Look To The Stars News: Not On Our Watch

Matt Damon Writes On The Importance Of Giving Back

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Matt Damon has put pen to paper and written an article for Parade Magazine on the importance of giving back.

“Here’s something that matters to me right now,” wrote Damon, who is a founder of Not On Our Watch, H2O Africa and Water.org. "Every 15 seconds, a child dies because of a lack of clean water and sanitation. I should probably repeat that: Every 15 seconds, a child dies because of a lack of clean water and sanitation. A billion people on our planet will never have a clean drink of water. There are 2.5 billion people in the world without toilet facilities. That kind of deprivation isn’t even on our radar in the U.S., but in Africa it’s the central preoccupation of many people’s lives. And the most devastating thing about it is that it takes so little to change it. Just $25 will give someone clean water for life—yes, just $25 will change someone’s future forever.

“I’ve taken a lot of trips in the last few years to places like Africa and India and Haiti to try to learn what conditions are like. You can read about extreme poverty and possible solutions, but it’s really powerful when you get to meet the people and shake their hands and listen to their stories. I try to keep my trips short because my kids are so young that my wife, Lucy, can’t come. We don’t like to be separated, but we both feel it’s so important to learn about these things. There’s so much I don’t know. In the future, I know these trips are something we’ll do as a family.

“There’s so much need, it’s so hard to decide where to give. For me, I look at the organizations that are actually doing the work on the ground. I co-founded Water.org, which focuses on water and sanitation. I was in Ethiopia earlier this year, and I watched children taking filthy water out of a hand-dug well and putting it in bottles to take to school. The water was so dirty, it looked like chocolate milk. I wanted to knock it out of their hands and say, “Don’t drink that—it could kill you.” The dilemma is that drinking nothing at all will kill them even faster. Parents in these impoverished areas lose children every year to diseases that could be completely prevented if they had access to clean water.

“Please find out what you can do to make a difference. Take five minutes to educate yourself on an issue you didn’t know about before. Then tell somebody else. Or make a small donation, if you can. Every dollar counts. Charitable foundations would rather have a million people donate $1 each than have a handful of people write big checks, because that means millions of us are getting involved. If you give $5 and talk to your neighbor about giving $5, that’s a big deal. If that conversation goes on across the country, we’ll really start moving some mountains.

“We’re here for such a short time. When your great-great-grandkids study history, don’t you want them to be proud that you were part of the solution?”

To read the full article Damon has written, visit the Parade Magazine website. You can also join Parade Magazine’s Giving Challenge – in which you could win $50,000 for your favorite charity – by clicking here.

George Clooney Puts Star Power To Work

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Catrina K. Sally

George Clooney is using his box office appeal to garner a financial boost for the people of L’Aquila, Italy.

In April 2009 the Italian city was devastated by an earthquake that left more than 300 people dead. Clooney hopes to film a movie in the town, and thinks that the movie will revamp the city’s economy and aid those left destitute by the natural disaster.

The people of L’ Aquila are not the only beneficiaries of Clooney’s humanitarian efforts. The Ocean’s Eleven star is also a supporter of Ante Up For Africa, Rock For Darfur, Not On Our Watch, and the World Food Programme. Hopefully, Clooney’s efforts in Italy will harvest the same rewards as his previous charity work.

Affleck, Damon and More To Ante Up For Africa

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:30:00 -0000

Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Brad Garrett, Mekhi Phifer, and top poker professional Phil Hellmuth have joined the growing list of celebrities who plan to play in the Ante Up For Africa charity tournament July 2 at the 40th annual World Series of Poker.

Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars are expected to go all in for the 3rd Ante Up For Africa (AUFA) Celebrity-Charity poker tournament.

Annually, the largest celebrity poker tournament in Las Vegas, the event is accessible for the public to play with their favorite stars or watch as spectators. A full house of celebrities will join Academy Award Nominee, Don Cheadle and “Celebrity Apprentice Star” and WSOP Bracelet winner Annie Duke at the event taking place during the 2009 WORLD SERIES OF POKER® (WSOP) at Rio in Las Vegas on Thursday, July 2 at 2 PM.

This No-Limit Hold’em poker tournament has an entry fee of $5,000 and provides entrants the opportunity to walk away with a six-figure payday. The event allows players to rub elbows with top Hollywood stars, athletes and poker professionals while contributing to a great cause.

Celebrities and athletes will join poker’s most notable players to raise public awareness and funds to support the victims of the humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan.

Among those confirmed to participate, subject to availability, are Cheadle, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Brad Garrett, Cedric the Entertainer, Charles Barkley, Danny Masterson, Hank Azaria, Herschel Walker, Jason Alexander, Kenny Smith, Marlon Wayans, Montel Williams, Reggie Miller, Tia Carrere, Sarah Silverman, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Cheryl Hines, Mekhi Phifer, Rob Schneider; Poker Professionals Howard Lederer, Andy Bloch, Tiffany Michelle, Erik Seidel and Phil Hellmuth with more to be confirmed.

The tournament will feature a fast-paced structure designed to complete the competition within five hours. Seating for the tournament is open to anyone age 21 or older.

This event, as is every World Series of Poker tournament, is open to the public for viewing and admission is free. The event will take place in the famed Amazon Ballroom in the Rio Convention Center, just one day prior to the start of the WSOP Main Event, the game’s most prestigious poker event.

Cheadle, an accomplished poker player, and Duke, who has more than $4 million in tournament winnings, are committed to raising both public awareness about the tragedy in Darfur and funds to aid its victims. As the world’s richest sporting event, the WSOP awarded more than $180 million in 2008 and attracted participants from a record 124 nations.

In the previous events, many of the in the money finishers volunteered to donate half of their winnings to the charity. Proceeds from the event will go to the ENOUGH Project and Refugees International, organizations whose goals include raising public awareness and providing aid to the survivors of Darfur.

More information about the tournament is available at www.worldseriesofpoker.com. If you would like more information regarding the organization, please log onto www.anteupforafrica.org and follow us on twitter at www.twitter.com/anteupforafrica.

ABOUT THE WSOP
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the largest, richest and most prestigious gaming event in the world awarding millions of dollars in prize money and the prestigious gold bracelet, globally recognized as the sport’s top prize. Featuring a comprehensive slate of tournaments in every major poker variation, the WSOP is poker’s longest running tournament in the world, dating back to 1970. In 2008, the event attracted 58,720 entrants from 124 different countries to the Rio in Las Vegas and awarded over $180 million in prize money. The creation of the new delayed Main Event final table more than doubled ratings on ESPN year-over-year. In December, 2008 the WSOP was named the 7th most admired sports brand in North America by the Turnkey Team Brand Index trailing only the more established NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour among sports properties. In addition, the WSOP has formed groundbreaking alliances in broadcasting, digital media and corporate sponsorships, while successfully expanding the brand internationally with the advent in 2007 of the World Series of Poker Europe. For more information on the World Series of Poker, please visit our website at www.worldseriesofpoker.com.

