Angelina Jolie Receives UN Freedom Award

UN refugee agency, Angelina Jolie receive Freedom Award.

Angelina Jolie Courtesy: amfor.net

(UNITED NATIONS) - The International Rescue Committee has given its annual Freedom Award to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie in recognition of their contributions to the cause.

“The Freedom Award is a symbol that we will only be able to fully enjoy our freedom when everyone else is able to enjoy theirs,” said High Commissioner António Guterres at a ceremony in New York on Wednesday.

Although unable to attend the event, Ms. Jolie in a video message hailed the close partnership between UNHCR and the International Rescue Committee.

People of concern to UNHCR include not only refugees, but related groups such as asylum-seekers, refugee returnees, stateless people and some of the estimated 25 million people who are displaced within their own countries, normally known as internally displaced persons (IDP).

Story continues below

Since 2006, the number of refugees worldwide has been increasing and now stands at some 10 million, UNHCR said, attributing the rise largely to the crisis in Iraq.

This year marked the second time the UN agency has been honoured by the International Rescue Committee for its work protecting refugees; in 1995, the then High Commissioner Sadako Ogata received the Freedom Award.

Reports From Iraq

Salem-News.com Top Stories
Winter Storm and High Wind Warnings Blow into NorthWest

---

Police Say Driving Rampage Ends in Fatal Shots

---

Afghanistan, the Unlearned Lesson

---

Greenscam: Scientific Mass Manipulation in Action

---

Living the Lie: Agent Orange Activist Confronts Monsanto

---

Name:

Enter the text from the image to confirm you are human.(Cookies are required)

HTML tags and certain characters are removed - (numbers, letters only or post may be cut short.) certain words are banned to stop spammers. All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.