United Nations is an organization that came into being after World War II with one main goal, which was to maintain global peace and integrity. To achieve that goal, the United Nations introduced the concept of Goodwill ambassadors in 1954 to spread awareness about social or health issues such as how to cope with poverty after any natural disasters or prevent one’s self from breast cancer or HIV. These goodwill ambassadors are prominent individuals who are carefully chosen from different aspects of society they deal with, i.e., art, music, literature or culture so they can use their privileged platform for the good of the planet. Goodwill ambassadors are influential people that promote the ideas of peace and a sense of togetherness throughout the world. These individuals are supported by the Chief of staff-General’s highest award for a member of the human race, so in turn, they devote their time, expertise and enthusiasm to make people aware of the initiatives and aims of the United Nations General assembly to improve their quality of life.
As suggested by geopoliticalmonitor.com, the first goodwill ambassador was appointed in the year 1954 for United Nations Children Fund (UNCF) and the selection process is continued since then. The Goodwill ambassadors go to the fields and make people aware of critical issues with solutions to their struggles. Several celebrity Goodwill ambassadors like Angelina Jolie (not an ambassador anymore but a special envoy because of her exceptional services for the refugee Agency in 2010), Emma Watson, Jackie Chan and Whoopie Goldberg strike the fields of concern and fulfill their responsibilities. These celebrities use their star power to raise issues that are usually ignored by the mainstream mass and encourage people to work for the way out.
Angelina Jolie
It’s almost difficult to forget Angelina Jolie thinking about the most famous celebrity Goodwill ambassador. She is known for her extraordinary services for the UN. In 2001, she was named Special Envoy to the High Commissioner for Refugees of the United Nations, António Guterres, in 2012. At present, she is a full-time diplomat, which means; to other ambassadors, leaders, and agencies around the world, she represents the UN Refugee Agency. To be precise, she has conducted 40 visits to more than 40 countries to date. She has been raising humanitarian issues in the UN. She has been dedicating much of her time and money to humanitarian causes, concentrating in particular on the plight of refugees in trouble spots around the world.
Emma Watson
After joining the ranks of celebrity do-gooders six months ago, the 24-year-old actress Emma Watson has made her first major speech as a United Nations Women’s Goodwill Ambassador. Speaking at the United Nations headquarters in New York, the actress launched the UN HeForShe initiative aimed at including men in combating gender inequality and racism. She made it clear that gender inequality is an issue that involves men too, because they also have important women in their lives who deserve liberty of choice in all aspects of life.
Jackie Chan
Jackie Chan is an internationally renowned action hero in martial arts who has starred in over 150 films. He was made a goodwill ambassador during his visit to Cambodia in 2004. Having worked extensively to support charitable works and causes, he is a keen philanthropist and a goodwill ambassador for UNICEF. He has advocated against animal abuse for protection and supported efforts for disaster relief, particularly for the children living the landmine injuries. He also struggled with the HIV stigma.
Whoopie Goldberg
Ambassador of goodwill. Whoopi Goldberg, an award-winning actress, producer and television personality, is a vocal human rights activist who is also known to co-found and host Comic Relief in the United States to raise money for homeless people. Whoopie Goldberg was named UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2003. She started by raising awareness among children about HIV / AIDS for UNICEF and helps with campaigns on a regular basis. She provided her voice to the campaign to raise funds and awareness in 2004 after the Indian Ocean tsunami.
With all the efforts made by these goodwill ambassadors, they are making the world change for the better by holding hands and helping fellows in need.