ABOUT ANTE UP FOR AFRICA
Ante Up For Africa (AUFA) is a non-profit organization founded in 2006 by Don Cheadle, Annie Duke and Norman Epstein. We are dedicated to raising money and awareness for Africans in need. To date, Ante Up For Africa has raised close to $2 million for the cause and has donated to organizations such as Not On Our Watch (NOOW), ENOUGH and The International Rescue Committee. For more information, please log onto www.AnteUpForAfrica.org.

George Clooney Leads UNICEF Donation

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Not On Our Watch, the international advocacy and aid organization founded by actors George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, producer Jerry Weintraub and human rights lawyer David Pressman, has awarded the U.S. Fund for UNICEF a grant of $438,000 to assist at-risk Zimbabwean refugee children living on the South Africa-Zimbabwe border.

The grant will provide critical support for child protection and welfare services for 1,500 unaccompanied and vulnerable children in the border town of Musina, South Africa.

“I’ve seen first-hand how dire the situation is for Zimbabwean refugees in South Africa. Women are being raped, orphaned children have no protection, and thousands of people are without even the most basic supplies. Every-day survival has become a harrowing task,” said Not On Our Watch board member Matt Damon. “As the situation in Zimbabwe remains unresolved, the international community must stop sitting on the sidelines and instead take action to help those who need it most. Not On Our Watch is proud to support UNICEF’s work in this critical time.”

While the formation of a new coalition government in Zimbabwe signals hope for the Zimbabwean people, the situation for women and children in-country remains at crisis levels. In the last six months, unstable economic conditions, coupled with a severe cholera outbreak have contributed to a dramatic increase in the number of Zimbabweans undertaking the dangerous journey of fleeing to neighboring South Africa, particularly children.

Once in South Africa, refugee children live in extreme situations of risk, including physical and sexual abuse, child labor, and psychosocial trauma, with only limited access to basic necessities such as health services, shelter, education, food and clothing. In addition, their lack of documentation and poorly understood legal status in South Africa places many children in danger of detention and deportation, and forces them to lead “underground” lives.

UNICEF and its partners are supporting the South African government’s efforts to improve the care and protection of migrant children. The support from Not On Our Watch will allow UNICEF to provide emergency assistance, prevent and respond to exploitation and gender-based violence, and strengthen the capacity of the South African Department of Social Development to respond to children’s complex needs.

“UNICEF gratefully acknowledges the vital support of Not On Our Watch, which will contribute to the survival needs of Zimbabwean children in Musina,” said Caryl Stern, President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. “This charitable donation will impact the lives of 1,500 Zimbabwean children, by providing them with the emergency care they desperately need. Services also help us to achieve our ultimate goal of reducing the number of children around the world who die each day of preventable causes from 25,000 to zero.”

Stars To Hit The Tables For Ante Up For Africa

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

PokerStars is proud to be hosting the first Ante Up For Africa (AUFA) Europe charity poker tournament, being held as part of the EPT Monte Carlo Grand Final tonight, April 27.

The event has attracted a star-studded field of celebrities and pro players, all helping to raise money and awareness for the crisis in Darfur, Sudan.

Confirmed celebrities include: Nelly, Boris Becker, Jason Lewis, Benji and Joel Madden, ‘Heroes’ star James Kyson Lee, boxer Vladimir Klitschko, Christina Milian, The Dream, Daniel Negreanu and Joe Hachem.

The tournament will take place April 27, the day before the start of the Grand Final. All prize money will be donated to Not On Our Watch and the ENOUGH Project – both of which provide valuable aid and assistance for victims of the Darfur crisis.

More info available at PokerStars.com.

Matt Damon And Ben Affleck Head Back To The Charity Poker Table

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are heading back to the poker table to raise money for charity.

The Cannes Charity Poker event, which is being sponsored by 888.com, will coincide with the Cannes Film Festival and is being held to raise money for Ben Affleck’s and Matt Damon’s charities – Not On Our Watch in aid of the children in the Darfur region, and One Voice For Freedom, the children’s anti-slavery charity whose patrons include Michael Caine, the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu.

The Cannes Charity Poker event is a privately run affair and the final 60 places will have been vetted by the organizers in an attempt to attract only the very top ‘A’ list celebrities.

Poker site 888.com is offering its customers the chance to play poker live at the Cannes Film Festival on 19th May with the stars. 888.com has secured one highly sought after place for one its customers on this final table, as the official gaming partners of the Cannes Charity Poker Event. Customers can win that place by playing at 888poker over the coming weeks.

To win an entry into the free roll event 888poker’s players will have to have accrued 1200 points from March 1st to May 6th. Once they have achieved this they will take part in a free roll poker tournament on May 9th.

The Cannes Charity Poker Event Final will have seven tables, each with at least one ‘A’ List celebrity such as Matt Damon or Ben Affleck on each table. The black tie occasion promises to be one of THE events of the two week Cannes Film Festival and the lucky 888.com winners not only have a chance of winning great prizes but also helping charity.

George Clooney Blogs About Darfur

Mon, 09 Mar 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Isra Shah

George Clooney has long been a vocal advocate for the victims of genocide in Darfur.

After a recent trip to the Chad-Darfur border and meetings with both President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden regarding the new administration’s policy for the region, the actor gave his insights and opinions about what has and has not changed in the region since his last visit and what he thinks of the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue a warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir last week.

In a blog the actor wrote for the The Daily Beast, Clooney remarked that the “most disturbing [thing] about the place was how little it had changed” in the three years since he had last been there. Despite the efforts of aid organizations dispatched to assist the needy, the norm that Clooney observed included “800 calories a day, sickness, threats of rebel violence, or just crime.” Where three years ago, the general atmosphere had an aura of hope that help was on its way, “there’s too little” of that now, evidenced only by a few moments, such as when village children followed Clooney around, chanting “Obama,” putting an entirely different twist on the President’s campaign themes of hope and change.

The implication of the lack of change Clooney found on his return trip to the region, he wrote, is that “the secret seems to be that the longer it goes on, the more tolerant all of us become of it.” Media, aware that “finding a new outrage is the only way to catch the world’s attention” presses on to find the most atrocious or the most touching personal story within a sea of tragic experiences that go “beyond the pale of what is acceptable…beyond our understanding of how much a person can take.”

In an interview with CNN International, Clooney elaborated on the world’s complacency in demanding more than a static status quo. He said, “I think the world has become too tolerant of all of these outrages.”

