Angelina Jolie meets with the Archbishop of Canterbury to discuss sexual violence and the refugee crisis as she her globe-trotting humanitarian efforts continue
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- Published on Friday, 17 March 2017 12:29
- Written by Daily mail
As Angelina Jolie's humanitarian efforts continue, the actress and UNHCR special envoy met with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, on Thursday.The 41-year-old screen star sat down with the leading church of England figure in London to discuss sexual violence in conflict, the refugee crisis, South Sudan.After the meeting, the archbishop took tweeted snapshots of his time with the star, alongside the caption: 'Privilege to welcome UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie. Discussed refugee crisis, South Sudan and prevention of sexual violence in conflict.'In the the trio of snpashots, the mother-of-six is seen wearing a simple grey sweater with an ivory pleated skirt as she spoke with the archbishop at Lambeth Palace.Angelina, who was appointed to her United Nations post in 2012, previously worked with the archbishop in 2015 at at the opening of the Centre for Peace and Security at the London School of Economics, where she spoke out against sexual violence.'The role of the U.N. Secretary General’s Special Envoy on Refugees, Angelina Jolie Pitt, is one that has been extraordinary,' the archbishop said of her at the time.'What she said just now sums up so beautifully the issues we are facing, and puts it so precisely in terms of the challenge that there is.'It’s wonderful that she has committed her time, her energy, and has taken great personal risks in order to be able to speak authentically as to what she’s done.'A day earlier, she headed to the United Nations offices in Geneva for the annual lecture of the Sergio Vieira de Mello Foundation lecture.The Oscar winning actress looked enthralled as she listened in on the presentation with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi before taking to the stage to deliver a speech of her own.Rousing the audience for her Viera de Mello memorial lecture, the mother-of-six explained: 'We need to stand true to the ideals of the UN...we are the UN.' She added: 'There is no shortcut to peace and security... I am a proud American and I am an internationalist.' Rousing the audience for her Viera de Mello memorial lecture, the mother-of-six explained: 'We need to stand true to the ideals of the UN...we are the UN.'Sérgio Vieira de Mello was a Brazilian United Nations diplomat who worked for the UN for more than 34 years before he was killed in the Canal Hotel Bombing in Iraq along with 20 other members of his staff in 2003.
Just a day before that, she had a busy day in London that culminated in grand surroundings when she paid an evening visit to London's Buckingham Palace.The Hollywood actress was joined by son Maddox as they took the short trip from their lavish hotel, just hours after she accepted a new role as professor in practice of London School of Economics.Dressed appropriately in a smart black evening dress and matching leather boots, Angelina looked typically elegant as they made their way towards a waiting car. With her brunette hair swept back, Angelina revealed her sharply defined features, accentuated by deft touches of make-up.Walking alongside his mother, Maddox appeared to be in high spirits ahead of their visit to the Queen's historic London home.Given their destination the 15-year old looked surprisingly casual in a loose fitting shirt, jeans and trainers. With a hotel doorman quietly observing, the pair offered bystanders a polite smile as they climbed into their vehicle. Moments later their car was been being accepted through the wrought iron gates of the Palace.It is understood Angelina and Maddox were given a highly unusual private tour of Buckingham Palace, where no members of the royal family were present. The Palace will be open daily for visits to its State Rooms from 9:30am to 7:30pm from July 22 to August 31. It will reopen for tourists from September 1 to October 1, with exclusive evening visits running from 5:30pm. Earlier that day the star said she was 'feeling butterflies' before she lectured at the Centre for Women, Peace and Security, beginning a new master's course on the impact of war on women.Despite her nerves, she embodied her new, visiting professor mantle perfectly, paring down her iconic Hollywood image in favour of a simple yet sophisticated longline coat. Angelina told London's Evening Standard: 'I’m a little nervous, feeling butterflies. I hope I do well. This is very important to me.' The actress addressed a class of students taking the same-titled postgraduate course, Women, Peace and Security - and her speech went down well with the class, who described the presentation as 'wonderful'. The course helps scholars, practitioners, activists, policy-makers and students to develop strategies to promote justice, human rights and participation for women in conflict-affected situations around the world.They conduct original research and teach with the aim of promoting gender equality and enhancing women’s economic, social and political participation and security. As part of her fellowship, Angelina will also be able to conduct her own research in the field.The activist spoke about her experience and what has motivated her work s United Nations Special Envoy.
