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Time Magazine released their TIME 100, a list of global icons –100 men and women whose power, talent or moral example is transforming our world. Angelina Jolie was listed under "Heroes & Pioneers" and an article by Deputy Secretary-General of the U.N. Mark Malloch Brown was posted…
Recently, I took my 13-year-old daughter Maddy to a New York City event honoring Angelina Jolie. Every parent will relate to the fact that Maddy often finds the world of celebrity magazines more interesting than the world of her father—which in my case centers on the United Nations and its work fighting poverty. That night Angelina brought those two worlds together. Maddy was awed by how Angelina used her celebrity to lift all of us beyond the glamour of a Manhattan ballroom and make us confront the grim realities of poverty in the farthest corners of the globe.
That ability to transcend worlds has something to do with Angelina’s movie-star charisma—but it also says something about her diligence and grit. Angelina, 30, spends a great deal of time in the developing world, visiting refugee camps, speaking and listening to the men, women and children she is working to help. Those people, Angelina explained, "have seen so much, they’ve felt so much pain—lost more than anyone could bear, and yet they contain joy of life and appreciation for small things we often forget." It was a further indication of Angelina’s humanity that she stopped to listen and talk to Maddy as the city’s power brokers hovered impatiently, awaiting their brush with celebrity.
Angelina’s commitment as goodwill ambassador for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees has pushed her to speak out about root causes—economic failure and lack of justice. She urged me relentlessly to meet her last year during a stopover at an airport where our paths happened to be crossing, so that I could brief her ahead of her appearance at a big international meeting. It is typical of her. The subject was the Millennium Development Goals—a set of objectives agreed upon by the world’s governments. They range from eradicating poverty to reversing the spread of HIV/AIDS. As always, she wanted to be prepared—not just to share impressions of poverty but to be able to speak seriously to the issues. Angelina went on to make a film for MTV on a village in Kenya, where a pilot project is under way to fight poverty, hunger and disease.
That blending of the activist and the performer, not on the set but in the African bush, reflects her determination to stick with a subject, immerse herself in it, make it part of her life—and then bring her public with her. It is celebrity advocacy at its most effective, most intelligent and most sincere. For that, she has my enduring respect and gratitude—and Maddy’s. (More pictures in the gallery!)
(L) Brad grabs onto Maddox after arriving at Namibia’s Swakopmund
Airport this past Friday. (C) Looks like Brad’s got a new bracelet!
(R) Angelina holds her precious Zahara snuggled in her arms.
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Full of it–Angie works on behalf of the UN as their representative/ambassador. She pays her own way and does far more than many others that have the same status. Having spent significant time in Africa on some Earthwatch volunteer expeditions, I can tell you it is a wonderful country with some of the nicest, most genuinely caring people you’ll ever meet. That said, their children need help. AIDS has decimated the population. Drought has ruined crops. Corrupt leaders have raided treasuries. When Angelina does her visits and work, many Africans have no clue who she is. The only thing they know is that there is this kind American trying to help them. For some of the people who’s lives she touches, this is the first contact with an American and her kindness and genuine carrying leaves behind goodwill for the U.S. and a ray of hope for the people. Her popularity, her tireless work bring in money to help these same people. An African child can attend school for a year for $16. Often they don’t have even that much money. So why do you feel it necessary to rag on someone who is trying to help the kids. Someone who doing something positive. You say you like Bono — well he is doing much of the same things in differnt ways. So is Oprah. So is Nicole Kidman (another UN ambassador) and Prince Harry. These people are putting their hearts and their own time and money into trying to make the world a better place. They aren’t doing it for publicity unlike Lindsay Lohan and Jessica Simpson with their visits–what have they done in follow up, nothing! But AJ just keeps on plugging. Why don’t you tell us all what you are doing to make the world a better place? I’m sure we would all be curious to know since you seem to feel it necessary to criticize someone who is doing what she can wtih her time, talent, money and heart!
lol…they brought an iPod speaker…http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/04/30/time_magazine_lists_100_most_influential_people/…glad to know they still have time for music and technology=)…
# 99 | LookMaNoHands!!You believed Aniston’s fake PDA for years, didn’t you? FYI they are divorced now.
# 90 | A is full of it Hey AJ Full of It - I notice you still didn’t answer my question. If she sucks, why keep her on as an ambassador? If it’s strictly for shameless acts of self-promotion, then please explain how that does them any good when you claim she’s doing it strictly for HER self-promotion. If someone stinks at something and their participation is detrimental to your efforts, then you are not going to keep them on because in the end you are the one who looks bad. Having an ambassador who can’t speak to the issues at hand is simply stupid - even if she is gorgeous.So, I’m stupid…you’re going to have to spell it out for me.