“The world is tolerant of the Congo and the world is tolerant of Zimbabwe. And the truth of the matter is, two or three times, you know – the world is tolerant of Burma – two or three times you can get that story out, and then it becomes a story we’ve seen before. It’s just as tragic, and we go away and we have a rally and everyone will feel like, well, we’ve accomplished something. And you’ll do something, you’ll put a Band-Aid on a gunshot wound, basically, and at the end of the day, these people are still there and they’re still living in this tragedy. And it’s not fixed.”

“We are too tolerant. And we are – we become more tolerant the longer it goes on.”

The recent decision by the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for President Al-Bashir last week is an opportunity to break out of our complacency and demand justice. Clooney explained that although the decision to issue the charges against Al-Bashir of crimes against humanity mark the first time a sitting head of state has been charged by the Hague, it is still unlikely that the Sudanese government will simply hand over its president to face the international community, or that the United Nations will attempt to go after him. Indeed, in the days following the warrant, Al-Bashir retaliated against the news of the charges by expelling thirteen relief organizations from the Darfur region, which has already left 200,000 people without medical assistance and will most likely leave hundreds of thousands of others without water or access to any other type of aid within days. The UN Security Council deadlocked on taking action, again reinforcing a continuation of the status quo in Darfur.

According to Clooney, this moment is crucial. It is an opportunity for action and “it tells the 300,000 brutally killed and 2.5 million displaced and raped and maimed that justice must always prevail. That the rest of the world sees their struggle and stands up and demands justice.”

“This is the moment. And if the UN can’t use it to insist on tougher sanctions, and the United States can’t use it to pressure China, and China can’t feel the eyes of the world looking to them for leadership in the country that they profit so greatly from, then the court and the rule of international law is lost.”

George Clooney was designated by the United Nations as a Messenger of Peace in 2006. He has visited the Darfur/Chad region six times in his efforts to increase humanitarian aid to the region, and is a co-founder and board member of the international advocacy group Not On Our Watch. Visit the official website and learn how to get involved here.

Matt Damon Visits Zimbabwean Refugee Camp, Urges Answer to Humanitarian Crisis

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Isra Shah

Matt Damon visited a Zimbabwean refugee camp in the South African border town of Musina on Tuesday.

The actor and board member of the human rights organization Not On Our Watch invited members of the Associated Press to join him on his trip as a part of a high profile effort to raise awareness about the region’s ongoing humanitarian crises.

Nearly three million people have fled Zimbabwe as a result of the seemingly endless series of catastrophes that have occurred in the country. Political upheaval, state-sponsored violence, and a chronic AIDS epidemic have long plagued Zimbabwe; now an outbreak of cholera and crippling inflation due to the economic crisis have made life nearly impossible for millions of its citizens. 

Making the illegal and dangerous journey across the border to South Africa does not mean the end of one’s hardships, however. While it is estimated that 6,000 people flee the country on a daily basis, many make a return trip within days with groceries and other necessities for their families; the United Nations World Food Programme estimates that nearly half the population, seven million people, are in need of food assistance. For those seeking permanent escape from their native land, the journey means paying exorbitant fees to guides, crossing the crocodile-infested Limpopo River and entering South Africa through holes in the fence that marks the border between the two nations. Aid agencies are reporting an increase in sexual violence against women and are raising concerns over the growing trend of unaccompanied children making the trek into South Africa.

At the crowded camp center that Damon visited in Musina, 5,000 of these refugees have camped out across a sandy strip of land. Some have managed to house themselves in makeshift plastic structures, while others simply sleep on cardboard pieces with their personal belongings scattered about them. The camp is equipped with only a dozen toilets and a few taps to provide running water. Calling the living conditions “untenable,” Damon added that observing camp life at the refugee center was a “testament of the situation across the border in Zimbabwe.”

After listening to a story of a woman who was raped at the home of a taxi driver who promised her a job and a boy who had obtained legal asylum in South Africa but had nowhere to go, Damon emphasized that “action has to be taken” by the world community.

“To know that there are these kids who should be in school, who deserve to be, who didn’t create any of this mess is shocking and sad,” he said.

To this end, Damon has pledged his support by using his “celebrity capital” to raise awareness about the situation in Zimbabwe. Not On Our Watch – the international advocacy group that Damon founded along with George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Brad Pitt, David Pressman, and Jerry Weintraub – has a declared mission of “drawing upon the powerful voices of artists, activists, and cultural leaders” to protect the vulnerable, marginalized, and displaced.  "I feel it is morally incumbent, (that) if we who can get coverage, get coverage for something like this, than for the latest shampoo," Damon said. He hopes that his latest efforts will help put public pressure on state leaders to provide support for Zimbabwe to resolve its issues.

Get informed on the latest efforts of Damon’s organization, Not on Our Watch, and learn how to get involved at the official website).

Clooney and Obama Meet For Darfur

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Actor George Clooney’s much anticipated meeting with American President Barack Obama took place this week, with great success.

Though Clooney has been campaigning about the genocide occurring in Darfur for years and founded the Not On Our Watch campaign to raise awareness, he has said that the situation is not getting better; in fact it’s getting worse.

Undeterred, Clooney said: “Of course it’s complex, but when you see entire villages raped and killed, wells poisoned and then filled with the bodies of its villagers, then all complexities disappear and it comes down simply to right and wrong.”

Still, because Clooney has seen little improvement in the region over the past few years, he says Darfur is in dire need of real and effective measures. Leading up to his meeting with Obama, Clooney said, “The status quo is unacceptable. We want [Obama] to appoint a high-level, fulltime diplomat to negotiate and work hard every day for a peace treaty.”

And that may be what he just got – a long-term envoy reporting directly to the White House, “working on this every day – getting up every morning with their sole job to find peace in the area.

“We talked about this being an opportunity,” Clooney said on CNN’s Larry King Live about the meeting with US President Barak Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. “Not just for the United States, but all of us together to work with the international community in a real diplomatic effort to try and bring some sort of peace to this region.

  “I think somehow we should all know that these people are hanging on by the skin of their teeth.”

Not On Our Watch Donates To Oxfam

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Not On Our Watch has announced a $500,000 grant to international aid agency Oxfam America to support their humanitarian response in eastern Chad, for victims of the violence in the Chad-Darfur region.

Founded by actors Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Matt Damon, Brad Pitt, producer Jerry Weintraub, and human rights lawyer David Pressman, Not On Our Watch works to focus global attention and resources towards putting an end to mass atrocities around the world. This timely gift supports Oxfam’s lifesaving work on health, hunger and poverty initiatives as the dry season approaches.

“As the conflict in Chad and Darfur continues, victims of violence remain desperately in need of basic support systems. Now more than ever it is critical that the international community work towards putting an end to this crisis,” said Not On Our Watch co-founder Matt Damon.

