Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, who recently traveled to Ukraine on a humanitarian mission, has revealed she has always paid for her own trips out of pocket, including during the years she worked with the United Nations.
Jolie told L'Officiel that her travel was never the financial responsibility of the agency, and the same applied to her accommodation, security and other costs. She said she never wanted any organization to take on that burden for her.
Criticism of the UN
Jolie said she has serious concerns about certain aspects of how the UN operates. Despite this, she said she remains deeply convinced of its vital role in protecting human dignity, providing emergency aid to those who have no one else to turn to, defending human rights when no one else will, and bringing countries together in pursuit of peace, which she said too often remains out of reach.
Jolie has long been associated with humanitarian work through the UN refugee agency, serving in an advocacy role that has taken her to conflict zones and crisis regions around the world for more than two decades.
How she chooses where to go
Asked how she selects countries for future trips, Jolie said it is important for her to see that her involvement brings real value. She said it can sound like a cliche, but she believes people are heavily weighed down by the sheer number of crises happening around the world, to the point that it can feel impossible to cope with. She said that is why it matters to highlight programs that are working, or local leaders driving real change and progress.
Calling refugees her closest friends
Jolie also described refugees as being among the people closest to her. She said that when she calls it an honor to work with refugees, she means they are truly some of the most remarkable people she knows, calling them her closest friends. She said she has learned most of her life lessons from them, if not from her own children.
