+
upworthy
More

12 pics of Angelina Jolie demanding the world help Syrian refugees.

The actor wants change.

Wherever Angelina Jolie goes, adoring fans will wait just to catch a glimpse of the Hollywood star.

Like in Athens, Greece, where the actor was greeted by crowds on March 16, 2016.


Photo by Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images.

But the families in the photo above couldn't be further away from the bright lights of Hollywood (or the comforts of home, for that matter). They're refugees staying in Greece's port of Piraeus.

Jolie, a UNHCR special envoy, dropped by the port on Wednesday to greet the refugees, most of whom fled Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan due to war.

Photo by Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images.

Jolie is also meeting with leaders there to reiterate the humanitarian group's commitment in helping Greece — where about 85% of all the Middle East's refugees have poured into Europe — to reinforce and expand resettlement efforts.

Her visit came just a day after a rainy trip to Lebanon, where she gave an emotional speech pleading for the world to do more to alleviate the refugee crisis.

Photo by Patrick Baz/AFP/Getty Images.

"Every Syrian refugee I have spoken to on this visit, without exception, talked of their desire to return home when the war is over and it is safe for them to do so," she said. "Not with resignation, but with the light in their eyes of people dreaming of being reunited with the country that they love."

In recent years, Jolie has become one of the most visible figures demanding action on the Syrian refugee crisis. Like in 2007, when she visited a camp in Damascus, where 1,200 people who'd been torn away from their communities were staying.

Photo by Morris Bernard/UN High Commissioner for Refugeesvia Getty Images.

Or when she met with an elderly woman, who was trapped inside an Iraqi camp, unable to leave due to violence in neighboring regions.

Photo by Morris Bernard/UN High Commissioner for Refugeesvia Getty Images.

In 2012, Jolie visited victims of war near the Syria-Jordan border.

Photo by Khalil Mazraawi/AFP/Getty Images.

At that time, more than 250,000 people had fled Syria due to conflict — now, that figure's closer to 4.8 million.

Jolie met with displaced families in Khanke last January, too, a few months before giving them a voice on the world stage at the UN.

Photo by Andrew McConnell/UNHCR via Getty Images.

"In 2011, the Syrian refugees I met were full of hope," Jolie said in a speech in front of the UN Security Council in April 2015 in New York City. "They said 'please, tell people what is happening to us,' trusting that the truth alone would guarantee international action."

"When I returned, hope was turning into anger: the anger of the man who held his baby up to me, asking, 'Is this a terrorist? Is my son a terrorist?' On my last visit in February, anger had subsided into resignation, misery and the bitter question, 'Why are we, the Syrian people, not worth saving?'”

And throughout all of these travels, she's had a special place in her heart for those most vulnerable in times of war: children.

Photo by J. Tanner/UNHCR via Getty Images.

Photo by Andrew McConnell/UNHCR via Getty Images.

Photo by STR/AFP/Getty Images.

Her most recent visit with refugees, however, comes at an especially critical time.

A summit is underway this week in Brussels, with the European Union and Turkey hoping to finalize a resettlement strategy in the region by March 18.

The deal, however, hasn't been without controversy, as it could send thousands of Syrians who came to Greece unlawfully back to Turkey in exchange for "genuine" asylum seekers — a move some protesters say is both illegal and immoral, given international law regarding refugees.


Photo by Milos Bicanski/Getty Images.

What's more, ISIS — the terror group that's uprooted millions of families now seeking refuge in Europe — is officially considered responsible for genocide, Secretary of State John Kerry announced on March 17.

The categorization reflects a grave situation unfolding where Jolie is working on the ground.

During this pivotal week, Jolie met with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in hopes of making sure helping refugees remains a top priority.

Photo by Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images.

"I am here to reinforce efforts by UNHCR and the Greek government to step up the emergency response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation," Jolie said in a press release. "I look forward to meeting authorities, partners and volunteers working on the ground to improve conditions and ensure the vulnerable are protected."

Photo by Louisa Gouliamaki/AFP/Getty Images.

Jolie may have a bigger megaphone than you when it comes to promoting action, but you shouldn't feel hopeless.

There are plenty of ways everyday people can fight for refugees, from spreading critical information on the crisis through social media channels, to lending a hand as a volunteer, or donating funds for support. Learn more about ways you can help here.

True

Making new friends as an adult is challenging. While people crave meaningful IRL connections, it can be hard to know where to find them. But thanks to one Facebook Group, meeting your new best friends is easier than ever.

Founded in 2018, NYC Brunch Squad brings together hundreds of people who come as strangers and leave as friends through its in-person events.

“Witnessing the transformative impact our community has on the lives of our members is truly remarkable. We provide the essential support and connections needed to thrive amid the city's chaos,” shares Liza Rubin, the group’s founder.

Despite its name, the group doesn’t just do brunch. They also have book clubs, seasonal parties, and picnics, among other activities.