Afterwards, students were full of praise for the actress, sharing pictures from inside her lecture and calling her presentation 'wonderful'.One starstruck attendee reassured the 'nervous' speaker by saying: 'Ms. Jolie, you did wonderfully!' while another simply said: 'Incredible lecture by Angelina today'Another post-graduate student added: 'She'll make an amazing visiting professor. So honored to hear her inaugural lecture at LSE on sexual violence, rape, working w/ refugees'One other shared a group picture with the actress and captioned it: 'When Angelina Jolie is the guest lecturer at LSE' In her new role, Angelina is invited to attended public events and workshops in association with the course, 'as her schedule allows'.She co-founded the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative - aiming to end the stigma suffered by survivors of sexual violence, and children born of rape - five years ago.Her work includes minimising the long term consequences this may have in communities as well as reconciliation and peacebuilding.The school announced the presence of Angelina on their own social media account on Tuesday morning and word quickly spread across campus. 'Was just sitting in an LSE cafe waiting for my lecture,' one stunned Facebook user wrote. 'And Angelina Jolie strolls past and into the upstairs offices followed by flashing cameras. 'Needless to say, I was looking fairly out of place, we made eye contact and I saw my life flash before my eyes... Jokes but seriously if you're around on campus, Angelina is currently in Tower 2'Naturally, the moviestar's visit wasn't without anticipated hysteria with some even suggesting that it was the best thing to happen to the university during their study.'Angelina Jolie on campus,' one gushed. 'I'm finally seing the advantages of going to LSE jk'Another concurred: 'Everybody sharing that picture of Angelina Jolie at LSE bc it's the best bit of being here'Noticing the student body buzz, one other added: 'Angelina Jolie just gave a lecture at LSE and everybody is going crazy lol'The not-so subtle attention Angelina had drawn was not to every student's taste and another joked: 'Is Angelina Jolie on campus today? If only loads of people shared it on every social media platform, we'd know.' Announcing her role back in May, Angelina originally said: 'I am looking forward to teaching and to learning from the students, as well as to sharing my own experiences of working alongside governments and the United Nations.'In the unpaid role, Angelina, alongside ex-foreign secretary William Hague, has agreed to teach a minimum of one lecture in the one-term master's course.
From September, the course will develop students will be able to take an entire master’s - which makes the London School of Economics the first to offer this.Professor Christine Chinkin, Director of the Centre for Women, Peace and Security, said in a statement issued to MailOnline: 'I am delighted that LSE postgraduate students have had the unique opportunity to learn directly from the valuable insights, perspectives and experiences that Angelina Jolie brought to the class.'Chinkin continued: 'Global action to enhance women's human rights, and the economic, social and political participation of women takes place at all levels – through local activism, international institutions, and cross-border initiatives. 'Critical and constructive engagement with this work is at the core of the education programme of the Centre for Women, Peace and Security.'Previously, Angelina was there to see the centre opened in February 2015 and has therefore been a supporter ever since. It was Angelina's humanitarian work that brought her to London from Los Angeles with her six children, at the weekend.Unsupported by ex-husband Brad Pitt during her visit to the British capital, Angelina has been looking after Maddox, 15, Pax, 12, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 10, and eight-year-old twins Vivienne and Knox, all by herself.Angelina filed for divorce from her husband Brad in September 2016 after 10 years together, and confirmed that the family was 'coping' after a 'difficult time', last month.So far, the family's stay has seen them stocking up on books at Waterstone's and also treated to new toys at Hamley's.On Monday, Angelina commenced a busy week by taking part in a panel discussion at World Vision UK HQ on the 5 year anniversary of the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative.Angelina said: 'All of us involved in PSVI are proud of the work so far. 'But with much more to do we are very focused on the next steps: taking the tools that have been developed into the field to help document crimes and support prosecutions, working with militaries to change doctrine and training, and pushing for the implementation of laws to protect the very vulnerable victims.'Angelina is now promoting the Time to Act initiative and work will place a greater focus on dealing with trauma and support to child and male survivors.
Angelina Jolie Says She's a 'Proud American' at UN in Geneva
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- Published on Friday, 17 March 2017 07:16
- Written by Just Jared
Angelina Jolie delivered a speech at the United Nations in Geneva.The 41-year-old actress spoke at the annual lecture of the Sergio Vieira De Mello Foundation on Wednesday (March 15) in Switzerland.‘We need to stand true to the ideals of the UN…we are the UN,” Angie said (via Daily Mail). “There is no shortcut to peace and security… I am a proud American and I am an internationalist.” The Sergio Vieira de Mello Foundation is dedicated to promoting dialogue for the peaceful resolution of conflict.
