Look To The Stars News: Doctors Without Borders

Angelina Jolie Visits Aid Agencies In Libya

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:15:00 +0000

UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie was in Libya on a personal mission this week to bring awareness to the agencies bringing aid to the country.

The star arrived in the country on Tuesday for a two day trip.

“I have come to Libya for a variety of reasons, to see a country in transition at every level and to witness efforts to fully realize the promise of the Arab Spring,” she said. “The country faces a host of challenges, including internally displaced people, refugees, rule of law, security, sanitation, education, health and other humanitarian needs. All of these pieces must be delivered and coordinated properly in an environment of reconciliation and justice.”

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.

Regina Spektor Covers Radiohead For Charity

Wed, 05 May 2010 12:00:00 +0000

Regina Spektor, the Russian born singer-songwriter, has recorded a new version of Radiohead’s “No Surprises” to benefit the Doctors Without Borders’ Disaster Relief Fund to aid the continuing recovery of earthquake victims in Haiti and Chile.

The tune went up for sale on iTunes on April 27, 2010, for $1.29.

In March 2010, Ms. Spektor spent time at New York City’s Fillmore at Irving Plaza raising money for Doctors Without Borders (also known as Medecins Sans Frontieres).

Poker Stars Play For Charity

Sat, 17 Apr 2010 15:00:00 +0000

This week, Capitol Hill lawmakers hobnobbed with poker stars and took part in a charity poker tournament in Washington DC to benefit Ante Up For Africa.

Organized by the Poker Players Alliance and poker siblings Annie Duke and Howard “The Professor” Lederer, the event raised a total of $70,000, with Full Tilt Poker donating a $10 000 seat at this year’s World Series of Poker main event as the big prize. 

Also this week, poker star Phil Hellmuth hosted his first celebrity charity poker event in Oakland California as part of the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae.

Hannah Teter's Underwear for Charity

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:43:00 +0000

The Winter Olympics may be over the charitable work of snowboarder Hannah Teter never ends. Known for her philanthropy, the member of the U.S. Olympic team is selling underwear to support Doctors Without Borders.

The ‘Make Love, Not War’ shortie style underwear can be purchased at SweetCheeksPanties.com, where each pair sold results in a $5 donation to Doctors Without Borders with a goal to raise $100,000 by May.

Sweet Cheeks Panties was born from a “What if?” moment courtesy of Olympic Gold Medal Snowboarder Hannah Teter. Teter dedicates much of her time and interest to transformative gifting. Clean Water, Food, Shelter, Hope, Grace, Mercy for those in need. It is her wish to share this experience of gifting with women everywhere in a fun and fashionable way.

Paul Weller And KT Tunstall To Headline Haiti Charity Concert

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Paul Weller and KT Tunstall will headline a special gig in London to benefit Haiti earthquake victims later this month.

The singers will join Reverend and the Makers, The Magic Numbers, The Futureheads and others at the show, to take place at the Camden Roundhouse on February 25. Hosts will include Harry Shearer, Philip Schofield and others, and all proceeds from the show will go to ActionAid and Doctors Without Borders.

For tickets and more information, visit the official site.

Gandalf And Pearl Jam Raise Cash For Charity

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Lord of the Rings star Ian McKellen conjured up a little bit of magic for Haiti this week when he collected donations for earthquake victims.

The actor – who played the wizard Gandalf in the films – is currently starring in the stage play Waiting For Godot on the West End in London, and took the time to collect donations from the audience during a recent performance.

Also this week, Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder released a version of Bruce Springsteen’s My City Of Ruins as a digital download to benefit earthquake relief. Proceeds from the release – available through iTunes and the band’s official internet store – will go to Artists for Peace and Justice

Jennifer Aniston Donates To Charity In Haiti

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Jennifer Aniston has donated $500,000 to Doctors Without Borders, Partners in Health and AmeriCares. Each organization is currently involved in relief efforts in Haiti.

She also joined a number of other celebrities last Friday night and took part in the Hope for Haiti Now telethon. Organized by George Clooney, the telethon drew over 83 million viewers and has raised more than $58 million.

Other celebrities have also donated large sums of money to aid in earthquake relief. Gisele Bundchen gave $1.5 million. Sandra Bullock, Leonardo DiCaprio, Angelina Jolie/Brad Pitt and George Clooney have each donated $1 million, and Madonna donated $250,000.

Simon Cowell Brings Stars Together For Charity Single

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:30:00 +0000

UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown and The Sun newspaper have asked Simon Cowell, the brains behind “American Idol” and “X Factor,” to orchestrate a single that will benefit the earthquake victims of Haiti.

Cowell immediately got busy, and he has so far assembled an all-star cast that includes Leona Lewis, Rod Stewart, Michael Buble, Susan Boyle, JLS and Cheryl Cole to record a remake of REM’s “Everybody Hurts.” Cowell has also approached Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Elton John, both of whom are very close to signing on.

Cowell reveals, “We haven’t got an awful lot of time, but we are going to do something and attempt to raise as much money as possible”.

A Weekend Of Celebrity Giving To Haiti

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 05:00:00 +0000

Actress Sandra Bullock is the latest star to give big to Haitian earthquake relief over a weekend defined by donations of time and money.

