fishy T-Shirt Benefits African Farmers

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:41:01 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Bono has designed a new T-shirt for charity, joining a host of other celebrities in an on-going and major charity campaign.

The 47-year-old singer from U2 is the 25th artist to design a shirt for Hard Rock Café’s Signature Series clothing line, an initiative started in 1990 as a way for musicians to raise money for charities of their choice. Sales from the shirts have raised over $6 million for a variety of causes.

Bono’s creation, available for $26 from the Hard Rock website, features his stylized drawing of a fish soaring past the moon, and is adorned with the words “Fish Can Fly”, as well as his signature. 15% of the proceeds will go to the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Conservation Cotton initiative – a scheme designed to lift African farmers out of poverty by providing education on proper land management, organic cotton growing techniques, and wildlife conservation. The shirts will also support the trade for aid ethos of EDUN, the conscious consumerism fashion label founded by Bono and his wife in 2005, by being made from 100% African cotton and manufactured by African garment workers.

Other artists to have designed shirts for the initiative in the past include Green Day, who raised money for Amnesty International’s Campaign To Save Darfur, Shakira who chose to benefit Pies Descalzos, Ozzy Osbourne for the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program, Bruce Springsteen for World Hunger Year, Eric Clapton for the Crossroads Centre, Peter Gabriel for Witness, Sting and Elton John for the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Michael Stipe for Artists for a New South Africa, Don Henley for the Walden Woods Project, John Mellencamp for the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Foundation, and Stevie Nicks for the Special Olympics. Carlos Santana and Aerosmith have also contributed designs. Many of these shirts are still available from the Hard Rock website.

Bono’s “Fish Can Fly” is more than just a phrase – it is a message that tomorrow can be better than today.

Colin Firth - Pride And Philanthropy

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 08:53:28 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

“Fame hasn’t got much use to anybody really, except for getting upgraded tables in restaurants.”

These are the words of British actor Colin Firth, who believes more celebrities should use their stardom to highlight good causes.

At Look To The Stars, we believe it is important to highlight the work that celebrities carry out to support charities and good causes. It is all too easy to be cynical and think to yourself that the stars only use their so called “good work” to bolster public opinion and their own fame, but the more you dive into the topic, the more you find that this just is not true. Firth is a perfect example of someone who, in his own words, “puts my money where my mouth is” and prefers to get involved with issues he believes are worthwhile.

“I think you can have a profile and you can also use it as a tool,” said the 47-year-old actor. “One is increasingly aware that there are too many people trying to get heard in the world, and there are all too many people who are heard too easily but have absolutely nothing to say. If you can try to be a vessel for [those without a voice], then I don’t see what’s wrong with that.”

Born in Hampshire, England, Firth has become the benchmark for the perfect English Gentleman in modern film, and is perhaps best known for his portrayal of Mr Darcy in Jane Austin’s Pride And Prejudice. It seems that for almost every role he takes on, from the almost tragically over-mothered Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones Diary to love
struck writer Jamie Bennett in Love Actually, female movie-goers fall over themselves to look up into his smoldering eyes.

But Firth is not the kind of actor who is scared to get his hands dirty out in the real world. A passionate supporter of Oxfam and its Make Trade Fair initiative, Firth has both feet planted firmly on the ground.

“I suppose what attracts me to Oxfam is that I trust them,” said the actor. “I have been helping Oxfam out a little bit for about 5 or 6 years now. Oxfam is a household name in England. You grow up with Oxfam. It’s a very, very big fixture in life. Basically, they are not a charity in the conventional sense of the word – they are not just about raising money and throwing it at problems. It’s about actually trying to raise the awareness that we are very much connected with some of the stuff that goes on in far-away places.”

Firth, who divides his time between London and Italy, is also extremely vocal in his support of Amnesty International. Early in 2007, the actor intervened in the deportation of a Congolese nurse from Britain. Firth, whose mother is the president of an asylum-seekers support group, firmly believes that people should not be deported from a country if there is a strong chance they will be murdered when they reach their destination.

