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 Why I support the ̽����ѡ

̽����ѡ celebrity Ambassadors share why they are proud supporters of the ̽����ѡ’s work with refugee families in the world’s toughest places.

Featuring Keegan-Michael Key, Sting, Morena Baccarin, Mandy Patinkin and Kathryn Grody, Zeeko Zaki, Sepideh Moafi, Piper Perabo, Noma Dumezweni, Kal Penn, Ebony Obsidian, Sam Mendes, Sarah Wayne Callies, Jay Ellis and Aisha Tyler.

Rami Malek

November 19, 2021: The ̽����ѡ welcomes Rami Malek as our newest ̽����ѡ Ambassador.

The son of Egyptian immigrants, Rami Malek is best known for his role as Queen lead singer Freddie Mercury in the biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), for which he won the Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Screen Actors Guild Award and British Academy Film Award for Best Actor.

"I support the ̽����ѡ because I believe everyone should have an opportunity to seek a better future for themselves," he says. "My family had that opportunity and I’m so very grateful for it."

Mandy Patinkin

“I don't get how people in different countries all over the world can be frightened of people who suffered so much, who are so in need, who are so desperately asking to have freedom, justice and dignity. Just give them a welcome.”
—Mandy Patinkin

Photo: Tyler Jump

Tony and Emmy award-winning star of stage and screen Mandy Patinkin (Evita, “Homeland,” The Princess Bride) recently travelled to Jordan to meet Syrian refugees. He also recently travelled Italy, to meet with asylum-seeking families and unaccompanied children, as well as see local Italian integration initiatives and businesses run by refugees and their local hosts. In November 2015, he travelled to the Greek island of Lesbos and witnessed firsthand the refugee crisis gripping Europe. Alongside ̽����ѡ aid workers, he met families who had fled Syria and other war-torn countries in hope of finding a better life for their children. Mandy was deeply moved by the mountains of lifejackets left behind by refugees who had risked their lives in flimsy boats to cross the Aegean—a symbol of the desperation and despair afflicting millions across the region. He has since revisited ̽����ѡ programmes in Greece and travelled with the ̽����ѡ to Serbia, Germany and Uganda. 

Lena Headey

Game of Thrones actress Lena Headey — who plays Cersei Lannister on the HBO drama — returned to Greece in March 2019 with the ̽����ѡ to meet with refugees fleeing from Syria and other war-torn countries, and to spotlight a growing mental health crisis. She has spoken out against the “dehumanizing” treatment of refugees seeking safety in Europe. With the ̽����ѡ, also Lena produced a series of portraits of refugees stuck on the Greek island of Lesbos to raise awareness of the conditions faced by those living in the camps.

"These people aren't "them"—they're us. They're daughters, sons, mothers, brothers, fathers, sisters, and grandparents who just want to return to their culture and to their neighborhoods. They want their children to continue their educations. They want to continue their university studies. And they're STUCK. They're stuck. They are sad and frustrated and tired, understandably so," Lena writes in an 2016 opinion piece  

"These people aren't "them"—they're us. They're daughters, sons, mothers, brothers, fathers, sisters, and grandparents who just want to return to their culture and to their neighborhoods. They want their children to continue their educations. They want to continue their university studies. And they're STUCK. They're stuck. They are sad and frustrated and tired, understandably so," Lena writes in an  published by Marie Claire. 

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George and Amal Clooney

“These aren’t people who have left their country for no reason at all. These are people who have left because of incredible tragedy. And they are people who had real lives, normal lives, and their worlds were destroyed.” —George Clooney

Academy Award–winning actor and producer George Clooney and his wife, international human-rights lawyer Amal Clooney, met with Syrian refugees who resettled in Germany. The refugees shared stories of their lives in war-ravaged Syria and the Clooneys shared their own families’ histories of exile.

A decade ago, George Clooney and his father, Nick, travelled to southern Sudan and eastern Chad where they met with ̽����ѡ aid workers and spoke with dozens of people who fled the brutal conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region.

Mia Farrow

In her new role as an ̽����ѡ Ambassador, actor and humanitarian Mia Farrow is calling for improvements to the global system for treating acute malnutrition. She recently visited ̽����ѡ programmes in South Sudan and Chad. 

Romola Garai

“The most important thing I learned in Burundi was how vital it is to empower people to help themselves. Gone are the days where we, the developed world, can swoop into countries and spend money on short-term “emergency relief” and believe that is enough. Long-term solutions are the real answer.” —Romola Garai

English actress Romola Garai, known for her role in BBC’s The Hour and the film Suffragette, has been an ̽����ѡ Ambassador for several years. She has travelled to Burundi to visit ̽����ѡ youth and livelihood programmes focused on giving women the tools they need to start businesses in their communities.

Morena Baccarin

“The ̽����ѡ has a real impact on people’s lives. From programmes to protect and empower women and girls around the world to programmes that help refugees adjust to their new lives in the U.S., the ̽����ѡ is focused on giving refugees the tools they need to thrive.” —Morena Baccarin

Following her Emmy-nominated performance in Showtime’s “Homeland,” Morena Baccarin can be seen in Fox’s hit series “Gotham.” She also recently starred on the big screen in Marvel’s smash hit Deadpool. Inspired by her mother’s work as an activist for women’s rights in Brazil, Morena is a strong advocate for the protection and empowerment of women and girls. As an ̽����ѡ Ambassador, she has visited our refugee resettlement programmes in Baltimore, New York and Colombia.

