As Jordyn Flows

[Instead of writing the typical research paper without enthusiasm, my sophmore term paper was a labor of love. My 10th grade Last year, my History teacher allowed his students to choose any topic, so long as it was historically accurate, effectively proved a thesis, and of course had substance. With an oppurtunity to invent my own topic, I researched my idol, Audrey Hepburn, a classic actress who is an icon for many young females as well. Specifically, I focused on Hepburn's role as an infulential UNICEF amabassador and U2's front man Bono and  actress Angelina Jolie's modern attempt to continue Hepburn's humanitarian work].

Humanitarian institutions have greatly benefited from the support of various international celebrities over the years. One of the founding celebrity benefactors of modern charitable organizations was actress Audrey Hepburn. Hepburn began working with UNICEF in 1988 and was fully committed to serving others until her death. Hepburn spoke on behalf of children’s rights, health, and education. Today, many celebrities use their fame and fortune to passionately promote their causes, following in Hepburn’s footsteps. Indeed, Hepburn’s humanitarian efforts as the first celebrity international activist and as a UNICEF ambassador set the standard for future “goodwill” supporters.

In May 4, 1929 Audrey Hepburn was born in Brussels Belgium. Her father, J. A. Hepburn-Ruston was a banker and her mother Baroness Ella van Heemstra was a Christian scientist. When Audrey was eight years old her father left her family. As a result, Ella van Heemstra was solely responsible for Audrey and her two brothers. Concerned about the welfare of her family when Germany invaded Poland, Ella decided to move her family to the Netherlands. Nevertheless, Germany soon invaded the Netherlands despite Ella’s effort to avoid the war.  Throughout World War II Audrey received little food, but regardless she was “performing in ballet shows to help raise money for the Dutch war effort.” (Ferrer 13). After the war, Hepburn continued to pursue ballet in England. In 1952 Colette, a French novelist discovered Hepburn in Monaco. Immediately there after, Hepburn was cast as the main role in the Broadway show Gigi. Hepburn received praise for her performance and was on her rise to fame. Colette labeled Hepburn as “a virtual Miss United Nations, half-Dutch, half-Irish, Belgian-born, a new star in England and America.” (Ferrer 46).

Hepburn’s childhood had affected her positively and negatively. Her experience through World War II filled her with compassion and shaped her motivations to help poverty or grief stricken countries and children. Hepburn’s family and friends endured many hardships. Throughout the liberation her family had little food and money. She witnessed “the loss of peace, freedom, and democracy.” (Ferrer 4) Hepburn lived in Netherlands, which was one of the longest countries occupied by The Third Reich. She remembers the fear she felt when the German soldiers arrived. Vivid memories of bombs, undernourishment, and neglect remained with Hepburn.

As a respected actress, Hepburn easily made the transition from actress to an “Ambassador of Children”. Throughout her career, she received five Oscar nominations and won the Best Actress Academy award. Out of the limelight, Hepburn was a true professional. Hepburn is admired for her “poise” and “elegance” (Johnson 20). Her cosmopolitan sophistication set her apart from Hollywood. She kept her personal life away from the public eye. She was “untouched” and “unsoiled” by the entertainment industry. (Johnson 20).

 Nonetheless, she was a leading lady in Hollywood and maintained an international fan base. On November 1^st 1954, Cecil Beaton from Vogue magazine described Hepburn’s new popularity,  

‘It is a rare phenomenon to find a very young girl with such ‘inherent’ star quality. As a result of her enormous success, Audrey Hepburn has already acquired the extra incandescent glow which comes as a result of being acclaimed, admired, and loved. Yet while developing her radiance, she has too much innate candor to take on the gloss of artificially Hollywood is apt to demand of its queens.’ (Ferrer 87).