“To me, it’s just basic civilization to help people,” he said during the court case involving the nurse. “I find it incredibly painful to see how we dismiss the most desperate people in our society… it makes me furious.”

Along with his wife, Livia, Firth also produced a film called “In Prison My Whole Life” to highlight the plight of prisoners on death row in America.

Firth is a supporter of Survival International, and in 2003 openly condemned the Botswana government for evicting Gana and Gwi bushmen from the Central Kalahari Game Reserve.

In 2006, Firth won the title of Campaigner of the Year, an honor voted by the senior editors of The Economist and advisors drawn from the European Union community. The award was primarily for the work Firth has done with Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair campaign, in which the actor engaged in meetings with politicians from all around the world, including the head of the World Trade Organization.

His involvement in the initiative led the star to found Café Progreso, a chain of fair trade co-operative cafes in London. Profits from the sale of coffee in the cafes are shared directly with farmers in coffee growing regions.

“The failure so far of the governments of so many of the world’s most powerful countries, in the face of such egregious unfairness, to make the slightest progress on the issue of fair trade is hard to explain,” said the actor, who also lobbied against Starbucks on behalf of Ethiopian coffee farmers to own the trademarks of their own specialty coffees.

Café Progreso has now led Firth to open Eco Age, an eco-friendly shop in Chiswick, London. The store, lit and heated by sunlight, is fully self-sustainable and offers shoppers the chance to buy commodities that are completely environmentally friendly.

“It’s all about rethinking our habits,” said Firth just before the shop opened to the public. “A huge number of people support the idea of eco-living, but don’t know what to do next.”

Firth’s three-storey shop offers a huge array of eco items, ranging from a bamboo computer to recycled pencils, solar mobile phone and MP3 chargers, natural paint and wallpaper, environmental kitchen appliances, Estonian Christmas decorations, and coat hangers recycled from old chairs.

The venture sits well alongside Firth’s other work, which includes being patron of Out Of The Blue, a theatre that provides the opportunity for disabled and non-disabled young people in the south of England to perform onstage together. But although he occupies himself with philanthropic work, Firth still worries the public may soon suffer from what he calls “celebrity aid work fatigue”.

“I’m not against the idea of celebrities using what they have to raise awareness, " he said recently. “But you have to be very circumspect about how you employ it.”

Colin Firth’s next movie, “St. Trinian’s”, will be released in England on December 21.

Corinne Bailey Rae - A Rising Star

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 08:25:31 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

If one word can be used to describe the rise to fame of English R&B singer Corinne Bailey Rae, it would be “meteoric”. In the space of two short years, from the release of her debut EP “Like A Star” in October 2005, to three Grammy Award nominations for her eponymous first album in 2007, the 28-year-old soul singer has made a lasting effect on people all over the world. And it’s not just fans who are benefiting from the star’s talents. Bailey Rae has quickly proven herself to be one of the most philanthropic and human-minded artists in the industry today.

Born in the English city of Leeds to a West Indian father and a Yorkshire mother, Bailey Rae found her love of music early.

“I started off singing in church,” said the singer, whose voice drips with shades of Billie Holiday. “People always think it must have been a gospel church… but it wasn’t gospel at all. It was just your regular brethren church, very middle class, where we would sing these harmonies every Sunday. It was always my favorite part of the service, the singing.”

A classically trained violinist and English Literature graduate, the singer was passionate about music from a young age, and although she would later become famous for her soulful R&B style, her early forays into music were not what you would expect – her first influence was Led Zeppelin.

“I loved that band during my teens,” she laughed when remembering her early influences. “I wanted, somehow, to follow in their footsteps, and to create music of my own.”

Her involvement with a short-lived but popular Indie band, Helen, led the young artist to develop her songwriting skills and move into the genre of soul, a style it seems she was born to sing.

