Angelina Jolie to be named UN Special Representative on the Afghan refugee crisis

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These are some additional photos from the Geneva awards ceremony where Angelina Jolie was honored for her decade’s worth of work as a goodwill ambassador for the UNHCR. In addition to helping hand out the Nansen Refugee Award to a Yemeni refugee-advocacy and humanitarian organization, Jolie also made some comments designed to bring attention to the plight of Somali refugees – you can read her comments here.

When Jolie was honored (with a gold pin) for her UNHCR work, her speech gave the impression that she was simply going to be a goodwill ambassador for years to come. However, it seems like the UN wants to give Angelina a whole new role: Special Representative to the Afghan Refugee Crisis. She’s like the movie star version of (the late) Richard Holbrooke.

Angelina Jolie will be taking on a new role in the world’s most complex and dramatic refugee crises, the American actress and United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said Tuesday. UNHCR sources told Reuters that she would be named Special Representative on the Afghan refugee situation, to help resolve the fate of 2.7 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran.

Jolie, who has served for 10 years as goodwill ambassador for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, and donated $5 million to its aid operations, declined to be specific, telling reporters: “We are looking at a few countries in the world.

“We’re hoping to discuss it in the next few weeks but we want to research it properly and do it well,” she said after addressing a meeting of UNHCR’s Executive Committee in Geneva.

Antonio Guterres, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, told the talks that Jolie would become “our special envoy mainly for the most dramatic refugee situations that require a lot of advocacy” and to mobilize strong international support.

“We will be asking you to do more and more in this regard,” he said. Jolie’s diplomatic skills, vision and insights would be harnessed to tackle “some of the most complex problems we face.”

“VULNERABLE YET RESILIENT” REFUGEES

The Oscar-winning Jolie, dressed in black, said that refugees whom she had met during her 40 field missions for UNHCR in hotspots from Pakistan to Kenya were “among the most vulnerable and yet the most resilient people in the world.”

“My personal experiences with UNHCR have been moving, sometimes heartbreaking, but always rewarding and unforgettable,” she said.

Jolie, who makes her directorial debut with the Bosnian wartime romance film “In the Land of Blood and Honey,” due to be released in December, has six children.

On recent UNHCR missions to Malta and Tunisia, she met families who had fled their native Somalia only to be uprooted again by fresh conflict in Libya, she said.

“I tried to imagine what it must have been like for a mother with children. To risk her life at sea trying to get to Europe from North Africa,” she said, noting that some ruthless smugglers had been known to throw women and children overboard. She recalled a visit in March to the Afghan village of Qala Gadu, north of Kabul, where girls’ schools and teachers remain targets of violence. A girl named Sahira pledged to complete her studies through 12th grade if the actress helped build a school.

“It’s not hard to say yes, knowing that as an Afghan, her word is her bond. An education is her basic human right and she should not be denied it any longer. Sahira is the future of Afghanistan. After decades of displacement and many years of war, we are entering a defining moment for Afghanistan,” Jolie added.

The September 20 killing of Burhanuddin Rabbani, Kabul’s chief peace negotiator, derailed efforts to forge dialogue with the Taliban to end the 10-year war and raised fears of a dangerous widening of Afghanistan’s ethnic rifts.

Although millions of Afghans have returned home in the past decade, Pakistan and Iran still host 1.7 million and 1 million Afghan refugees, respectively, according to the agency. Jolie made a surprise appearance Monday night at the UNHCR’s ceremony to honor a Yemeni aid group credited with rescuing thousands of desperate Somali refugees who arrive in Yemen each year.

[From Reuters]

If she’s officially named “Special Representative” to the Afghan refugee crisis, it will be interesting to see what Jolie can do with a much narrower, more focused cause. My guess is that she would thrive in the role, under set parameters, but that she would miss traveling to refugee crises beyond Afghanistan. Still, Angelina loves Afghanistan and Pakistan – she’s made numerous goodwill trips (and USO trips to Kabul). One of her first trips with the UNHCR – before she even became a goodwill ambassador – was to the Afghan refugee camps in Northern Pakistan. And that was BEFORE 9/11.

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Photos courtesy of the UNHCR & Fame.

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104 Responses to “Angelina Jolie to be named UN Special Representative on the Afghan refugee crisis”

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  1. G says:

    Congratulations and well done!

  2. whitedaisy says:

    She gives a voice and world attention to those without it.
    Haters will hate, regardless, but she is good people, doing good work.

  3. Jessica says:

    She needs to eat a hamburger with xtra everything for cryin out loud.. ugh…too skinny… no shape at all to her legs.

  4. Rita says:

    I very much applaud AJ for her efforts but other than a pretty face and talented actress being seen, what has she done? Has she held fundraisers or called on her Hollywood friends to pitch in? Not being snarky. Just asking what has her efforts produced for the people on the ground?

