Look To The Stars News: UNHCR

Win A Water Filtration Device To Celebrate Charity Climb

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:30:00 -0000

In January, Jessica Biel and Isabel Lucas will be among a group of celebrities as they set off to climb the highest mountain in Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro, to raise awareness of the importance of safe drinking water. And to celebrate, Look To The Stars will give away a PUR water filtration system to one lucky reader.

The stars will be joined by Ethiopian singer Kenna and rapper Lupe Fiasco, and the Summit On The Summit expedition will raise money and awareness for the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and PlayPumps International.

“My dad almost died as a child from waterborne diseases in Ethiopia, and he had talked to me about digging a well there, and I thought, ’I have too many friends who would be concerned with the subject of clean water,” said Kenna. “Maybe I can help out.’”

And it is a challenge Lupe Fiasco is looking forward to: “I’m an adventure junkie. Part of the motivation is beating Kenna to the top. Sabotaging his tent, taking the lining out of his coat, lacing it with ants or something like that. [The water crisis in Africa] is a universal problem; it’s all mounting to the point where eventually there’s no clean water left. If I did a song, it would be jam-packed with so much information, it would almost be like we fit the substance of an entire interview in three and a half minutes.”

Dr. Greg Allgood, Founder and Director of the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program (CSDW), will be joining the climb as the water issues expert, educating the climbers on the global water crisis and what is being done to help. PUR Water Filtration Specialists is sponsoring this initiative and, for every PUR system purchase, one week of clean drinking water is provided to children in the developing world through the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program: which has, to date, provided over 1.8 billion liters of clean water worldwide. You can also sponsor a foot of the climb – $2.00 provides 200 liters of clean drinking water for those in need, and $10 will provide a clean water solution for a child for 1.5 years.

The CSDW program distributes small, easy-to-use PUR packets of powdered mixture that remove impurities found in contaminated drinking water. Click HERE to see a demonstration. Through the use of these packets PUR has provided 1.8 billion liters of clean water to those in developing countries and at the 2009 Clinton Global Initiative made a new commitment to provide 4 billion liters by 2012. This will prevent an estimated 160 million days of diarrheal illness and save an estimated 20,000 lives.

Look To The Stars is giving away a PUR Filtration System to one lucky reader. All you have to do is name one of the celebrities taking part in the Summit On The Summit event. Email the answer, as well as your full name and address (including your country), to contests@looktothestars.org by Tuesday, December 1 and we’ll put you in the draw.

Brad Pitt Joins Angelina Jolie In Syria For Refugees

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were in Syria last week to meet with Iraqi refugees to raise awareness of their plight.

“Most Iraqi refugees cannot return to Iraq in view of the severe trauma they experienced there, the uncertainty linked to the coming Iraqi elections, the security issues and the lack of basic services,” said Jolie, who was in Damascus for the UNHCR. “They will, therefore, be in need of continued support from the international community.”

It was the actress’ second visit to Syria in two years. On Friday, she visited Damascus’ poorest suburbs where she was welcomed by two Iraqi families and – along with Brad Pitt – discussed the Iraqi refugee crisis with Syrian President Bashar Assad.
UNHCR has stated that more than 4.2 million Iraqis have left their homes since the beginning of the conflict in 2003.

“It is clear that the Syrian people, no matter the challenges or difficulties they may face, have always shown generous hospitality to people in need,” said Jolie. “I hope that the rest of the world recognizes that we all have to share this burden and continue to take care of Iraqi refugees.”

Jessica Biel To Climb Kilimanjaro For Charity

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Jessica Biel is the latest star to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for charity.

The actress will join Isabel Lucas and several others for the trek in January to raise awareness about the need for clean water.

“This is a basic human necessity that needs to be addressed now,” she said. “I want to help any way I can in order to raise awareness toward the life-threatening clean water crisis happening not only in Africa but around the world.”

Biel’s boyfriend, Justin Timberlake, is also set to take part in the climb, which will also raise money for the Children’s Safe Drinking Water Program, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and PlayPumps International.

“I’ve been training four times a week to get my VO2 – oxygen consumption – levels up to expand my lungs,” he said. “We’ll climb for a week straight, carrying 30lbs on our backs. It’s going to be intense, but it’s going to be so rewarding. We’re going to be ready for it.”

Mia Farrow Takes Message Of Hope To Cameroon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Angelina Jolie Visits ‘Dire’ Kenyan Refugee Settlement

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Emily Ray

Angelina Jolie has spoken about visiting ‘one of the most dire’ refugee camps on the Kenyan–Samali border.

Jolie is a Goodwill Ambassador for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an organization that seeks to help refugees into a ‘normal environment’.