The grant allows for Oxfam to serve over 200,000 vulnerable people at a time of desperate need. Plagued with continuing violence, a lack of basic services, and depleted food rations, refugees and displaced persons are becoming more vulnerable to hunger, disease and poverty every day.

The funding provided to Oxfam will support immediate action to avert future hunger and provide access to clean water for some of the region’s most vulnerable citizens—displaced families and their host communities. The programs include:

Providing clean water: Communities will have safe access to water for drinking, cooking, cleaning and bathing. They will have access to sanitary facilities and learn safe hygiene practices.

Improving access to land and farming technique: Distributing tools, high yield seeds and fertilizers and improving people’s access to cultivable land, as well as new cultivation techniques to increase agricultural production.

Income generation: Implementing small income generation projects such as mills, rickshaws, handicrafts, and soap making.
Also, providing technical support for more efficient livestock rearing and organizing markets where farmers can sell their goods.

These actions will better equip communities to deal with upcoming challenges. With improved water, sanitation, agriculture and income, more resources will be available in times of need.

Oxfam continues to provide vital assistance to more than 500,000 people affected by the crisis, both in Darfur and eastern Chad. The agency provides essential access to clean water and sanitation, public health education, and livelihoods opportunities and training.

“Living on the brink of disaster, any additional factor could result in a sudden crisis for the people of Chad,” said Raymond C. Offenheiser, president of Oxfam America. “The funding from Not On Our Watch helps Oxfam to plan for the future, and will help thousands of people to provide for themselves during lean times.”

George Clooney Hosts Charity Dinner For Darfur

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actor George Clooney raised $14.57 million for charity when he hosted a fundraising party in London last Thursday, December 4.

The dinner party was held at the home of banker Roger Jenkins, a senior executive at Barclays, with guests – such as Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Cindy Crawford, Sarah Ferguson, Bono, David Walliams, Michael Caine, Claudia Schiffer, Christian Slater, and Guy Ritchie – paying up to $20,000 for a ticket. Kid Rock provided the entertainment, while television chefs Antony Worrall Thompson and Ainsley Harriott provided the food.

Proceeds from the evening went to Clooney’s Not On Our Watch, a charity he founded with actor Don Cheadle in 2007 to focus global attention and resources towards putting an end to mass atrocities in Darfur.

Clooney followed up the charity dinner by presenting ‘Golden Heart’ awards to aid workers who have spent time working in Darfur at the Ein Herz Für Kinder charity event in Berlin on Saturday night. Hosted by Thomas Gottschalk, the televised event also featured an appearance by Boris Becker.

UN Praise For Pitt And Clooney

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

In the first week of the Venice Film Festival, Brad Pitt and George Clooney have once again been combining film and philanthropy.

The famous duo continued their recent tradition by holding a fundraising gala last Tuesday in support of their Not On Our Watch charity.

In its first year, the charity has raised more than $7 million to help victims of humanitarian crises and disasters, according to executive director Alex Wagner. This single event on Venice’s Giudecca Island was expected to raise as much as $2 million.

The group has received heartfelt praise from the United Nations after its March grant of $500,000 to keep U.N. aircraft flying aid into the Darfur region of Sudan. This followed a $1 million donation to the same program a year earlier.

The World Food Program’s air service to Darfur brings 3,000 aid workers a month to the stricken region, where the U.N. charity fed 3.3 million people last month. Almost 100 World Food Program food trucks have been hijacked this year, and the air service is becoming ever more critical.

U.N. spokesoman Bettina Luescher emphasised the importance of the donation to the air service: "We sent out a press release one day saying we were on the verge of closing it down and the next day we had $500,000.

“They shine the light on the real emergencies and step up where we really need help.”

Brad Pitt And George Clooney Hold Fundraising Dinner

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Hollywood hunks Brad Pitt and George Clooney will kick off this year’s Venice film festival on Wednesday, August 27, with the world premiere of their latest film and a fundraising dinner for charity.

The dinner will benefit Not On Our Watch, the organization the pair founded to raise awareness of the crisis in Darfur and emphasize global humanitarian issues. It is expected to attract a number of high profile guests, and will take place on August 26, the day before the festival opens. Clooney and Pitt will also appear at the premiere of their new crime comedy Burn After Reading, directed by 2008 Oscar-winning duo Joel and Ethan Coen and co-starring John Malkovitch and Tilda Swinton.

Brad Pitt is also happy to announce that a New Orleans company has been contracted to provide the solar panels for the first wave of new homes being constructed in his Make It Right campaign in the Hurricane Katrina-devastated Lower 9th Ward of the city.

“We are excited to have been selected by Make It Right New Orleans for this important residential project in New Orleans,” said Troy Von Otnott, president of South Coast Solar (SCS), the company who will provide the panels. “The utilization of solar power for these homes will enable these returning homeowners to live in more environmentally responsible homes that use less energy, which for the homeowners will translate into significantly lower energy bills.”

SCS was chosen following a nationwide call for interested companies to submit proposals. The company will also be the solar power consultant for the first Make It Right homes, and the first wave of installations is expected to be finished on August 29 – the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

The Chips Are Up For Africa

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

The Second Annual ‘Ante Up for Africa’ poker tournament was held on July 2nd in Las Vegas, and drew an impressive field of poker pro’s, celebrities and athletes – all of who helped make the event a success by raising over $400,000 for charity.

The event, co-hosted by humanitarian/actor Don Cheadle and poker pro Annie Duke, is already having a positive impact in Darfur – notably in reference to a UN Security Council vote authorizing a peacekeeping force in the area. “It wouldn’t have taken place [without us]," said Cheadle.

“It’s just great to see everybody,” Cheadle said as the event began.

The mood was comical at some tables,”All the tournaments I’ve ever won have been for charity,“ said actor Jason Alexander. “When there’s no actual money for me, I’m very good.”

Adam Sandler cracked his first joke as the first hand was dealt, “I just want to hurry up and lose my money and go home to my wife.”

Matt Damon busted out of the tournament early, while seasoned poker pal Ben Affleck made it all the way to the final table before losing to John Hennigan.

Affleck said he remains optimistic about the situation in Darfur, “I do think that [Sudan’s leaders] are afraid of the next administration being tougher, and are probably a little bit more willing to be more cooperative. But I’m optimistic about what’s going to happen.”

Other celebrities who kicked in the $5k for a spot at the felt included Charles Barkley, Jennifer Tilly, Shannon Elizabeth, Ray Romano, Casey Affleck, and poker pro Phil Helmuth among others.

The tournament benefited two charities: ENOUGH, a project co-founded in 2007 by the International Crisis Group and the Center for American Progress; and Not On Our Watch (NOOW), a group co-founded by Cheadle, Damon, George Clooney and Brad Pitt.

