Showing posts with label World Refugee Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World Refugee Day. Show all posts

Monday, June 20, 2022

"Family, friends, and food bring people together and I was honored to be joined by new friends to eat, share, and learn."

We see the friends and food but there is nothing that can be considered a family photo and no members of her family are seen.

Off site and out of view, her family is together.


Rome





Sunday, June 20, 2021

Burkina Faso

















Photos AFP, reuters

Friday, June 19, 2020

For the first time, she brought up Brad and their family situation in the Q&A released for World Refugee Day.  These written Q&As are an alternative form for her to writing a straight essay so both the Qs as well as the As are from her.  She avoided doing a one-on-one cover interview for Maleficent MoE presumably to avoid the topic so this may presage their finally emerging from the almost 4-year process and speaking openly.  Her very carefully chosen words provide strong hints:

"After choosing to separate from your partner and children’s father, actor Brad Pitt, how have you sustained a healthy environment for your children?"
"I separated for the wellbeing of my family. It was the right decision. I continue to focus on their healing.  Some have taken advantage of my silence, and the children see lies about themselves in the media, but I remind them that they know their own truth and their own minds."

- With "choosing to separate","I separated" she completely ignored the existence of the divorce case.  In the past, they avoided saying "divorce" by referring to it as "the filing","the events that led to the filing."  This time, she treated it like it does not exist at all.  She is saying they had to separate to allow the children to heal but the divorce case is not part of their truth.  It is not what it appears to be, it isn't real, and thus can and should be ignored.
Therefore there is no need to parse every item on the case's court listing or waste time clicking on the idiotic lies peddled by The Blast and TMZ.  Read her words carefully and wait for them to break their silence.

- Addressing herself, she said, "your partner."  Brad is her partner, not "ex" or former.  He has always been her partner just as he has always been the children's father even when they had to live apart.  Hence she phrased it "your partner and children’s father, actor Brad Pitt."

"I separated"
- She made the choice and decision on her own -- "I separated" not "we separated" -- because she was unable to speak to Brad while the DCFS investigation was ongoing and there was a protective order against him.  While the efforts to heal the relationship between Brad and the children continues, she speaks of their separation in the past tense: "I separated" not "I am separated."

"After choosing to separate from your partner and children’s father, actor Brad Pitt, how have you sustained a healthy environment for your children?"
The question already states the reason for her decision.  The choice she had to make after the DCFS started its investigation was either to separate/file and stay with the children or not separate/file and stay with Brad.  If she chose not to separate and file, someone else would have to look after the children while they did not want to live with Brad.  That meant she could not be with the children while they recovered and it would have been a far less healthy and reassuring environment for them.  Separating and filing was not something she wanted but something she had to do in order to keep the children with her.

"for the wellbeing of my family.  It was the right decision."
Filing the divorce petition was necessary under DCFS rules and to convince the DCFS she would protect the kids from Brad after they placed a restraining order against him prohibiting him from going near the children.  His subsequent visits monitored by the children's trauma therapists also had to take place away from the children's home.  Filing the petition proves to the DCFS that her loyalty was to the children, not to Brad, and therefore they could trust that the children would be safe with her.  The petition subsequently became one of the safeguards the DCFS kept in place to make sure the children are allowed to heal.  It gave the court oversight of the therapeutic process and ensured that it was followed.

"I continue to focus on their healing"
They had to work within the framework of the divorce case in their efforts to encourage the children to reconcile and restore their relationship with Brad.  Those included the May 30 order and the judgement on status.  Any significant progress in their efforts has to be validated by the court -- as it did when they progressed to the "next stage" with the judgement on child custody and visitation.  Everything that materially affected Brad and the children needed court approval, including changes necessitated by the lockdown and school closings.
The safeguards were decided on by the DCFS and childcare professionals at the conclusion of an extended 8-week investigation.  It reflects their concern and perception that with the severity of the children's estrangement from Brad, they could be rushed before they are truly ready because their parents are eager to have the family back together.

