Posts Tagged ‘UN’

Angelina Jolie Attends Trial of Congolese Warlord

May 19th, 2009

Angelina Jolie, an outspoken advocate for the rights of children across the world, attended the International Criminal Court trial of a Congolese warlord on Tuesday in the Netherlands. The warlord, Thomas Lubanga, is charged with using child soldiers, the AP reports.

A statement released by the court Tuesday says the case against Lubanga is a "landmark trial for children," and called attention to former child soldiers who traveled to The Hague to testify. This trial is the first international trial to focus on child soldiers.

 

Lubanga is the founder and former leader of the Union of Congolese Patriots political movement and its armed wing. He has pleaded innocent to charges of recruiting and using child soldiers in tribal conflicts in 2002-2003. The United Nations estimates up to 250,000 child soldiers still fight in more than a dozen countries.

 

Meanwhile, partner Brad Pitt did his part to better the world, as he and his brother Doug Pitt donated $600,000 to Drury University’s O’Reilly Family Event Center to pay for the center’s Leadership in Environmental Energy and Design Gold certification.

The center will be the first Gold LEED-certified arena in the country, according to a Drury news release. The Pitts made the donation in honor of their father, William A. Pitt.

Angelina Calls for Support for Iraq Refugees

February 28th, 2008 / Author: cwillett

Angelina Jolie has put pen to paper to write an op-ed piece in the Washington Post imploring the United States to help the two million displaced Iraq refugees.

"The request is familiar to American ears: ‘Bring them home,’" the star writes in the piece titled "Staying to Help in Iraq."

After visiting Iraq earlier this month, Angelina, a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, says that no progress has been made since her previous trip six months prior.

"However, during the last week, the United States, UNHCR and the Iraqi government have begun to work together in new and important ways," she writes.

She continues, "My visit left me even more deeply convinced that we not only have a moral obligation to help displaced Iraqi families, but also a serious, long-term, national security interest in ending this crisis."

The 32-year-old Oscar winner believes more money and troops need to be poured into this issue, stating, "we should step up our financial and material assistance."

"It seems to me that now is the moment to address the humanitarian side of this situation," Angelina says. "Without the right support, we could miss an opportunity to do some of the good we always stated we intended to do."

Click here to read the full article.

Nicole Kidman Can’t Be Stopped!

November 26th, 2007 / Author: OK! Staff

This holiday season is one busy one for Aussie beauty Nicole Kidman. Already a goodwill ambassador for UNIFEM, Nicole Kidman has joined the UN in its campaign to bring awareness to its newest campaign “Say NO to violence
against women.”

 

Not only that, but the actress spoke to Extra about her kids seeing her new movie, The Golden Compass. She said, “They
[her children] see my movies. Not all of them, but they know theyll be
able to see this movie. They loved Happy Feet last year and this is
their movie this year.”

Meanwhile, she clears up rumors there’s trouble between her and her country crooner hubby Keith Urban. “We’re here together and we are rarely separated,” she added. “We don’t want to spend our lives apart.“

For more with Nicole, check out tonight’s Extra!

 

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