Celebrities To Raise Stakes For Africa Again

Wed, 25 Jun 2008 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

The 2008 ‘Ante Up For Africa’ Poker Tournament at the World Series of Poker will be held on July 2 at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The tournament is the brainchild of actor Don Cheadle and poker pro Annie Duke, who created the event to raise money and awareness for the crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan.

“After the success of last year’s tournament, we are looking forward to another exciting year while raising awareness for an ongoing crisis,” Duke said. “It is exciting to bring the world of poker and entertainment together, and we are once again asking players who win prize money to donate half of their winnings to our charities.”

Last year’s inaugural event raised more than $700,000, thanks in part to the stellar list of celebrities, athletes, and poker professionals who participated.

Confirmed to participate in this year’s event are Cheadle, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Adam Sandler, Ray Romano, Charles Barkley, Jason Kidd, Kevin Pollack, Cheryl Hines, George Lopez, Joe Trohman from Fall Out Boy, and more.

“The poker community has a unique opportunity to help ease the suffering in Darfur,” said Jeffrey Pollack, WSOP commissioner. “The stars are coming out for this special event once again and we encourage everyone to register early before we sell out.”

Two charities will benefit form this year’s Ante Up For Africa showdown – the ENOUGH Project and Not On Our Watch.

ENOUGH is joint initiative of the International Crisis Group and the Center for American Progress, which aims to end crimes against humanity in Darfur, Northern Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The organization also hopes to prevent future mass atrocities around the world.

Not On Our Watch, which was founded by George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon and Brad Pitt, strives to focus global attention and resources on putting an end to mass atrocities around the world. It takes its name from the book authored by Cheadle and John Prendergast, and draws on the voices of celebrities, cultural leaders and activists to help bring the crisis to the public’s attention and generate humanitarian assistance for the nation.

The tournament is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. on July 2.

Stars Call for Action on Disaster Relief

Thu, 15 May 2008 11:48:24 -0000

Written by Myrlia Purcell

Compassion is showing itself to be a universal language, as people from around the world are taking steps to help victims of the recent natural disasters in Asia. Celebrities are flocking to support the desperate nation of Burma/Myanmar, with Not On Our Watch, the charity started by Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, George Clooney and Jerry Weintraub, donating $500,000 towards rescue operations.

The group will use $250,000 for its own relief efforts, and has donated $250,000 of that amount to Save the Children, who, with UNICEF, are two of the few relief organizations currently deployed due to the military government’s reluctance to allow aid workers into the country. According to Britain’s Department for International Development, the country needs at least 10 times the amount of aid that the ruling junta leaders are currently allowing in.

Nicole Richie and Joel Madden have just released a PSA made in support of UNICEF’s work towards helping the victims of May 2nd’s cyclone, asking people to give what they can to help the survivors of the disaster which has left tens of thousands dead, and hundreds of thousands suffering.

Queen Elizabeth II has also made a “significant” personal donation to the efforts. While the amount of the donation was not disclosed, it is believed that the donation went to Britain’s Disasters Emergency Committee. The first British relief flight left Dubai on Monday, carrying shelter material for 43,000 families.

Organizing aid for victims of Monday’s 7.9 earthquake in China is Jackie Chan, who donated $1.4 million with charity-fund partner Emperor Entertainment Group chairman Albert Yeung. The earthquake, which has killed 12,000 people, was felt as far away as Thailand.

To make donations to help cyclone victims in Burma, visit the Save the Children, UNICEF and the Disasters Emergency Committee websites, and to help victims of the earthquake in China, visit Jackie Chan’s donation page, and choose “China Earthquake Fund”.

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, 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.

Pitt and Jolie Among Time's Most Influential People

Thu, 08 May 2008 09:30:24 -0000

Written by Steve Purcell

TIME magazine placed Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie together in 21st place in its latest annual list of the world’s most influential people, and George Clooney stepped up to write a glowing tribute.

Jolie and Pitt were among the “Heroes and Pioneers” of the list, and the couple’s friend summarises the reasons for their selection:

“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 praised the pair’s concrete and personal actions, saying, “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.”

Pitt and Clooney co-founded Not On Our Watch to address the Darfur crisis, and Clooney was obviously impressed by the charitable integrity his friends demonstrated in helping with the Hurricane Katrina aftermath: “They actually moved to New Orleans and have set about trying to make right what so many have made wrong. Brad established a project [”Make It Right":http://www.looktothestars.org/charity/859-make-it-right] to finance and build 150 new homes in the Ninth Ward."

Similarly proud of charity poster child Jolie, Clooney writes, “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.”

Other celebrities noted in the TIME 100 list for their philanthropy include Oprah (with a tribute written by Michelle Obama), Mia Farrow (for her work with UNICEF and more), Andre Agassi (with a tribute by Andy Roddick), and Lance Armstrong (at position 26).

Buy George Clooney's Gift Bag For Darfur

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:19:08 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

If you just can’t resist George Clooney -and let’s face it, who can – then you definitely won’t be able to resist checking out the new charity auction featuring the chance to pick up some of his unwanted bits and pieces.

The actor and UN Messenger of Peace has put his Oscar Nominees Gift Bag up for auction to benefit Not On Our Watch, the charity he set up with Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, and Jerry Weintraub to end genocide in Darfur. The gift bag is filled with a range of elegant items such as a Personal Heineken Beer Tender, Marilyn Monroe ‘Classic Series’ wine goblets, exclusive spa packages including a gift certificate for a two night stay at La Costa Resort and Spa, Oscar Gold Havaianas, a Swarovski Crystal Pet Collar, and more.

The auction, which ends on May 4, is one of several currently being run at www.myqlu.com to raise funds for celebrities’ favorite charities. Also on offer, actress Mariska Hargitay has invited her friends in the field of arts and entertainment to join her in an auction to benefit her Joyful Heart Foundation, a charity she established to heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse, and to shed light into the darkness that surrounds these issues.

“I am very excited to be partnering with QLu to raise funds and awareness for my organization, the Joyful Heart Foundation,” she said. “In keeping with Joyful Heart’s groundbreaking programs, designed to help survivors of sexual assault recover lives of joy, possibility, and freedom, we are always looking for partners who take an innovative and impassioned approach to making a difference in the world.”

The auction features items from a range of stars, including Sharon Stone, Maria Bello, Courteney Cox, Marcia Cross, Hilary Swank, Dana Delany, Julia Louis Dreyfus and more. Sharon Stone’s 100 piece couture shoe and gown auction – along with fabulous designer pieces, designer comp gifts and everyday fun pieces belonging to these talented women – began April 10 and will run continuously through May or until all pieces are sold.

