Tag Archives: Americas

HollywoodNews.com: Artists for Peace and Justice offer exclusive opportunity to dine with Hollywood A-Listers thanks to Hollywood Film Awards’ Hollywood Gives Back(r).
Ten tables up for grabs for star-studded Hollywood Film Awards® with 100% of proceeds benefiting Haiti’s school system through the Academy for Peace and Justice Los Angeles, California. On October 22, 2012,120 individuals will not only have the exclusive privilege of attending the Hollywood Film Awards®, but by attending, they will be making a difference in the future of children in Haiti.
Through the Hollywood Gives Back(r) initiative, the Hollywood Film Awards® have generously donated ten tables to Artists for Peace and Justice (APJ). Purchasers of the 12 seat tables will wine and dine with Hollywood’s A-list crowd, with 100% of the funds raised from table sales contributed for the construction of a new wing at the Academy for Peace and Justice in Port-au-Prince.

“Currently more than half of Haiti’s population is illiterate, but with the Academy for Peace and Justice, we are working to change the statistics,” said Oscar-winning filmmaker and Artists For Peace and Justice Founder, Paul Haggis. “We are so grateful for The Hollywood Film Awards initiative which is an incredibly generous gift that will support both the education system and the country’s future.”
Created to honor excellence in the art of filmmaking, the 16th Annual Hollywood Film Awards® is a prestigious celebration of the motion picture art form. The launch event of Hollywood’s award season, the celebrity-attended Hollywood Film Awards® Gala Ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel is a night of true star-studded glamor.
Director Paul Haggis at 2011 Hollywood Film Awards Gala
Committed to bringing together established Hollywood celebrities and the global creative community, discovering talented emerging filmmakers, and honoring Hollywood’s finest established professionals, The Hollywood Awards® draws more than 1,000 guests. Prior Hollywood Awards events have included stars such as Ben Affleck, Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale, Halle Berry, Orlando Bloom, Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Glenn Close, Penelope Cruz, Viola Davis, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr., Colin Farrell, Harrison Ford, Jodie Foster, Jamie Foxx, Richard Gere, Jake Gyllenhaal, Tom Hanks, Anthony Hopkins, Ron Howard, Janet Jackson, Angelina Jolie, George Lucas, Rachel McAdams, Brad Pitt, Christopher Plummer, Keanu Reeves, Susan Sarandon, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, Charlize Theron, John Travolta, Naomi Watts, Michelle Williams, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, among many others.
APJ is an organization dedicated to encouraging peace and social justice, while addressing issues [...]

HollywoodNews.com: An independent fact-finding delegation to Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala, led by Nobel Peace Laureates Jody Williams and Rigoberta Menchú Tum, found that violence against women?including murder, rape and forced disappearances?has reached a crisis point in the region. The Nobel Peace Laureates are calling for concerted and immediate action to protect women?including those women doing frontline human rights work?and prosecute those committing crimes against women.
“The war on drugs and increased militarization in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala is becoming a war on women,” said Jody Williams, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for her work to ban landmines. “The governments’ efforts to improve ‘security’ in the region have direct resulted in insecurity for civilian populations?and most especially, for women.”
The delegation, which visited the three countries January 21 to January 31, heard testimony from over 200 women directly affected by the crisis. During the 10-day visit, the delegation met with women working on women’s and indigenous rights, as well as those involved in environmental, labour and land rights. The delegation also gathered evidence from international and regional human rights bodies, and from government representatives and diplomats. This included meetings with President Porfirio Lobo of Honduras, President Otto Perez Molina of Guatemala, and Mexico’s Attorney General Marisela Morales and Supreme Court Justice, Olga Sanchez Cordero.
Officials in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala openly recognized the problem of rampant violence against women. All three countries have specialized government agencies to deal with violence against women. However the delegation found evidence of a pervasive lack of political will in all three countries to effectively implement existing public safety and justice systems?including special mechanisms to protect women.
“The dysfunctional and corrupt justice system in all three countries is literally creating a breeding ground for sexual violence and other gender-based violence,” said Lisa VeneKlasen, Executive Director for Just Associates (JASS). “In countries where more than 90% of crimes are never prosecuted, one can imagine how unwilling officials are to go after those committing violent crimes against women and women activists. The lack of prosecution is like giving a blank cheque to criminals.”
The delegation found that there has been a significant rise in the targeted killing of women in all three countries, and that violence against women and women human rights defenders nearly always includes some form of sexual violence or gender-specific aspect. The group also heard evidence that indigenous women, [...]