Haters are sooo boring! Round and round the merry-go-round! They can’t see anything but the same old thing. They can’t say anything original or interesting.Maybe i’m being too harsh. Maybe they’re trying to change the world for the better by ridding it of BAMZ fans. Yes! Ridding the world of BAMZ fans will leave a super race of self-righteous, unforgiving, hypercritical, hypocritical, sub-humans to rule the world!Note: people can and do change. That’s what’s so wonderful about Angelina Jolie. If you cannot rise above your past, there is no point in continuing to waste your time living. And there is no point in posting here to show the world how unevolved you are.
lol…they brought an iPod speaker…http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/04/30/time_magazine_lists_100_most_influential_people/…glad to know they still have time for music and technology=)…
# 95 | noni Hey Noni, I’m still stupid here…could you elucidate on the "lots of negative press". A FEW articles about the SUPPOSED actions of paid bodyguards does not equate to "lots" in my book. So, take another shot at it. What else can you cite?
lol…they brought an iPod speaker…http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/04/30/time_magazine_lists_100_most_influential_people/…glad to know they still have time for music and technology=)…
#98 noni,what negative press are you talking about?I guess you mean the tacky weeky tabloid stories.#99 lookmanohands,Angies starstruck,I will be laughing the rest of the night about that asinine comment.Brad’s using her as a baby-making machine.What ever gets you JA fan’s through the night.Do they really love each other? Letting your hate for AJ cloud your judgement.
The Haters come here and sprew their hate but when challenged on something it like they disappeared, just to show you that they don’t know what they are talking about
# 98 | noni |"in the past month there has been lots of negative press about Jolie."What "negative press" are you talking about? The UN is doing damage control for GOSSIP that was written in the Star, US Weekly, etc?! That is plain silly.# 99 | LookMaNoHands!!I can see why you feel sorry for the kids; they look terribly neglected and unloved.
# 99 | LookMaNoHands!! Yes, I believe they love each other very much, and I wish them and their family all the continued happiness in the world.jpf
Passing Through…Did the photos I linked convince you?jpf
# 92 | Alexanderina Hey Alexanderina, I’ve got some time to kill until Dateline comes on, so I’m just yanking their chains until then. The haters crack me up. It amuses me to picture them AJ haters but probably Britney, Jessica and Lindsey fans.
I love this family and I see Marianne Pearl and her son is a friend of the family.To the hater on this forum…I think you need to help your idol an buy tickets to her movies…she’s gonna need it. Because the more people see Brad and Angie together the move the realization that this couple is for real and are building a life together….Aniston and Vince forever…hahaha
thaks for the pics Jared!
You know, Iwas going to waste time responding to the Patients who have wandered out of Dr. Feelgood’s care, but, quite frankly, I’d rather look at the pictures again, and my hands hurt from weeding the garden. Also, I doubt my words would enter their brains, as they don’t believe people can grow and change, why waste my efforts on educating them. Take my advice and ignore them……maybe then they’ll go away.How many didn’t have just a little "awww" moment at the picture of Brad’s hand on Angelina. AWWWWWWWW
Bad press from STAR magazine. lmao
# 97 | Original jpf Okay…thanks for clearing that up for me!
Haters are pathetic. I just went to peak at the Tom Cruise thread. Which was a sacrifice–I can’t stand him! But I would never waste my time trashing him. So, I come to threads of people I like. However, there are some people who see hating as a productive use of their time. I think they really want to turn this site into a viper’s nest.
Ok, time fo Datelinesee ya!jpf
# 117 | Passing Through - The thing that amazed me with the Haters are they came on this Thread and sprew all these hate for AJ but when challenge on something, they don’t have an answer. I know I told you and Guli not to respond but am glad that you guys did, you put them in their places yipeee. I have 3 hours to go for Dateline and I can’t wait
# 125 | Alexanderina It;s on here (I’m in EST, so you must be PST). Anyway, her story doesn’t lead out, and I have a feeling it’s going to be in the second half of the show. jpf
# 125 | Alexanderina It;s on here (I’m in EST, so you must be PST). Anyway, her story doesn’t lead out, and I have a feeling it’s going to be in the second half of the show. jpf
I support BAMZ +1. I wish them all the best in life and I hope that they remain strong against those people who can’t stand others who are happier than them. They will always find something wrong with them no matter what. They are the ones who are in denial. Even if they say BAMZ +1 fans are crazy, I don’t care. At least we know how to love and don’t let envy and jealousy consume us. Hi to my kababayan!
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