Fans of country singer Tim McGraw might also want to head over to the QLu auction site to bid on a suede jacket the star has donated. The proceeds from the sale will go to the Tug McGraw Foundation, set up in 2003 to enhance the quality of life of children and adults with brain tumors and their families by stimulating and facilitating research that addresses the physical, social, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual impact of the disease. The auction ends May 2.

George Clooney Keeps Air Rescue To Darfur Going

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 13:06:51 -0000

Written by Richard Alan Krieger

When the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) warned earlier this month that their air transportations to help war-torn Darfur, Sudan, would soon stop due to lack of funds, George Clooney stepped up with his charity group Not On Our Watch by contributing $6.24 million to keep their air transport operations going.

“We are proud to help ensure the survival of this lifesaving program and strongly encourage others to do the same,” said UN Messenger of Peace and award-winning actor George Clooney. “Protection of these victims should not fall solely in the hands of
charitable organizations,” he added. “Governments have a responsibility to help those who cannot defend themselves.”

“Having seen first hand the epic humanitarian challenge in Darfur, George Clooney and his colleagues know the life saving power of the Humanitarian Air Service,” WFP Executive Director Josette Sheeran said.

She added, “This contribution will make a difference to the millions of vulnerable women and children trapped there, and we hope it will inspire other donations.”

Even with the help George Clooney and his organization has done, WFP representative in Sudan, Kenro Oshidari mentioned that they are still in need of funds to keep their air operations going past April of this year.

“We are hoping that more funds will come in, because there is a big gap between the $6 million we have now and the $77 million that we need this year,” he explained.

Darfur is currently known by many humanitarians as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises in the world today. Yet, at the same time, it’s one of the most neglected problems in terms of help coming from the world community.

George Clooney Makes A Stand For Darfur

Fri, 14 Mar 2008 13:09:52 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

UN Messenger of Peace George Clooney is putting pressure on a major Olympic sponsor to make a stand against China’s foreign policy in the Sudan. And to drive the point home, Clooney’s non-profit organization Not On Our Watch has just donated $500,000 to the World Food Program to provide aid in the war torn region of Darfur.

“World Food Program planes and helicopters deliver humanitarian workers and urgent supplies to nearly every aid organisation working in Darfur,” said Clooney, who co-founded Not On Our Watch with Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle, Matt Damon, and Jerry Weintraub. “This is a critical time for the program. Without immediate additional funding, humanitarian aid in the region will be crippled. We are proud to help ensure the survival of this lifesaving programme and strongly encourage others to do the same. Protection of these victims should not fall solely in the hands of charitable organisations. Governments have a responsibility to help those who cannot defend themselves.”

The 46-year-old actor is also calling for Omega Watches, official timekeepers of the Olympic Games since 1932, to take a hard line against China’s involvement in the Sudanese region of Darfur, where over 200,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million people displaced in three years of fighting between African rebels and government troops allied with Arab militia known as janjaweed.

“I have talked with Omega [about China] for over a year and will continue to talk to Omega,” Clooney told the BBC earlier this week. “I have and will go to the places I and China do business and ask for help.”

China is an important trading partner with the Sudan, and a major investor in Sudan’s oil industry. It has also been accused by lobby groups of breaching international rules and encouraging bloodshed by selling Sudan weapons that have been diverted to Darfur.

“Last year I took Olympic athletes Joey Cheek and Tegla Loroupe to Beijing to meet with the heads of the Chinese government,’’ said Clooney. “I have and will continue to ask China to use its considerable leverage with the government of Sudan.”

The news follows Steven Spielberg’s decision last month to withdraw as an artistic adviser to the opening and closing ceremonies at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Spielberg said his conscience would not allow him to continue working, and he pledged to spend his time and energy not on Olympic ceremonies, but on trying to end the “unspeakable crimes against humanity” in Darfur.

Omega Watches confirmed that they had been in touch with Clooney, and would work towards addressing the issues he raised, although they are unwilling to take the hard initiatives he has suggested.

“We have full respect for his strong engagement in the fight for the good cause and share his opinion, especially concerning Darfur, and we are proud to work with a person who has such high ethical views,” said Omega chief executive Nick Hayek. “It is our policy not to get involved in politics because it would not serve the cause of the sport which is one most noble human endeavors for creating understanding and peace all over the world.”

George Clooney - A Messenger Of Peace

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 12:34:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Academy Award winner George Clooney was made a United Nations Messenger of Peace at a function in New York yesterday, January 31, and has pledged to “shine a light” on UN peacekeeping efforts around the world, particularly in Darfur.

“When I stood in the hospital next to women who had been raped and set on fire, they looked up to me and said ’please send the UN’ – not the US, not China, not Russia, just the UN,” said the 46-year-old actor who has just returned from visiting the war-torn nation of Sudan. “You are their only hope.”

However, several UN member nations claimed the actor’s trip was “inappropriate”, and blocked him from delivering his full message to the assembly. Instead, Clooney read it to reporters during a press conference that followed.

“The message is that the world is watching, and that at this point we cannot afford to fail,” he said. “Millions are homeless – not from famine or disease or acts of God – but from a well armed militia intent on ridding the land of its people.”

The conflict in the Sudanese region of Darfur began in 2003 when ethnic African rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated Khartoum government. Sudan’s regime is accused of retaliating by organizing a militia of Arab nomads, known as the Janjaweed, to reign terror on the region’s African inhabitants, an allegation the Khartoum denies. It has been estimated that over 200,000 people have been slain since the conflict arose, and the United Nations now states that the humanitarian crisis in Darfur is the worst in the world. However, plans to send 26,000 UN peacekeepers into the region are now in doubt due to restrictions imposed by the Khartoum, as well of the failure of Western countries to offer help.

“We tend to not get to see enough of what we need to see anymore,” said Clooney. “It seems as if at times celebrity can bring that focus. It can’t make the policies, it can’t change people’s minds really, but you can bring a camera where you go because they’ll follow you and you can shine a light on it. That seems to be my job.”

Clooney is the ninth person to be made a United Nations Messenger of Peace since the program was established in 1998 by former Secretary-General, Kofi Annan. Each Messenger of Peace is chosen from the art, music, literature, or sports worlds to focus attention on UN work, with each Messenger holding the post for three years. Former Messengers of Hope include Michael Douglas, Muhammad Ali, and Vijay Amritraj.

Clooney said his new role was to raise awareness about UN peacekeeping efforts generally, and he would “go wherever I have to to bring some attention.”

He also plans to lobby countries to fulfill their UN peacekeeping funding commitments, and specifically mentioned the United States, which he said owed $1.2 billion.

“There are some groups protecting 250 square kilometers of desert with no helicopters and no radios that work,” he said. "These men and women risking their lives for peace are your responsibility. So either give them the basic tools for protecting the population and themselves or have the decency to bring them all home because you can’t do it halfway.”

