Truly a good example of using one's fame for a good cause. Thinking beyond one's own selfish mind is fundamental in our spiritual growth. I salute the Leonardo DiCaprio in his exemplary actions, and joining the list of celebrities who now are championing many different causes for humanity and the animal kingdom!
Here is an example of such wonderful work:
Celebrities Who Are Active in Disaster Relief and Humanitarian WorkHayden Panettiere
She may be young but she sure knows how to show her love for the environment. She even made a bold move by handing a letter of protest against whale hunting to the ambassadors of Norway and Japan. Due to this, she was issued an arrest warrant in Japan for her interference. The documentary film The Cove notably captured the confrontation scene she had between Japanese fishermen and five surfers from the U.S. and Australia. Other than fighting for animal rights, Panettiere is an ambassador for the Candie’s Foundation whose mission is to stop teen pregnancy.
Recently, together with fellow young actresses Vanessa Hudgens and Miranda Cosgrove, Panettiere kicked off a fundraising and awareness project with Neutrogena for disaster relief, environment and education.
Selena Gomez
As young as she is, she’s already actively involved in different campaigns. She was one among those who donated to the Celebrity Charity Sandy Relief Auction. Among her humanitarian involvement is Raise Hope for Congo which raises awareness against violence on Congolese women. Selena is the ambassador for DoSomething.org, and spokesperson both for the Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF and Borden Milk.
Michael J. Fox
This Back To The Future star kept his struggle with Parkinson’s disease a secret for seven years. He took a big leap when he came out in the open to bravely inform the whole world that he has the crippling disease. He then founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation in 2000 which is committed to raise money and awareness to find a cure for the disease. Fox, is also one of the celebrities who are heavily involved in disaster relief.
Angelina & Brad
Their efforts for environmental and humanitarian causes are known world-wide. Hollywood’s power couple have contributed millions to charities and humanitarian efforts. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt established the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation, which has donated millions globally. Jolie, herself, is a UN Goodwill Ambassador and has been on field missions in different parts of the world personally meeting with refugees. Pitt, on the other hand, works with Global Green U.S.A.
George Clooney
Oscar-winning actor George Clooney. His humanitarian efforts in Darfur, Sudan caught the world’s attention. Along with his producer and co-stars in the movie Ocean’s 11 namely Jerry Weintraub, Brad Pitt, Don Cheadle and Matt Damon, he founded the organization Not On Our Watch. In 2012, he travelled to the Sudanese Nuba Mountains and documented his trip and named it A Journey to Darfur. The documentary was released on DVD on 2008 and the proceeds were donated to the International Rescue Committee.
After the destructive Haiti earthquake, together with MTV, George Clooney hosted a two-hour telethon to raise donations for the affected Haitians.
Sir Elton John
He is known for his hard work in raising funds to support AIDS awareness and find a cure for the disease which claimed the lives of his dear friends like Freddy Mercury and Ryan White, to name a few. In 1992, he established the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
He gets himself involved in fundraising projects and the contributions collected from these are donated to different global charities as a support to different relief programs.
Bono
Since 1999, he has tirelessly campaigned for the third-world debt, and raised global awareness on the sad plight of Africa as well as the AIDS pandemic. Due to his personal and generous involvement in various humanitarian and social issues, he is known to be the world’s most philanthropic musician. Bono also is the music industry’s most steadfast artist to work for different causes, most especially those involving disaster relief programs.
Al Gore
Since 1976 and even after his active days as a politician, Al Gore continues to be involved with the environment. His documentary film An Inconvenient Truth tells about the threat of global warming and the solutions to the problem, which stirred global awareness. He made trips in many countries to share and educate people about the detrimental changes in the environment. Gore founded other organizations like the We Campaign, the Generation Investment Management and Alliance for Climate Protection.
Oprah Winfrey
Her organization called Oprah’s Angel Network supports many global charitable projects and nonprofit organizations. It also helped raise funds for the victims of Hurricane Katrina and raised awareness on the issues and problems in Africa. Other organizations which she founded include the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa, Oprah Winfrey Foundation, and the Oprah Winfrey Operating Foundation. The goal is to raise awareness and support many causes concerning different issues like the environment, AIDS and HIV, and those that affect women and children all over the world. Due to her humanitarian efforts, she received an honorary Oscar in 2011.
Mia Farrow
Actress Mia Farrow's most famous film roles date from the 1960s to the mid-1980s, so she's actually better known to many today as a humanitarian. She serves as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and has been especially active in drawing attention to the genocide in Darfur. She's also worked to assist victims in the Central African Republic, Chad and Sudan.
Ben Affleck
In 2010 Ben Affleck launched the Eastern Congo Initiative to help people affected by war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which the actor referred to as “one of the worst humanitarian tragedies in the world.” He has visited the country several times and in 2008 produced the short film Gimme Shelter which captures the suffering of Congalese people displaced by the war. Affleck intended the film to raise worldwide awareness about the conflict and raise funds for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher
Actress Demi Moore is an advocate for victims of human trafficking, the fastest-growing and second-largest criminal enterprise in the world. In 2010, along with ex-husband Ashton Kutcher, Moore launched the Demi and Ashton Foundation (DNA) to help bring an end to child sex slavery and human trafficking. Also in 2010, Moore partnered with CNN Freedom Project for a documentary, Nepal’s Stolen Children, on human trafficking in Nepal.
Charlize Theron
South African-born actress Charlize Theron has starred in such hard-hitting movies as Monster and North Country, and in 2008 was appointed messenger of peace for the United Nations, with a special focus on ending violence against women. In 2007 she founded the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project, designed to reduce the spread of AIDS among African youth. In March 2012, Theron was honored for her advocacy work earning the Ally Equality Award at the Human Rights Campaign gala. She has also long campaigned for equal rights for gays and insists she will not marry herself until marriage between same-sex couples is made legal in every state.
Sean Penn
Outspoken actor and director Sean Penn is well known for his political and social activism, philanthropy, and for stirring controversy. Shortly after the Haiti earthquake in 2010, Penn established the J/P Haitian Relief organization, and has been helping relief efforts there ever since. At a Cannes Film Festival event in May 2012 he made an impassioned (and expletive-filled) speech expressing his anger over the fact that people have already forgotten about the situation in Haiti. He earned the 2012 Peace Summit Award for his ongoing humanitarian work in Haiti at the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, accepting the award from former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, who was joined onstage by his Holiness the Dalai Lama.
