http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/news/opendoc.htm?tbl=NEWS&id=434e17b84
I believe one of the most powerful and influential women in America today is Angelina Jolie, who is best known for her acting career, however has taken a vital stand in political affairs following her humanitarian work in various developing world countries. Angelina Jolie has been involved in, including many different projects across the world visiting refugee camps across Africa, Afghanistan and many other countries across the world.
“Ms. Jolie, who has travelled extensively to more than 20 countries including Pakistan, Kosovo, Sudan and Chad to talk personally to refugees, said they deserved "every bit of our efforts."
Jolie has been acknowledged for her contribution to helping the underprivileged people in poorer countries in comparison to the United States by the UN who awarded her with the “2005 Global Humanitarian Action Award for her work with UNHCR and with refugees.” Despite her hard work three years ago she continues to work with these countries today and participates in many charitable organisations today, influencing her husband Brad Pitt to also participate in more recent televised charitable causes such as “Idol Gives Back” which promotes the suffering and injustice of people in Africa and in poorer parts of America too, calling for wealthy Americans to donate money on America’s most viewed prime time programme of American Idol. Brad Pitt has appeared twice on this annual run contest show where they have held a special feature for this show.
Jolie and Pitt also have been an aspiration to people across America and the world too as they have adopted most of their children Maddox, Pax, and Zahara, who come from different developing world countries. Their actions in adopting these children has consequently influenced other people to do the same thing such as Madonna who is currently trying to adopt Malawian born David Banda.
I think Jolie is quite an overlooked important person to the world today, as the media are more interested in less trivial things that Jolie does such as being spotted shopping, rather than what she does in these developing countries. I’m unsure whether the media doesn’t celebrate her efforts for equality to other nations because she is a woman and an actress doing something out of character. But the media certainly takes more pictures and publish stories in her personal life than focus on her important work in global affairs. Regardless I believe that she is a positive role model for females to aspire to because in or out of the limelight she is doing something that is truly remarkable and is certainly making a difference to the countries she works in, bringing media attention (if sparse) to those countries and a constant awareness that there is inequality and injustice in the world.
2 comments:
I thought that Christines choice was interesting, mainly because i personally don't like Angelina Jolie. I knew about the work she does in the poorer countries but to me it doesn't increase my liking of her. I found the article interesting and it did make me stop and think about my views about her. Christine makes a good point when saying that the media hardly ever write about the work she does in the poorer countries, its always about her relationship with Brad Pitt, shopping or her children. I think Jolie lost a lot of followers when she 'Stole' (as the papers say) Brad Pitt from Jennifer Aniston. However this was a long time ago now and I think people should move on and maybe take an interest in charity work that Jolie is doing. I personally still don't like her though!
This is really interesting, I knew that she did some charity work and adopted children from under-privileged countries, but I did not know the extent of which her charity work went. I always thought she was slightly strange after a public moment where she made out with her brother, but she is a good human being. The fact that people would know more about her crazy moments then good ones, shows how the media of today for how it is.
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