On a visit to the refugee settlement, Jolie was heartbroken about the residents’ plight, where 285,000 people live in a cramped space designed for just 90,000.

With children and adults alike showing signs of malnutrition, and families living amongst rubbish, Jolie’s visit took on an extra disbelief when she learnt that fifteen people are surviving on 100 liters of water every two days, when the recommendation is 20 liters per person per day. Cholera outbreaks are common place, and Jolie said the next occurrence might be impossible to contain.

UNHCR Kenya Representative Liz Ahua warned, “If we don’t get more land, it will be impossible to avert a major humanitarian crisis”. The UN High Commissioner called for a massive injection of funds from the donor community, and UNCHR will provide an extra $20 million for refugees and the community in Dadaab.

Jolie spoke poignantly: ‘I wish more people could meet them, then they would have a stronger desire to help.’

To find out more about the work of UNHCR, click here

Angelina Jolie Visits The Displaced In Iraq

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Angelina Jolie has made her third trip to Iraq to visit people displaced by the war.

The actress used her latest visit to the Middle East to visit the country, where she witnessed a settlement on the outskirts of Baghdad where 20,000 Iraqis live, unable to return to their homes because of violence.

“It is lacking in all of the basic things that you would need,” Jolie told CNN. “They just started to have clean water. They’re sleeping on dirt. They have built these areas out of brick by hand. They don’t have job opportunities.”

Jolie – a UN Ambassador for the UNHCR – met four families whose children could not go to school and could not afford to pay for medical treatment.

“This is a moment where things seem to be improving on the ground, but Iraqis need a lot of support and help to rebuild their lives.

“There are still three million people displaced, innocent families. We have still many young men and women from our country who are fighting every day, there are men and women from all countries who have lost their lives, and this is a time to try to make some positive change.

“The UNHCR has been doing everything it can. It’s been building houses. It’s having funding issues. It’s only half-funded this year. It takes six months to be able to build a house.

“So they’re not going to get enough money to be able to build all the houses that they want to build, to be able to facilitate anybody that does want to come home. They’ll be able to do something, but not as much as they could if they were given all the support.”

UNHCR has stated that 1.6 million Iraqis were displaced within the country by sectarian violence.

Angelina Jolie Speaks At World Refugee Day Event

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 15:00:00 -0000

At an event marking the launch of activities in the United States for World Refugee Day, UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie appeared alongside UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres to call on the world to recognize millions of victims of conflict around the world not as a burden but as a potential gift.

“I know the strength that diversity has given my country – a country built by what some would now dismiss as asylum-seekers and economic migrants – and I believe we must persuade the world that refugees must not be simply viewed as a burden,” said Jolie. "They are the survivors. And they can bring those qualities to the service of their communities and the countries that shelter them.

“The refugees I have met and spent time with have profoundly changed my life,” Jolie added. “Today . . . I want to thank them for letting me into their lives.”

Jolie was speaking at a World Refugee Day event at the National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C. hosted by UNHCR and moderated by NBC television anchor Ann Curry. The event included a live feed from the Djabal refugee camp in eastern Chad, where a UNHCR staff member on the ground spoke to the assembled audience. The event comes two days before World Refugee Day, but will be UNHCR’s main WRD activity in the US.

High Commissioner Guterres spoke of the increasing difficulties and dangers facing the world’s more than 42 million uprooted people as well as those trying to help them. He said the situation was particularly challenging in internal displacement situations which can involve a multiplicity of actors – rebel factions, politically or ethnically linked militias, bandits, government troops and international forces. If people are unable to flee across borders, then humanitarian agencies must try to get help to them inside or near conflict zones.

“This is a dangerous and changing world,” he said. “One of the worrying trends is people’s inability to cross borders. It’s harder and harder for UNHCR to get access to them. The international community faces difficulties today – it is difficult to balance the sovereignty of states with the sovereignty of the human being. This is a huge challenge for us in UNHCR.”

With the changing nature of conflict, the “humanitarian space” within which his agency and its partners must work is shrinking, Guterres said. In some situations, humanitarian workers are seen as legitimate targets. Two UNHCR staff members have been killed in the past five months in Pakistan, most recently in the June 9 bombing of the Pearl Continental Hotel in Peshawar.

“Humanitarians are becoming more and more a target,” he said, and this poses a terrible dilemma – how to balance the urgent needs of innocent civilians with the responsibility to ensure the safety of those trying to help them. “But UNHCR staff never ask me how to leave,” he said. “They always ask me how to stay.”

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was scheduled to speak on Thursday but was forced to cancel after fracturing her elbow in a fall Wednesday on the way to the White House.

