Look To The Stars News: ONE X ONE

Matt Damon And Wyclef Jean Witness Storm Destruction

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Fresh from appearing at the ONE X ONE Difference Awards in Toronto last Monday, Matt Damon and Wyclef Jean spent the weekend visiting the flood-ravaged city of Gonaives in Haiti following destruction caused by Tropical Storm Hanna and Hurricane Ike.

The pair hope to encourage people to help the United Nations raise more than $100 million to help over 800,000 Haitians after four devastating tropical storms and hurricanes since mid-August, and the visit was organized by ONE X ONE, a Canadian charity that provides aid to children in need around the world.

Wading through knee-deep flood waters, the pair visited a school shelter to drop off cooking oil from USAID and bags of beans from the World Food Program. Jean – a native of Haiti – sang for the crowd, and both stars were overwhelmed by the humanitarian crisis.

“It’s inhumane,” said Jean. “I wish there was a word in the dictionary. No human should be living like this.”

“I’m speechless,” added Damon. “I can’t believe it.“

Gonaives police have buried dozens of unidentified corpses in the last few weeks, and Aid agencies are working at supplying medical supplies for mobile clinics to treat infections from people walking in flooded streets.

“It’s obvious that this country was absolutely flattened with these hurricanes,” said ONE X ONE chairman Frank McKenna. “Huge portions of the crops of the nation were wiped out, which means there will be food shortages. You just wonder how people can survive.”

Matt Damon Hosts ONE X ONE Awards

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Matt Damon returned to Toronto on Monday to host his third consecutive Difference Awards ceremony for ONE X ONE.

Over 500 guest attended the gala, which featured performances from Wyclef Jean, John Legend, Nikki Yanofsky, and the African Children’s Choir.

ONE X ONE is a non-profit organization that supports children in Canada and abroad. Established less than four years ago by Joelle Adler, it has already raised over $5 million and created partnerships with major corporations and foundations, such as H2O Africa, the Yéle Haiti Foundation, Millennium Promise, War Child and Spread the Net.

“This is stupid poverty we’re talking about,” said Damon, during his speech about helping people in Africa. “Every day, malaria claims thousands of lives that we didn’t need to lose.”

Damon also revealed that he credits becoming a parent for his commitment to helping children through charity work: “At a certain point it becomes difficult to look at other children and not see your own. Something does change in you once you become a parent… There definitely is a shift there that makes you, I think, a little more obsessed about helping children – But it’s not like before I had kids, I was like: ’to heck with those kids!’”

ONE X ONE will launch in the US in October, with an event featuring Carlos Santana planned for San Francisco. And Damon is proud to announce that next year Eddie Vedder has been confirmed to perform for the organization.

“A lot of my friends and a lot of the people I admire in the business choose to spend their celebrity capital trying to raise awareness about things and improve the conditions in people’s lives,” said Damon. “We’ll all be lying on that bed one day, and you have to make your peace with who you’ve been.”

Matt Damon Returns For ONE X ONE

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

For the third year in a row, Matt Damon will host ONE X ONE’s annual charity benefit gala, where celebrities and activists will gather for an evening of musical performances, words from key speakers, fundraising and entertainment.

ONE X ONE’s Difference Awards will also be presented at the gala, recognizing individuals for their extraordinary efforts in fighting child poverty and suffering. One of last year’s honorees, Wyclef Jean, is returning this year as musical director and performer. Other entertainment will include John Legend and the African Children’s Choir, which is raising awareness of the needs of Africa’s orphans and destitute children.

A fairly young organization, ONE X ONE raises millions of dollars each year for projects within Canada and abroad for partners such as H2O Africa, the Yéle Haiti Foundation, Millennium Promise, War Child and Spread the Net to “directly impact children in need around the world – one by one.”

“There is an old biblical adage that says ‘You save one life, you save the universe,’” said Joelle Adler, ONE X ONE’s founder. “That should be our motto. We cannot look across the water and pretend it is not our responsibility because together we can change the world.”

The gala and concert will be held at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto on September 8 and a second gala will take place at Exhibition Centre in San Francisco on October 23 honoring Carlos Santana.

Matt Damon Heads Back To Toronto For ONE X ONE

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actor Matt Damon will host the annual ONE X ONE Difference Awards for the third year in a row.

Also returning this year is Wyclef Jean, who appeared at last year’s event when Richard Gere, Sarah Ferguson, and Petra Nemcova were all honored for their humanitarian work.

The ceremony, which raises money for domestic and global charities, will take place on September 8 at the Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. ONE X ONE is a non-profit organization that supports children in Canada and around the world, and has raised over $5 million to fight child poverty. Last year’s fundraiser netted a massive $3.2 million for the foundation, with more than $7 million being raised since the first awards ceremony in 2005.

Earlier this year, the foundation held its inaugural benefit gala in Calgary, hosted by Ben Affleck. The organization now plans to expand to the US, with its first benefit gala there to be held in San Francisco on October 23.