“I am a huge fan of jazz, but not the muso kind,” she said. “I hate all the noodling, which is why I love classic songs – they are so pure and succinct. That’s what I tried to do with my own songs. They are short and sweet, to the point. I like the idea of leaving people wanting more, not less.”

Her first album, “Corinne Bailey Rae”, was released in February 2006, and features the hit singles “Like A Star” and “Put Your Records On”. It went triple platinum in Britain, and created history by entering the Billboard chart at number 17 – the highest ever chart debut for a UK artist in the US.

“It’s a little bit of everything,” said Bailey Rae, describing the album. “It’s chilled out, acoustic, kooky, atmospheric, and soulful.”

But with all of the awards and accolades, Corinne Bailey Rae has managed to keep both feet on the ground, and her name has already become synonymous with good causes and charitable enterprises. Earlier in 2007 she had a song included on Amnesty International’s “Instant Karma” CD, and in June she played at the Live Earth concert at Wembley Stadium. In September, the singer played a stunning and heartfelt set at the Peace One Day concert held at the Royal Albert Hall.

On November 20, Bailey Rae headlined the third Together For Peace Festival in Leeds, and played to a packed house at The Wardrobe. The thrilling set, which was performed acoustically and included some new songs from her forthcoming second album, was both delicate and vibrant, and highlighted the many vocal talents of the young singer. The concert raised funds and awareness for a variety of organizations that deal with vulnerable women, especially those who suffer from domestic violence and sex trafficking. Charities that benefited from the event included Together For Peace, The Truth Isn’t Sexy, Joanna, Leeds Women’s Aid, Sahara, and the STOP Project. During the evening, stories of women who had been helped to escape life-threatening violence were told, which brought to life the concert’s meaning.

Bailey Rae’s involvement with benefit concerts looks set to continue, and the singer has agreed to perform at Nelson Mandela’s AIDS Day concert in Johannesburg on December 1. The concert will support Mandela’s charity 46664 in its campaign against the HIV virus in Africa, and Bailey Rae will join other performers such as Peter Gabriel, Annie Lennox, the Goo Goo Dolls, Ludacris, Razorlight, and Jamelia at the event.

“I’m very honored to be invited to perform at the 46664 concert,” she said. “Nelson Mandela is someone who I have admired since I was a child. His application of forgiveness and justice is an example to the world, and I hope the concert will go a long way to raising awareness about HIV/AIDS.”

Bailey Rae’s interests in the plight of those in need has also led her to become an ambassador for CORD – the UK’s leading Christian charity working exclusively with refugees and people affected by conflict around the world.

“I am delighted to be involved in promoting CORD’s peace building role to a global audience,” said the singer. “People need to be made aware of the vital job that CORD is doing with those who have had to flee from war and violence, often losing everything – their families, their homes, and their belongings. Many are young people, a large number are orphans, and CORD helps them get back on their feet, to build a new life, which is why I want to lend them my support in any way I can.”

And with Christmas just round the corner, Corinne Bailey Rae is now helping to fight poverty and global hunger with a new website being launched in time for the holiday season.

www.generouspour.com is a partnership between Clos du Bois Wines and Share Our Strength, a non-profit organization that has raised over $200 million in the past to combat poverty. The website offers consumers the chance to host holiday parties to help the hungry, and also offers a free and exclusive music download from Corinne Bailey Rae.

Visitors to the sight can download party invitations, menu templates, recipe cards prepared by some of America’s best chefs, music playlists, and tips for entertaining – basically everything a “host with the most” needs to put on a party. The Party Pack also contains Share Our Strength donation cards, which can be printed out and mailed in with money collected from party guests.

A remixed version of Corinne Bailey Rae’s song, “Like A Star”, is also available, and for every download of the song, Clos du Bois Wines will give $1 to Share Our Strength.

“Clos du Bois Wines have long been a part of holiday traditions for many families,” said winemaker Erik Olsen. “This holiday season, we are asking consumers to take five for hunger – if you have five minutes, download the song. If you have five hours, host a Generous Pour party. And if you have five days, spread the word by getting your friends to host their own generous gatherings.”