The event in Washington kicked off several days of activities around the world designed to draw attention to the plight of refugees and others uprooted by violence. The theme of this year’s events is “Real People, Real Needs,” underscoring the fact that while the world struggles to cope with the fall-out from the global financial crisis, millions of people in poorer countries are in need of help and attention in order to survive.

Events on Saturday will include a concert at Washington’s Kennedy Centre by legendary Congolese vocalist and bandleader Samba Mapangala, a football match between refugees in Australia, a musical performance by Kurdish refugees from Iran in northern Iraq and a film festival in Japan. On Saturday, from 9am to 9pm EST in the United States (2pm to 2am GMT) a new web site, www.refugeedaylive.org, will feature live streams from Iraq, Pakistan, a refugee camp in Africa and a settlement for the displaced in Colombia.

At Thursday’s event, UNHCR awarded a refugee from eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rose Mapendo, who had started her own NGO for victims of conflict, with its US Humanitarian of the Year Award.

Meanwhile, Jolie pointed out that forced displacement is a fact of life. "Whether it be from Darfur, Myanmar or the Swat Valley [in Pakistan]; or some as yet unknown crisis, mass migrations will be a feature of our future. “We must look beyond the simple numbers,” she said, “and look instead at the individual.”

Brad Pitt And Angelina Jolie Donate To Refugees In Pakistan

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have donated $1 million to help refugees in Pakistan.

According to People.com, the celebrity couple made the donation through their Jolie-Pitt Foundation, which they established to assist with humanitarian crises around the world.

People.com reports that the head of the UNHCR, António Guterres, thanked the foundation for its assistance, calling Pakistan’s plight “the most challenging humanitarian crisis of the past decade.” More than 2 million people are currently displaced in the country.

Angelina Jolie initially created the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation (MJP) for the conservation of Cambodia’s endangered Cardamom Mountains’ northern territory. As more resources became available, MJP’s operations expanded into other areas such as reforestation, community protected area, park management and humanitarian crises. In 2007, the organization changed its name to Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation and now donates to those in need around the world.

Angelina Jolie: World Refugee Day PSA

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Angelina Jolie has recorded a PSA for World Refugee Day urging people not to ignore the plight of those forced to leave their homelands.

Speaking for the UNHCR, the actress speaks about the millions of refugees without homes or identities around the world: “Please don’t turn away. Refugees are the most vulnerable people on earth. Every day, they are fighting to survive. They deserve our respect.”

World Refugee Day will be held on June 20 and aims to raise awareness of the 34 million people of concern to UNHCR who face a shortage or lack of the essentials of life – clean water, food, sanitation, shelter, health care and protection from violence and abuse.

The UNHCR says: "A comprehensive assessment of the needs of refugees and other people cared for by the UN refugee agency revealed that 30 percent were unmet – a third of them in basic and essential services. Improvements in nutrition and water supplies, access to primary health care, strengthened child protection programmes, better protection for women from sexual violence and abuse, and improvements in living conditions and sanitation facilities are just some of the needs that are not being met worldwide.

“This World Refugee Day we ask you to remember the millions of forcibly displaced and stateless people under our care who are struggling with their day-to-day lives. One thing connects them all: basic needs that must be met so they have a chance to rebuild their lives.”

To find out how you can help, and to watch Jolie’s PSA, visit the UNHCR website.

“Please do not forget them. Remember them on this day. World Refugee Day.”

Celebrities Do Whatever It Takes For Charity

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A huge selection of celebrity-designed bags and T-shirts are currently available at the UK’s premiere celebrity charity auction website, Buy Once Give Twice.

The auction site is hosting the auction for Whatever It Takes, a unique charity artwork project which inspires hope by gathering artworks from leaders in all fields; royalty, film, music, Nobel Peace Prize laureates, sports, literature etc. The artworks are used to ethically produce Whatever It Takes products which are then sold to raise funds for charitable causes chosen by each contributing leader.

Going under the hammer in the auction are T-shirts featuring designs by The Killers, Pink, Snoop Dogg, Nicole Kidman, Hilary Duff, Lucy Liu, Toni Collette, Coldplay, Minnie Driver, Keane, Whoopi Goldberg, Green Day, Barry Manilow, Penelope Cruz, Melanie C, Annie Lennox, and the Kaiser Chiefs. There are also bags and purses designed by Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, Lucy Liu, Kanye West, Slash, David Bowie, Ozzy Osbourne, and Stella McCartney.