  5. Nancy C. says:

    not too sure what she done but bring photographers to shoot her visits. she did donate smoe $$ but so did other people. wonder if she is going to build that school that kid wanted…oprah did. she should have worn her hair up and worn a darker color. this is not hollywood.

  6. Kim says:

    People can bag on her all they want but she is trying to make a difference and that is more than most people & celebs can say.

  7. Kar says:

    Good for AJ!

    Kaiser, you mentioned on the other post about the dress looking like Kate Middleton’s? TOTALLY getting KM-vibes here….

    OR… Has Kate been trying to give off Ange-vibes? OMG, she totally WOULD do that. It’s her new PR strategy. Calling it. I mean, Angelina has long owned the classic, simple, elegant and neutral colours thing.

  8. yahooo says:

    She looks fabulous and happy.

  9. mln76 says:

    Suck it haters Angie’s the Bomb.

  10. Chloe (not chloe) says:

    But but but… how can the world NOT hate Angelina! She stole Brad! Her legs are skinny! She’s pale! She only adopts to be in the tabs! And she’s *uglier* than..

    The Goddess Circle is not amused.
    _________________

    On a more serious note: Good job, AJ.

  11. Julia says:

    She is lovely.

    I always loved her classy style when in the UN and she always has that elegant, royal poise.

  12. Catherine says:

    Angelina just seems like an all around great person who really cares. Good for her. There are not too many celebrities who use their fame and name for good instead of for selfish reasons. I applaud her efforts.

  13. tracking says:

    She raises awareness, a good thing. The cream dress is nice but I can’t get over how unhealthy she looks. It’s weird to think that she and Mila J. are the same age. AJ needs to have whatever MJ is having!

  14. Eve says:

    @ Chloe (# 10):

    LOL! You posted that as a joke but deep down we both know that that’s exactly what they think.

  15. CJ says:

    Never been much of a fan of her, but I’m starting to like her a lot. Considering her wealth and fame, it would be very easy to adopt a life of leisure and partying, yet she donates money and actually spends time working to further humanitarian causes. I’m sure she could do more, but still. You look around at these Hollywood types living shallow meaningless lives – at least AJ is doing something besides drinking and shopping.

  16. The world loves her.People in need look to her.God Speed,Angie…

  17. casey says:

    Congratulations to this amazing woman.You deserve this award.Thanks for all the things you have done in this world .And thank you for inspiring us your fans to help the less fortunate on our own little way too. i was not aware of this refugee thing ang must admit doesn’t really care untlil i became a fan of this woman and read all her advocasies.Thumbs up angie.you will always be blessed because your a great person.love you girl.

  18. casey says:

    The fourth picture with gutierez just melt my heart.She is just so beautiful.Shw can wear sack and still look gorgeous.Timeless beauty.

  19. casey says:

    Im sure she will do this new job excellently.She is so powerful and so famous not just in america but all around the world.Everybody knows the name ANGELINA JOLIE.Im just happy that this former wild child has turned her life around and look at her now.She is such an inspiration to many.So down to earth and humble and never a judgemental person .that’s why her fans love her unconditionally and will support and defend her no matter what.

  20. AZ says:

    God she looks beautifull, on the dailymail I got thumbs down for saying that.

  21. woow says:

    I find it funny that Kaiser can manage to say mean and snarky things about everyone else she writes about but Angelina. You might as well call this sight LOVE ANGELINA HATE EVERYONE ELSE site. If you are going to gossip about other celebs looks etc., and question their charity work then do it with everyone, seems fair. JMO

  22. blouson says:

    I don’t know. It just makes me uncomfortable that the UNHCR is wasting time “honouring” AJ. It seems so… syncophantic. Why does AJ need a big fuss made over HER? What about a night honouring the poorly paid aid workers that put their lives on the line and work with one community for YEARS? As the child of REAL diplomats and UN workers it seems weird and vaguely inappropriate. And honestly no matter how much you just luuuuurve AJ, I mean seriously, her “vision”????? Her use is as a PR tool. I am sure she is a good person but lets not pretend this woman is something she is not. Their are brilliant people who spend their lives dedicated to this and essentially a sexy part-time philanthropist millionaire gets the gala and the handshakes? Sure, thats fair. OK. Rant over.

  23. Eve says:

    @ AZ:

    God she looks beautifull, on the dailymail I got thumbs down for saying that.

    LOL! Now we can’t even say anymore that the woman is gorgeous…

  24. Jayna says:

    She doesn’t just lend her name. She has educated herself and doesn’t just talk the talk; she walks the walk. She’s become an extraordinary humanitarian.

  25. Julia says:

    # blouson.

    Just because UN Goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie happened to also be an actress shouldn’t be a reason for the UN not to honour her as a valuable employee who has done a great job for them during the last ten years. Just like the organisation does for every other honoree it selects yearly, including some being models, princes and other less famous names or representatives of NGO’s.

    And as a matter of fact, she was ONE of the honorees during that ceremony, not the sole one.