If “meteoric” is the word that best sums up Corinne Bailey Rae’s rise to fame, then her comment about her involvement with Amnesty International is the best way to sum up her outlook on life:

“The reason I am a member of Amnesty is because it acts as a conscience for the world. It campaigns and screams and weeps and protests against injustice; it shames unjust governments, sets prisoners free, and promotes true freedom.”

And with a voice and talent to match her passionate and generous soul, the world is a much brighter place.

Gere Awarded Humanitarian Honor

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 11:29:43 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actor Richard Gere has received a prestigious humanitarian award in his home city of Philadelphia.

The Golden Globe winner accepted the Marion Anderson Award, named after the famous African-American opera singer who fought racial segregation in the 1930s, at a ceremony at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts on November 12.

“I’m not worthy of this award in any way whatsoever,” said the 58-year-old star of films such as “Chicago” and “Pretty Woman”. “I can’t tell you how this makes me feel. My heart is so wide open.”

Gere received the award for his charity and humanitarian work over the last three decades. A devoted Buddhist, Gere has advocated Tibetan independence since 1978, and is a friend and student of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He has made numerous trips through India, Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia, and China, and has released a book featuring his own photographs of these regions, with a foreword written by the Dalai Lama.

In 1987, Gere co-founded Tibet House, and is now Board Chairman for the International Campaign for Tibet. He has testified on Tibet’s behalf before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, the European Parliament, and the House International Operations and Human Rights Subcommittee in an attempt to free the nation from China’s grip. His own charitable organization, the Gere Foundation, was set up to award grants to humanitarian foundations, especially in relation to Tibet.

Gere also established Healing the Divide, an organization dedicated to improving care for HIV/AIDS patients, and in 2004 instigated the Heroes Project, which addresses the spread of AIDS in India. He is a spokesman for Meals On Wheels, and earlier in 2007 appeared in the charity’s first ever advertising campaign, along with his father who has been a volunteer for 17 years. He is also a longtime supporter of the American Foundation for AIDS Research, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation.

“We are proud to honor Richard Gere with the Marion Anderson Award,” said Philadelphia Mayor, John F. Street. “His accomplishments as an actor are only surpassed by his accomplishments as a humanitarian and as a advocate for human rights issues around the world. We are particularly pleased to honor Mr Gere this year as it will mark the first time that the award will be conferred upon a native Philadelphian.”

Gere attended the award ceremony with his friend and co-star of three films, Diane Lane, and made special mention of the woman the award is named after. He told the audience that Marion Anderson paved the way for artists to use their celebrity status for humanitarian work, and urged people to adopt her traits.

“I think that is what we are here for,” he said during the ceremony. “To make the road easier for those who follow us.”

The Marion Anderson Award, which includes a $100,000 honorarium, is bestowed annually upon individuals whose support for a cause upholds humanitarian principles and benefits society, and previous recipients include Oprah Winfrey, Sidney Poitier, Danny Glover, Quincy Jones, Elizabeth Taylor, Gregory Peck, and Harry Belafonte. Marion Anderson gained international fame in the music world in the 1930s, although she faced racial segregation at home in the United States. She bravely fought racism with her music, and became the first African-American person to perform at the White House in 1939. She was awarded the Medal of Freedom by President Johnson in 1963, and died in 1993 at the age of 96.

“In honoring Richard Gere, we celebrate the achievements of an outstanding artist and humanitarian,” said Pamela A. Crawley, Chair of the Marion Anderson Award. “He has used his remarkable career as an actor to support his unparalleled advocacy for some of the world’s most vulnerable populations. He has traveled the globe supporting efforts that allow people to live in health, in the integrity of their cultures, and with the fundamental human rights that all citizens of the world must possess. These are the qualities of a leader, and we are deeply honored by his acceptance.”