Charities supported by Whatever It Takes include: Adopt-A-Minefield, Anti-Slavery International, Breast Cancer Campaign, CARE, Children of the Andes, Children’s Medical Research Institute, Christian Children’s Fund, City at Peace, Comic Relief, Dreams Can Be Foundation, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Greenpeace, Healthlink Worldwide, Heifer International, Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen, Red Cross, LIFEbeat, LifeLine & Rape Crisis PMB, Opportunity International, Oxfam, ROTA, Rights and Humanity, S.A.F.E., Save the Children, Sharon Osborne Colon Cancer Program, Snoop Youth Football League, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Teenage Cancer Trust, The BRIT Trust, Christina Noble Children’s Foundation, Little Dreams Foundation, Lotus Outreach, Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund, Toothfairy Foundation, Trade plus Aid, UNHCR, UNICEF, and WaterAid.

To make a bid in the auction, which runs until June 30, click here.

Michael Jordan Charity Auction Nets $110,000

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

On April 15, we ran a story announcing that the Chicago Bulls had teamed with Hunt Auctions to offer fans a chance to bid on historic Michael Jordan gear – including his locker – with all proceeds going to the Chicago Bulls’ charitable organization, the CharitaBulls.

The auction was held on Saturday (April 18) at the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame, where 13 Jordan items were auctioned, along with items from basketball legends such as Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.

All in all, the Jordan items brought in more than $110,000 to benefit the Bulls non-profit organization, the Charitabulls.

In 1987, the Chicago Bulls founded a nonprofit organization to aid in civic tasks, especially where children are concerned. CharitaBulls was formed with the mission to enhance the lives of Chicago’s youth by actively creating and supporting educational, recreational and social programs. Additionally, CharitaBulls has contributed to global organizations such as the World Food Programme, the United Nation’s Nothing But Nets anti-malaria campaign, and the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugee’s Ninemillion.org campaign to provide education for refugees in Africa. For more information, please visit the CharitaBulls website.

Angelina Jolie Calls For Refugee Relief In Thailand

Fri, 06 Feb 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Angelina Jolie was in Thailand this week as part of a UNHCR visit to discuss refugees. During her visit, she made an emotive plea to the Thai government, urging them to free thousands of Burmese refugees who have been held in camps for up to 20 years.

“I was saddened to meet a 21-year-old woman who was born in a refugee camp, who has never even been out of the camp and is now raising her own child in a camp,” she told reporters. “With no foreseeable chance that these refugees will soon be able to return to Burma (Myanmar), we must find some way to help them work and become self reliant. As with all people, they deserve to have their human rights respected.”

Jolie visited the Ban Mai Nai Soi refugee centre in Northern Thailand on Wednesday, and witnessed the living conditions of the refugees firsthand. She spent time talking to the refugees, and was able to give out soccer balls donated by the UNHCR to children in the camp.

Over 111,000 registered Burmese refugees live in nine camps along the Thai-Myanmar border. They are not allowed to venture outside the camps to work or receive higher education.

“I hope we can work with the Thai authorities to speed up the government admissions process and that you will not be forced to go back to Burma if danger remains,” she told the refugees she met.

Jolie is well known for her hands-on approach to working with refugees and wrote a book titled Notes From My Travels about her experiences. The book is available here.

Ben Affleck To Testify At Congressional Hearing About Congo

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Ben Affleck has accepted an invitation to testify at a congressional hearing about a documentary film he made in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Gimme Shelter is a four minute documentary set to the music of the Rolling Stones and focusing on humanitarian issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The actor – who recently welcomed a new baby into his family – is excited by the prospect, but is refusing to name the senator who invited him.

“He asked me to do it … and I said ‘yes,’ and he said, ’I’ll let you know when it is,’” said Affleck. He is unsure when the hearing will take place, but feels that his visits to the Congo will help raise awareness of the problems there.

“When awareness is raised, when constituencies start to pay attention, they are more likely to pay attention to that one thing than another,” he said. “What I can do is care about something. What I can do is make it important to my elected officials. Diplomacy is free.”

The UNHCR Gimme Shelter campaign hopes to raise $23 million in 2009 for emergency humanitarian assistance kits to help displaced persons in the Congo

Angelina Jolie Tops Celebrity Charity Poll

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

Written by Tim Saunders

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

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

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

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

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

Ben Affleck Premieres New Film For The United Nations

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Ben Affleck attended the premiere of his new short film about the crisis in the Congo on Wednesday.

Gimme Shelter is a four minute documentary set to the music of the Rolling Stones and focusing on humanitarian issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“It’s an issue that I care a lot about – which is what’s going on in the Congo,” Affleck told Access Hollywood. “So, I made this film for the [”UNHCR":http://www.looktothestars.org/charity/5-unhcr], which is the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. I really am passionate about the humanitarian situation in the Congo, so I made a film about refugees – kind of centered around what’s happening in the Congo."

