Movie Stars Getting Involved

Sunday evening is not a very pleasant time for me. I usually am just starting to do my work. Today, however, I got to visit my grandparents so it’s hard for me to be annoyed this weekend. My grandfather, who besides professor Matson, is one of my only dedicated blog readers. He had saved a few articles for me that followed up on something I had discussed before. Angelina Jolie and her presence in Africa. While I don’t want to give more attention to movie stars than they already get, I liked what Jolie said in the article.

There was recently a short article with a series of black and white impacting photos (pictured below) in Newsweek magazine from Jolie’s visit to a refugee camp on the border of Darfur and Chad. The article starts out discussing how Jolie is a very easily recognizable person.


She says, “If I can draw you in a little because I’m familiar, then that’s great…because I know that at the end you’re not looking at me, you’re looking at them.”




There is fighting very close to this camp and it is in a fairy dangerous area where everyone, including aid workers and Jolie when she was there had to be cautious of their lives. The article also discusses how Jolie got involved and educated 6 years ago before the press even recognized her for doing so. Jolie and the article both made mention of the impact of pictures. Which is why I really liked this article. It didn’t focus entirely on Jolie and made mention of the people and the importance of spending time with them and SEEING their story.

The picture below was heart breaking, especially after hearing the story of the child and Jolie’s experience with him.

Jolie is holding a 7-year old boy who has to remain “tethered” in the camp because he has a mental disability and they do not want him to wonder away.

“According to aid workers, he saw his village bombed when he was 3 and hid alone in the bush for two days before his family found him and fled across the border.”

To see more pictures and a video you can visit the Newsweek website to see this package.

My grandfather also gave me a proto-type letter from Paul Newman who is also active in supporting refugees. Thought I should make mention of him as well. In his letter he says:

“I ask you to join me in supporting the International Rescue Committee, which focuses exclusively on providing refugees worldwide with life-saving, hope-giving assistance.”

He makes mention specifically of the refugees in Darfur with a brief history and statistical update of the displaced. He then discusses the IRC and the work they are doing. He asks in his letter to donate to the IRC. With mention of their website.

He points out that the IRC gives more than 90 cents of every dollar donated directly to refuges.