Celebrities Making a Difference in the World With Humanitarian Efforts, Donations

From George Clooney's visit to the Sudan, Oprah's work with children in Africa, and Angelina Jolie's support of Refugees through UNHCR, celebrities across the country are getting involved in humanitarian efforts. It has become a new trend to support developing countries in conquering poverty and the suppression of human rights. Let's take a look at who's doing what and how you can help.

For Angelina Jolie, it all started when she took a trip to Sierra Leone and Tanzania in 2001 to find out about the plight of Refugees. She took notes of her experiences there and officially became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR (the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees). Since that initial trip to Africa, Jolie has also spent time in Kosovo, Thailand, Russia, Jordan, and more recently to the Sudan. Jolie has said that she believes that many Americans just don't know what is going on and that the US does not contribute as much as other countries around the world do even though we have more resources. Recently, Jolie's journals written during her humanitarian trips were compiled in the book Notes from My Travels: Visits with Refugees in Africa, Cambodia, Pakistan and Ecuador which is now available through Simon and Schuster.

To learn more about Angelina Jolie's work with refugees and to read her more recent journal entries (written after those included in her book), you can go to www.unhcr.org and click on the "Goodwill Ambassador" link.
If Angelina Jolie's work inspires you, you can make donations to UNHCR or become one of their Interns. One-time donations as well as monthly gifts are available through the website.