Affleck addressed the UNHCR at the UN Headquarters in NY following the premiere.

The UNHCR Gimme Shelter campaign also hopes to raise $23 million in 2009 for emergency humanitarian assistance kits to help displaced persons in the Congo. The film will be distributed worldwide through the Internet, television, mobile phones, cinemas, and hotel chains.

To view the new film, click here.

Ben Affleck Shows Gratitude For The Troops

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Ben Affleck and Patricia Heaton were on hand at the California National Guard Armory on Sunday, December 14, as part of Operation Gratitude.

The pair joined thousands of volunteers as they helped put together over 100,000 care packages for troops stationed overseas.

Operation Gratitude started out as a small operation but has now become one of the largest military support organizations in the world, with over 400,000 care packages delivered to troops deployed in combat zones. Each package costs $10 to prepare and ship, and contains food, toiletries, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation.

Affleck is also excited that his short film about the Congo is to be shown at UN Headquarters this week.

“I made a film for the U.N.,” Ben told Access Hollywood. “It’s an issue that I care a lot about – which is what’s going on in the Congo. So, I made this film for the [”UNHCR":http://www.looktothestars.org/charity/5-unhcr], which is the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. I really am passionate about the humanitarian situation in the Congo, so I made a film about refugees – kind of centered around what’s happening in the Congo. I’m screening it at the U.N. on the 17th of December, as the opening to a discussion that they’re doing there about refugees."

Affleck also got some very special celebrity help for his film: "The film is set to the Rolling Stones song, “Give Me Shelter,” which was donated by the Rolling Stones. It’s another step of being active in the humanitarian space and I’ve been really honored that the U.N. has asked me to make this film and is allowing me to participate in their discussion about refugees which will follow the screening of the film."

Angelina Jolie Visits Afghanistan

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Angelina Jolie has returned home after visiting poverty-stricken families in Afghanistan last week.

The 33-year-actress spent last Wednesday and Thursday (October 22-23) in the country as part of her duties as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, and visited with refugees who have returned to the country and are attempting to build new homes.

“Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001 more than five million Afghans have returned home,” she said. “Afghanistan has been struggling to absorb these massive returns. These families have been displaced for nearly 30 years and many of them face difficulties including food, shelter and basic services such as healthcare and education. They have suffered so much yet they remain gracious.”

Jolie spent her time in Nangarhar and Kabul, and raised awareness of a conference in Kabul next month to discuss the issue of the repatriation of refugees.

“The courage, resilience and quiet dignity of returnee families rebuilding their lives against the kind of adversity few of us can imagine shows the human spirit at its best.”

A Big Concert For A Big Man With A Big Heart

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A charity concert honoring Luciano Pavarotti took place at the site of the ancient Jordanian city of Petra on Sunday night.

The show – which featured many of Pavarotti’s friends from across the music industry, including Sting, Jose Carreras, Andrea Bocelli, Jovanotti, Laura Pausini, Angela Gheorghiu, Andrea Griminelli, Cynthia Lawrence, and Roberto Alagna – raised money for projects in Afghanistan run by the UN Refugee Relief Agency and the World Food Program, as well as for the Petra archaeological site 180km south of Amman where the concert took place.

Organized by Nicoletta Mantovani – Pavarotti’s widow – with the support of HRH Princess Haya of Jordan, a UN Messenger of Peace, the concert was attended by 500 guests, including Jordan’s Queen Rania Al Abdullah.

Pavarotti actively supported UNHCR projects in Kosovo, Pakistan, Zambia, and Iraq before his death. For his continuous commitment to refugee causes, he received UNHCR’s Nansen Refugee Award and was named a UN Messenger of Peace.

Pavarotti To Be Honored With Charity Concert

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti is to be honored at a tribute charity concert in Petra, Jordan, a year after his death.

Proceeds from the concert – to be held on October 12 – will go towards projects in Afghanistan by the UN Refugee Relief Agency and the World Food Program, as well as to the Petra archaeological site 180km south of Amman where the concert will take place.

The audience – limited to about 500 people – will be entertained by many of Pavarotti’s friends from across the music industry, including Sting, Jose Carreras, Andrea Bocelli, Jovanotti, Laura Pausini, Angela Gheorghiu, Andrea Griminelli, Cynthia Lawrence, and Roberto Alagna. The event is being organised by Nicoletta Mantovani – Pavarotti’s widow – with the support of HRH Princess Haya of Jordan, a UN Messenger of Peace.

“This is an event born of the desire of everybody to remember Luciano, with songs dedicated to him or ones that he had sung,” said Mantovani.