"Some have taken advantage of my silence, and the children see lies about themselves in the media, but I remind them that they know their own truth"
While they are abiding by the stringent safeguards they were encouraged to accept, she is signalling that they are eager to break their silence.  Part of their effort to sustain a healthy environment for the children will include debunking the lies which bother the children who are now able to read them.  The "some" who've taken advantage of their silence and concocted or propagated lies include lowlife pseudo fans.

Angelina said from the beginning that she felt she had to take action for the health of the family.


Vogue UK

Ahead of World Refugee Day—an international day designated by the United Nations (UN) to honour refugees around the globe on June 20—we spoke to Jolie about her work with UNHCR and how it has transformed her perception of motherhood.

UNHCR’s raison d’être is to save lives, protect rights and build a better future for refugees. What is it about these causes that speak to you personally?
“I see all people as equal. I see the abuse and suffering and I cannot stand by. Around the world, people are fleeing gas attacks, rape, female genital mutilation, beatings, persecution, murder. They do not flee to improve their lives. They flee because they cannot survive otherwise.
“What I really want is to see an end to what forces people out of their homelands. I want to see prevention when we can, protection when needed and accountability when crimes are committed.”

According to UNHCR, the world now has a population of nearly 80 million forcibly displaced people—the highest on record. In your years working with UNHCR, you’ve witnessed the dramatic increase first hand. What have been the main causes?
“I see a lack of will to protect and defend basic human rights, and a lack of diplomacy and accountability. A lot of people profit from the chaos of broken, dependent countries and it sickens me. We also see leaders spread fear for political gain, and nationalism rising—anger at ‘the other’.
“But on the other hand, I also see amazing generosity towards refugees in many countries and extraordinary strength and resilience from refugees themselves. And it is not a hopeless picture. Just five conflicts account for two-thirds of all cross-border displacement—Syria, Venezuela, Afghanistan, South Sudan and Myanmar. Change the dynamic there, and we change the picture for global displacement.”

Before the pandemic, you were doing a lot of work in Venezuela and Bangladesh. Can you tell us about some of the things you witnessed there and what the situation is now?
 “I saw people at their most human, who’ve been through unimaginable violence or hardship, and who are just trying to take care of their families. Any of us would do the same in their situation. Like all of us, they want to be safe, they want to have a home, and they want to be free.
“The realities for refugees or displaced people are extremely hard. They are often victims of rape and sexual abuse. They are struggling with the same kinds of illnesses you find in any community during peacetime, but without access to the healthcare you or I would be able to rely on.
“And then, refugees often live in tents in camps that are extremely exposed to the elements. Last month, refugees in Bangladesh were hit by a cyclone.”

Are there any regions or groups of people you are especially concerned about right now?
“I’m really worried about people in Yemen. They’ve had five years of brutal conflict. They’ve suffered airstrikes, indiscriminate shelling, sexual violence and torture. Half their hospitals have been destroyed. People are on the verge of starvation. And now they’ve been hit by COVID-19.
“Yet the international community has provided less than half the funds needed to keep aid operations going until the end of this year. This means that by August, the money will run out, and programmes keeping people alive will have to close in the middle of a war and a pandemic.
“It is horrifying and it is symptomatic of the pattern globally: we are not able to help bring wars to an end or do enough to enable people to survive. UNHCR will stay and deliver what it can, but it will be very difficult to stretch the relief funds to meet the needs without support.”

How has the pandemic affected refugees either directly or indirectly?
“Sadly we are only at the beginning of the economic and social impact of the crisis, and what this will mean for displaced people when levels of humanitarian funding were already so low. It really is frightening to consider. It’s a time for solidarity and to understand that refugees are on the frontline of the struggle for survival and human rights.”

Do you feel a sense of dichotomy between life in Hollywood and working in the field with UNHCR or the Maddox Jolie-Pitt (MJP) Foundation in Cambodia?
“Many UNHCR colleagues, but really the refugees themselves have been my mentors. I remember one of my first field missions, in Sierra Leone, when at a certain point, after listening to people’s stories, I started to cry. There was an amazing grandmother there, looking after her orphaned grandkids, who pulled me up and told me not to cry but to help. That has always stayed with me.
“My life as an artist is about communication and art. Sometimes the focus is more on entertainment, but most recently, as a director, it has been very much about the global issues I focus on. First They Killed My Father is the film that marries those worlds. But at the heart, it is the story of difficult years in my son’s country. So my motherhood also influences my work. And no, I don’t see a division.”