George Clooney was born in Kentucky in 1961, but spent part of his childhood in Ohio. After attending – but not graduating from – university, Clooney caught the acting bug. His father was a journalist and talk show host who often used to take young George to the set with him, and the experience added to his son’s wish to become an actor.

Clooney spent the 1980s appearing as minor characters in shows such as The Facts Of Life and The Golden Girls, but it wasn’t until he appeared as Dr Doug Ross in ER in 1994 that he achieved stardom. This was followed by his first movie role in Robert Rodriguez’s From Dusk Till Dawn, opposite Quentin Tarantino.

There was no looking back for Clooney after that. The rest of the 90s was spent with starring roles in One Fine Day (opposite Michelle Pfeiffer), The Peacemaker (opposite Nicole Kidman), Batman And Robin, The Perfect Storm, and Three Kings.

But it was his appearance in Steven Soderbergh’s 2001 remake of Ocean’s Eleven, alongside Don Cheadle, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon, that really shot his star into orbit. As well as spawning two sequels, the film set up a friendship that would help raise awareness of one of the worst humanitarian crises of the new century, and also raise much needed funds for the charities that are involved.

In 2006, Don Cheadle started to write a book about the crisis in Darfur. His passion for the subject attracted the attention of Clooney, who visited the Sudanese region armed with a video camera. The footage he shot of refugees was shown around the world and became a call to action for the two actors. In September of that year, Clooney spoke in front of the UN Security Council, to raise their awareness of the crisis and plead for their help. In December, Clooney accompanied Cheadle on a tour of Egypt and China, in which the pair met with government officials to convince them to pressure Sudan’s Khartoum to bring a halt to the fighting.

Cheadle’s book, Not On Our Watch, was published early in 2007, and in May, Cheadle and Clooney launched the Not On Our Watch organization at the Cannes Film Festival. Their fundraising was an immediate success, with over $9.2 million raised during the first month, and another $750,000 raised in June. The money was donated to a number of charities that work in Darfur, including the International Rescue Committee, Oxfam, Save the Children, and the World Food Programme.

In October, Clooney appeared in Cheadle’s Darfur Now film, and talked about his experiences in the region, as well as the atrocities he had witnessed during his visits. And in December, both Clooney and Cheadle received special Peace Medals from Nobel Peace Prize laureates in Rome.

Clooney hopes his Messenger of Peace status will help him raise awareness of the horrors he has seen in Darfur, and he will continue to work towards the goal of sending peacekeepers to the Sudan to protect the innocent people being butchered, raped, and tortured every day.

“There’s a lot more responsibility with this one than with an Oscar, which all you really have to do is, you know, drink after the party.”

Mia Farrow Blocked From Darfur Peace Rally

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 10:03:29 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Police have stopped actress Mia Farrow from holding a rally in Cambodia as part of a campaign to end atrocities in Darfur.

Around 100 baton-wielding military police blocked Farrow, who established Fund4Darfur in 2007, and her fellow activists from entering the compound at Tuol Sleng, the Phnom Penh high school at the center of Cambodia’s Killing Fields.

“Darfur has nothing to do with Cambodia,” said Phnom Penh police chief, Touch Naruth. “Go protest in Darfur!”

The group planned to hold a peaceful rally in which they were to lay flowers and light a symbolic Olympic torch in the compound. The event was to follow similar rallies in Chad, Rwanda, Armenia, Germany, and Bosnia as part of a campaign to persuade China to push the Khartoum government in Sudan into ending the violence in Darfur.

“Our hearts are breaking for what happened in Cambodia today,” said Farrow, who is on the advisory committee for the Dream For Darfur campaign. “The Chinese government was trying to prevent us from commemorating the genocide in Cambodia, and denying survivors the chance to show solidarity with the people in Darfur.”

The United Nations is currently trying to deploy a peacekeeping force in Darfur, where international experts say 200,000 people have been killed and more than 2 million driven from their homes during fighting between Sudan’s government and Darfur rebels. China is a major investor in Sudan’s oil industry, and has been accused by lobby groups of breaching international rules and encouraging bloodshed by selling Sudan weapons that have been diverted to Darfur.

“I grieve every day about what is happening now,” said Darfur refugee Omer Ismail, part of the group in Cambodia for the rally. “As we gather here, [there continue] the attacks, the rapes, the systematic murder of innocent men, women, and children.”

The Cambodian government has threatened Farrow and her supporters with deportation and other unspecified “consequences”.

In other news relating to Darfur, George Clooney has been named as a United Nations Messenger of Peace by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Clooney is the ninth UN Messenger, and joins Michael Douglas, Jane Goodall, Muhammad Ali, and Vijay Amritraj in helping to expand understanding of how the ideals and objectives of the UN demand everyone’s attention.

UN spokeswoman Michele Montas said Clooney had been “recognized for focusing attention on crucial international political and social issues”, especially in Darfur. Along with fellow actors Don Cheadle and Brad Pitt, Clooney, 46, has used his celebrity status to raise public awareness and money for refugees through their Not On Our Watch initiative.

Clooney is currently visiting the Sudan, and will receive his designation on January 31 at UN headquarters.

2007 - The Year The Stars Gave Back

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 09:11:14 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

2007 was a year of giving, both on grand and not-so-grand scales. Celebrities from all fields, be it movies, music, sport or general entertainment, showed compassion beyond the call of duty, and in most cases had a lot of fun doing it.

Without a doubt, one of the biggest events of the year was Live Earth in July, where stars new and old shone in all of the corners of the Earth to raise awareness of the plight of the planet. The shows were generally well-received, and led to organizer Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

But celebrities also participated in smaller, more personal acts of kindness in 2007. Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Melissa Gilbert, and Michael Douglas all donated their time to feed the hungry at the Los Angeles Mission, Fran Drescher launched the Cancer Schmancer Movement, and Ewan McGregor visited UNICEF projects during his epic motorcycle trip across Africa.

In January, Kevin Bacon launched www.sixdegrees.org, a website designed to marry the concepts of social internet networks and charities. The site aims to help people fundraise for their chosen causes, and features celebrities such as Kyra Sedgwick and Ashley Judd.

Bette Midler, founder of the New York Restoration Project, launched the Million Trees NYC initiative with Mayor Michael Bloomberg in October, to get city dwellers to plant more trees. The project plans to increase New York’s urban forest by 20% in the next ten years.

“To walk under the branches of a tree that you have planted connects you to the roots of our past and the aspirations of our future,” said the 62-year-old singer and actress.

Another singer with a sense of community in 2007 was Jon Bon Jovi who, as well as participating in various benefit concerts, also worked with Project HOME to revitalize a deteriorated lot in Philadelphia and transform it into homes for fifteen families.