“Richard is a man whose heart dictates his choices,” added award winning actress, Diane Lane. “He has cultivated this tenacious advocacy for those who are in danger of being railroaded, shut out, and trampled under the big machine of ‘Business As Usual’.”

Gere intends to share the prize money between selected charities.

Green Day For Darfur

Fri, 06 Jul 2007 10:03:30 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Punk rock band Green Day has designed a limited edition t-shirt on sale at Hard Rock locations the world over, and a portion of the proceeds will go to The Amnesty International Campaign to aid Darfur, Sudan.

The Working Class Hero T-shirt is only part of Green Day’s commitment to “Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur,” which aims to raise awareness of the plight of civilians in Darfur being killed and misplaced everyday. Over 300,000 have died and 2.5 million have fled to neighboring countries.

Green Day has also contributed to the Instant Karma CD, and all proceeds from the over 50 musical acts that have joined this international effort will go directly to support Amnesty International’s work on Darfur and other human rights crises worldwide.

New CD To Raise Aid For Darfur

Tue, 19 Jun 2007 07:28:22 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign To Save Darfur is a new CD that seeks to raise aid for the humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur. It features the music of John Lennon recorded by some of the world’s best known musicians.

U2, Green Day, Christina Aguilera, and Avril Lavigne are some of the 50 musical artists and groups that are included in the Amnesty International project.

The album was released around the world on 12 June by Warner Bros Records, and was put together by Amnesty International’s “Make Some Noise” initiative.

“Make Some Noise” is a global venture that hopes to inspire a new generation to stand up for human rights. It mixes music, celebration and action to protect people wherever freedom is denied. Yoko Ono has been a longtime supporter of the initiative, and donated the rights to the entire John Lennon songbook to the project.

“Music speaks the language of freedom, revolution and solidarity. Without that freedom – without music that is angry, joyful and necessary – we are nothing” she said of the album’s release.

The CD calls attention to the war-torn countries of Darfur and Chad. All proceeds from the album and music downloads will go towards alleviating the risk of starvation and disease in these areas.

Other artists featured on the CD include Aerosmith, Lenny Kravitz, Jack Johnson, and Ben Harper. REM is also featured, and drummer Bill Berry came out of retirement to record the track “#9 Dream”. It is the first time the original four band members, including singer Michael Stipe, have been in the studio together since 1997.

Oprah Tops Celebrity Philanthropy A-List

Sat, 12 May 2007 08:24:00 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

A list of the 30 largest public donations made by celebrities in the past year puts Oprah in the top spot.

The Giving Back Fund, which encourages and advises on celebrity philanthropy, compiles its list each year. President Marc Pollick said, “Encouragement-by-example is the main reason for the Giving Back 30 list.”

Oprah gave $58.3 million to Oprah’s Angel Network and her recently-opened Leadership Academy.

Of the other celebrities high on the list, Barbra Streisand was in fourth spot, having given $11.75 million through her Streisand Foundation.

Tiger Woods took fifth place, giving $9.5 million to organisations including the Tiger Woods Learning Center funded by the Tiger Woods Foundation.

Giving Back’s Marc Pollick praised an increasing trend in celebrity donations, saying, “Ten years ago when Slate magazine first published the Slate 60 reporting on the most generous American philanthropists, the last donor on their list gave $5 million. This year the last donor donated $30 million to charity. This is the type of growth we are hoping to inspire within the sports and entertainment community. One cannot help but be influenced by the generosity of his or her peers.”