You’ve built a home in Cambodia. Why do you feel such a strong affinity to the country?
“Cambodia was the country that made me aware of refugees. It made me engage in foreign affairs in a way I never had, and join UNHCR. Above all, it made me a mom. In 2001, I was in a school programme in Samlout playing blocks on the floor with a little kid and as clear as day I thought: ‘My son is here.’ A few months later I met baby Mad at an orphanage. I can’t explain it and am not one to believe in messages or superstition. But it was just real and clear.
“Samlout was the first and last stronghold of the Khmer Rouge. It was where I first went with UNHCR because it is near the Thai border, where people were struggling to return. It was littered with landmines. I chose to invest and live there to try to help improve one of the most challenging areas of the country. We found 48 landmines on my property. My home is on a compound I share with the HQ for my foundation. It is 100 per cent locally run, as it should be, and I work with a great team of people.”

You have three adopted children, Maddox, Pax and Zahara, and three children by birth, Shiloh, Vivienne and Knox. What are the most important things to consider when raising adopted and biological siblings?
“Each is a beautiful way of becoming family. What is important is to speak with openness about all of it and to share. ‘Adoption’ and ‘orphanage’ are positive words in our home. With my adopted children, I can’t speak of pregnancy, but I speak with much detail and love about the journey to find them and what it was like to look in their eyes for the first time.
“All adopted children come with a beautiful mystery of a world that is meeting yours. When they are from another race and foreign land, that mystery, that gift, is so full. For them, they must never lose touch with where they came from. They have roots that you do not. Honour them. Learn from them. It’s the most amazing journey to share. They are not entering your world, you are entering each other’s worlds.”

You adopted Maddox, as you say, from Cambodia and your son Pax from Vietnam—two countries once at war with each other. Was this a conscious decision?
“It’s true, I did think about that. I did originally think not to adopt from Vietnam because Mad was Cambodian and the two countries have a complex history. Then I was reading a book on human rights and found myself staring at an image of a Vietnamese fighter held captive by Americans. I thought of my own country and our involvement in Southeast Asia. I thought of focusing on a future where we were all family. Pax is the strength and centre of so much in our lives. I am very blessed to have been allowed to be their mom. I am grateful every day.”

After choosing to separate from your partner and children’s father, actor Brad Pitt, how have you sustained a healthy environment for your children?
“I separated for the wellbeing of my family. It was the right decision. I continue to focus on their healing. Some have taken advantage of my silence, and the children see lies about themselves in the media, but I remind them that they know their own truth and their own minds. In fact, they are six very brave, very strong young people.”

Can you discuss some of the projects you will be working on in the coming months?
“I’ll be working with UNHCR on the global crisis and keeping connected and raising awareness of the realities on the ground. And continuing to work with the BBC World Service, on a media literacy initiative for young people. I’m also collaborating with Amnesty International on a book project for children’s rights. I went into lockdown thinking it would be a good time to learn to cook. Never happened. I know my limits.”



Wednesday, June 19, 2019






Wednesday, June 20, 2018










Tuesday, June 19, 2018









How to alleviate the refugee crisis



THE number of refugees worldwide has climbed for six consecutive years. Some 68m people are now displaced by violence and persecution—equal to a fifth of the population of America, nearly half that of Russia, and more than the entire population of the United Kingdom.

At the same time, humanitarian support is chronically underfunded. The United Nations refugee agency, the UN High Commission on Refugees, and its partners have received less than 17% of the funds they need this year to provide basic assistance to millions of Syrian refugees and displaced people. The same dire situation exists elsewhere too, with less than half the amount of humanitarian funds needed in the vast majority of conflict-affected countries.

It is not surprising that there is deep public concern: not because people are heartless, but because this is not a sustainable situation. But the answer is not countries adopting harsh unilateral measures that target refugees, run counter to our values and our responsibilities. That will only inflame the problem.