    The others not being celebrities won’t be featured in a celebrity blog as CB.

  26. Julia says:

    @ Edita

    Thanks for always bringing beautiful pictures.

  27. HannahF says:

    Not on Team Jolie but the point of her work IS that she is a movie star. By visiting these war torn countries and garnering press as a result, she brings attention to the problems. When the West begins to take notice, the crises will be addressed.

  28. Edita** Thanks for pics!!! Eve**Thanks,too!!(I looked at the ones you provided on the other *Jolie* thread)

  29. LondonLady says:

    I see the point of this i.e. bringing attention to the crisis but no, flying in and out of war zones and shaking hands with a couple of kids does not make a humanitarian. Its PR, pure and simple.

  30. casey says:

    someone here is so jealous.she/he is dying with envy about this wonderful woman because she knows her boring idol cannot hold a candle to this interesting woman.lol.no matter how you few people hate this woman , she will continue to soar, the power of the JOLIE.

  31. LOVE ANGELINA says:

    Yay Angie!!!!!

    I don’t think Angie will take a role thats keeps her from helping all the refugee people she has been helping. Angie has helped all kinda of refugees, I doubt she would cut those connections.

  32. Cheyenne says:

    @LondonLady: If you have a problem with her being called a humanitarian, complain to the UNHCR. Maybe they’ll revoke the honor. *sarcasm*

    I’m hearing anguished shrieks as haters’ heads explode all over the place.

  33. Tiffany says:

    @ Rita. She gave a interview years ago talking about fundraising and she said it was a disaster and it was more money going into the event and not the charity so she just cut checks herself. Also, think about her friends, they are not typical Hollywood fare Tutu and Goodall to name a few so I think she has support.

  34. Cheyenne** The *hens* are cluckin’ LOL

  35. Green_Eyes says:

    Ms. Jolie is absolutely radiant. That kind of beauty and essence can only come from w/i. Her heart and inner strength only enhances her beauty.

    She deserves the Special position and as Kaiser pointed out she will most definitely thrive. In a world where countries arentearing themselves apart and so many are displaced, it does take a special person to put themselves in harms way to help others. Thankfully there are those souls such as Ms. Jolie and others who work hard to bring attention to their plight. If I didn’t already think she was just amazing, and has grown into a wonderful human being since her teen/ young adult yrs….I sure would now! She is justna wonderful human being….

    However, I have always loved Angelina, from way back (so it is amusing in our family that my
    niece could be her double as she is always told and now my great niece resembles Shiloh).

  36. Sakyiwaa says:

    Yaaaay Angie! Im so EXCITED about this. More power to her!

  37. Green_Eyes says:

    @ Cheyenne lol…I know you like her :).

  38. Franny says:

    some of you people are disgusting. Here’s a woman who is trying to make a difference for people in horrible situations and has been doing it for years. She shows up to an event in her honor wearing a simple dress with simple hair, and you tell her to dress down and to eat something? how about instead of sitting on a celebrity gossip site bitching about someone doing good in the world, YOU go out and do something. This is a site for snark sometimes, but its also for sharing whats going on in the world of celebrities. which includes doing charity work. so this isn’t a “tax write off” or “doing it for publicity”. Its doing something better for the world.

  39. Auds says:

    @ LondonLady: spot on.
    I haven’t seen Angelina visit Somalia yet. But the UN is always about media diversion. As an organisation, they haven’t really resolved any issues around the world.

  40. Sakyiwaa says:

    She’s gonna be AWESOME! And Brad will definitely pitch in!
    Hw celebs can donate on their own terms. Ang doesnt have to make them pitch in…:-).

  41. mary jane says:

    wow I am impressed.

    Clearly she has earned someone’s respect!

  42. Joe's Mom says:

    By her association, this article was written (as were many others) and we and others have now read and are aware of this cause, and now it’s our responsibility to donate or assist, if we feel we would like to do that. I might not have ever heard of the Afghan refugee crisis if it hadn’t been associated with AJ. And I think she’s doing a great job donating her time and getting the word out, not to mention her trips to these countries to bring more attention to the causes. She’s got 6 kids and a partner to keep her busy, and she works, but she does this because she wants to help these people and she believes she can.

  43. Joe's Mom says:

    Oh, and she looks tragically skinny, but Demi Moore, Kate Middleton and Sandra Bullock all look “fabulous”? I don’t get it. At least her thorax isn’t protruding.

  44. werty says:

    Rita:
    She gave up on fundraisers.
    In an old interview that i found on youtube, she said that she once spent
    10 000 on a fundraiser (waiters food, etc)
    And only raised 2 000, so she though it was better to give away her own money instead.
    Sorry for the spelling.

    And good for Angelina she always seem happier in these kind of events (than HW ones)

  45. Anonymous says:

    Why is it that people ditch on Angelina for her humantarian work, but they applaud Waity and Wills? Angie doesn’t have to trek over to these places to pacify taxpayers or anyone else. I think she’s a true humantarian like Audrey Hepburn.

