ALDARWISH

Name: Ahmed Aldarwish

For: Mr. Brown
Course: UWRT 1202
Date
The role of Angelina Jolie in the Development of Community Service in relation to Refugees and
child Immigration
Due to continued conflicts around the world, the number of refugees who are seeking
humanitarian aid continues to grow. From the battlefield of Syria to the jungles of Congo, the
number of people running away from conflict zone continues to be a problem for international
Aid organizations, countries hosting refugees and donors. Children are the most affected to such
a situation. Before the Syrian crisis, Kenya (a country in east Africa) hosted the worlds largest
refugee camp, Dadaab where the refugee camp served as a home to approximately half a million
refugees fleeing the conflict in neighboring Somalia. Humanitarian organizations such as the
United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Red Cross, United States Agency for
International Development (USAID), and donors spearhead the settlement on refugees. Among
the prominent individuals who have taken up the role of community development and service to
refugees and children is the actress Angelina Jolie.
Community development and service to refugees seek to improve the living conditions of
people providing physical and psychological support. It involves basic needs such as food and
water, education, health care and presenting the pleas of refugees in world summits and
international congress. Angelina Jolie is known for the role in advocating on behalf of children
and refugees, when she first witnessed the humanitarian crisis in Cambodia while filming. Upon
return to the U.S, she contacted the UNHCR and she began visiting refugee sites across the

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world. It was during one of these trips that Angelina witnessed the shocking conditions of
refugees in Sierra leone and in Tanzania.
Being a famous public figure, Jolie used the position to advocate a quick action to be
taken to aid the refugees in Cambodia. According to her, the crisis in Cambodia is the worst
refugee crisis she has ever faced. On 10th of March, she adopted her first child in Cambodia,
Maddox Chivan was only seven months old when he was adopted. Although the adoption
process was by U.S adoption laws, she was so determined to adopt the young boy. Five years
later during a trip to Ethiopia, Jolie adopted her second child, Zahara. Zahara was abandoned by
her mother because she had no ability to raise her, she was raised by her grandmother before she
was adopted by Jolie. On the 15th of March 2007, Jolie adopted a 3-year boy abandoned by his
biological mother in Vietnam.
Weeks after adopting Maddox in Cambodia, Jolie made a one million donation to the in
response to the plea by UNHCR, the largest donation ever made by an individual. She was later
to be named as the UNHCR goodwill ambassador in the United Nations headquarters in Geneva.
Angelina Jolie has extended her humanitarian good will beyond the borders of Europe and into
Africa, where she has traveled to one the world dangerous place, Darfur region of Sudan. She
has traveled to the war fronts of Afghanistan and Syria where she has met peacekeeping forces
and Aid workers. For her unmatched efforts, she was promoted to Special Envoy. She has visited
Jordan, Iraq, and turkey as a special envoy to high commissioner Antonio Guterres.
Jolie has advocated for the legislation to help immigrant and vulnerable children and in
developing nations. She co-chairs a network of law firms in the U.S. that provide legal aid to
minors and immigrants., She co-chairs an education partnership that seeks to provide policy and
funds to education programs in conflict zones. Using this partnership and well-wishers, Jolie is

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funding a girls school in Kakuma refugee camp in northern Kenya. It is an undeniable fact that
the role played by Angelina Jolie towards improving the livelihood of employees is great.
Angelina Jolie does not discriminate in her charity work, to her, being a Muslim or a
Christian does not matter, she treats everyone equality and makes an effort to help the poor. We
should not discriminate refugees for they are people in need, and their hopes lay on those who
can step forward and offer them the help they need. Education and health care are human needs
that should not be denied to anyone regardless of religion, state or background status. Valuing
human life will help create a society that is more tolerant to each other and reduces hostility.