Look To The Stars News: United Nations Foundation

Celebrities And Companies Help In Horn Of Africa

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:15:00 +0000

In less than three months, thousands of Americans have donated to send 150,000 anti-malaria bed nets in response to the humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa.

An eclectic group including celebrities like Jonah Hill, and organizations like the Consumer Electronics Association, The United Methodist Church, and the Union for Reform Judaism came together to send nets through the UN Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign—a global, grassroots campaign to fight malaria in Africa—and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Every 60 seconds, a child dies from malaria—a disease spread by a single mosquito bite. Due to the location and crowded environment in refugee camps, malaria is a leading cause of death among refugees, making bed nets a key tool for survival. Access to insecticide-treated bed nets can help curb the spread of malaria by up to 90 percent.

Jonah Hill Celebrates Birthday By Fighting Malaria

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 11:30:00 +0000

This week, actor and comedian Jonah Hill is celebrating his birthday by asking his fans and supporters to send life-saving bed nets to refugees in the Horn of Africa through the UN Foundation’s Nothing But Nets — a global, grassroots campaign to fight malaria in Africa.

As part of a new contest on fundraising site Crowdrise.com, Hill is competing against 11 other celebrities to raise money for their chosen charities. The Mozilla Corporation, hosts of the Firefox web browser, will award $25,000 to the charity to raise the most by January 11, 2012.

Hill commented: “I’m turning 28 and I’m excited about it. I’m excited to ask people to be extra nice to me and celebrate with friends. I’m really excited to peer pressure all my friends into buying me a gift. I want everyone to dig deep into their pockets and cough up $10. $10 sends a bed net to kids in Africa. I hate mosquitoes. I hate malaria more. I love birthdays and I love anyone who donates $10 for my birthday. If you donate $30 I will love you three times as much.”

ABC News Supports Million Moms Challenge

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:30:00 +0000

March Of Dimes is joining ABC News and the United Nations Foundation in the recently launched Million Moms Challenge.

This first-of-its kind initiative is connecting millions of Americans with millions of moms in developing countries around the world to engage on the critical issues of pregnancy, childbirth and children’s health — moms here helping moms worldwide.

Since its launch on September 19th, 2011, the Million Moms Challenge has built a vibrant community that connects moms across the globe by using the latest social media strategies together with world-class broadcast and digital news platforms to shine a light on the extraordinary challenges faced by mothers and babies in the developing world.

Linkin Park Wants To Bring Solar Light To Haiti

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Grammy-winning band Linkin Park have stepped up their support of the United Nations’ 2012 Year of Sustainable Energy by launching a new campaign designed to bring a solar light to Haiti this holiday season.

The band is asking supporters to donate $10 at PowerTheWorld.org to give a renewable, clean solar light bulb to families who otherwise live in darkness in the earthquake-ravaged country.

“We chose Haiti for this project because the country faces severe energy poverty,” says Linkin Park lead vocalist Mike Shinoda. “There are 34 million people in the Western Hemisphere who have no access to modern energy; 8 million of them are in Haiti. By helping Haiti we can make a huge impact, so it’s a great place to start.”

Ted Turner Celebrates Nothing But Nets Campaign Anniversary

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:00:00 +0000

Today marks the 5-year anniversary of the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign, and UN Foundation Founder and Chairman Ted Turner has spoken up about what the initiative has achieved.

“On November 14, the UN Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign commemorates its fifth anniversary and celebrates the significant progress made in the fight against malaria,” said Turner in a statement. "In five years, Nothing But Nets has made history by bringing together the world’s largest grassroots network of partners and supporters to protect families in Africa from malaria. Hundreds of thousands of people have helped Nothing But Nets send more than 6 million insecticide-treated nets through our United Nations partners, protecting families in more than 25 African countries from malaria-carrying mosquitoes.

Lady Gaga Joins Celebrities For Teen HALO Awards

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:00:00 +0000

David Beckham, Jessica Biel, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift will join creator, host and executive producer Nick Cannon in rolling out the orange carpet for this year’s TeenNick HALO Awards.

2011 HALO Honoree, Emily-Anne Rigal, with Lady Gaga. (PRNewsFoto/Nickelodeon, Scott Gries)

Diane Sawyer Supports Million Moms Challenge

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 13:00:00 +0000

ABC News and the UN Foundation have launched an initiative engaging millions of Americans to support millions of moms across the globe around the critical issues of pregnancy, childbirth and children’s health — moms here helping moms worldwide.