Hepburn made her last film in 1988. Her acting career enabled her to pursue her passion to improving the lives of children. She believed that every child had a right to a good life. She was naturally maternal, “If a child has been hit by a car at that moment you don’t stop and wonder whose fault it is…you just pick it up and run all the way to the hospital.” (Ferrer 146) UNICEF’s (United Nation Children’s Fund) mission is to advocate children’s rights and help meet their needs. Hepburn took advantage of her fame as an UNICEF ambassador in 1989. She used her career and celebrity status effectively by bringing awareness to causes she advocated. When discussing her fame Hepburn stated: “I’m glad I’ve got a name, because I’m using for it what its worth. Its like a bonus that my career has given to me.” (http://www.audrey1.com) The media gave her tremendous attention due to her persona, and, thus, UNICEF would receive attention as well. Hepburn’s image made her perfect to promote UNICEF. She discussed her purpose: “My task is to inform, to create awareness of the needs of children. It would be nice to be an expert on education, economics, politics, religions, traditions and cultures. I’m none of those. But I am a mother, and I will travel.” (http://www.audrey1.com/unicef.).

Equally, Hepburn recalled the feelings of comfort when relief arrived. She recalled, “Immediately after the war, an organization, which later became UNICEF, instantly came in with the Red Cross and brought relief for the people…I was one of the beneficiaries with the other children. I’ve known about UNICEF all my life.” (Ferrer 5). The positive impact of the relief effort in the Netherlands shaped her desire to do the same for others later in her life. Hepburn felt responsible to prevent children from having the same pain. Hepburn, “grateful for her own good fortune,” believed it was her obligation to return the favor. (http://en.wikapedia.org/wiki/Audrey_Hepburn). She did this and much more.

Hepburn became fully committed to UNICEF and served as a voice and face for the foundation from 1988 to 1992. Although she only went on eight missions, she made a profound impact. Hepburn dedicated her time to impoverished nations and their children. UNICEF stressed Hepburn’s importance as an ambassador for she “set a precedent for her commitment to the organization.” (http://www.unicef.org/people/).

 Each mission Hepburn took had a purpose. She traveled from Bangladesh to develop education, to Thailand to improve nutrition, to Somalia to improve malnutrition. Her first mission in 1988 was to Ethiopia, the poorest country in the world.  Hepburn reflects on her emotional experience,  “I went into rebel country and saw mothers and their children who had walked for ten days, even three weeks, looking for food, settling onto the desert floor into makeshift camps where they may die. Horrible. That image is too much for me. The "Third World" is a term I don't like very much, because we're all one world. I want people to know that the largest part of humanity is suffering, that starvation exists even in a wealthy country like America - which is scandalous, a true disgrace…. I think that, today, never has there been more suffering in more places all at once. At the same time, never has there been so much hope. We've had the greatest gift mankind could possibly give to children, which is "The Convention on the Rights of the Child." Two hundred and fifty thousand children die every week - last week, next week - and nobody really talks about it. It's the greatest shame and tragedy of our times. And it must stop." (http://www.audrey1.com/unicef/index.html). 

After each mission, Hepburn was overwhelmed. However, she was determined to mend the tragedies she saw.  Hepburn was persistent in her desire to inform the citizens of the world of the malnutrition and despair of its children. The world had to accept responsibility of reality. Hepburn stressed education and awareness as fundamental solutions to improve life. Moreover, Hepburn believed it was essential to have politicians focus more on the welfare of people as well as long-term issues.

Through experience and politics Hepburn learned how to effectively represent UNICEF.  She spoke on behalf of children to the United Nations, Congress, press associations, and world parliaments– her schedule was strenuous. When she was not visiting countries, she helped raise funds for UNICEF.  Hepburn continued to work for UNICEF until her untimely death in 1992 from abdominal cancer caused by an antibiotic that she took for a mission. Her work with UNICEF was the result of her death.