  46. ManicPixieDreamGirl says:

    I’m really looking forward to seeing her film when it comes out in December. She really puts her heart and soul into whatever she involved in. She’s amazing. Team Jolie!

  47. MexiDiva says:

    @Auds – she specifically addressed the Somali issue today and worked with Somali refugees in Kenya last year.

    http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/03/us-angelinajolie-refugees-idUSTRE7926WN20111003

  48. Camille says:

    I don’t worship La Jolie (I don’t realistically think that any of her fans do) *but* I do admire her and I think she is a beautiful and inspirational woman.
    I love that she doesn’t waste her life tanning, shopping, holidaying and making crappy romcoms all year round (like she easily could, like so many other celebs do).
    AJ is living her life to the fullest and I commend her for that.

  49. anon says:

    @Edita: thanks for the pictures and video Angie looks good
    @Anonymous : your post made me laugh 🙂

  50. Chloe (not chloe) says:

    Why? Because she’s done awfully lot in the last ten years, to educate herself and to educate others, using her star power to bring attention to causes and places many people would probably have never heard of otherwise. Move your lazy asses and just google her charity work instead of asking. Check her on the UN website.

    She’s probably helped more people and donated more than the majority of the commenters here have and ever will (even if we talk about it proportionally to what we earn or can do), not to mention the vast majority of Hollywood. These are some of the reasons why she’s getting honored.

    I’m not saying you have to like her movies, or her as a person. But please, blouson etc., don’t embarrass yourselves discrediting her charity work, her intentions or her integrity.

  51. Katherine says:

    UN and other humanitarian aid workers ARE honored all the time. In my old life I used to attend many such events, some very lovely, wherein people were honored for their work. Why do you think that no one else gets honored and praised just because Angelina does? That just isn’t so. They are also honored.

    And why shouldn’t Angelina be honored for her 10 years of service in the field? Of course she should.

    Many of the aid workers are paid for their work while Angelina is a volunteer. In any event, volunteers always garner more honors than those already paid to do their jobs – no matter how important or dangerous their jobs are.

    Perhaps if you lived in a different environment or read elsewhere besides tabloids and gossip sites you would know about the appreciation shown to aid workers. And, unfortunately, you’d also know about the criticism heaped on them by those with other agendas. I know these things because it used to involve my profession and I have continued to stay interested. I’ve even planned many of these events myself.

    Those who are just interested in criticizing every breath Angelina takes don’t care what her accomplishments are or what “she really does.” You can bet her biggest critics have already been to her UNHCR page and know everything she’s done, seen every picture of her doing it and still demand proof. Ignore them. They will never be satisfied.

    Anyone who does not appreciate or understand what an honor this is for Angelina and what being named a Special Envoy or Special Representative says about her talents and value as a diplomat in this field have their heads buried in a very dark place.

  52. Julia says:

    I also have family members working in several international bodies, included the UN.

    That title, if Jolie gets it is a testament of her dedication, seriousness in the field and courage.

    Everytime I am hearing about that title, my heart aches for former Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to Iraq, Sérgio Vieira de Mello who was killed in the 2003 bombing of that hotel in Bagdad when the american forces deposed Sadam.

    I had the great pleasure and honour to meet that great diplomat when in France, during a political show about the Congo war. He was fluent in 5 languages and I remembered his involvment to try to stop the Rwandese army from slaughtering thousands of rwandese refugees and local peopl in Congo. That is the mute genocide.

    I was devastated when he died. One of the greatest diplomats I ever met, and there are plenty of great, intelligent people in that field.

  53. Sakyiwaa says:

    Detractors never get to Angie!
    Hope she stays safe for her family:-)

  54. Sakyiwaa says:

    Sorry abt ur loss, Julia 🙁

  55. Isa says:

    She looks amazing. She IS amazing. 🙂 good for her and all of those that help make a difference in the world.

  56. blouson says:

    Im sorry, I continue to disagree. I stated my opinion quite respectfully and I continue to hold it. I am informed and I just plain disagree.

  57. Julia says:

    @ Sayiwaa

    thanks you but it’s not my loss. He was Koffi Anan’s personal friend.

    It’s the UN and the world’s loss for losing such a great human being and such a great, vocal diplomate.

    For me he epithomized what the UN human rights policy stand for. He was intelligent, charismatic and was very vocal, very critical towards governments for their foreign policies leading to wars without regards for the refugees and the loss of innocent victims stuck in cross fires.

    He paid the ultimate prize going to Irak to try to find a peaceful solution and save as much innocent lives as he could. He is for me he most prominent martyr of the UN. He was killed with 20 other UN employees and died from his wounds while being conscious that he was dying.

    May they rest in peace. I salute and have respect for each and every employee or volunteer in the UN, involved in human rights and refugees policies. they have to be great diplomats, included with certain political regimes that are considered ‘ennemies’ by their government.