The Million Moms Challenge will be featured on weekly segments on ABC News’ broadcasts including “Good Morning America,” “World News with Diane Sawyer,” “Nightline,” and “20/20,” as well as other ABC News platforms including ABCNews.com and ABC News Radio. The initiative will lead up to a one-hour prime time special on maternal health anchored by Diane Sawyer on December 16, 2011.

“There is so much we can do together – so many simple ways for us all to link arms to make sure every mother and child has a chance to lead a healthy life,” said ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer.

Victoria Justice Makes Charity Trip To Guatemala

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Teen star Victoria Justice has just returned from a trip to Guatemala with the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up initiative, and has been blogging about the experience.

“On my first day of my Girl Up trip I saw some of the daily struggles that girls in other countries face,” she wrote. "As I learned from United Nations leaders here, many Guatemalan girls – particularly the indigenous population — are challenged by lack of access to education, high rates of chronic malnutrition, violence, inequality, and exploitation. I was so touched when we visited a center that helps girls who have been victims of many types of violence.

Mandy Moore Brings Nothing But Nets To Cameroon

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:00:00 +0000

This week, actress, singer and humanitarian Mandy Moore arrived in Cameroon to raise awareness for the nation’s first-ever countrywide distribution of anti-malaria mosquito nets. Malaria is the number one cause of death in Cameroon among children under five.

Moore is traveling with PSI (Population Services International), an international global health organization for which she has been a long-time Ambassador; and the UN Foundation’s Nothing But Nets — a global, grassroots campaign to end malaria in Africa. Nothing But Nets recently launched an appeal to rush 225,000 life-saving nets to Cameroon in time for the distribution.

“I’m meeting the people who need these nets to stay safe from malaria—from two-year-olds to the Prime Minister,” said Moore. “I’m proud to be a part of this historic effort that will save thousands of lives here in Cameroon, and grateful for the help of so many American supporters who are donating to make this possible.”

Usher Honors Ted Turner For Charity

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Usher presented Ted Turner, founder and chairman of the United Nations Foundation, with the Service Legacy Award at Friday’s World Leadership Conference in Atlanta, hosted by Usher’s New Look Foundation.

The award recognized Turner’s lifetime of leadership in philanthropy, including launching the UN Foundation and in turn its Nothing But Nets campaign—a global, grassroots initiative to end malaria in Africa.

Usher’s New Look has been a long-time partner of Nothing But Nets, including raising awareness and funding last year to send 40,000 life-saving bed nets to families in Ethiopia.

Julia Roberts And Hillary Clinton Team Up For Clean Cooking Charity Campaign

Mon, 09 May 2011 11:30:00 +0000

The Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves has announced that Academy Award-winning actor Julia Roberts will serve as Global Ambassador, helping to bring attention to one of the most urgent health problems facing women and families around the world: deadly smoke from unsafe and inefficient cookstoves.

Julia first learned about the Alliance earlier this year while interviewing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for a special broadcast on Saturday, May 7, on the Oprah Winfrey Network called “Extraordinary Moms.” Today she also joined with Secretary Clinton to highlight the problems caused by cookstove smoke in an op-ed in USA Today.

Linkin Park Bassist Makes Charity Trip To Haiti With UN Foundation

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Dave “Phoenix” Farrell, a member of the two-time Grammy winning, multiplatinum band Linkin Park, returned from a trip to Haiti yesterday with the United Nations Foundation to see firsthand how the United Nations is helping Haiti rebuild, fifteen months after a major earthquake killed hundreds of thousands and destroyed much of the nation’s infrastructure.

Photo: Dave “Phoenix” Farrell, right, and Peter Yeo, UN Foundation vice-president for Public Policy, left, speak to a woman who lives at a camp for displaced persons outside of Port au Prince, Haiti, Wednesday, April 13, 2011. More than 650,000 Haitians remain displaced since the January 12, 2010 earthquake. (Stuart Ramson/UN Foundation)

Stars Say No To Child Marriage

Wed, 13 Apr 2011 13:00:00 +0000

The UN Foundation’s Girl Up Campaign has responded to a request from its teen advisors and the thousands of teens who are part of its community to raise awareness about Child marriage and what the UN is doing to help combat this urgent problem.

