WASHINGTON (Aug. 23, 2004)–When not playing action girl Lara Croft, actress Angelina Jolie has another important role — she’s a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Jolie, who has donated $3 million to help refugees, discusses her work with displaced people around the world, and what kids can do to help ease refugees’ plight, in September’s National Geographic Kids world cultures special issue, for which she is guest editor.
“We all have something in common [with refugees]. We all want to learn, be loved, feel safe, and choose what to do with our lives. And if our great-grandparents, grandparents, and parents had not found refuge in the United States, we would not have the freedoms and opportunities that we have today,” says Jolie in a Q & A with the magazine.
Jolie lists three things that kids can do to help refugees:
1.Reach out to refugees in this country and make them feel like this is their home too.
2.Organize events in your communities.
3.Learn more about human rights issues to understand what refugees go through.
As guest editor of the magazine, Jolie gave her input on material for the issue, reviewed image selections and participated in a walkthrough of the magazine’s layout at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Details on how to participate in the annual World Refugee Day poster contest, sponsored by Jolie, are also provided in the September issue of National Geographic Kids. For more information, go online to www.unrefugees.org.
The NG Kids world cultures special issue is available on newsstands Sept. 6.
National Geographic Kids, a multitopic, photo-driven magazine for 6- to 14-year-olds, empowers its readers by making it fun to learn about the world. Published 10 times a year, this award-winning magazine with a circulation of 1.2 million is available by subscription for $19.95 a year and on newsstands for $3.95 a copy. Its Web site is at nationalgeographic.com/ngkids; AOL Keyword: NatGeo.
