Angelina Jolie is an American actress and filmmaker who has been named Hollywood’s highest-paid actress multiple times. Born Angelina Jolie Voight (June 4, 1975), her exceptional film journey spans over two decades, showcasing her versatility and range. Throughout her career, Jolie has received numerous awards and nominations, cementing her status as a Hollywood icon.
Angelina Jolie is equally, if not more, famous as a humanitarian and a philanthropist with a big heart. In recognition of her tireless advocacy for refugees, women’s rights and children’s welfare, she was named by UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) as their Goodwill Ambassador in 2001. Over the next decade, she went on more than 40 field missions, meeting with refugees and internally displaced persons in over 30 countries.
In 2012, after more than a decade of service as a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, Angelina Jolie was promoted to the rank of Special Envoy to the High Commissioner António Guterres, the first to take on such a position within the organisation. Since then, she has been on over a dozen field missions to crisis zones around the world to meet with refugees and undertake advocacy and fund-raising on their behalf.
Angelina Jolie covered all costs related to her missions and shared the same rudimentary working and living conditions as UNHCR field staff on all of her visits. Her donation of $1 million in response to an international UNHCR emergency appeal in 2001 is the largest donation UNHCR had ever received from a private individual.
The Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation, which Angelina Jolie co-founded with actor Brad Pitt, supports various humanitarian projects worldwide. Jolie’s efforts have also focussed on preventing sexual violence in conflict zones and promoting education for girls. Her commitment to social service has earned her numerous accolades.
The Shiloh Jolie-Pitt Foundation has funded the Shiloh Wildlife Sanctuary in collaboration with the Na’an ku sê Foundation of Namibia and the Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism to support the Shiloh Wildlife Sanctuary. The sanctuary is dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating injured or orphaned wildlife, particularly rhinos and elephants, affected by poaching or human-wildlife conflict. It is equipped with holding pens, trucks, crates and veterinary equipment, with a full-time veterinarian on staff.
The Na’an ku sê Foundation works with local communities to address human-wildlife conflict and promote coexistence.
Angelina Jolie dedicated over 20 years of service to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. She served as a Goodwill Ambassador from 2001 – 2012 and then as Special Envoy from 2012 – 2022.
“We cannot close ourselves off to information and ignore the fact that millions of people are out there suffering. I honestly want to help. I don’t believe I feel differently from other people. I think we all want justice and equality, a chance for a life with meaning. All of us would like to believe that if we were in a bad situation someone would help us.“
– Angelina Jolie on her motives for joining UNHCR in 2001