    I think what Jolie has mainly gained in terms of interntional affairs and polutical connections, is her hability to be perceived as a non political, friendly figure even by the most totalitarian regime. She is perceived as a very respective cosmopolitan, not necessaryy american and that perceotion helps a lot to do the job properly because at this stage, being an special envoy, you are appointed with your government approval, the foreign affairs department and the CIA are also involved in that.

  58. Deltona lakes says:

    @blouson
    It you ever get a chance read Lisa Bloom’s “Think: straight talk for Women to stay smart in a dumbed down world” there’s are great exerpt about Angelina..

  59. Trillion says:

    Jolie can bring attention to UN in a way that “real diplomats and UN workers” simply can’t. Why does this need explaining? Why shouldn’t they honor a high profile, well spoken celebrity who has given years of service to the UN and aided their status and visibility? Jolie gives a lot of praise to diplomats and UN workers and makes many people aware of their hard work as well. She’s abundantly clear about this in her interviews.

  60. Fatkid says:

    @Jessica – some of us aren’t blessed with shapely legs. No matter how much I gain, or work out, either end of the spectrum my legs look like AJ’s do here.

    Besides the post isn’t about fashion or body-image issues, it’s about her great humanitarian work. Hoorah, for Angie! Much admiration for the work she does in this arena.

  61. Deltona lakes says:

    @blouson
    If you get a chance please read Lisa Bloom’s book “Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed Down World” there’s an exerpt about Angelina.. It pretty sums up why I’m her FAN..you can google the exerpt.. I hope this didn’t double post I was having problems..

  62. OhYeah says:

    ^^^ blouson……dont sweat it. I dont think anyone here considers you an intelligent sentient being. When you get right down to it, what are you really? Just another disembodied entity clacking away on a remote computer somewhere. In fact we dont even know that much.

    Angie, however, we have literally tons of information about. And those of us who can read and understand and are unencumbered by any personal demons that render us incapable of recognizing cold hard facts, are ………. not you.

  63. zara says:

    Good for Angelina! The harder the tabs, nasty blogs and naysayers try to break this woman, the harder I root for her to find the continual strength to rise above it all.
    I do not worship Angelina nor do I think she is a saint. To me, she represents the spirit that is in all of us to overcome that which is destructive within us and use it for the greater good. I see in her what I see in myself; a flawed human being who strives to channel the best in themselves and others. It’s not about how much money she has.

  64. Cheyenne says:

    blouson: Her use is as a PR tool.
    ===============================================

    They need all the PR they can get. One of they ways they get it is by enlisting celebrities for their cause. Remember Audrey Hepburn? She was also a goodwill ambassador for the UNHCR, as were Harry Belafonte, Roger Moore, Mia Farrow, Susan Sarandon, Jackie Chan, Danny Glover, Vanessa Redgrave, Orlando Bloom, and a whole lot of others. They know that when celebrities call attention to an issue or a cause, a lot of people will start paying attention who would otherwise have ignored it. It’s called using your fame for a good purpose and there’s not a thing wrong with it.

  65. Rachel says:

    haha say what you want but AJ ALWAYS has the most comments on this site! that itself says it all.

  66. HannahF says:

    Seriously, I’m more of a ‘hen’ than a loonie and reading all the adoration here was a bit much. However, I have to reiterate—The UN has AJ go to war torn countries to raise awareness of the problems that exist. Because of her notoriety, her trips always get a lot of press. More press translates into more help. And the other point is that she actually goes to these places.

    I do have to point out that JA may do charity work in a different less visible manner. It does not make her a lesser person or boring as some have inferred.

  67. HannahF says:

    @Rachel–Actually AJ doesn’t get the most comments on a thread. I think that honor belongs to our darling Linnocent. Sadly, what gets about 3 times the typical amount of comments is a post about the triangle. The AJ/BP/JA stories are huge.

  68. lou says:

    anorexic much?

  69. Auds says:

    @ MexiDiva, addressing it on a stage is quite different from seeing it there. And what does ‘working with’ truly mean? Going there for two days and shaking hands?
    Either way, I’d rather see action rather than an extension of celebrity culture and fawning when millions are starving and dying.

  70. HoustonGrl says:

    Love her…she is truly inspirational.

  71. sandy#1 says:

    angelina is very inspirational, congratulation on the honor, keep up the good work, and on behalf of most, thanks for caring and sharing.

  72. rosalee says:

    I am one of those front line workers in the poverty sector – Angelina Jolie provides a “voice” the media listens, the public reacts – during the time Jolie has been involved with UN activities more public attention has focused on international causes and the depth of extreme poverty that thousands of refuges live under in very hostile conditions. According to some a husband stealing tart which the three people involved have all moved on long ago with their lives -quite happily from what I read – she makes a valuable impact to issues that would otherwise be ignored. Forget the spiteful comments and look at the results.