NYC Brunch Squad curates up to 10 monthly events tailored to the specific interests of its members. Liza handles all the details, taking into account different budgets and event sizes – all people have to do is show up.

“We have members who met at our events and became friends and went on to embark on international journeys to celebrate birthdays together. We have had members get married with bridesmaids by their sides who were women they first connected with at our events. We’ve had members decide to live together and become roommates,” Liza says.

Members also bond over their passion for giving back to their community. The group has hosted many impact-driven events, including a “Picnic with Purpose” to create self-care packages for homeless shelters and recently participated in the #SquadSpreadsJoy challenge. Each day, the 100 members participating receive random acts of kindness to complete. They can also share their stories on the group page to earn extra points. The member with the most points at the end wins a free seat at the group's Friendsgiving event.

Keep ReadingShow less
Democracy

This Map Reveals The True Value Of $100 In Each State

Your purchasing power can swing by 30% from state to state.

Image by Tax Foundation.

Map represents the value of 100 dollars.

As the cost of living in large cities continues to rise, more and more people are realizing that the value of a dollar in the United States is a very relative concept. For decades, cost of living indices have sought to address and benchmark the inconsistencies in what money will buy, but they are often so specific as to prevent a holistic picture or the ability to "browse" the data based on geographic location.

The Tax Foundation addressed many of these shortcomings using the most recent (2015) Bureau of Economic Analysis data to provide a familiar map of the United States overlaid with the relative value of what $100 is "worth" in each state. Granted, going state-by-state still introduces a fair amount of "smoothing" into the process — $100 will go farther in Los Angeles than in Fresno, for instance — but it does provide insight into where the value lies.

Keep ReadingShow less
Identity

One man turned nursing home design on its head when he created this stunning facility

"What if we design an environment that looks like outside?" he said. "What if I can have a sunrise and sunset inside the building?



92-year-old Norma had a strange and heartbreaking routine.

Every night around 5:30 p.m., she stood up and told the staff at her Ohio nursing home that she needed to leave. When they asked why, she said she needed to go home to take care of her mother. Her mom, of course, had long since passed away.

Behavior like Norma's is quite common for older folks suffering from Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia. Walter, another man in the same assisted living facility, demanded breakfast from the staff every night around 7:30.

Keep ReadingShow less
via PixaBay

Being an adult is tough.

Nothing can ever fully prepare you for being an adult. Once you leave childhood behind, the responsibilities, let-downs and setbacks come at you fast. It’s tiring and expensive, and there's no easy-to-follow roadmap for happiness and success.

A Reddit user named u/Frequent-Pilot5243 asked the online forum, “What’s an adult problem nobody prepared you for?” and there were a lot of profound answers that get to the heart of the disappointing side of being an adult.

One theme that ran through many responses is the feeling of being set adrift. When you’re a kid, the world is laid out as a series of accomplishments. You learn to walk, you figure out how to use the bathroom, you start school, you finish school, maybe you go to college, and so on.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

7 things Black people want their well-meaning white friends to know

"You, white friend, need to speak up and say something when I can't."

Growing up black in a white neighborhood.

I grew up black in a very white neighborhood in a very white city in a very white state.

As such, I am a lot of people's only black friend.

Keep ReadingShow less

Charlie Munger of Berkshire Hathaway.

Charles Munger, Vice Chairman of Berkshire Hathaway and Warren Buffet’s closest business partner, passed away on Tuesday, November 28, at 99. Buffett and Munger's partnership lasted over 50 years, producing Berkshire Hathaway, one of the largest and most successful conglomerates in history.

When Munger passed, his estimated worth was $2.6 billion. Buffet, 93, is believed to be worth $119 billion.

But Munger was far more than just a wealthy man. Apple CEO Tim Cook called Munger a “keen observer of the world around him,” and he was known for his pithy bits of common-sense wisdom known as “Mungerisms.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Health

If you're grieving a loved one this holiday season, here's a gift you can give yourself

After losing her almost-4-year-old daughter to epilepsy, Kelly Cervantes created a "grief companion" that meets people wherever they are in their grief journey.

Images courtesy of Kelly Cervantes

Kelly Cervantes wrote her way through grieving the loss of her daughter, Adelaide.

Kelly Cervantes begins the Introduction to her book with five words: "Grief sucks. It's also weird." It's a concise truth that anyone who has lost a loved one knows all too well.

Grief is a universal experience—none of us get through life without loss—but it's also unique to each person. Most of us are familiar with the popular "stages of grief" theory, but denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance (along with guilt and a host of things) are less like sequential rungs on a ladder and more like pools you fall into at various times as you stumble your way through the grief process. Grief is not linear and it's not neat and tidy and it's not predictable.

Take it from someone who's been there. Kelly Cervantes lost her daughter, Adelaide, to epilepsy just shy of her 4th birthday. Using writing as a therapeutic tool to help her process Adelaide's medically complex life, death and everything that came after, Kelly created the book she wished she'd had as she was trying to navigate her own grieving process.

Keep ReadingShow less