Ford Makes a Difference

Harrison Ford has been a supporter of Conservation International since 1991 (well before his most recent Indiana Jones film), a firm that provides funding for scientists in over 30 countries to help fight ecological issues plaguing the area. Since its start, Conservation International has helped donate over $100 million to those scientists that deal with tropical wilderness and marine areas. Ford has helped lead the charge by donating tons of money, time and land to these causes. Also, despite the fact he has never won an Oscar, he has received a multitude of awards (some even coming from our own U.S. House of Representatives) for his ecological efforts!

 

I feel like this type of involvement in international communications and issues is particularly useful. Raising support so that local scientists can perform the work themselves is great — its when celebrities don’t help solve the issue with the locals but rather impede or simply delay its negative effects that we have a problem. Celebrity support displayed in the media should always be about self efficacy for the nation or community they are helping.  Ford’s interest abroad and the awareness he has helped bring to the topic truly make the man who has done so much internationally in his acting career (Indiana Jones, again haha) a special celebrity.

Related Articles

• Harrison Ford calls on US to ratify treaty on conservation (guardian.co.uk)
• Video: Harrison Ford Talks Conservation, Biodiversity (shoppingblog.com)
• You: To the rescue: nature advocate Harrison Ford (search.japantimes.co.jp)
• Demand convention ratification, Harrison Ford urges U.S. voters (search.japantimes.co.jp)
• Harrison Ford Hopeful For Strong Leadership In Conserving Biodiversity (ecorazzi.com)
• To the rescue: nature advocate Harrison Ford (search.japantimes.co.jp)
• E. O. Wilson, Harrison Ford Ask You to Give a Damn About Biodiversity (wired.com)

Space Jacket Helps End Hunger Through Oxfam

The silver space jacket some may recognize from the 1984 film 2010: The Year We Make Contact was donated by its owner to Oxfam.

The Global Oxfam Ambassador and award winning actress Helen Mirren said that funds raised from the sale of what became an iconic article of clothing will go directly towards helping the 10 million hungered people throughout the West African countries, including Niger, Chad and Mali.

Oxfam has headquarters based in Boston as well as a Policy & Campaigns office in Washington, DC, and seven regional offices around the world. They work in more than 90 countries worldwide.

The Brussels, Belgium office in particular works to increase Oxfam’s influence on European Union policies. They work to try to coordinate Oxfam’s work with European Institutions and in European capitals. The staff ensures that EU officials, European politicians, developing country embassies, and journalists are up-to-date on the latest Oxfam analysis and policy proposals.

Oxfam uses its international offices to campaign and correspond with countries worldwide.

Related Articles

• Oxfam America Unveils Key Leadership Changes (devex.com)
• Oxfam Takes to the Web to Raise Awareness About Hunger (mashable.com)
• You: Oxfam urges G20 leaders on poor nation aid (france24.com)
• Oxfam works in Israel to ‘alter the balance’ (thejc.com)
• Louis Belanger: Pakistan: More funds and effort needed to stem spiraling crisis, says Oxfam (huffingtonpost.com)
• Oxfam and Nokia Partner for Mobile Donations App (fastcompany.com)
• New method yields more rice with less water: Oxfam (reuters.com)
• Interview: Oxfam’s Megan Whitacre on Supporting the Global Food Security Act (blogcritics.org)

Everybody Hurts

 

Simon Cowell’s response to Haiti’s January Earthquake crisis was very similar to Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie‘s We Are The World 25 For Haiti musical performance. With a conglomeration of hit musical sensations, Cowell released the song “Everybody Hurts” in order to raise money and awareness for Haiti in this time of need.

We Are The World 25 had many more contributing artists than Cowell’s song, so what made him think his musical contribution would stand out?

The biggest difference was that graphic images were included in “Everybody Hurts.” Cowell’s call to action included video footage of the struggles that the Haitian people are undergoing. Men, Women, Children, Elderly…everyone was captured in their weakest moment, begging for help – some with their eyes and others with their pleas. The music video goes as far as showing a woman trapped under tons of rubble. Rescuers carve out enough stone to see her face.

Celebrities take a back seat to the clips of Haiti in this performance. Some musicians are shown in tiny clips scattered throughout the piece, and others are just a voice in the background.

This video certainly pulled at my heart-strings. I cried the first time I watched it – I ached to hold those children and tell them that things would be alright, but I couldn’t because things are not alright. The earthquake was just the first blow. Now, Haiti is trapped within the cholera outbreak. These poor people cannot catch a break.

I admire Cowell’s creativity and charity in helping Haiti through the aftermath of the January earthquake. I am curious, however, as to the effectiveness of his music video. I wonder who raised more money for the cause: Jones and Richie with their abundance of celebrities or Cowell with his graphic clips of Haitian suffering? I know that it really isn’t that important who raised the most money as long as everyone does their part to help these people, but I am interested to see what truly inspires people to help. Do we help because famous people tell us to and we want to be cool just like them? Or do we help because we are human beings and we don’t want to see others suffer when there is something we can do about it?