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Sarah Wayne Callies

“The ̽����ѡ has been doing its work quietly and modestly for a long time, and I'm proud of them, but my job as a Voice is to speak loudly so we can get more people to help. It's an honour to be a part of something like this.” —Sarah Wayne Callies

Actress Sarah Wayne Callies, star of “Colony,” “The Walking Dead,” “Prison Break” and Warner Bros.’ Into the Storm, is from a refugee family. Her grandfather fled the White Terror in Hungary in the 1920s. Today, she is a dedicated supporter of the ̽����ѡ. Sarah says she is always impressed by the bravery, dedication and generosity of the people she meets during her visits to countries such as Thailand, Jordan, Iraq and Serbia.

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Jencarlos Canela

“I very much identify with the ̽����ѡ’s mission to help children and their families fleeing dangerous situations. I can’t think of a more rewarding use of my time than to support the ̽����ѡ’s lifesaving work. Being able to help people in need is my dream.” —Jencarlos Canela

Inspired by his father’s journey to the U.S. from Cuba, actor and recording artist Jencarlos Canela has been a proud ̽����ѡ volunteer for several years. Currently, the award-winning musician stars on the NBC sitcom “Telenovela”. As an ̽����ѡ Ambassador, he visited our programmes in Haiti twice and joined the ̽����ѡ in leading the New Year’s Eve countdown in Times Square to ring in 2015.

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Danielle de Niese

“I am honoured to be able to use my voice to help raise awareness and support for some of the world’s most vulnerable, the challenges they face, and their incredible resilience and determination to build a better future for themselves and for their families.” —Danielle de Niese

Acclaimed opera star Danielle de Niese has been using her voice offstage to advocate for refugees and those displaced by conflict around the world. The famed soprano has travelled with the ̽����ѡ to Tanzania, visiting our child-protection programmes focused on ending child labour. She also visited refugees resettled in the San Francisco area, meeting with music students at the Oakland International High School.

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Rashida Jones

"The ̽����ѡ offers food, water and health care to people displaced by emergencies or war. During a visit to a refugee camp in Thailand, for example, I was touched by people’s resourcefulness when provided with the right tools. Once these people are resettled, the ̽����ѡ helps them become citizens and integrate into their new cultures." —Rashida Jones

Actor, writer and producer Rashida Jones has starred in television and film productions including “Parks and Recreation” and Celeste and Jesse Forever. She is currently appearing in the TBS comedy “Angie Tribeca.” As an ̽����ѡ Ambassador, Rashida has travelled to Thailand to visit the Tham Hin refugee camp, where the ̽����ѡ provides lifesaving health care and clean water. She also visited our New Roots community gardens in San Diego and New York where resettled refugees literally plant new roots in their new communities.

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John Legend

“In visiting the ̽����ѡ’s Refugee Summer Youth Academy, I really connected with the Leaders in Training [high school refugee students who serve as youth counsellors]. It’s wonderful that, after learning from the programme and going on to become successful in their own schools, they choose to come back and give their summers to help other students through the same process. I find that inspiring.” —John Legend

Ten-time Grammy Award–winner and Academy Award–winner John Legend is a long-time ̽����ѡ supporter and ̽����ѡ Ambassador. He believes that every child deserves a quality education and commits much of his time making sure children have the chance to thrive in school. John has visited the ̽����ѡ’s Refugee Youth Summer Academy in New York, a programme that helps prepare refugee and immigrant children for school in the autumn.

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Nykhor Paul

“I am so honoured to be joining this extraordinary group of people to raise awareness of the ̽����ѡ’s work around the world. It was an unforgettable experience to travel back to Ethiopia with the ̽����ѡ and be an active part of their lifesaving work and reunite with my parents for the first time since I moved to America.” —Nykhor Paul

Model Nykhor Paul was born in Sudan but fled with her family to Ethiopia, where she grew up as a refugee. She moved to the U.S. in 1988. Nykhor has visited two camps in the Gambella region of Ethiopia, where thousands of South Sudanese refugees have sought shelter from the civil war ravaging their newly independent country. On that trip, Nykhor was reunited with her parents, who live in one of these camps, for the first time in 16 years.

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Piper Perabo

“Whether assisting refugees who have been forced to flee the Syrian conflict or guiding refugee youth through the New York public school system, the ̽����ѡ impacts and transforms lives.” —Piper Perabo

The Golden Globe-nominated star of USA’s “Covert Affairs,” Piper Perabo became an ̽����ѡ Ambassador to help those displaced by conflict, religious persecution and political oppression around the globe. Piper has travelled to Greece with an ̽����ѡ emergency team to raise awareness of the refugee crisis in Europe. In June 2019  she visited ̽����ѡ programs in Arizona that assist Central American families seeking asylum at the U.S. southern border.

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Joshua Redman

“I've been greatly impressed with the depth of the ̽����ѡ’s devotion to human beings, and the breadth of its work in defence of human dignity." —Joshua Redman

Two-time Grammy-nominated jazz saxophonist and composer Joshua Redman has been a dedicated ̽����ѡ Ambassador for many years. Josh has visited the ̽����ѡ’s programmes in Myanmar, where we are providing vulnerable people living in remote villages with health care, clean water and other vital services and resources.

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