The recipients of this year’s Difference Awards are yet to be named, but are guaranteed to be people who have dedicated their lives to fighting child poverty and suffering around the world.

Ben Affleck Attends One X One Fundraiser

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 11:34:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Celebrity crusader Ben Affleck was among the stars at the ONE X ONE fundraising gala in Calgary, Canada, on Saturday night.

Over 300 people attended the event to raise funds for various children’s charities and recognize the OneXOne 2008 Difference Award recipients: Canadian hockey star Hayley Wickenheiser, the Calgary Flames, and five-year-old Jack Yeilding, who raised $14,000 for ailing children. And despite a few mishaps earlier in the night – the sponsorship backdrops fell onto the red carpet and caused chaos prior to the guests arriving – the event was a resounding success.

“You have to extend your hand to those who have fallen down,” joked Affleck. “Like our backdrop that keeps falling down, you see the good people from OneXOne continue to raise it back up. All of this [work for ONE X ONE] has kind of served to remind me of how lucky that I have been, how much I’ve kind of benefited and how much I owe . . . to the world to try to give back as much as I can.”

Affleck also said he was throwing his support behind the charity – which raises money and awareness for impoverished children – because he is impressed with the work they have been doing. Last year’s benefit function in Toronto raised $3.2 million for the charity.

“I’ve spent a lot of time working in Africa and actually met up with ONE X ONE a couple of months ago in Rwanda,” said Affleck. “They said ‘Hey, we’re doing this event in Calgary, would you come do this? Whether it’s being a father, or just feeling connected to people, or having a sense of maturity, I’ve been spending a lot of time trying to learn about Africa and the developing world.”

ONE X ONE founder Joelle Berdugo Adler was also in attendance, and was more than pleased with the evening.

“When you see what’s going in this world and you see the problems in this world you want to shake people sometimes and make them understand,” she said. “You have to be patient and understand everybody has different things going on in their lives.”

Ben Affleck To Host One-X-One Fundraiser

Thu, 01 May 2008 10:59:58 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

For the past three years, Ben Affleck has watched his buddy Matt Damon host the ONE X ONE fundraiser in Toronto. This year, the Oscar-winning activist actor will take centre stage as he hosts the OneXOne Gala (June 14) from a new location – Commonwealth Hall in Calgary.

“We are delighted to add an additional gala to our schedule this year, and look forward to bringing the ONE X ONE message to Calgary,” said Joelle Berdugo Adler, founder of OneXOne, in a statement. “Our objective is to improve children’s lives here and abroad, and we have been deeply touched by the support and dedication of our guests, sponsors, and award recipients.”

The addition of a second event in a new location reflects a growing awareness of the charity.

“When they asked if I’d do Calgary, I said, ’Sure. As long as Matt is not dragging me down!” said Affleck, referring to the fact Damon will be serving as the evening’s ambassador.

Now in its fourth year, the children’s charity has raised roughly $7 million for impoverished children around the globe. Their September 8 fundraiser, hosted by Damon in Toronto, is already one of the most coveted tickets during the Toronto Film Festival.

“They’re a great organization that is not pinned down by huge overhead,” said Affleck. "When ONE X ONE sees something they feel deserves their merit, they move quickly. You can tell a lot about an organization by the people they’ve cultivated to come back and work with them over and over again. I was struck by the energy and drive of this group.”

ONE X ONE Calgary will also feature Grammy winner George Benson, the African Children’s Choir, and the Canadian Tenors.

In the fall, ONE X ONE will add a third benefit to its 2008 schedule, with a gala in San Francisco on Oct. 23.

Damon and Affleck Travel to Africa

Mon, 10 Sep 2007 18:53:52 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

September has already turned into a busy month for actor Matt Damon, and has seen him hosting a major children’s gala event, attending a screening of the documentary he produced to bring awareness to H2O Africa, and now flying to Africa.

September 10 saw Damon and long time friend, Ben Affleck, traveling to Tanzania to learn about the aid work being carried out in the country.

“We’re just going to observe these programs,” said Damon, who visited Zambia on a similar trip in 2006. “Our job is just to be quiet and take notes and meet people and listen to peoples’ stories.”

The Academy Award winning actor and screenwriter also hoped to spend time in the troubled region of Darfur, but that part of the trip was cancelled due to increasing security alerts.

“I’m still open to going, and I hope to go,” said Damon, who has already raised over $10 million this year for the region with Don Cheadle, George Clooney and Brad Pitt. “There’s clearly an appetite back at home for what the issues are there, but also it’s a very complicated situation there… and it keeps changing.”

Damon also hosted the annual ONE X ONE benefit gala on September 9, the night before flying to Tanzania. The event, held at the Four Seasons Centre For Performing Arts in Toronto, followed the actor’s appearance at a screening of Running The Sahara, a film he produced and narrated, and which hopes to gather support for clean water supply programs in Africa.