Jolie-Pitt Foundation Donates To War Children

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have donated $1 million to support the education of war-affected children through their Jolie-Pitt Foundation.

The Education Partnership for Children of Conflict will distribute the donation to four organizations working with children who have lost parents and homes in Iraq, and children in the United States who have lost parents in the conflict will also benefit.

“These educational support programs for children of conflict are the best way to help them heal,” said Jolie, who co-chairs the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict.

“We hope to encourage others to give to these great organizations,” added Pitt.

$500,000 will go to the Armed Services YMCA Operation Hero Program, which will provide educational tutors and counseling to 2,500 children affected by the war in America. The remainder will be split between three organizations operating in Iraq: Women for Women International, which provides books, school supplies and other basic necessities to Iraqi women and children; the International Rescue Committee, which will repair three schools and offer classes for more than 2,500 students; and www.NineMillion.org – a UNHCR campaign – which will donate learning materials to more than 2,000 displaced Iraqi children.

Aid will also go to refugee children and school rehabilitation programs.

Time 100 - Tribute to Brad and Angelina by George Clooney

Wed, 14 May 2008 11:20:52 -0000

As previously mentioned, this year’s “Time 100 List” is out. We would like to share with our readers some of Time’s chosen Heroes & Pioneers, celebrities who are making a difference. Below is the full tribute to Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, written by George Clooney, and we’ll feature further tributes in the coming days:

“It is one thing to talk about the problems of the world and quite another to actually try to change things.

“As a team, actors [”Brad Pitt":http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/27-brad-pitt], 44, and Angelina Jolie, 32, have served as our goodwill ambassadors worldwide. They brought help to Pakistan in 2005, after a catastrophic earthquake killed tens of thousands of people and left millions homeless. They have tended to the poor and sick in Africa. And they’ve raised global awareness—and contributed $1 million of their own money—for the victims of atrocities in Darfur. Brad co-founded Not On Our Watch, an organization set up to focus global attention on Darfur and other hot spots.

“In the U.S., Brad and Angelina didn’t just talk about, or even just throw money at, the tragic fallout from Hurricane Katrina. They actually moved to New Orleans and have set about trying to make right what so many have made wrong. Brad established a project to finance and build 150 new homes in the Ninth Ward.

“Angelina has worked tirelessly through the United Nations on behalf of refugees around the world, touring border camps in Africa, Asia and Latin America and lobbying on Capitol Hill. The couple cares for three adopted children, from Cambodia, Ethiopia and Vietnam, in addition to their biological daughter.

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

Clooney himself is well-known for philanthropic work, and is actively engaged in trying to resolve the Darfur crisis.

Angelina Jolie Explains The Iraqi Refugee Problem

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:27:57 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Back from her latest trip to war ravaged Iraq as United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Goodwill Ambassador, Angelina Jolie has a sense that the time is right to do something about the humanitarian crisis there. In her recent editorial to the Washington Post, Jolie explained the risks of non-action.

“We not only have a moral obligation to help displaced Iraqi families, but also a serious, long-term, national security interest in ending this crisis,” wrote Jolie. “Can the United States afford to gamble that 4 million or more poor and displaced people, in the heart of Middle East, won’t explode in violent desperation, sending the whole region into further disorder?”

Since the US invasion of Iraq, more than 2 million Iraqi civilians have been driven from their homes into perilous conditions, seeking shelter in abandoned buildings and primitive huts without food, clean water, or electricity. Over half of them are under the age of 12. Another 2.5 million have fled the country altogether, looking to Syria and Jordan for refuge. So great was the influx that the borders are now closed to refugees.

However, Jolie also sees opportunity. The actress has met with several key people in the US, UNHCR, and Iraqi government who all appear ready to do something. The army has offered protection to UNHCR staff and new efforts to address the humanitarian crisis, and UNHCR’s High Commissioner has promised to assess the conditions required for the return of refugees and providing humanitarian relief. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is also committed to overseeing issues related to internally displace people and financial support for the effort.

As for the refugee families, Jolie believes that all they want is “the chance to return to their homes and get back to their lives.” Even the troops “want to be a part of the humanitarian progress they now feel is possible.”

Because 4 million refugees will not be fast or easy to absorb, Jolie is adamant that the progress and momentum not be lost. “I would like to call on each of the presidential candidates and congressional leaders to announce a comprehensive refugee plan with a specific timeline and budget as part of their Iraq strategy. It seems to me that now is the moment to address the humanitarian side of this situation. Without the right support, we could miss an opportunity to do some of the good we always stated we intended to do.”

Angelina Jolie - Helping Her Heroes

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

Written by Tim Saunders

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.”