Instead, we must find ways to lower the number of displaced people worldwide, by preventing and solving the conflicts that drive them from their homes. We must try to rally people and nations to act together based on common interests and universal aspirations for security, dignity and equality: understanding that this does not come at the expense of our safety and economic well-being at home, but is an essential requirement when facing problems of international dimensions.

It may not be popular to argue that we need to work with our allies to find lasting solutions to complex conflicts through diplomacy. But it happens to be true. The fact that there are huge challenges between us and that goal does not mean that it is not the right course to follow. Let’s look at the bare facts.

First, 85% of all refugees and displaced people live in low and middle-income countries. Most people who are displaced by violence remain within the borders of their own countries. Those who are forced out tend to stay as close as they can to home, in neighbouring nations. Only a tiny fraction of all refugees – less than 1% globally—are resettled, including in Western nations. The world’s poorer nations are bearing the brunt of the burden. We cannot simply blindly assume that they will continue to do this irrespective of policies in wealthier nations.

Second, for all the generosity of taxpayers in the West and all the lives that are saved by this, the billions of humanitarian aid provided annually do not come close to meeting the needs of 68m displaced people and the communities hosting them now, let alone if the numbers continue to grow. There is no solution that involves simply continuing the status quo, or doing less, or acting as if we can leave this as a problem for other countries to handle.

Third, as many as two-thirds of all the refugees under UNHCR’s mandate come from just five countries: Syria, Afghanistan, South Sudan, Myanmar and Somalia. Peace in any one of those five countries, creating the conditions for people to return home, would bring the numbers of refugees worldwide down by millions. That is what we should be pressing our politicians on as voters: challenging them to answer how their policies address the root of the problem.

We’ve managed to bring numbers down before. When I first started working with the UN’s refugee agency 16 years ago, the number of refugees worldwide was falling. One of my first missions with UNHCR was to accompany returning Cambodian refugees. I met some of the many refugees who returned to their homes after the end of the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia. Look further back in history, and after the second world war, millions of refugees were resettled.

This strategy will take vision and persistence and strength. Not the parody of strength involved in tough talk against refugees, but the resolve, will and diplomatic skill needed to negotiate peace settlements, stabilise insecure countries and uphold the rule of law. It is the practical, proactive course. It is in the interests of our security and consistent with our values. It will require countries working together to share the burden more fairly, which is why the new Global Compact on Refugees currently being developed is so important.

A refugee is a man, woman or child at their most vulnerable: forced from their home, living without the protection of their state, and in many cases without the bare means of survival. It is the human condition that tests our belief that all human beings have equal rights and deserve protection.
We live in divisive times. But history also shows our ability to unite, overcome a global crisis, and renew our sense of purpose and community with other nations. That is the greatest strength of an open society. We should not leave the debate to those who would exploit public anxiety for political advantage. We are being tested today and our response will be the measure of our humanity.

__________
Angelina Jolie is an Academy Award-winning actor, film director and a special envoy of the United Nations High Commission on Refugees. She has worked on refugee rights with the UNHCR since 2001 in Cambodia, Darfur, Jordan and the ex-Yugoslavia, among other places. In 2005 Ms Jolie received the Global Humanitarian Action Award from the United Nations Association of the USA.

Sunday, June 17, 2018












Statement by UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie at Domiz refugee camp in Iraq

