 | | Haifaa Wehbe |
| Heal the World
| | Whether the main goal is to raise money or awareness for charitable causes, there are many stars who are eager to donate their time. Amira Abo Hashish finds out who they are. | |
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| Last July, the Live 8 concerts, staged around the world and supported by a huge array of stars (see sidebar), highlighted the power that high-profile individuals have to raise awareness about global problems. But how many celebrities worldwide actually use their positions to help those who are less fortunate? |
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| While Live 8 aimed at raising awareness rather than money, a number of singers are also keen to raise funds for selected charities. Here are a few examples. |
| Sir Elton John donated in excess of $42.94 million to charitable causes last year, making him the most generous donor in music. |
| George Michael announced recently that he is not planning to put out any more albums following Patience. Instead, he plans to release his songs online and give fans the option of donating money for charity. |
| Kazem El Saher has sung with Lenny Kravitz and Sarah Brightman to promote peace and established a charity fund aimed at helping families that have been affected by the Iraq war. |
| Lebanese singer Magda El-Roumi headlined a charity concert in Cairo earlier in the year organized by Suzanne Mubarak, who is the honorary president of the Rotary Club. Wael Kfoury recently visited Cairo to perform at a sold-out charity concert, also sponsored by the Rotary Club. During the centenary celebrations, Amr Diab and Haifa Wehbe gave a concert and donated their revenues to eradicating illiteracy. |
| Nancy Agram believes in doing her bit for charity as well. Recently, she performed on Mother's Day to support a charity for the aged. |
| Many Hollywood stars are displaying their charitable stripes, and such efforts are also not uncommon among stars in the Middle East. |
| Tom Cruise and the rest of the entertainment industry banded together to raise over $150 million for the victims of the 9/11 tragedy in an all-star telethon. |
| Three years ago, Angelina Jolie adopted Maddox, a Cambodian boy, and more recently Zahara, thought to be an AIDS orphan. It is believed that the actress first met Zahara two months ago, when visiting Ethiopia as an ambassador for UNICEF, and was made to pay around $21,000 in fees before taking the girl out of the country. In her online journals, Jolie also recalls her experiences as a UN Goodwill Ambassador. From Sudan she comments, "Children gather as we talk. If I look at them too long I'll start crying. They have witnessed so much. They have nothing yet they sit quietly around their elders and if you catch their eyes, they smile. Still generous of spirit." |
| In 2002, Richard Gere set up his own public charity, Healing the Divide, aimed at helping communities in Asia, the Middle East, and America tackle social and cultural challenges, such as improving education, preventing the spread of AIDS and increasing awareness around existing Palestinian-Israeli peace initiatives. Gere's recent visit to Cairo confirmed his dedication to the cause. |
| As for actors in the Middle East, Omar El-Sharif is the patron for The One To One Children's Fund and has his own annual charity backgammon tournament named after him. The charity's main objective is to support social and educational projects all over the world, relieving suffering, hardship and neglect wherever they arise and to help children overcome the trauma of war, prejudice and natural disaster." |
| Actor Adel Imam, a UN Goodwill Ambassador, has been involved in several refugee awareness campaigns. At the UNHCR Cairo's gala dinner in 2004, Imam and a host of celebrities pledged their support for World Refugee Day and the 50th anniversary of the UNHCR's presence in Egypt. Mohamed Mounir performed at the event. |
| It is clear that those in the public eye have the potential to at least raise awareness for charitable causes. It is not possible to instantly resolve problems across the globe, but it is important that positive steps are being taken. |
| Making Poverty History at Hyde Park. Chitra Kalyani reports from London. |
| As the stage repeatedly broadcasted messages to drop third-world debt and practice free trade, the audience was treated to many tunes, including REM's "Everybody Hurts." Travis' rendition of "Stayin' Alive," U2's "Beautiful Day" and Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here." At the heart of Live 8's organization were Bob Geldof, U2's Bono and Richard Curtis, who 20 years ago performed in the precursor Live Aid to raise money for Ethiopia. |
| Certainly, ordering ice-cream while the video footage showed Angolans making wood-soup for dinner was a bit confusing. And given the bundles of trash and leftovers, it would have been equally difficult to convince an environmentalist that the event aimed to "make the world better." But the aim of Live 8 was not neglected: Ms. Dynamite spoke eloquently about the West's debt to an exploited Africa. Will Smith reminded the audience that every three seconds an African child dies due to poverty. The stars participated at their own expense, for no one was paid room service to attend. Kofi Annan's unexpected appearance brought further significance to the event. |
| While aware that a one-day effort can't eradicate poverty, people were still moved by Annie Lennox's "Why?" and Nelson Mandela's proclamation of this generation's need to bring about change. Even in the midst of self-conscious wryness and reticence, people knew the purpose that had gathered them there. |
| Litter and cynicism aside, Live 8 is an inspiring idea going an infectiously long way. |
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 | | Angeline Jolie |
 | | Nancy Agram |
 | AP | |
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