HollywoodNews.com: The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) today announced over $3.2 million in new grants that will further its mission to assist the most marginalized populations vulnerable to HIV infection. These new awards brought EJAF’s final total grant-making commitments for calendar 2011 to a record $8,316,871, with disbursements totaling $7,006,871 last year.
These grants represent EJAF’s continuing commitment to fund demographics and geographic regions that are seriously impacted by HIV/AIDS and under-served by traditional funders. Grant expenditures totaling $3,221,622 were awarded for 19 new and 29 renewal grants, including:
* health services for Black women, one of the highest HIV-impacted populations in this country;
* innovative programs focused on the health and rights of gay and bisexual men throughout the U.S.;
* programs designed to help people with HIV who are leaving prison to access and stay on treatment and maintain their health as they reintegrate into society;
* small community grants supporting services for gay men throughout Latin America;
* clinical and mental health services for vulnerable populations in the Caribbean; and
* additional funding totaling $1.6 million over two years to support over 50 community organizations providing needle exchange and harm reduction services for injection drug users.
“Through the efforts of hundreds of privately-funded syringe access programs, HIV incidence due to injection drug use in the U.S. has declined from 25% of all infections in 2000 to 9% today,” said Executive Director Scott Campbell. “Scaled-up syringe access programming could bring injection-related HIV infections down to zero. Given Congress’ unfortunate reinstatement of the ban on the use of federal funding for syringe exchange programs, EJAF’s increased investments as one of the top three funders in this field are particularly crucial.”
“For twenty years, EJAF has remained consistent in our mission, even as we’ve increased the scope and reach of our grant-making,” added Chairman David Furnish. “Our most recent grants continue this historic focus, dedicating critical funding to the most urgent and under-resourced aspects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.”
About EJAF
The Elton John AIDS Foundation (EJAF) was established as a nonprofit organization in the United States in 1992 and as a registered charity in the United Kingdom in 1993 by Sir Elton John. Together, both entities have raised more than $225 million for worthy programs in 55 countries around the globe since inception. Today, the Foundation is [...]

HollywoodNews.com: Kim Kardashian may be trying to do some good or just rehab her image a bit as she is reportedly in Haiti to give back a little.
Kim is reportedly in Haiti with actress Maria Bello’s charity We Advance which operates a women’s clinic for the poorest women in Haiti, states RadarOnline.com. Kim is allegedly trying to help out and bring more attention to the problems that are still going on in Haiti after the country suffered in a devastating earthquake.
Kim is reportedly also there with her mom, Kris Jenner.
Do you think she’s charitable?
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HollywoodNews.com: Sean Penn’s J/P HRO group has been chosen by the Haitian government–via the World Bank — to receive a $2.25 million grant. The project, called “Helping People Home,” is part of a $95 million larger project to get displaced Haitians back into their own homes. The project is “designed to help provide homes through rental subsidies and new permanent housing construction, as well as provide home repair for existing houses.” Sean Penn should be very proud of what he’s accomplished–now he has the recognition of the World Bank. No mention, though, of his former partner, Diana Jenkins, who got J/P started but seems to have fallen out with the group subsequently.
”We believe this grant marks an important step in the rebuilding of Haiti,” Penn said in a press release. “To have the Haitian Government, with the finance from the IDA grant, select J/P HRO to participate in this program is a testament to the determination of our staff, our volunteers, and supporters. Together, we will persist until the hundreds of thousands still displaced are safely home.”
Celebrities have been very involved in raising money for Haiti relief. But recently a New York fundraiser, to be hosted by Ben Stiller for his foundation with Bill Clinton and Paul Farmer, was abruptly cancelled without explanation.
Photo by PRPhotos
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HollywoodNews.com: Isis is back from Cycle 11, more confident than ever. Catch the season premiere of America’s Next Top Model, Wednesday Sept. 14 on The CW!

