By Steve Purcell on
Angelina Jolie recently told an interviewer from Esquire magazine of her wish to be remembered more for her charity than her acting, and the first half of June is already bringing the fulfilment of that wish closer.
Describing the satisfaction her humanitarian path has brought her, she said, “I entered this business before I had focus and purpose in my life. I was very unhappy, very unhealthy, and when I sat down for an interview, I didn’t know why. I felt like I didn’t have anything to share.”
Jolie told Esquire, “I recently had a column published in a newspaper and at the end it didn’t say I was an actress. It said that I was a UN Goodwill Ambassador – that’s all. And I was really proud.”
Alongside that much-vaunted UNHCR ambassadorship, the actress was this month voted into the Council on Foreign Relations, a think tank which boasts members such as Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, Diane Sawyer, Condoleezza Rice and Tom Brokaw.
“Angelina Jolie is accomplished in her field and has demonstrated serious interest in issues such as Darfur, international education and refugees,” said Lisa Shields, vice president of communications at CFR. “As such, her profile fits very well with other young professionals we’ve selected as the next generation of foreign policy leaders.”
Taking a further opportunity to do good, Jolie is donating the Bochic jewellery she wore to the Golden Globe Awards to a charity auction from which all proceeds will go to UNHCR programs in Chad for refugees from the Darfur region. The auction will run from June 19th to July 2nd at charityfolks.com.
And most recently, Jolie and partner Brad Pitt arranged Wednesday’s New York première of their new movie as a charity benefit event. “A Mighty Heart” recounts the story of murdered journalist Daniel Pearl, and its opening benefited the French charity Reporters Without Borders, which – appropriately – works to uphold the human rights of reporters.
Copyright © 2007 Look to the Stars