The star has matched last week’s donation of $1 million from Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie.

“I wanted to ensure that my donation would be used immediately to meet the needs of the Haitian people affected by this catastrophic event,” she said. Her donation went to Doctors Without Borders.

Lance Armstrong, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie Donate To Earthquake Victims

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 04:15:00 +0000

Cycling legend Lance Armstrong is the latest star to donate to victims of the Haitian earthquake.

The star’s LiveStrong Foundation, has pledged $250,000 to relief charities to help in the rebuilding of the country.

“I think what’s on top of everybody’s mind is the earthquake in Haiti and the devastation we all have seen on television or the newspaper or the internet,” he said in a video message. "Some say more than a 100,000 lives lost.

Beatlemania Returns For Charity

Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:00:00 +0000

Beatlemania has hit the headlines once again this week, with the release of the Fab Four’s remastered CD collection, their Rock Band video game, and a popular British presenter’s efforts to re-record their hits for charity.

A whole new generation of fans are currently being exposed to the music of John, Paul, George and Ringo through the release of Rock Star, and a number of limited edition Xbox 360 consoles are available to benefit Doctors Without Borders. The consoles are available at eBay.

Doctors Without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971 working in more than 60 countries to assist people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe. Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, personally selected the charity as the beneficiary of these proceeds.

Beatles Launch Game With Charity Download

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:30:00 +0000

Former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were in California earlier this week to launch the new Xbox The Beatles:Rock Band game. During the event, the musicians announced that one of the songs from the game, All You Need Is Love, will be released exclusively as a download through Xbox Live, with proceeds to benefit Doctors Without Borders.

McCartney and Starr joined Yoko Ono – widow of John Lennon – and Olivia Harrison, widow of George Harrison, in unveiling the game at Microsoft’s 2009 E3 Media and Business Summit.

All You Need Is Love will be released exclusively as a downloadable song on September 9, with all proceeds benefiting Doctors Without Borders. Also known as Médecins Sans Frontières, this international humanitarian aid organisation provides emergency medical aid in more than 80 countries. Established in 1971, Doctors Without Borders provides aid “to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. MSF provides independent, impartial assistance to those most in need and reserves the right to speak out to bring attention to neglected crises, to challenge inadequacies or abuse of the aid system, and to advocate for improved medical treatments and protocols.” The organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.

George Clooney Supports Mia Farrow's Hunger Strike For Darfur

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

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

James Blunt To Act As Guest Editor For Metro

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 16:00:00 +0000

On November 17th, Grammy Award nominee James Blunt will put down his guitar and become be the first ever guest editor for the global edition of the Metro newspaper for a day.

Blunt will be working from the Metro Rome office where he will collaborate with Sakari Pitkanen, Global Editor-in-Chief. The Metro, published in 20 countries and more than 150 cities, has a worldwide readership of over 20,000,000.

Aside from his role as editor, Blunt will be commenting on news affecting readers around the world. Specifically, he will be involved in a feature on Médecins Sans Frontières, an international medical humanitarian organization that Blunt has supported for years and which Metro Newspapers have worked closely with for a number of years.

Angelina Jolie - Helping Her Heroes

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:34:29 +0000

She may be known for her various roles on the silver screen that have earned her Golden Globes and an Academy Award, but perhaps Angelina Jolie’s greatest role is that which she plays in real life – Global Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. And it is exceedingly clear that the dedication that she shows in her acting is reflected in her work for humanitarian causes around the world.

The 32-year-old actor has just returned from a visit to Iraq, in which she met with top political officials to discuss people displaced by the war.

“There are over two million displaced people and there never seems to be a real coherent plan to help them,” she told CNN on her return. “There’s lots of goodwill and lots of discussion, but there seems to be a lot of talk at the moment and a lot of pieces that need to be put together.”

2008 Golden Globes Roundup

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 09:54:19 +0000

There may have been no red carpet, acceptance speeches, or flash of cameras for the winners of the 2008 Golden Globe Awards, but Look To The Stars takes this golden opportunity to recognize some of those who were honored and nominated.

Johnny Depp won his first Golden Globe after being nominated seven times since his career began, picking up the Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical award for Sweeney Todd. Despite his dark performance, there really is a lighter side to the actor. In the past, Depp’s charitable work garnered him the Courage to Care Award for his contributions to the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Celebrities Offer Support To Darfur

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

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.

Oprah Tops Celebrity Philanthropy A-List

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

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.

Pitt and Jolie Donate Millions to Charities

Fri, 22 Sep 2006 14:13:39 +0000

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are donating $1 million dollars each to Global Action for Children and Doctors Without Borders.

The philanthropic couple keep themselves busy doing what they can to help those in need. Earlier this year, Pitt helped judge the Global Green Sustainable Design Competition; Jolie has travelled to more than 20 countries since 2001 as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations; and they raised $7 million for charity by selling the rights to photos of their newborn daughter, Shiloh Nouvel. With a family such as this, it comes as no surprise that the latest donations were made through the couple’s own charity, the Jolie-Pitt Foundation.

The humanitarian organisations help to improve living conditions in poverty-stricken areas around the world.