Photo by cwtv.com
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HollywoodNews.com: The January 2010 Haiti earthquake brought death to over 230,000 people, injury to another 300,000 and made over one million of our island neighbors homeless. In total, over 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings collapsed. At charitybuzz, we joined with our close friend Larry King for a Heal Haiti telethon and online auction and the support from our celebrity partners was immediate and impressive.
Haiti’s government and its international aid partners are now appealing for necessary private capital, both domestic and foreign, to contribute to the reconstruction of the Caribbean county. The chaotic and cumbersome international relief aid needs to be supplemented by high profile and innovative relief efforts so that Haiti can be rebuilt with sustainable development and jobs.
We applaud our close partners and non profit friends such as The RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights, Artists for Peace and Justice, The GO Campaign, Partners in Health, Solar Electric Fund, One Frickin Day and so many more who are on the ground and in the trenches in Haiti to develop practical solutions that kick start the immediate needs and spur long term development in a practical and scaleable fashion. Our admiration for President Clinton in his passionate quest to move the Haitian economy forward with his humanitarian passion second to none is truly admirable.
To read more from this article go to Charitybuzz.com.
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HollywoodNews.com: Sean Penn will be recognized for his outstanding humanitarian achievements at the 14th Annual Hollywood Film Festival’s Hollywood Awards Gala Ceremony.
Penn will be bestowed with the “Hollywood Humanitarian Award” for his incredible selfless and dedicated humanitarian efforts in saving lives, as well as bringing relief to the human suffering in Haiti.
“It is an honor to recognize the inspiring humanitarian efforts that Sean Penn and his J/P Haitian Relief Organization have been providing to the great people of Haiti,” said Mr. de Abreu.
Prior recipients of this prestigious award include director of Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos, Father Rick Frechette, Nobel Peace Prize recipient and President of East Timor, Dr. Jose Ramos Horta, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Ms. Jody Williams.
The gala ceremony will take place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills on October 25, 2010.

URGENT: HELP NEEDED IN HAITI – DONATE NOW PLEASE
ABOUT SEAN PENN
Two-time Academy Award® winner Sean Penn has become an American film icon in a career spanning nearly three decades. Penn has been nominated five times for the Academy Award® as Best Actor for “Dead Man Walking,” “Sweet and Lowdown,” “I Am Sam” and won his first Oscar® in 2003 for his searing performance in Clint Eastwood’s “Mystic River” and his second Oscar® as Best Actor in 2009 for Gus Van Sant’s “Milk.” The performance as gay rights icon Harvey Milk also garnered Penn “Best Actor” awards from The Screen Actors Guild, New York Film Critics Circle and Los Angeles Film Critics Association.

“This is an emergency that is just beginning. Flooding and outbreak of communicable diseases are certain if shelter and relocation are not achieved” – Sean Penn, Co-Founder, J/P HRO
Penn’s humanitarian work has found him in New Orleans in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and more recently in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. In January 2010, Penn founded the J/P Haitian Relief Organization which focuses on medical aid, protection, and re-location. His organization is currently serving as UN IOM designated Camp Management for one of the largest IDP camps in Port-au-Prince and established the first emergency re-location in the country. They work with both government and non government agencies to deliver immediate results where the need is greatest. Their efforts include but are not limited to providing emergency medical and primary care services, delivering badly needed medical equipment and medicine, distributing food and water purification systems, improving communication systems, and rubble removal in the neighborhoods surrounding the Petionville [...]

HollywoodNews.com: Hip-hop star Wyclef Jean announced Tuesday that he was ending his run to become president of Haiti.
For many weeks, Sean Penn, who has been part of the country’s earthquake reconstruction efforts, has been championing against Jean’s bid. The Oscar winning actor felt that Jean was a poor candidate to lead the country after turning his back on rebuilding it during a time of disaster.
Jean was found to be unqualified to run in the Nov. 28 race along with 14 other individuals per the New York Daily News. Though he was born in Haiti, he was raised in Brooklyn, NY. Jean believes that he was nixed from the election as the committee did not believe he lived in Haiti for five consecutive years.
In a statement, Jean said:
“After weeks of quiet but painstaking reflection with my wife and daughter, I have chosen to end my bid for the presidency of Haiti.
“This was not an easy conclusion to reach; but it is one that as thoughtfully made, taking into account many, many competing factors and weighing the course that will be advance the healing of the country and help it find the quickest path for recovery.
“It’s not about my candidacy – this appeal was meant to address the shortcomings of the process for every Haitian.
“Though my run for the presidency was cut short, in this way, I feel it was not in vain; it’s something we can use to improve conditions for my Haitian brothers and sisters.”
Jean’s new album, “If I Were President, the Haitian Experience” will be released in February. He also plans to tour.
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Photo Credit: WD
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HollywoodNews.com: Spencer Pratt has filed another official apology yesterday to Heidi Montag and said, “I horribly embarrassed the one person that meant the world to me. For my outrageous and infantile behavior, I offer Heidi my most sincere apologies.”
While some speculate that it’s just another cry for media attention, it looks like he’s got another plan up his sleeve. Sources directly connected to the reality star tell TMZ that he wants to move to Costa Rica to be closer to Heidi to try to save his marriage and because it’s a lot cheaper than Los Angeles.
It looks like the two love birds might be taking over Costa Rica soon.
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