And then there was Shakira, co-founder of the Latin America for Solidarity Fund and Pies Descalzos, who donated $40 million to victims of natural disasters in Peru and Nicaragua, and another $5 million to benefit education programs for children across Latin America.

The California wildfires that ravaged much of the state in November also spawned a spate of celebrity donations, with Linkin Park, the Eagles, and Gwen Stefani all making substantial contributions to both victims and firefighters.

American Idol gave back in April, with two shows that raised over $60 million to benefit organizations funding relief programs in America and Africa, featuring performances by Kelly Clarkson, Madonna, and others. Organized by Simon Cowell, American Idol Gives Back also led to a $100,000 donation by talk show host Ellen DeGeneres.

Another talk show host to shine this year was Oprah Winfrey, who opened a state-of-the-art school in South Africa for disadvantaged girls.

“I am creating everything in this school that I would have wanted for myself—so the girls will have the absolute best that my imagination can offer,“ said the 53-year-old, who poured $40 million of her own money into the project.

Brad Pitt took on the mission of rebuilding New Orleans by donating $5 million towards new houses, and also set up the Make It Right Foundation to assist in his work. Meanwhile, his wife Angelina Jolie set out to do what her character Lara Croft does best – save the world. As well as donating $100,000 to build the Duk Lost Boys Medical Clinic in the Sudan in March, Jolie also traveled to Iraq and Syria to raise support for those displaced by war.

Although literally tonnes of articles were written about Jolie’s efforts during 2007, even more was reported on Don Cheadle’s and George Clooney’s work to publicize the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. The stars of Ocean’s Thirteen established a charity for the Sudanese region called Not On Our Watch, and personally raised over $9 million to help those affected by conflict in the region. The pair were awarded a special peace prize by Nobel laureates for their efforts.

And no round up of the year’s events can be complete without mention of Bono, who continued being Bono by doing what Bono does best – raising awareness for the poor, the hungry, the sick, the needy, and the disadvantaged.

We at Look To The Stars would like to wish all of our readers a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year, and we look forward to continuing to bring you celebrity charity news in 2008.

Clooney And Cheadle Receive Peace Award

Fri, 14 Dec 2007 11:12:43 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Actors George Clooney and Don Cheadle have been presented with a prestigious award for their efforts to help civilians caught up in the conflict in Darfur at a function in Rome.

The ceremony marked the opening of an annual meeting of Nobel Peace Prize laureates, organized by Mikhail Gorbachev and attended by dignitaries such as the Dalai Lama.

“Don and I… stand here as failures,” said Clooney at a press conference following the presentation of the Peace Summit Award. “The simple truth is that, when it comes to the atrocities in Darfur, those people are no better off now than they were years ago. The murders continue, the rapes continue, and some two and a half million refugees are yet to go home.”

Clooney and Cheadle were presented with a bronze statue created by Italian sculpture Oliviero Rainaldi for “their efforts in favor of pacifying the tormented region of Darfur, and for helping to save lives.” Along with Brad Pitt and Matt Damon, the pair have raised over $9.5 million for the cause through their charity Not On Our Watch, and have used their celebrity status to raise awareness of the atrocities.

The conflict in the Sudanese region of Darfur began in 2003 when ethnic African rebels took up arms against the Arab-dominated Khartoum government. Sudan’s regime is accused of retaliating by organizing a militia of Arab nomads, known as the Janjaweed, to reign terror on the region’s African inhabitants, an allegation the Khartoum denies. It has been estimated that over 200,000 people have been slain since the conflict arose, and the United Nations now state that the humanitarian crisis in Darfur is the worst in the world. However, plans to send 26,000 UN peacekeepers into the region are now in doubt due to restrictions imposed by the Khartoum, as well of the failure of Western countries to offer help.

“We have an American election coming up, so this is the time to put pressure on American candidates,” said Clooney. “But believe me, none of these people want to deal with this issue. Right now is the time to place pressure on the people who can actually affect change, because we can’t.”

Clooney also urged people to attend public rallies and try to raise governments’ awareness of the problems in Darfur: “When they write about this, the question will be ‘Where was the rest of the world?’ The answer will be ‘It just wasn’t a priority’.”

“Laws have been passed, millions of dollars have been spent, treaties have been signed and sanctions adopted, but they have had no success,” continued the 46-year-old actor as he called for action. “We do concerts, rallies, where thousands of people show up and say how terrible it is, but the truth is not one single thing has changed. Now it’s time to turn that corner.”

Clooney, Damon Keep Helping Africa

Tue, 03 Jul 2007 09:34:46 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

The stars of “Ocean’s Thirteen” recently raised over $9 million, and within three weeks donated over $5 million of it to various charities in Sudan’s Darfur region. Most of the money was contributed to the Ocean’s stars’ humanitarian organization, Not On Our Watch, during the film’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. George Clooney and his co-stars created Not On Our Watch to bring global attention to the plight of the people of Darfur where over 200,000 people have died since 2003 in a rebellion between local rebels and the Sudanese government, and 2.5 million civilians have fled their homes.

The first donation by Not On Our Watch was $2.75 million to the International Rescue Committee. A further $750,000 went to Oxfam, $1 million to Save the Children, and now their latest donation of $1 million to the U.N. World Food Programme will deliver food and other necessities by helicopter to remote villages in Darfur.

Clooney was so impressed by the fundraising success of Not On Our Watch that he plans to turn every film festival into a charity drive for the cause. After filming a documentary about the genocide in Sudan, he has become a leading advocate for action. "There are only a few things we can do – protect them where we can, and provide food, water, health care and counseling,” he says.

Ocean’s co-star Matt Damon is also looking at other areas of Africa. Earlier this year he met a young girl in Zambia who, while they walked the two miles to the closest water source, said that she wanted to become a nurse. He writes, “It was clear to me at that moment that if this well were not there for her, she would never even be able to entertain the concept of planning for the future—she would have been trying to survive just for that day.”

After witnessing the extreme poverty and the value of clean drinking water in Zambia and South Africa, Damon decided to get involved in the Running the Sahara project.

Damon and colleagues, including Oscar™ winning filmmaker James Moll, started the charitable component of Running the Sahara, called H2O Africa, to raise awareness for clean water programs on the continent. Then they documented the Running the Sahara expedition, in which three men run over 4,300 miles (6,920 kilometres) from the Atlantic coast of Senegal, through Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Libya, to the Red Sea in Egypt. They run for 111 days.

Narrated by Damon, the film crew follows the runners crossing the desert, braving extreme elements and meeting the unique people of the Sahara who are struggling with immense daily challenges.
The World Health Organization estimates that the lack of safe drinking water kills almost 4,500 children per day, mostly under the age of five. The documentary will premiere this fall.

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