“I’ve seen solutions to these very real problems,” said the actor, referring to his work with the film, which screened as part of the Toronto Film Festival. “I’ve seen these things working, and it’s exciting for me.”

The One X One gala aimed to raise money to improve the lives of children in Canada and around the world. The event featured a performance by Shakira, and honored singer Wyclef Jean for his work in Haiti with the Yéle Haiti Foundation, as well as model Petra Nemcova, who was seriously injured in the devastating 2004 tsunami, and used her experience to raise funds for other tsunami survivors. Sarah Fergusson and actor Richard Gere were also honored.

“This event is so great, and it’s such a huge fundraiser,” said Matt Damon. “The people that show up… they’re there to make an impact.”

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are scheduled to remain in Africa for a week.

Damon Is Back for ONE X ONE

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 16:50:34 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Matt Damon will once again host ONE X ONE’s annual Difference Awards ceremony on September 9. Among those being recognized this year for their extraordinary efforts towards fighting child poverty and suffering will be Richard Gere, Duchess of York Sarah Ferguson, Assembly of First Nations National Chief Phil Fontaine and Petra Nemcova.

ONE X ONE is a non-profit organization that supports children in Canada and abroad. Established less than three years ago, it has already raised over $5 million and created partnerships with major corporations and foundations.

The charity’s projects include providing first-nations kids with breakfast every day, and a ‘doctor exchange’ in which doctors from Haiti and Rwanda will train at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children; in turn, Toronto doctors will travel to Rwanda to repair the heart valves of children damaged by water-borne illnesses.

ONE X ONE is also helping 12,000 children attend school in a Rwandan village, and has created a basket-weaving co-op. “If you’re trying to take people out of poverty,” says charity founder Joelle Berdugo Adler, “you have to give them tools, not handouts.”

The awards will be given at the gala in the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, where Shakira, Wyclef Jean of the Fugees, Nikki Yanofsky, the African Children’s Choir and others will perform. Wyclef Jean is also to be honoured for his Yéle Haiti Foundation (Cry Haiti), as are Charlie Engle, Ray Zahab and Kevin Lin, who ran cross the Sahara Dessert earlier this year to raise awareness for H2O Africa, the clean-water initiative founded by Damon and his partners at LivePlanet. Their documentary film of the run, which Damon narrates, will be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival.

Sachs Appeal - Who is Jeffrey Sachs?

Wed, 18 Oct 2006 20:48:18 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Brad Pitt sang his praises at the ONE X ONE fundraiser, and George Soros donated $50 million to the program which he directs, the UN Millennium Project. Bono and Madonna are also big supporters, and Angelina Jolie has filmed an MTV special promoting his work.

So who is this man that so many stars are looking up to? Jeffrey Sachs is considered the leading economic advisor of his generation; he has been called “the most important economist in the world” by The New York Times Magazine. He is Special Advisor to United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan regarding the Millennium Development Goals; has worked as an economic advisor to governments in Latin America, Eastern Europe, the former Yugoslavia, the former Soviet Union, Asia, and Africa; and has advised organizations such as the IMF, the World Bank, the OECD, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations Development Programme. He is the Director of The Earth Institute, and President and Co-Founder of Millennium Promise Alliance, a nonprofit organization aimed at ending extreme global poverty.

But what really has people talking is the Millennium Villages he is helping to create as part of the UN Millennium Project. In 2004 the project implemented a plan to greatly reduce poverty by using practical, affordable means and empowering the people most affected by the condition.

The most impoverished know what help they require, making the key principle for each Village community empowerment, participation and leadership. Together they aim to create an African Green Revolution working with the environment to increase food production to a secure level, so that the people can then focus on non-agricultural endeavors.

There are currently 12 Millennium Villages, with the hope of creating 66 more in the next year. The first Millennium Village began in Sauri,Kenya, with a village consisting of little more than 5,200 people with the strong desire to improve their own lives. The funding for the project came mostly from the Kenyan government and the village, with under half of the funds coming from international aid.

At the start of the project most of Sauri’s farmers were harvesting less than a ton of maize per hectare – not enough to feed a household from one season to the next – so two maize hybrids were introduced to the village by the UN Millennium Project Hunger Task Force. The villagers received fertilizer, were taught fallow farming techniques and shown how to use leguminous crops to help enrich the soil. This new knowledge combined with a season of good rains to create a bumper crop of four tons per hectare, four times what they had previously grown.

Producing food is just one step that the project has taken. It provides for improved food storage facilities, bed-nets to stop malaria-carrying mosquitoes, free clinics with AIDS antiretroviral therapies and vaccinations to fight diseases, agro-forestry education, sinking of wells for safe drinking water, and bringing in generators for village electricity. The cost per person is $110 per year.

All of this is hard to imagine, but a video of Angelina Jolie at the Sauri village available on YouTube clearly illustrates what is happening. In fact, Jolie is so impressed with what she has seen that she and Brad Pitt plan to build a Millennium Village in Cambodia.

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