Audrey Hepburn was the first modern celebrity activist. She advocated children’s rights. A determined ambassador, she refused to accept the odds she faced. Even her death resulted from her passion. However, she was modest about her impact and claimed she was just another witness. Yet Hepburn was more than just a witness; she was a leader. She used her platform as a celebrity to benefit others. She believed, “There is just no question that there is a moral obligation for those who have to give those who have nothing.” (Ferrer 181). Hepburn was pleased her name had made people listen to how they could help. Her son commented, “She often said she was glad she hadn’t overused her image because when the UNICEF work was offered to her the public still had an interest in her.” (Ferrer 209). Hepburn knew she made an impact on children’s lives around the world. She believed: “[t]ogether there is nothing we cannot do.” (Ferrer 201) Hepburn regarded the press coverage on the Somalia cause as her best contribution. She helped pass the Right of the Child Charter as well. UNICEF said Audrey “worked tirelessly for UNICEF when not making field trips: testifying before the U.S. Congress, launching the UNICEF’s flagship publication, the State of the World’s Children, and giving as many as 15 interviews a day to publicize UNICEF’s work.” (http://www.unicef.org/people/people).

Hepburn was honored for her humanitarian efforts. She received The Highest Civilian Award, The Medal of Freedom, and The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. After her death in 1993, Hepburn’s son created an organization to continue her efforts, The Audrey Hepburn Memorial Fund. Today, this fund provides education to 120 million people around the world.  As an ambassador, Hepburn set new expectations for other goodwill supporters. She was the first of many celebrity activists and paved the ways for other humanitarians. 

Currently, other celebrity activists are attempting to embark on the same path as Hepburn. Bono the lead singer of U2 is a leading campaigner for debt relief for third world countries and AIDS awareness. The world’s biggest rock star began his charitable work at a Live Aid concert in 1985. In 2000, Bono created his own organization DATA (debt, Aids, trade, Africa) to end poverty, disease, and indifference. He also leads the ONE campaign. He has created an alliance with Bill Gates to make “poverty history.” (Tyrangiel 60). An idealist, Bono’s activism has brought impressive results. “Pharmaceutical companies have made the commitment to give free HIV drugs to Africa”. (Tyrangiel 50). Furthermore, The G-8 offered fifty billion dollars in aid and permitted “universal access to antiretroviral drugs for ten million people with HIV” (Tyrangiel 50).  

In addition to musician and activist, Bono has “mastered the political game”. (Tyrangiel 46) Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum said Bono “understands his issues better than ninety-nine percent of members of congress.” (Tyrangiel 49). Often Bono meets with world leaders to discuss global poverty. Bono’s December 2006 Time Person’s of the Year citation read:

 ‘Bono’s great gift is to take what has made him famous—charm, clarity of voice, an ability to touch people in their secret heart—combine those traits with a keen grasp of the political game and obsessive attention to detail, and channel it all toward getting everyone, from world leaders to music lovers, to engage with something overwhelming in its complexity.’ (Tyrangiel 50) 

Actress Angelina Jolie has an influence on children’s welfare as well.  In 2001, Jolie became a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). Since 2001, Jolie has traveled to nine refugee operations. She decided to take on this role because she believed in “equality and the protection of human rights for all people.” (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news) Essentially, Jolie’s role is to care for children and inform others what they can do to help. Jolie shares her experience:  

 ‘Some of the camps have hundreds of thousand people in horrible living conditions. One of the biggest problems is food distribution. Food is distributed in the camps every two weeks, but sometimes due to funding levels, food rations are cut. In some camps people are living on rations that provide only 60 to 80 percent of their daily nutritional needs.’ (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news).  

The celebrity statuses of Hepburn, Jolie, and Bono have been beneficial as a result of the media’s obsession with celebrities and Hollywood. Since they are constantly in the public eye, their organizations receive additional publicity. Due to recent technological advancements such as the Internet, cable, and satellite television, Bono and Jolie have the potential to further pursue their goals and add to Hepburn’s great legacy.    Hepburn focused her efforts in both a political and personal way by utilizing her fame. On each mission she shared personal encounters with the citizens of each country. Today, Angelina Jolie has attempted to take this personal approach as well. Moreover, Hepburn spoke to the U.S. Congress about children’s right, and ways to improve them. Similar to Hepburn, Bono has focused on international affairs from a political viewpoint.  Ultimately, Jolie and Bono represent the modern day attempt to reach the standard that Hepburn set for celebrity activism.           .