The trip was a follow-up to her visit to the country six months ago, and marks Jolie’s commitment to displaced persons and refugees in war-ravaged nations, and confirms her dedication to implement solutions wherever possible.

“Of the two million internally displaced, it’s estimated 58 percent are under 12 years old. It’s a very high number of people in a very, very vulnerable situation and a lot of young kids,” said Jolie. “So far, the different US officials I met with and different local people I’ve met with all have shared concerns, very, very strongly. They have spoken out about the humanitarian crisis, but there seems to be a block in.”

Jolie traveled to Baghdad with Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky, and met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari, and Refugees Minister Abdel Samad Rahman Sultan. As a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, Jolie is well known for using her status as a superstar to generate media coverage about the plight of refugees and the conditions under which they live, and this trip to Iraq proved no different.

“This trip is to get a better picture of the internally displaced people and to discuss [the situation] with the local government, with our government, with the NGOs and with local people,” said Jolie. “I’m not good at policy and fixing all this and saying what’s wrong, but I do know that, for example, U.N.H.C.R. needs to be more active inside Iraq… I know that this is one thing that needs to be addressed and solved because there does need to be a real presence here to help count the people and register the people. Also, the prime minister here needs to empower the government that deals with migration and displacement to be able to address the concerns for these people, and that hasn’t happened in a significant way yet.”

Born in Los Angeles in 1975, Jolie’s acting career has already spanned two decades. Her first feature role was in Lookin’ to Get Out in 1982, a film co-written and co-produced by her father, the acclaimed actor Jon Voight. Since then, she has received Golden Globe Awards for the television movies George Wallace (1997) and Gia (1998), and her film credits include Hackers (1995), The Bone Collector (1999), Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000), Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001), Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003), and Mr and Mrs Smith (alongside her partner, Brad Pitt, in 2005).

It was while filming the first Tomb Raider movie in Cambodia, a country stricken by poverty, that Jolie began to become aware of humanitarian issues around her. She approached the UNHCR for more information, and was sent to Sierra Leone, a small African country that – like the Democratic Republic of the Congo – had been devastated by years of brutal civil war. Seeing firsthand the enormous challenges that refugees face was a life-altering experience for the actress, and she was named a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador in August 2001.

Over the next few years, Jolie witnessed some of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. She visited refugee camps in Tanzania, Pakistan, Thailand, Ecuador, Kosovo, Kenya, and Namibia, covering all of her own costs and insisting on sharing the same living and working conditions as field workers.

In 2003 Jolie published Notes From My Travels, a compelling collection of journal entries from her early field missions. She now publishes her latest journal entries on the UNHCR website.

Since 2003, Jolie has traveled to refugee camps in Sri Lanka, Russia, Jordan, Beirut, and Egypt, and has also visited detained asylum seekers in Arizona. In 2005 she filmed an MTV special entitled “The Diary of Angelina Jolie and Dr. [”Jeffrey Sachs":http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/609-jeffrey-sachs] in Africa", portraying her trip to a remote group of villages in Kenya, and has visited Chad and Darfur several times since fighting erupted there in 2004.

In recent years, Jolie has been joined by Brad Pitt on many of her trips. In 2005 the pair witnessed the devastation of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake in Pakistan, and in 2006 they visited a school in Haiti supported by Wyclef Jean’s Yéle Haiti Foundation.

Also in 2006, the pair founded the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, which made initial donations of $1 million to Doctors Without Borders and Global Action for Children. This was followed by a $100,000 donation to the Daniel Pearl Foundation, another to the Duk Lost Boys Medical Clinic in the Sudan, and $1 million to help refugees in Chad and Darfur.

Angelina Jolie’s generosity seems bottomless, and her heart is clearly as big as her stardom. In 2005, she announced the founding of the National Centre for Refugee and Immigrant Children, an organization that provides free legal aid to asylum-seeking children, and personally funded it with $1 million over 2 years. She also co-chairs the Education Partnership for Children of Conflict, a program established at the 2006 Clinton Global Initiative that has pledged to help with the education of over 1 million children affected by conflict around the world.

Her missions to the most dangerous troublespots in the far-flung corners of the world look set to continue well into the future.

“It’s always hard to see decent people, families, living in such difficult conditions,” she said. “What is most upsetting is how long it is taking the international community to answer this crisis… You go to these places and you realize what life’s really about and what people are really going through. These people are my heroes.”

Angelina Jolie Seeks Accountability

Fri, 21 Dec 2007 08:11:50 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Angelina Jolie, Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), has a dream – she is hoping for a year of accountability. Jolie’s essay in The Economist’s “The World in 2008” pulled no punches as she gave evidence on what accountability is needed for and how it can change, and has changed, the destructive spiral of vengeance around the world.