In my country, when we speak of the Middle East we often focus on conflict and human suffering.
And it is true that countless families in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen are suffering from conflict they personally have no part in, instability they cannot control, and extremism that they reject.
But on this visit I have been reminded, as I am every time I am here, of the truly extraordinary dignity, resilience, warmth, generosity and grace of the people of the Middle East.
And I want to thank the people of Iraq for their generosity towards Syrian refugees and displaced people, and in particular the KRI government, which is setting a model for refugee protection.
I’m happy have been here on Eid al-Fitr, and I wish the Iraqi people, the Syrian people, and families across this region and beyond, Eid Mubarak, or Jaznawa Piroz Bit.
I am in Iraq to mark World Refugee Day next week. On Tuesday, UNHCR will publish new figures showing that the numbers of displaced people, and the duration of their exile, are the highest they have ever been. At the same time political solutions seem completely lacking, leaving a void that humanitarian aid cannot fill.
Words like “unsustainable” don’t paint a picture of how desperate these times are.
This is my third visit to Domiz camp in six years. The vast majority of its inhabitants are Syrian women and children.
Their lives are on hold indefinitely because of the war. They cannot go back, they cannot move forward, and each year they have less to live on.
I met two mothers this morning, both of them widows. They both lost their husbands while living as refugees, to medical conditions that could normally have been treated.
And now they are both caring for young aged five 5 and 7 who also have life-threatening medical conditions.
When UNHCR’s Syria response was only 50 per cent funded last year, and this year it is only 17 per cent funded, there are terrible human consequences. We should be under no illusions about this.
When there is not even the bare minimum of aid, refugee families cannot receive adequate medical treatment, women and girls are left vulnerable to sexual violence, many children cannot go to school, and we squander the opportunity of being able to invest in refugees so that they can acquire new skills and support their families.
This is the picture in Iraq, in Syria, and wherever in the world you find refugees and displaced people today.
The only answer is to end the conflicts that are forcing people to flee their homes - and for all governments to meet their responsibilities.
So this World Refugee Day I hope that people around the world will consider this larger picture:
What this level and length of displacement says about our world being dangerously out of balance.
What it will say about us if our response is to be selective about when we help, and when we are prepared to defend human rights.
And what it will mean for the future if we are unable to provide enough basic humanitarian support for displaced people and unable to find any solutions to conflicts at the same time.
That is the situation today, but it is not hopeless.
There are millions of refugees and displaced people who want to return home and to work and start over – as I saw in Mosul yesterday, where brick by brick, with their own hands, they are rebuilding their homes.
There are countries that are keeping their borders open to refugees, despite all the pressures and challenges.
There are aid relief workers who are stretching the aid resources, somehow, to minimize loss of life and provide protection.
And there are people around the world who are more committed than ever to defending human rights and basic values.
So on World Refugee Day this year I hope that we can find the strength to find a better way forward together: so that we move into a new era of preventing conflict and reducing instability, rather than simply struggling to deal with its consequences.
Thank you.









United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Special Envoy Angelina Jolie (left) during a meeting with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Spokesperson Safin Dizayee, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, June 16, 2018. (Photo: KRG)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie expressed her gratitude to the Kurdistan Region and its people for hosting and supporting displaced persons and said she would encourage more international support for Kurdistan.
Before her visit to the Domiz refugee camp in Duhok on Sunday, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Special Envoy thanked the people of Kurdistan for its care of nearly two million Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
According to a readout of her meeting with Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) Spokesperson Safin Dizayee on Saturday, Jolie said she would “continue to convey the plight of the displaced people to the attention of the international community to encourage more support to the Kurdistan Region.”
She also described Kurdistan as “a model for this kind of humanitarian assistance,” adding the Region “has played a very good role in supporting these vulnerable [displaced] people.”
Since the emergence of the so-called Islamic State (IS), Kurdistan has provided a haven for people fleeing the extremist group from parts of Iraq and neighboring Syria.
According to KRG statistics, the Kurdistan Region is currently hosting 1.4 million IDPs and refugees.
The massive influx of displaced persons has caused a burden for the Region which has called for international support to help deal with the crisis, a point Dizayee emphasized to the UNHCR Special Envoy and her accompanying delegation.
The KRG Spokesperson, on behalf of Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, invited Jolie and her delegation to continue its visits to Kurdistan “to closely see the situation of the [IDPs] and Syrian refugees in the Kurdistan Region.”
The UNHCR and the KRG agreed “to find creative initiatives beyond material support” to aid the displaced people until conditions are met for them to return to their homes “voluntarily with respect and dignity.”
Jolie’s trip to Erbil comes after she visited war-torn Mosul on Saturday to meet with displaced families and discuss efforts to rebuild the city and provide needs for its returning population.







DOMIZ CAMP - U.N. refugee agency special envoy Angelina Jolie on Sunday visited a camp for Syrian refugees in northern Iraq to drum up support for those displaced by years of civil war.

