Angelina Jolie: A Humanitarian Advocate (Essay Sample)

Angelina Jolie: A Humanitarian Advocate Student’s Name Institutional Affiliation Angelina Jolie: A Humanitarian Advocate Different suggestions on how to classify the role of celebrity personas in international relations have evolved ever since specialists acknowledged their presence in the political realm. Over the past several decades, many well-known individuals in the West have taken up causes such as combating poverty, learning more about these issues, and raising public awareness about them. As a result of these positive effects, celebrity diplomacy is getting increasing attention from both specialists and the public. Numerous causes exist for the rise of celebrity diplomacy. To international leaders, journalists, and citizens alike, the ubiquity of regions and even nations afflicted by poverty, starvation, violent conflicts, and other global problems is clear and unremarkable. In addition, the deafening silence and indifference of the political elite necessitated the necessity for an additional, alternative approach to addressing global and moral challenges. Angelina Jolie is a prominent celebrity diplomat. As more celebrities have entered the political arena during the past decade, the formality, intensity, and overall relevance of the interactions between celebrities and political people have increased. Angeline, our contemporary Aphrodite, was concerned about global growth before the filming of Lara Croft: Tomb Raider in Cambodia in 2000. The Greek goddess of love, beauty, and virility is Aphrodite. She then assumed the position of UNHCR ambassador, representing the agency in global hotspots (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2009). In her effort to aid refugees, raise public awareness of their suffering, and fight for increased international aid, she has set very high standards for herself. Since she was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador in 2001, she has made over 40 travels to some of the world's most inaccessible regions to raise public awareness of the suffering of refugees and the need to protect them (Ghanem, 2018). Refugee centers in Kosovo, Kenya, and Lebanon, among other others, were visited. In addition to Sierra Leone, the following places were visited: Tanzania, Cambodia, Haiti, Namibia, Congo, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Pakistan, Chad, Syria, Iraq, Kabul, and Sri Lanka. When she first began conducting humanitarian work, many people were likely wondering about how much equipment she would bring to risky locations, whether she would require VIP treatment or stay in upscale hotels, etc. She paid for her airfare and accommodation on these missions, just like any other UNHCR staff member. This unveils a never-before-seen aspect of her and highlights the exceptional quality and magnificence she possesses. Consequently, the reaction to Angelina Jolie's activities and the mission she is on becomes a far higher moral basis if she exhibits these characteristics. Angelina Jolie was given the position of Special Envoy by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres in 2012 in appreciation of her longtime dedication to the UNHCR and tireless advocacy on behalf of refugees. Angelina Jolie focuses on the worst catastrophes that drive significant numbers of people to flee their homes and seek refuge abroad in her expanded and new role. As an advocate for the UNHCR and Guterres in diplomatic circles, she began discussing these issues with those who wield the most influence over the world's emigration difficulties. Through her activities, she contributes to the search for solutions for individuals who have been forced to escape their homes due to war. As a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, Jolie intends to advocate for the rights of refugees and migrants and encourage the world's political elite to take a more forceful stance on the issue. Since 2001, she has contributed over $5 million to these causes, funding the development of schools in Kenya and Afghanistan and enhancing the standard of living for refugees (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2009). In addition, she continues to travel to various regions of the world to advocate for people's rights and offer aid to areas devastated by natural disasters, communities with a disproportionate number of children, and sites in need of environmental protection. The "Jolie-Pitt Foundation" was established by her in 2003 to assist Cambodia in the areas of healthcare, professional training, agriculture, education, infrastructure, and rural planning. In addition to this, she built a resource center for refugee children around the country, where they are able to receive free legal advice if they are submitting an asylum application (BORGEN Magazine, 2013). In conjunction with Microsoft, she founded Kids in Need of Defense to provide free legal representation to unaccompanied youngsters in the United States of America. In its first two years, the charity donated half a million dollars to