Angelina Jolie is a household name in the film industry. The American actress has featured in high rating and fast selling movies and she has grown to be a significant role model and an inspirational figure. Acting aside, Angelina is one of the most notable actresses who consistently engage in humanitarian work. She has been involved in a vast number of philanthropic and humanitarian activities across the world. As such, this paper explores one of her projects – Jolie-Pitt Foundation – before analyzing it in relation to her personal values, image and leadership integrity.
The Jolie - Pitt Foundation was an initiative Jolie partnered with her husband, Brad Pitt, in 2006. The establishment aimed at providing humanitarian care across the globe. Jolie secondarily promoted social good as she and her husband pledged to donate funds to particular organizations devoted to humanitarian, especially in developing countries. The organizations that received the funds from the foundation were Global Action for Children and Doctors Without Borders (US Newswire, 2008). Doctors Without Borders, also referred to as Médecins Sans Frontières, is an international organization that relay emergency medical aid in over 80 countries. Following inadequate medical resources and abuse of the medical system, the organization was tailored to voice the neglected crisis before intervening. It is comprised of various medical and health professionals devoted to administering emergency aid based on the region’s medical needs. On the other hand, Global Action for Children is also a non-profitable organization that helps orphans and vulnerable children in under-developed nations. It provides support in terms of education, food and nutrition, health care, and social protection in efforts to improve the children’s lives.
The establishment shows that Jolie is loving and caring. Like many actors, Jolie could have opted for concentrating with her life and acting career. However, she goes out of her way and even includes her husband in her humanitarian acts (Huliaras & Tzifakis, 2015). Remember that her fans and the world in general could not have castigated her if she avoided such practices. A majority would only blame her for poorly playing an acting role. Humanitarian acts have mostly been associated with the government or politicians. Despite this, Jolie commits herself in donating in such big organizations that operate internationally. Clearly, she is deeply concerned with the welfare of others, which shows that she is a person of good heart and faith.
The foundation is a good example of good leadership and integrity as it represents the consistency in principles, values, actions, measures and results. It emphasizes the need of doing the right for the right reason and purpose irrespective of the circumstances. It projects a situation in which the society can confide with those in high status, fostering a culture of trust. While the leaders are sincerely committed to helping the society, especially those in need, the community can believe in them. Since we all have a conscious, we can differentiate right from wrong. To that end, the leaders are not limited to selfish and individualistic. They can employ sound ethics and remain resistant to deviations that threaten the welfare of others. More so, they will willingly share a part of their income to make the society a better place.
Jolie-Pitt Foundation enhances the image of Angelina Jolie in that it sells her as a constantly active humanitarian. Even better, she has received an Oscar award in honor of her humanitarian works. Therefore, the film star has become an ambassador in social work and protection. Today, any Internet material exploring any facet of Jolie’s acting or real life hardly will fail to include/credit her humanitarian interventions. This is regardless of Jolie having a dark past. Her teenage life is characterized by immoral values, particularly drug abuse which saw her suffer from mental degeneration (Huliaras & Tzifakis, 2015). In fact, at one time in her early twenties, the film icon attempted suicide. Nevertheless, people now do not see her as a former drug addict. She is applauded for her humanitarian acts and even poses a challenge for the upcoming players in the film industry. Apparently, she is proving that one’s past do not premise his/her future. Jolie have set a reputable image that many not only appraise but also admire. She also brings pride in the film and entertainment industry given that it is mostly associated with secular and immoral life.
As a conclusion, leadership has been a subject of study, especially for celebrities and their approach towards other external factors. Different celebrities have depicted their leadership qualities in different aspects and Jolie Pitt is among the admirable celebrities, especially in activities concerning giving back to the community. Her kindness and caring character led to the establishment of the Jolie – Pitt Foundation that has played an imperative role in uplifting the life of the poor people in the underdeveloped economies.
References
Huliaras, A., & Tzifakis, N. (2015). Personal connections, unexpected journeys: U2 and Angelina Jolie in Bosnia. Celebrity Studies, 6(4), 443. doi:10.1080/19392397.2015.1087210
Monga, M. (2016). Integrity and Its Antecedent: A Unified Conceptual Framework of Integrity. Journal of Developing Areas, 50415-421.
US Newswire. (2008). Jolie-Pitt Foundation Awards Second Grant to Global Action for Children.