  73. CHRISTIAN_GIRL says:

    Nancy C,

    Jolie did in fact build the girls school in Afghanistan. Look it up. It was after she went there in 2008 and addressed their needs. In 18 months the school was built. Lots (800)girls go in 2 shifts.

    But, that’s not news since she has also built many other schools elsewhere. You can look that up too. She does walk the walk as she talks the talk.

    What makes the news are things people can complain about. Whether they be true or false. Feeds the need to attempt to crucify her. Yet she still forges ahead and has earned another title and job with responsibilty that she is serious about. APPLAUDING.

  74. Runs with Scissors says:

    @Auds: “And what does ‘working with’ truly mean? Going there for two days and shaking hands?”

    No actually, it means going and spending time with a 3 year old girl who had her ARMS and LEGS CUT OFF (so obviously no hand shaking there, huh?) and sitting with that little girl and HUNDREDS of others over the course of TEN effing YEARS and learning their stories first hand, educating herself on policy and infrastructure and logistics and going and TESTIFYING about it. She is literally giving voice to these people.

    If you think witnessing atrocities like that don’t have a real affect on someone (like say, losing your appetite, or feeling compelled and driven daily to DO something to help) then you’re even sorrier than you seem.

    Here’s just one interview that Edita posted on the other thread.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqwe-
    _seKMM&feature=player_embedded

    What she has done is a whole lot more than just throw a check at something in exchange for a fancy dinner where people are forced to kiss your lipo-sucked ass (which is all the majority of Hollywood (and 99% of the rest of the world) ever do).

  75. Jaxx says:

    She looks so radiant here. Also very humble. Good for you Ang, you deserve the honors. Hard work and dedication always gets results.

  76. mel jay says:

    It shows that celebrities are all not shallow… 😉

  77. Addie says:

    Good on ya Ang!

    This woman does a lot with her (limited)time and donates a lot of money for where it is needed.

    Although I really can’t stand her man, she is an amazing parners to him,a great mom and career women.

    With the horendus examples of women in hollywood today, she really is flying the fag high for REAL woman with syle, grace and a huge heart.

  78. Callumna says:

    She chose this direction, did not need to, and it’s a beautiful thing.

    Just for comparison, imagine J-Lo spending years in tents trying to get money to someone else without flipping out if her extensions and a personal trainer don’t come with the refugee tour.

    Angelina is very rare, an evolving work in progress. It’s refreshing.

  79. Julia says:

    @ Auds.

    Going their to shake hands for two days or even hours and doing diplomatic work behind that is also what presidents, head of states do when they get in other countries.

    It’s called diplomacy. It’s a smothering way to coercise certain political instances of the host country to hear messages given by the UN or your own government. They may be less severe towards refugees and grant access to relieve efforts thanks to that diplomacy from an apolitical figure working for the UN than from an embassy.

    The pictures you see of her are just the tip of the iceberg. She meets political leaders as wel as social workers to deliver those messages that even diplomates from embassies couldn’t because they will appear as a political intervention of a specific foreign country in their business and a diplomatic blunder. It’s parallel diplomacy.

    After each mission, she writes and reports of things she has whitnessed and heard in refugees camp as a privilleged firsthand spectator since usually those host countries have strict laws and don’t like other people whitnessing how they treat refugees, let alone talking to them. They want them to remain silent and invisible. Refugees are often mistreated and abused in their own camp. Jolie is the voice of the voiceless and the vulnerable. She ssees, she hears what they have to say and report it.

    Jolie UN status being apolitical and long experience in diplomacy gave her that ultimate advantage and makes her perceived as a trustfull partner, not someone who is using that to spy for her government.

    And lets none of us be naive,what she reports to the UN is known by her government. She has relays in the foraign affair department, hence she was named in some board related to it with Colin Powel and Hilary Clinton if my memory doesn’t fails.

    This is serious business not some ‘normal’ philantropic hobby. UN Goodwil embassadors are doing what ambassadors do : diplomacy in a very critical context.

  80. mln76 says:

    @Hannah F I am not putting Jen down for her work with breast cancer but attending and organizing charity events within the US isn’t the same thing as helping refugees throughout the world who don’t even have the luxury of dying of something as cosmopolitan as cancer. The refugees Angie is working with at the UN are dying from lack of clean water, from storms that would cause leaks in our roofs , political unrest that goes mostly ignored and a myriad of other things that cause them to have the same life expectancy as people in the Middle ages if they are lucky. Bravo to Aniston to putting some time in with those people in the US who are going the cancer but what Angie is doing is above and beyond. Angies work over the last decade is not worth talking about the bermuda triangle B.S.

  81. Sakyiwaa says:

    @Julia. thanks for your reply. it’s okay. i understand. Kofi Annan is actually from my country. i think any UN job is a pretty tough one. you have to be altruistic from the get-go cos there’s so much distrust and skepticism… but they TRY real hard. the world’s just too messed up to fix completely. Really, it’s no one’s fault…

  82. Flan says:

    Wow, didn’t know that people like Jessica actually exist. This woman is doing something impressive and all you can do is bitch about her appearance.