Related Articles

• Stars Record Two Songs to Raise Money for Haiti (bettyconfidential.com)
• Haiti cholera ‘like Asian type’ (bbc.co.uk)
• Haiti braces as Hurricane Tomas roars over Caribbean (reuters.com)
• Haiti’s year of woe: quake, cholera, now Tropical Storm Tomas (chron.com)
• Cholera reported in Haiti capital (bbc.co.uk)
• Helping Haiti – US WNT bring gifts and goods to Haitian National Team (theoriginalwinger.com)
• Coca-Cola Joins with “We Are the World 25 for Haiti” to Amplify the Message Behind the Music (eon.businesswire.com)
• Emilio Estefan, Quincy Jones and Univision Gather Top Latin Music Artists for Historic Recording of the Spanish-Language Version Of “We Are the World 25 For Haiti” (“Somos El Mundo”) (eon.businesswire.com)

Late Again?

Earlier this month, George Clooney and John Prendergast traveled to Southern Sudan for their charity Not On Our Watch. As the duo attempts to stop what could be the next Darfur, they look to their fellow Americans for help.

Tensions continue to rise between Northern and Southern Sudan as the Jan. 9, 2011 vote for Southern Sudan’s independence approaches. However, Clooney and Predergast preach that if we reach out to Obama through letters and email showing support for international pressure and robust diplomacy, we have the opportunity to stop this war before it starts and ultimately save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

“The international community was late to Darfur. Late to the Congo. Late to Rwanda. Late to Bosnia. Tell our President that the people of South Sudan can’t afford for us to be late again.”

Related Articles

• STAR POWER: Clooney talks Sudan, crowd swoons (politico.com)
• George Clooney Travels To Southern Sudan With NBC’s Ann Curry To Address Future War Concerns (omg.yahoo.com)
• Why George Clooney is Using His ‘Celebrity Credit Card’ for Sudan (humanrights.change.org)
• Crisis looms in Sudan (timesunion.com)
• George Clooney Meeting With Obama to Put Focus on Sudan Partition Vote (politicsdaily.com)
• George Clooney In Southern Sudan Over War Worries (huffingtonpost.com)
• George Clooney Rallies To Prevent Impending Genocide In Sudan: ‘This Is Man-Made – It Can Be Stopped’ (omg.yahoo.com)

Hunger in Haiti

Christina Aguilera and Muhammad Ali ask for our help in the PSA for Haiti relief through the World Food Programme.  Although Ali doesn’t say anything, his presence and support for this cause says a lot. You can donate online at www.fromhungertohope.com.  According to the YouTube video posting, $5 can save 20 hungry children in Haiti.

Related Articles

• Muhammad Ali and Christina Aguilera Raise Funds for United Nations World Food Programme Relief Efforts in Haiti by Appearing in Global PSA (eon.businesswire.com)
• Christina Aguilera: Support World Hunger Relief! (justjared.buzznet.com)
• YUM! Brands, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC Launch Annual World Hunger Relief Effort with Campaign Spokesperson and New World Food Programme Ambassador, Christina Aguielera (eon.businesswire.com)
• Help Haiti Bracelets (dothegreenthing.com)

Mesmerizing Musical Call for Help

 

This video was released February 1, 2010 as a giant effort by over 80 top musical artists to help Haiti after their dreadful earthquake. Every time I watch it I get chills. I have never seen so many celebrities work together on a single project. I remember when I first saw this video. I actually donated to this cause because I had a strong urge to contribute to a greater good that so many celebrities were passionate about. I would love to hear how this video makes you feel. Feel free to comment.

Tagged above are only the main soloists of this piece. Over sixty more very well known artists took part in the chorus of this masterpiece.

Related Articles

• Help Haiti Bracelets (dothegreenthing.com)
• UNFPA Adapts Hygiene Kits to Prevent Cholera among Pregnant Women in Haiti (prweb.com)
• Clean the World Delivers More than 100,000 Bars of Soap to Haiti (prweb.com)
• Construction Engineers and Concrete Masons can save MILLIONS of lives (Haiti earthquake story) (speedofcreativity.org)
• Jane Regan: Haiti’s 1.3 million displaced people – In their own words (huffingtonpost.com)
• Choose Haiti Recycles Newspapers, Makes $5 Bracelets for America (fastcompany.com)
• Exclusive: Wyclef Teams Up With Good Government Group For $750,000 Election Campaign (huffingtonpost.com)
• Wyclef Jean to Run for President of Haiti (time.com)
• Haiti may be primed for another quake (reuters.com)