Jolie wrote that the convictions of heads of state for crimes against humanity from places like Yugoslavia, Rwanda and Sierra Leone are recognized by refugees, including those from Cambodia, Chad and Darfur who have also been witness to murder, rape, destruction and displacement.

In support, she revealed one of her experiences that occurred during a trip to the Democratic Republic of the Congo five years ago: "In the Ituri region, where Mr Katanga’s reign of terror had been most intense, our group attended a meeting of rebel leaders. They had gathered in a field to discuss the prospects for a peace agreement—which were not looking very good. The conversation turned hostile and the situation grew extremely tense. At that point, one of my colleagues asked for the name of one of the rebels, announcing, perhaps a bit recklessly, that he was going to pass it along to the International Criminal Court [in the Hague].

“It was remarkable: this rebel leader’s whole posture changed from aggression to conciliation. The ICC had been around for only five months. It had tried no one. Yet its very existence was enough to intimidate a man who had been terrorizing the population for years.”

Set in her belief, Jolie states, “Accountability is perhaps the only force powerful enough to break the cycle of violence and retribution that marks so many conflicts. Only through justice will we achieve peace.”

Stars Design Plates For Charity

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:51:22 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

For those who want to have dinner with the stars, this could be the next best thing. A selection of dinner plates designed by celebrities are for sale, with proceeds going to charity.

The plates feature designs by David Bowie, George Clooney, Giorgio Armani, Coldplay, Minnie Driver, and Sir Michael Caine, and are part of a fundraising initiative from 21st Century Leaders, a non-profit organization that plans to raise $3 million over three years through its “Whatever It Takes” celebrity-designed merchandise. So far, the organization has raised almost $1.5 million to fund “charitable projects in developing countries, and contribute to the protection of the environment and other causes”.

21st Century Leaders was founded by Charlotte di Vita, MBE, a goodwill ambassador for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. The 39 year old founded her first charity, Trade plus Aid, in 1992, which has raised over $5 million and helped communities in 21 developing countries to become self-supporting. A desire to do more led di Vita to start Whatever It Takes, a unique charity art project where celebrities donate their own artwork, which is then transferred onto “merchandise with a meaning”.

“It’s 15 minutes of their time to do an artwork,” said di Vita. “And it’s not just for a one-off sale or auction – I can use it to create employment and royalties that will help the charities for years to come.”

Proceeds from the products are distributed to a charity of the designer’s choice, and the dinner plates (which retail for $20) will benefit Oxfam, Save the Children, CARE International, UNHCR, and Anti-Slavery International. Other products available include mugs featuring the designs of Claudia Schiffer, Ewan McGregor, and Nicole Kidman (also retailing for $20), T-shirts designed by the Kaiser Chiefs ($80), shoes designed by Ozzy Osbourne ($80), and wristbands by Joss Stone, Green Day, and Paul McCartney ($6).

All merchandise is available from www.whateverittakes.org.

Angelina Jolie Visits Iraq

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 15:11:59 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actress Angelina Jolie visited Iraq and Syria for two days at the end of August, in an effort to raise international support for the millions of people displaced by war.

She made the trip, veiled in secrecy and with little media coverage, as part of her duties as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), an agency set up in 1950 to lead and coordinate international action for the protection of refugees, and to solve refugee problems worldwide.

“I have come to Syria and Iraq to help draw attention to this humanitarian crisis,” said the actress, who has visited over 20 countries since becoming an ambassador six years ago. “And to urge governments to increase their support for UNHCR and its partners.”

During her trip, Jolie visited the makeshift camp of al-Waleed, where 1200 refugees survive in basic conditions, prevented from entering Syria. Although Syria maintains open borders for Iraqi refugees, Palestinian residents of Iraq are not allowed to cross, and are stranded at the camp on the border. Jolie spent several hours talking with the refugees, as well as inspecting the medical and hygiene facilities.

“She did not make any promises,” said one of the refugees living at al-Waleed. “But she said ‘We will make an effort to resolve your situation.’”

The UNHCR is seeking to raise $223 million in aid to assist the 4.2 million Iraqis forced to leave their homes since the 2003 US-led invasion. Around 2 million of these people have fled into neighboring countries, placing heavy strains on their resources. The UNHCR have also launched an appeal with UNICEF to raise $130 million to help provide education to displaced Iraqi children.

“It is absolutely essential that the on-going debate about Iraq’s future includes plans for addressing the enormous humanitarian consequences these people face,” said Jolie, who plans to return to the troubled countries when her filming schedule allows.

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