The full list and information about how it was compiled can be found at givingback.org. This site has previously reported on many of the list’s featured celebrities and their donations; a comprehensively linked version of the list appears below:

Position	Celebrity	Donation	Cause(s)
1	Oprah Winfrey	$58,300,000	Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy, Oprah’s Angel Network, and other groups
2	Geoffrey Beene	$44,000,000 (bequest)	Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
3	Jack and Marie Lord	$40,000,000 (bequest)	Hawaii Community Foundation
4	Barbra Streisand	$11,750,000	Streisand Foundation, numerous civil liberties, environmental, and civil rights organizations “dedicated to democratic values”
5	Tiger Woods	$9,500,000	Tiger Woods Learning Center, Earl D. Woods Sr. Scholarship Fund, and other Tiger Woods Foundation programs
6	Rosie O’Donnell	$5,700,000	Katrina Relief efforts including Renaissance Village (a temporary shelter for Katrina victims), day care centers, a rehabilitation center in San Antonio, and a Habitat For Humanity sub division in Baton Rouge
7	Martha Stewart	$5,000,000	New York’s Mt. Sinai Hospital for a center on healthy aging
8	Carmelo Anthony	$4,282,000	CAF Youth Center in Baltimore, AAU Basketball, Syracuse University Recreational Center, and other charities
9	Pat Boone & Shirley Boone	$3,000,000	Pepperdine University for the Graduate School of Education and Psychology Center for the Family
9	LeRoy Neiman	$3,000,000	The School of the Art Institute of Chicago to support a Master’s class in figure drawing
11	Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt	$2,415,000	School and Community Center in Swakopmund in Namibia, Daniel Pearl Foundation, Namibian hospitals, Doctors Without Borders, Global Action for Children and others
12	Nicolas Cage	$2,000,000	Amnesty International for a fund to help child soldiers
12	Dwayne Johnson (“The Rock”) and Dany Garcia Johnson	$2,000,000	University of Miami to name new Alumni Center living room
12	Paul McCartney	$2,000,000	Adopt-A-Minefield
12	Arnold Palmer	$2,000,000	Pledged to the Arnold Palmer Foundation ultimately to benefit the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
16	David Geffen	$1,600,000	David Geffen Foundation
17	Susan Saint James and Dick Ebersol	$1,300,000	The Gunnery to help pay for a new dormitory in memory of their son Teddy killed in a plane crash
18	Jeffrey and Marilyn Katzenberg	$1,250,000	Boston University to renovate facilities
19	Andre Agassi	$1,070,000	Andre Agassi Charitable Foundation
20	Tiki and Ronde Barber and family	$1,000,000	University of Virginia to support the McIntire School of Commerce, the Virginia Athletics Foundation, Childrens Hospital, a scholarship fund for African-American students, the Young Alumni Council, and to challenge young alumni to participate in the capital campaign
20	Bob Barker	$1,000,000	Georgetown University to endow a fund at its law school that will focus on the study of animal rights
20	Gloria Estefan	$1,000,000	The Miami Project
20	Dr. Phil McGraw & Robin McGraw	$1,000,000	Dr. Phil Foundation
20	George Steinbrenner & family	$1,000,000	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for Boshamer Stadium for baseball
20	Tony Stewart	$1,000,000	Victory Junction Gang Camp
20	Denzel Washington	$1,000,000	Save Africa’s Children
27	Mike Sexton	$560,000	Special Olympics, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis, Children, Inc., Wounded Warrior Project, Ohio State University, and other charities
28	Lance Armstrong	$500,000	Lance Armstrong Foundation
28	Dolly Parton	$500,000	Fort Sanders Medical Center
28	Elizabeth Taylor	$500,000	New Orleans AIDS Task Force to purchase mobile medical unit for AIDS sufferers in New Orleans

Return of the Secret Policeman's Ball

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

Written by Hannah Coone

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nicolas Cage Donation Helps Former Child Soldiers

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 12:40:37 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

On Wednesday Nicolas Cage donated $2 million to help former child soldiers. The donation was pledged by video during a United Nations conference in New York.

Cage says, “I understand that this pledge is not a solution for the problem. It’s my hopeful wish that today’s discussions on this tragic subject at the United Nations conference may bring us closer to eradicating the nightmare of child soldiers.”

The United Nations estimates that more than 300,000 children are involved in serious armed conflict.

Amnesty International is in charge of administering the funds, which will help provide shelters, medical and psychological rehabilitation services for the affected children.

Cage has worked with Amnesty International for more than two years.

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