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Angelina Jolie Visits Buckingham Palace with Maddox After Women’s Rights Lecture
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- Published on Wednesday, 15 March 2017 11:25
- Written by People
Hollywood royalty, meet English royalty.Angelina Jolie and her son Maddox visited Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, not long after the actress delivered a speech on women’s rights at the London School of Economics. Jolie and Maddox, 15, enjoyed a private tour of some of the state rooms on the low-key visit, which didn’t include any meetings with the royal family.Jolie and her family made a visit to the palace back in 2014, not long after her marriage to Brad Pitt. A palace source told PEOPLE at the time that she met Queen Elizabeth for about 20 minutes and was awarded the title of Honorary Dame.Jolie and Pitt also joined Prince William and wife Princess Kate for tea at Kensington Palace in 2015.Earlier in the day, the filmmaker and activist, 41, gave a lecture at the university’s Centre for Women, Peace and Security, PEOPLE confirms. It is the same place where Jolie, as a visiting professor, will start teaching a master’s course in September on the same subject.Jolie’s lecture focused on women’s rights in refugee camps and how displacement and statelessness make women and girls vulnerable to sexual violence and other crimes. The class also discussed the connection between the field and the policy work that is being done by governments, as well as the current state of women’s rights.The subject ties into with her work with the Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative, which she helped launch in 2012 with the help of then-British Foreign Office Chair William Hague. The two subsequently opened the Centre for Women, Peace and Security in 2015, with Jolie later signing on to teach a course.Yesterday, the actress and four of her children hit up a local London bookstore. “She bought about 30 books,” an onlooker told PEOPLE. “Mostly coloring books, a Harry Potter book, plus some book markers and Easter-themed project books.”Jolie will be heading to Geneva on Wednesday to continue her humanitarian work. She will deliver the Annual Sergio Vieira de Mello Memorial Lecture at the United Nations Assembly Hall, focusing on key emerging humanitarian themes and topical issues that continue to reflect the late U.N. Brazilian diplomat’s principles, philosophy, and work.
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Angelina Jolie: Trump's refugee ban is 'playing with fire'
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- Published on Friday, 03 February 2017 11:41
- Written by USA Today
Angelina Jolie, a longtime advocate for refugees worldwide, has penned a pointed memo to President Donald Trump about his refugee ban."Acting out of fear is not our way. Targeting the weakest does not show strength," the mother of six wrote in an op-ed for the New York Times, proceeding to debunk Trump's border security rhetoric."It is simply not true that our borders are overrun or that refugees are admitted to the United States without close scrutiny," writes Jolie, who is the special envoy of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "And in fact only a minuscule fraction — less than 1 percent — of all refugees in the world are ever resettled in the United States or any other country. There are more than 65 million refugees and displaced people worldwide."Jolie's latest op-ed is a rare public statement from the actress since she began divorce proceedings from husband Brad Pitt last September, though last May she addressed Trump's "politics of fear" while abroad. Jolie's father, Jon Voight, was a vocal Trump supporter throughout his campaign.A definitive list of celebrity stances on Trump's controversial immigration order.In her essay, Jolie goes on to note that "refugees are in fact subject to the highest level of screening of any category of traveler to the United States. This includes months of interviews, and security checks carried out by the F.B.I., the National Counterterrorism Center, the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department."
She continues: "The truth is that even if the numbers of refugees we take in are small, and we do the bare minimum, we do it to uphold the United Nations conventions and standards we fought so hard to build after World War II, for the sake of our own security."By sending a message that it is acceptable to close the door to refugees, or to discriminate on the basis of religion, she argues, "we are playing with fire," she says, risking "a free-for-all in which even more refugees are denied a home, guaranteeing more instability, hatred and violence."Jolie also strikes down the notion that refugees granted access to the U.S. are inherently dangerous, noting "only the most vulnerable people are put forward for resettlement in the first place: survivors of torture, and women and children at risk or who might not survive without urgent, specialized medical assistance. "The actress, who adopted three of her and Pitt's six children from Cambodia, Ethiopia and Vietnam, put her argument in the most personal of terms."As the mother of six children, who were all born in foreign lands and are proud American citizens, I very much want our country to be safe for them, and all our nation’s children. But I also want to know that refugee children who qualify for asylum will always have a chance to plead their case to a compassionate America.And that we can manage our security without writing off citizens of entire countries — even babies — as unsafe to visit our country by virtue of geography or religion.
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Angelina Jolie Sends Video Message to International Criminal Court
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- Published on Saturday, 19 November 2016 17:19
- Written by Just Jared
Angelina Jolie recorded a video message for the International Criminal Court to play while welcoming the new policy on children.A clip of the video is floating around on Twitter and it shows her congratulating the OTP (Office of the Prosecutor) on the new policy.“Successful prosecution, whether at the ICC or elsewhere is part of the long and vital generational effort. That is the light in which I believe the court’s new policy on children should be seen,” Angie says in the clip.“I particularly welcome the commitment to include charges for crimes against children wherever the evidence permits as part of a more systematic approach. I congratulate the office of the chief prosecutor, and all those working on the policy,” she adds.
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