Angelina Jolie
Angelina Jolie Voight was born in Los Angeles, California to actors Jon Voight and Marcheline Bertrand on the 4th June 1975. She has had an illustrious career as an actress and film producer, receiving an Academy Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards and three Golden Globe Awards whilst also claiming the crown of highest paid actress by Forbes in 2009, 2011, 2013. Her widespread fame came from the hugely successful portrayal of the video game heroine Lara Croft of which two films were made: Tomb Raider and The Cradle of Life. She is otherwise known for a number of films including, Mr & Mrs Smith, Wanted, Salt, Changeling and Maleficent. Jolie is married to actor Brad Pitt, through which she has had 6 kids, 3 being adopted.
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Engagement in Cultural Diplomacy
Humanitarian Causes
After witnessing first hand the humanitarian crisis affecting refugees whilst filming Tomb Raider in Cambodia, she got involved with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR) through which she got involved in field missions in over 30 countries, including: Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Pakistan and Thailand to name a few. After over a decade of service as an UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, Jolie was promoted to the rank of Special Envoy to High Commissioner Antonio Guterres, the first to take on such a position within the organization. Jolie regularly attends World Refugee Day in Washington D.C, aiming to raise awareness of the situation of refugees throughout the world. Furthermore, she co-chairs the Education Partnership for Children in Conflict, an organization that helps fund education programs for children affected in conflict.
Philanthropic Donations
Following her field mission with the UNHCR she donated $1 million dollars to the UNHCR emergency appeal, the largest private donation the organization has received. The Jolie-Pitt foundation, founded with husband Brad Pitt, donated $1 million dollars to Doctors Without Borders to help with aid in conflict and epidemic stricken countries.
Notable Actions
In an attempt to reconnect her adopted son to his heritage, Jolie purchased a 39 hectares home in Battambang which was later expanded to 60,000 hectares to creates a wildlife reserve for the surrounding animals that have been devastated by poaching. In recognition of her conservation efforts, King Norodom Sihamoni awarded her Cambodian citizenship in 2005. The project, however, was not finished. Jolie expanded the scope of the project once again, creating Asia’s first Millennium Village, in accordance with the UN millennium development goals.
Further Information
Angelina Jolie has received a number of awards for her Humanitarian Work, including: The Humanitarian Award from the Church World Service’s Immigration and Refugee program, She was the first recipient of the Citizen of the World Award in 2003, The Global Humanitarian Award in 2005 by UNA-USA, The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, among others. Acceptance, Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award World Economic Forum Summit Fringe