The Hollywood actress toured the Domiz camp, home to 33,000 refugees from Syria's seven-year conflict.

Jolie arrived in the morning and met families in the camp, a United Nations official said.

A day earlier she visited Mosul, Iraq's major northern city which Iraqi forces took back last year from Islamic State militants. The militants had occupied the city for three years and turned it into a stronghold of a "caliphate" in a military campaign that saw 900,000 residents flee.

Jolie met families from western Mosul and walked through bombed out streets, video footage and photos provided by the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) showed.

Normality has returned to many parts of Mosul, with displaced residents leaving camps nearby to return home.

But the Old City in West Mosul was largely destroyed during a campaign by a 100,000-strong alliance of Iraqi government units, Kurdish Peshmerga fighters and Shi'ite militias backed by air support from a US-led coalition.

Reconstruction has been slow.

"This is the worst devastation I have seen in all my years working with UNHCR. People here have lost everything," Jolie said in a U.N. statement.

"They are destitute. They have no medicine for their children, and many have no running water or basic services," she said. "I hope there will be a continued commitment to rebuilding and stabilizing the whole of the city. And I call on the international community not to forget Mosul."

Jolie has worked for UNHCR since 2001, visiting uprooted civilians from Iraq to Cambodia and Kenya. This is her fifth visit to Iraq, UNHCR said.

Monday, June 20, 2016














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ABC News

Angelina Jolie Calls for 'New Approach' to Address Global Refugee Crisis


  Secretary of State John Kerry, right, with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Special Envoy Angelina Jolie walks to the Treaty Room at the Department of State in Washington, June 20, 2016. UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie Pitt called for action on World Refugee Day.

Angelina Jolie Pitt made an appearance at the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C., today, serving in her role as the United Nations' High Commissioner on Refugees.
She met with Secretary of State John Kerry before both attended an interfaith Iftar reception to mark World Refugee Day in Sterling, Virginia. Kerry gave Jolie great praise for her dedication to the world's refugee crisis.
"This is not a passing fancy for her at all," Kerry said. "It's a lifetime commitment."
Saying there are 65 million people displaced by conflict in the world, Jolie asked that others "take a moment and to truly grasp what a refugee crisis of today's magnitude means for peace and security in the world."
Turning our backs to the crisis would be "naive and irresponsible," Jolie added. She called on world leaders to find a "new approach, one that does not focus solely on aid and resettlement, but on solutions, stability and returns."
She added: "Today, partly in response to this crisis, we are seeing rising intolerance and xenophobia. But strength lies in mastering and channeling our emotions so that we pursue policies that reduce, not inflame, threats to our security. We need leadership. We need solutions. So that is my ask and my focus today."




dailymail

Jolie gives a fist bump to a tyke in the audience




























































Secretary Kerry to Attend Interfaith Iftar to Mark World Refugee Day


Notice to the Press

Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
June 18, 2016

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will attend an interfaith Iftar reception to mark World Refugee Day at 7:30 p.m. on June 20, 2016, at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society in Sterling, Virginia.

Secretary Kerry will meet with interfaith leaders, refugees who have been resettled to the United States, and representatives from refugee resettlement organizations, as well as give remarks as a part of the event.

Remarks will be open to the press.

Pre-set time for cameras: 6:00 p.m. through the main entrance at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society at 46903 Sugarland Road; Sterling, VA 20164.

Final access time for journalists and still photographers: 7:00 p.m. at the main entrance at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society.

Media representatives may attend this event upon presentation of one of the following: (1) A U.S. Government-issued identification card (Department of State, White House, Congress, Department of Defense, or Foreign Press Center), (2) a media-issued photo identification card, or (3) a letter from their employer on letterhead verifying their employment as a journalist, accompanied by an official photo identification card (driver's license, passport).

Follow the Office of Religion and Global Affairs on Facebook, and the Special Representative to Muslim Communities on Facebook and Twitter at @SpecialRepMC and @StateDept.

For further event information, please contact the Department of State Office of Press Relations at (202) 647-2492.