benefit refugees and children in underdeveloped nations, in addition to covering a variety of start-up expenses. For a long time, Jolie worked with the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and others to update and strengthen protections for victims of domestic violence. The Violence Against Women Act was enacted in 1994 and is considered a landmark piece of legislation since it established funding programs for states to aid victims of domestic violence by providing resources, housing, and training to improve the legal response to domestic violence. It was renewed three more times after its initial passage, with strengthened protections for victims each time, until it ultimately died in 2018. The House of Representatives fulfilled Vice President Joe Biden's campaign commitment to sign the reauthorized bill into law within the first 100 days of his administration. After nearly a decade since the last reauthorization, Biden signed the law on Tuesday, and advocates such as Jolie celebrated its approval at a ceremony on Wednesday (Fitzpatrick & Snow, 2022). In the years following the law's expiration, Jolie fought for its renewal and enhancement, particularly in relation to family courts; she even appeared with Senators last month to promote the bill's passage. Jolie is familiar with the family court system due to her last divorce and child custody dispute with her ex-husband Brad Pitt. Jolie continued to advocate for change at the Council on Foreign Relations, where she had previously worked, contributing to several papers, and taking the initiative to enhance efforts to avert genocide and other mass disasters. In 2010, after making several trips to Haiti, she established the Jolie Legal Fellows Program to help improve the country's judicial system. To aid the Haitian government in its endeavor to ensure the safety of children, the program places young lawyers in existing institutions. At the same time, the Jolie-Pitt foundation has funded youth clinics in Cambodia and Ethiopia that use innovative methods to treat young people who are HIV positive or who have tuberculosis. There is no way to discredit Angelina Jolie's financial support. It has been questioned whether financial considerations play a role in international politics. While it may be lifesaving in an emergency, it is not a long-term solution to global problems. It aids in making minor adjustments by employing bold and involved celebrities. Compassion and other virtues are crucial. Money, we could say, is just another product of knowledge, which may help to explain why its perceived value appears to be decreasing in the modern world. In today's world, doing humanitarian work is both a moral necessity and an indicator of the value of international cooperation. Numerous international organizations adopt this tactic to challenge existing discourses of power in ways that encourage moral consciousness, a feature that is generally absent in politics. Angelina Jolie's belief in and dedication to moral and ethical standards distinguishes her from other politicians and provides her with greater worldwide respect. Even though politicians often avoid them, Angelina Jolie explores controversial subjects in her films. Angelina Jolie's film "In the Land of Blood and Honey" dealt with events in the Balkans, systematic rape, concentration camps, and the possibility of a relationship between the victim and the officer. Her goal was to draw attention to the problem of violence against women worldwide, not just in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to the inadequacy of the international response to this problem (Saiesha et al., 2022). In addition, it reflects the barbaric and brutal lifestyle of the time. As a result of her dedication to these causes and her contributions to the film industry, she was made an honorary citizen of Sarajevo in 2012 and received the Heart of Sarajevo, a unique medal at the 2011 Sarajevo Film Festival. Recent years have seen widespread recognition for her directorial effort, "Unbroken," which tells the story of Olympic medalist Louis Zamperini. During the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Zamperini ran 5000 meters. During World War II, he served as a middle-distance runner in the Pacific Theater and was eventually taken prisoner by the Japanese. In this tale, the protagonist goes from Olympic stardom to a POW camp. The film details the athlete's suffering and the uphill battle he faced daily in Japanese concentration camps. Japanese officials have complained about the film, citing its exaggerations as grounds for their disapproval. Angelina Jolie challenges the stereotype that stars like her (because of their fame, riches, and "perfection") cannot be taken seriously. Whether she is in Afghanistan, Iraq, the United States, or Bosnia and Herzegovina, she attracts international attention. She has a great deal of sway over the development of politics and the establishment of programs for a wide range of global challenges because of her prominence and celebrity status. A sighting of Afgh...