Child Marriage is a gross human rights violation that puts young girls at risk and keeps them mired in poverty. 1 in 7 girls in developing countries is married by the age of 15. And yet few people even realize that this practice still exists.

Today, celebrity supporters including fashion photographer Nigel Barker and actress Victoria Justice are joining thousands of girls across the world to ask the Obama Administration (through a petition) to focus efforts on child marriage, so that girls in places like Ethiopia, Malawi and Guatemala won’t be forced into adulthood before they are ready.

Linkin Park Takes Part In Haiti Town Hall Event

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Members of Linkin Park today joined UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Facebook Marketing Director Randi Zuckerberg for a special Facebook Haiti “Town Hall” today.

Hosted by the UN Foundation to raise awareness and funds for Haiti through Music for Relief and the new Download to Donate campaign, an innovative way for music fans to make a one-time $10 donation to the continued rebuilding of Haiti.

Chat With Linkin Park Via Facebook Charity Conversation

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 15:30:00 +0000

Two-time Grammy winning band Linkin Park, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Foundation CEO Kathy Calvin and Facebook Marketing Director Randi Zuckerberg are set to meet in a unique and interactive Facebook ‘Town Hall’ focusing on Haiti, and using the power of social media to get people involved.

This event, taking place on Tuesday, February 22 at 6PM EST (3PM PST), will mark the first time the Secretary-General will meet with members of Linkin Park to discuss their charity Music for Relief and the new Download to Donate campaign, an innovative way for music fans to make a one-time $10 donation to the continued rebuilding of Haiti.

Donations received go directly to the nonprofits working to rebuild Haiti – Artists for Peace and Justice, charity:water, Direct Relief International, Partners in Health and The United Nations Foundation. The program will support the medium and long-term challenges of reconstruction, including delivery of food, clean water and medical care, as well as the rebuilding of schools for children affected by the earthquake.

Girl Power Unites DC

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 13:40:00 +0000

Nigel Barker, Estelle & Washington Mystics joined hundreds of DC-area teens to help adolescent girls around the world through UN Foundation’s Girl Up campaign on MLK Service Day.

Washington, DC, (January 15, 2010) – This Martin Luther King weekend, the United Nations Foundation’s Unite for Girls Tour came to Washington, DC, to introduce its newest campaign – Girl Up– which helps American girls channel their energy and compassion to raise awareness and funds for their sisters in the developing world.

Hundreds of area teens – from Baltimore to Virginia – came together at a special event in Anacostia, to join special celebrity guests Nigel Barker, Estelle, Washington Mystics, and Miss Teen Maryland to tell the world that they care about the health and education and future of girls in development countries. The Girl Up campaign is raising awareness about the 600 million adolescent girls living in developing countries who lack access to basic needs such as education and health care, and encourages American girls to give back.

Mandy Moore Asks For Nothing But Nets For Christmas

Fri, 03 Dec 2010 13:00:00 +0000

Mandy Moore is calling on Christmas donations for anti-malaria nets in the Central African Republic.

“It’s hard to believe that the holiday season is coming up so soon,” she writes in The Huffington Post. "It’s my favorite time of year; when I can stop, put work on hold and celebrate the important people in my life. As usual, I have plenty of gifts to buy for close friends and family. But this year I’m rethinking my holiday shopping list.

“I recently traveled to the Central African Republic. Many people have never heard of CAR. I didn’t know much about it either. It’s a little smaller than Texas, with a population of about 5 million people. Just to put that in perspective — more than 20 million people live in Texas.

Annie Lennox Performs At Global Leadership Awards

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:00:00 +0000

The United Nations Foundation and the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) announced last week they are joining forces to build a broader base of citizen support for U.S. engagement and the work of the UN.

UN Foundation Founder and Chairman Ted Turner, joined by UN Foundation President Senator Timothy E. Wirth, and Co-Chair of UNA-USA Thomas Pickering, made the announcement of this alliance during the Global Leadership Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. Together the two organizations represent the single largest network of American supporters of the UN.

Ted Turner Travels To Nigeria To Fight Polio

Tue, 26 Oct 2010 13:00:00 +0000

As Nigeria celebrates its 50th anniversary, United Nations Foundation Founder and Chairman Ted Turner was in Nigeria from October 24-25, 2010 to deliver a message to local leaders that Nigeria must keep up the fight against disease by continuing to leverage the power of modern vaccines.