    Time to get an education. Have a feeling you’re not good at anything at all.

  83. margaret says:

    she is growing on me. keep up the good work AJ. love you.

  84. Imelda says:

    I am a Jen fan and I applaud Angelina her successes in this field. I hope (at least on this site – though that may be asking too much!) that we could appreciate both AJ and JA for the women that they are as I see qualities in both I admire.
    We are all different women on here and we all have admirable qualities I dont know why in the face of these 2 women its a pick and choose situation. I really cant grasp the concept that we have to have one or the other.
    We are all media fed so we dont really know these people yet the vitrol used when attacking one or bigging up the other is unreal.
    Charity wise you cant compare cos Jen knows she cant even go there – this is Angelina territory so it seems to me unfair she’s condemned for something she didn’t do.
    Cant we praise these women without the constant comparisons. It would maake this site real refreshing for a change instead of reading the same **it.

  85. Dudette says:

    @Auds, you simply don’t get it. Or refuse to get it. Either way, that’s pretty sad.

    I like Angelina, as an actress and as a humanitarian. Being peripherally in the field myself, I understand that even simply the act of going somewhere for ‘two days and shaking hands’ as someone quite callously put it, takes guts and determination. Very few people in her position do. She should be applauded not just for the attention she draws to these issues, but for also risking her own life in order to do so. It’s easy to sit at a keyboard and condemn. Quite a different kettle of fish altogether to actually go out there and *do* something. I simply cannot knock anybody who does the latter.

  86. Cheyenne says:

    @Imelda: I don’t think charity is Jolie’s exclusive territory or anyone else’s. The field is wide open to anyone who wants to get out there and try to make a difference.

  87. tapioca says:

    “When celebrities call attention to an issue or a cause, a lot of people will start paying attention who would otherwise have ignored it.”

    Fair play to AJ for trying, but the people who CAN make a difference already know. A bunch of movie fans learning a little more makes NO difference to the lives of people in Darfur or Somalia.

  88. Imelda says:

    @ Cheyenne – No obviously I know that. Its clearly ridiculous to suggest she is the only celebrity doing charity work and I didn’t mean it in that way.
    But can you imagine the hate that would ensue if JA tried to get involved in something like this given the constant comparisons between the two.
    And yet I often read on this site how shallow Jennifer is because she “doesn’t do charity work”. Maybe she’d like to maybe she wouldn’t but either way it would look like she was copying AJ if she did.
    She did do that breast cancer thing which was kinda glossed over. I also read that she too supports charities its just done under the radar.

  89. Addie says:

    Angie does more humannitarian deeds that any celeb out there today, so let us not compare her with others, it is just not a fair comparason.

    Each person can do what THEY can do, it is not up to anyone else to judge why someone doesn’t do more.

    people’s circustances and desire to help differ.

  90. Chloe (not chloe) says:

    @tapioca
    “A bunch of movie fans learning a little more makes NO difference to the lives of people in Darfur or Somalia.”
    ____________

    That’s quite a decisive statement, tapioca. I’ll give you an example that possibly changes your mind: where I live people are often encouraged to donate to charities via text messages that are charged differently than normal messages, and they are often encouraged to do it precisely by celebrities. They act on a charitable impulse engendered by a celebrity they like. It might not last long, but it actually results in very tangible help to those in need (as in, money is being donated to build a well for an African village, or an amount of vaccine is bought for an organization that later takes it where it’s needed).

    While this is not something that AJ does for the UN, I just want to point out that saying “a bunch of people finding out about a bunch of stuff won’t change anything” isn’t entirely true.

    I think it’s one of the few ways for the current mass media to redeem themselves (considering the crap they’re normally engaged in) – to spread awareness and to serve as a channel connecting those who are privileged and unaware with those who need help.

    edit: I agree that “raising awareness” is a very blurred notion and it’s hard to measure its results in numbers but I think without the media campaign many people wouldn’t even know where Darfur or Somalia are. And there’s a higher chance you’ll donate to a cause or accept refugees from a country once there’s a social approval and need for these actions.

  91. Cheyenne says:

    Imelda: can you imagine the hate that would ensue if JA tried to get involved in something like this given the constant comparisons between the two.
    ==============================================

    I don’t see that at all. I think people would have a lot more respect for her if she chose a charity she was passionate about and really got hands-on involved in it, instead of just having her accountant cut a check for it every once in a while. I’d like to see her choose something she’s interested in, educate herself about it and really get into it. Then she wouldn’t come off as such a fluffball.

  92. Chloe (not chloe) says:

    @95 Imelda:

    This is kind of off-topic in this thread but I think if JA sticks to her cause (it’s breast cancer awareness, right?) and really gets into it, only idiots and really blinded people would criticize her for it. She has a face, she has a vocal fanbase, she could use it to do some good.

