While she may most well known as an actress, the humanitarian Angelina Jolie values a life of service over the glitz and glam of Hollywood. She speaks with John Kerry in the latest issue of ELLE Magazine.

The humanitarian Angelina Jolie is far from just another glamorous Hollywood icon. The Oscar-winning actress, director and producer has worked tirelessly on humanitarian causes around the world for the past seventeen years.

This includes serving as a goodwill ambassador and special envoy to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. She’s completed nearly 60 field missions, including visits to Lebanon, Jordan, and Iraq.

Speaking with ELLE magazine for the March 2018 issue that honors International Women’s Day, Angelina opened up about passing on her ideals to her daughters.

“I tell my daughters, ‘What sets you apart is what you are willing to do for others. Anyone can put on a dress and makeup. It’s your mind that will define you,’” Angelina told the publication. “‘Find out who you are, what you think, and what you stand for. And fight for others to have those same freedoms. A life of service is worth living.’”

The mom-of-six was interviewed by former Secretary of State John Kerry for the magazine, and also discussed her ongoing campaign against the use of rape and sexual violence as weapons of war. She stressed the importance of women as well as men to work together to advance women’s rights.

“In some countries, sexual violence is less of a taboo discussion. It’s something more people expect their leaders to act on,” Angelina said. “Over 150 countries have signed a commitment to end impunity for war-zone rape. There are new teams in place to gather evidence and support prosecutions. I was in Kenya last summer as UN peacekeeping troops received new training, since peacekeepers have been part of the problem. We’re working with NATO on training, protection, and getting more women in the military. But there is so far to go.”

Jolie admitted that she was quite “anti-politics” when she was younger, but started working on human-rights issues and meeting refugees and survivors mostly because she wanted to learn. What started off as a romanticized vision of service became a passion against injustice.

To teach her daughters about activism firsthand, Angie took them with her to meet Syrian refugees just last month. They accompanied the star on a UNHCR trip to the Zataari refugee camp in Jordan where they met with Syrians who fled the violence of the ongoing civil war in their country. Daughters Zahara and Shiloh were introduced to girls around their own ages who were part of the TIGER (These Inspiring Girls Enjoy Reading) project, which focuses on education and empowerment for refugees.

Angelina also took all six of her kids to Paris together last month, where she met with French President Emmanuel Macron and the First Lady Brigitte to discuss causes she is passionate about.

 

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