“Working together, I know we can finish the job on polio,” said Turner. The UN Foundation is pointing to recent progress in Nigeria as proof that vaccines are key to eradicating polio and reducing measles worldwide.

Ted Turner, UN Foundation President Timothy E. Wirth, and UN Foundation Board Member Andrew Young are visiting Nigeria to meet with government and community leaders to learn firsthand about the power of public-private partnerships aimed at improving children’s health. Their visit comes at the end of a week-long Board meeting in Africa where the Foundation’s Board members called for increased participation by the private sector and civil society to maximize what the UN and governments can achieve together in tackling global challenges.

Justin Bieber To Be Honored For Charity

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:30:00 +0000

The showbiz magazine Variety is set to reward teen sensation Justin Bieber with an award for his charity work.

The 16-year-old will be honored at the ‘Power Of Youth’ ceremony later this month at the Philanthropy Awards in Los Angeles on October 24.

Mandy Moore Distributes Malaria Nets In Africa

Mon, 04 Oct 2010 16:00:00 +0000

Mandy Moore helped distribute thousands of long-lasting, insecticide-treated mosquito nets last week to families in the Central African Republic (CAR), a country with one of the highest childhood death rates in the world and where malaria is a primary cause of illness and death.

Moore, an Ambassador for PSI (Population Services International), traveled to Africa as part of a trip led by the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign and PSI. The distribution of the life-saving, anti-malaria nets was made possible by Nothing But Nets supporters, and UNICEF, who together answered the UN’s urgent call to send a net to every family in CAR.

Nigel Barker Joins Charity Campaign For Young Girls

Fri, 01 Oct 2010 14:00:00 +0000

Nigel Barker, renowned fashion photographer, TV personality and author, announced today that he will be supporting the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up campaign as one of its newest champions, joining the movement to improve the lives of adolescent girls in the developing world.

Girl Up is a “for girls, by girls” campaign that enables American girls to make a global impact by raising funds and awareness for proven UN programs that help some of the world’s hardest-to-reach adolescent girls. Girl Up supporters can give a “High Five” donation of $5 or more that provides girls in the developing countries with basic needs like access to school supplies, clean water, life-saving health services, and safety from violence.

Victoria Justice Joins Charity Campaign For Young Girls

Thu, 30 Sep 2010 11:30:00 +0000

Teen actress and singer Victoria Justice announced today that she will join the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up campaign in its mission to educate, protect and empower girls in developing countries. In her role as a Girl Up Champion, Victoria will help inspire other teens to get involved and take action for girls around the world.

A “for girls, by girls” campaign, Girl Up mobilizes the energy and compassion of American girls to help raise funds and awareness for UN programs that provide girls in developing countries with basic needs like access to school supplies, clean water, life-saving health services, safety from violence and more.

Mandy Moore Makes Charity Visit To Central African Republic

Wed, 29 Sep 2010 15:00:00 +0000

Singer-songwriter and actress Mandy Moore is in the Central African Republic distributing life-saving mosquito nets with the United Nations Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign and Population Services International right now.

The United Nations has identified an urgent need for anti-malaria mosquito nets in the Central African Republic. Mandy Moore, PSI, and Nothing But Nets are raising awareness to fill this critical gap by distributing 837,000 nets—one for every family who needs one. Malaria is a leading killer in Africa, where a child dies every 45 seconds from the disease. Long-lasting, insecticide-treated mosquito nets are one of the most cost-effective ways of preventing malaria. It costs only $10 to purchase and distribute a bed net and to educate communities about its proper use.

Nothing But Nets is a global, grassroots campaign to save lives by preventing malaria, a leading killer of children in Africa. Inspired by sports columnist Rick Reilly, hundreds of thousands of people have joined the campaign that was created by the United Nations Foundation in 2006.

Queen Rania Latest Celebrity To Join Charity Campaign

Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah of Jordan announced today that she will join the United Nations Foundation’s Girl Up campaign as a global advocate for adolescent girls. Her leadership will help drive Girl Up’s mission to educate, empower and protect millions of girls around the world.

This “for girls, by girls” campaign mobilizes the energy and compassion of American girls and empowers them to improve the lives of girls beyond their borders. Through Girl Up, supporters can contribute to UN programs that provide girls in developing countries with basic needs like access to school supplies, clean water, life-saving health services, safety from violence and more.