  93. Marina85 says:

    @Cheyenne

    Unfortunately, that’s not true…On picture threads about JA visiting a breast cancer center, I saw Brangelina fans, mocking her, saying she was (of course) imitating Angelina, and also that she was a fake because she smokes, so how dare she advocate for breast cancer when she smokes… That’s sad, but I think some people have such a deep, profound and irrational hate for Jennifer Aniston that they are simply unable to show an unbiased and balanced opinion. If Jennifer was seen saving a baby from a burning building, these people would say that Huvane planted the baby and set the building on fire so Jennifer could be a hero. I don’t understand why we must choose between these women. Both are lovely and I don’t get why we need to worship one and loathe the other…

  94. Angelina Stevens says:

    Chloe, you stated “She stole Brad!” How did Angelina Jolie steal Brad Pitt? Did she hit him over the head or drug him in order to render him unconscious and stuff his body into the back of her SUV? Did she drive him to a secret hideaway? Did she hold him captive for months while brainwashing him into divorcing his wife and settling into family life with her? I apologize if I appear to be insensitive to the fact that you cannot get over the fact that Brad left his wife of his own free will, Angelina Jolie did not hold a gun to his head. Jennifer Aniston has moved on, maybe you should do the same.

  95. blonde on the dock says:

    @Addie:Angie does more humannitarian deeds that any celeb out there today, so let us not compare her with others, it is just not a fair comparason.

    Correction: Angie receives “more exposure” for her humanitarian work. That doesn’t necessarily mean she does more. Don’t discredit the many people who do far more just because they don’t want the exposure or we don’t hear about it. Unfair!!
    As for JA. Give her a break. I’m sure you would appreciate her contribution if you got breast cancer. Every little bit counts. By the way she hasn’t smoked in years.
    co sign with Marina85

  96. Victoria says:

    Regardless of what JA does, yes, I will always think her a phony, fake, and all the adjectives that describe fraud. I think it’s great that she’s dong stuff with breast cancer. I’m not taking that away from her for that, but Brest Cancer Awareness in the states is really high. There is plenty of literature and opportunities to educate one’s self and get involved in the charitable aspect. I would actually like for to her to go to countries out side of the states and talk about it. Places that have high percentages but little to no awareness. That would be awesome.

  97. Chloe (not chloe) says:

    @Angelina Stevens:

    That was sarcasm.

  98. Eve says:

    @ Angelina Stevens:

    I don’t know where the hell you saw Chloe saying anything like that but I can assure you that it was either her quoting someone else or posting something sarcastic. Chloe (not chloe) is a fan. Relax.

  99. Cheyenne says:

    @Marina: Unfortunately, the only times anyone has actually seen Aniston involved with a charity was when she made a PSA for St Jude’s hospital (when she had to put her arms around a child and looked so uncomfortable you’d think she was having a root canal) and when she donated a couple of cast-off handbags to some charity event the year before last. If she’s going to get involved with breast cancer, fine, and her smoking has nothing to do with it. But I’d like to see her get really involved with it, be able to quote some statistics, visit some cancer centers, talk to a lot of cancer patients, and act as if this is something she really cares about, not just a PR opportunity. Because she does give the impression of being an extremely shallow individual who only cares about grooming her hair and her body.

  100. lak says:

    Rather late in the day to join this thread, but for those who say celebrity PR does nothing in real terms to war torn countries, i give you Angola which was riddled with land mines during their very long civil war. The Red Cross and other charities tried very hard to enlist various govts around the world to both ban them and to raise awareness for the catastrophe they were causing to the civilian population. It took one visit from Princess Diana on their behalf for them to be banned.

    The point is, celebrities appear to affect in a direct way, more than the politicians because their visibility shines a light in places that are otherwise ignored.

    Mostly their PR job in these areas doesn’t lead to a direct and quantifiable result but it raises awareness which may or may not make the situation better in terms of laws, volnteer efforts and general help etc

    On the flipside, what does it say about the general public that we need celebrities to highlight a cause before we fully support it. At this rate Bono should be head of the UN

  101. blonde on the dock says:

    No Cheyenne it’s the way you choose to paint her. She’s damned either way.

  102. Annachristoff says:

    When the celebrities start doing humanitarian missions for the United States and Western Europe–the world’s great powers in great crises–I will start paying more attention. I worked at the UN, and met incredible, highly cultivated people there. Nonetheless, attention paid only to the poor “Third World” becomes annoying when so much is wrong–morally, socially, politically–back here.

    I will grant you, that I was/am against the US invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq–then and now. So, to the extent that we have caused much damage there, help of refugees is kind work. Yet, I want to see more attention on the abysmal state of affairs locally.

    It has taken me a long time to warm up to AJ because of the weirdo sexual past and the tatoos and the bland movie making. I guess she is a good trooper–but I am not totally convinced.