Today is World Refugee Day

It’s the day to think about people who are less fortunate and actually realize how lucky we are.

The person who does relate to this day is the world’s most powerful celebrity, mother of six, talented actress, and UNCHR Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie.

The Salt actress made an appearance on Today Show and told Ann Curry about her experience as the UN Ambassador and her plans to continue working to help those in need.

Here are some of the highlights, don’t miss the interview video below!

On being the next Audrey Hepburn:

I’m lucky to be in this. And I’m sure Audrey Hepburn felt the same. That she was the fortunate one to be able to meet all those kids around the world. You know, we’re just in a very fortunate situation that we get to be able to give a voice to these extraordinary people.

On how her UN Ambassador experience could have changed her life growing up:

I think it would have got me through my youth easier. I would have been less self-destructive… You see people that have suffered things that you will never, ever know. And you know how lucky you are.

On her children knowing the world of refugee children:

I want them to see it as an area where they can go down the street and play football with those kids and get to know them, and as they grow up seem them as those friends they spent time with. Hopefully I can raise them with a more accurate view of the world than I was raised with, maybe they’ll naturally be better people. And I’m sure my children will be visiting and learning from refugees in the future.

Also, in her prior speeches addressing World Refugee Day, Jolie said she tried to make sure her kids realized they were fortunate:

Some of my kids are from countries that have seen conflict. I usually just explain to them that there are other families in the world that aren’t as fortunate as ours and other kids. And so I tell them that it’s important for all of us to do what we can and then go to these places and understand what’s happening. So I think they’re just being raised that this is the normal thing to do…. Hopefully I’ll take them to as many countries as I can and raise them with an education of the world.”

In her speech at the National Geographic Society on June 18 Angelina mentioned an inspiring 15-year-old orphan paralyzed by a gunshot wound she met during one of her trips:

He had this really remarkable, unbreakable spirit, a spirit beyond anything I can imagine. He had lost everything and he was just so full of laughter and kindness. He passed away a few months after I was there. And so I always wonder about him and young people that you meet and you just think, in any other situation, if this person had been given a chance, what an extraordinary adult he would have been.”

On our very personal fight:

I think it doesn’t take much to understand that [refugees are] the front line of us fighting against extremists, where all that we hold dear and all that we value is really on the line. This fight is a very personal fight for all of us. And these victims of this crisis, these regular people who are mostly agriculturalists that are fleeing are, you know, we should feel a real connection to them, identify with them…. So I think at least what we can be doing is assisting the humanitarian crisis and assisting the people and the desperate families and the children.

This week it was announced that this month the Jolie-Pitt Foundation has donated $1 million to help displaced people in Pakistan.

WATCH ANGELINA JOLIE’S WORLD REFUGEE DAY PSA HERE>>>

ANGELINA JOLIE: UNCHR GOODWILL AMBASSADOR >>>

Follow Us

Become a Fan on Facebook