Celebrities have in general always been more than willing to help out with local causes, but the very fact they get to travel the world more than the average American means they get to see firsthand what's going on in the world. It's tough for the media to soften the blow or filter the news when you are in the face of a real situation caused by poverty or terrorism.
The trend for U.S, superstars to look beyond the borders of their native country for ways to help has been dubbed "the Angelina bump" or "celebrity globalization". Travelling for film shoots to foreign lands and exotic cities can't help but give an actor a healthy respect for the reality of cultural differences and how people are forced to exist in countries such as Africa. The world suddenly seems smaller and people that are suffering don't seem so far away.
It was the grandmother of actress and UNICEF goodwill ambassador Tea Leoni that helped create the organizations that helps thousands upon thousands of international citizens that are in dire circumstances. Leoni has said that stars that have made movies in countries classified as developing nations have seen things firsthand that they could not deny. More and more this sparks them to "use their celebrity" to muscle their way into the foreground with information to educate the rest of us.
Some notable high profile volunteer work includes:
o Angelina Jolie's work with refugees in Africa
o The efforts of George Clooney and Don Cheadle to raise awareness in Darfur
o Bono's drive to eliminate Third World debt
o Oprah Winfrey and Madonna's schools for African girls
o Jewel's contributions to clean water projects in Latin America
o Salma Hayek's campaign for a vaccination program
o Sting's support of the tribes living in the rain forest
o The efforts of George Clooney and Don Cheadle to raise awareness in Darfur
o Bono's drive to eliminate Third World debt
o Oprah Winfrey and Madonna's schools for African girls
o Jewel's contributions to clean water projects in Latin America
o Salma Hayek's campaign for a vaccination program
o Sting's support of the tribes living in the rain forest
The celebrities tell us all that a little can go a long way to help a community that is stricken with severe circumstances. Jewel reported that a project valued at a mere $5,000 can save scores of lives and rescue an entire community from disaster. As mentioned earlier the celebrities are typically in the forefront when it comes to helping out at home, but when the going gets tough in a country like Africa, they often see it as worse than most of the disasters that happen here, and they're willing to pitch in and do all they can to make a difference.
Comments
Post a Comment