Angelina Jolie visits Ecuador on first mission as UNHCR Special Envoy

News Stories, 23 April 2012

LAGO AGRIO, Ecuador, April 23 (UNHCR) – Angelina Jolie, making her third trip to meet Colombian refugees in Ecuador, has called on the government to keep an open asylum policy and maintain its tradition of helping vulnerable people in need.

She said that "as the 30th anniversary of the 1984 Cartagena Declaration nears, it is time to celebrate the resilience of the displaced people in the region and renew our commitment to laws and policies that offer them protection, safety and a chance for a dignified life." The Cartagena Declaration broadened the refugee definition used in Latin America and offered a new approach to refugee protection and solutions in the region.

Jolie's call came at the weekend during her first field visit as Special Envoy of High Commissioner António Guterres. She was in Ecuador to assess the situation in urban and rural areas for refugees from Colombia, where almost 50 years of conflict have also left some 4 million people internally displaced.

Ecuador hosts 56,000 refugees and 21,000 asylum-seekers and receives 1,300 new applications for protection each month from people fleeing neighbouring Colombia's continuing violence. Many live in the remote and poor northern areas of the country close to the border.

Jolie's two-day visit began on Saturday in Lago Agrio, capital of Sucumbios province in the north of the country. She visited the oil town's San Valentin neighbourhood, where she met young Colombian refugees and Ecuadoreans who were part of a youth group supported by UNHCR. They told her about their tough lives in an area where the young are often targets for recruitment by armed groups and traffickers.

"I found these people impressive and was really moved by their determination to improve their community and take it into their own hands," Jolie said. She discussed the situation of the youth of the area with Lago Agrio's Mayor Yofre Poma, who runs a series of school programmes aimed at instilling a sense of responsibility in young people and easing the integration of refugees, who comprise 13 per cent of the town's population.

"Through these programmes, the mayor is keeping the culture of tolerance for vulnerable people who have suffered so much violence," Jolie said.

The Special Envoy also visited on Sunday two remote riverside refugee communities in the border area north of Lago Agrio. She returned after two years to the hamlet of Barranca Bermeja on the San Miguel River and met members of the local women's association, which receives UNHCR support.

The refugees spoke about the need to improve access, telling Jolie that under current government regulations they must travel to Lago Agrio in person to renew their refugee documentation. Ín the absence of a public bus service and good road, this can cost a month's salary – a huge burden.

Refugees in the border areas received their first official identity documents in a registration drive between 2008 and 2010. These have proved critical in regularizing the stay of refugees and helping them access their rights. But they now face challenges renewing their documents because the government has cut back on the number and operations of mobile registration teams.

Jolie also visited the Providencia community of 24 Afro-Colombian refugee families, some two hours west of Barranca Bermeja by boat. The settlement was established in 1994 by Colombian refugees, but received no outside help until 2008, when UNHCR turned up.

"It is extraordinary that these people were on their own for 14 years," the Special Envoy said. Since making contact with UNHCR, the refugees have been registered and a primary school has been built, but many challenges remain.

"We really feel the isolation; it is really tough," said Plinio, the community president, who was also concerned about the requirement to travel to Lago Agrio to renew refugee documents. Providencia can only be reached by hiring a boat and it is a two-hour journey from the nearest road.

Despite the hardships in Providencia, Jolie found the people inspiring. "There is this amazing teacher who is so devoted to his students that he has left Lago Agrio to live in this remote place and teach the refugees, who for the first time have access to education, who have a future," Jolie said.

The envoy said she was grateful to this teacher and the many other people who have given assistance to these vulnerable families. "Without finding safety in Ecuador, they would most likely not be alive," she said. "Nobody wants to be a refugee, to have to leave their home. Nobody wants to be living on borrowed land and to have to be begging for a visa every year and not to be able to know what their life or their children´s life is going to be, or whether they can access any jobs or get medical help."

She stressed that it was "very important that UNHCR and the government come here and give assistance. But it is also important that we help the local people understand what it is to be a refugee, what they've come from, what they've survived, what their intentions are. And their intentions are simply that they want to be safe and to have a decent life for their family."

Also on Sunday, the Special Envoy met Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Ricardo Patiño (and senior government officials) to discuss the protection situation for refugees in Ecuador on behalf of UNHCR. She urged the Minister to ensure his government maintains Ecuador’s long history of protecting refugees and that people in need of protection can access their rights.

She said UNHCR would recognize Ecuador's contribution to refugee protection in a new awareness campaign entitled, "Gracias Ecuador" ("Thanks Ecuador"). Jolie was appointed as Special Envoy of High Commissioner António Guterres earlier this month.

By Ariane Rummery in Lago Agrio, Colombia

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Angelina Jolie's Engagement Ring: Designer Robert Procop Talks to HuffPost

He invited HuffPost Weddings to his Beverly Hills design studio to learn about where he gets his inspiration, to talk about his instrumental role in Jolie and Brad Pitt's engagement, and, of course, to see some of his gorgeous baubles up close.

Where do you get your inspiration for your designs?
Almost every collection is an expression of a woman's style, whether it’s influenced by their regional artistic experience or inspired by one’s personality.

With the American Glamour collection, I was inspired by the ideals and love stories of this era. It’s an elegant time when we think of Elizabeth Taylor adorned with opulent gems of bold dimension and rich colors. Reminiscent even of the feelings and images of Frank Sinatra playing the Fontainbleau. It’s an era of magic, of elegance, a time of luxury. Jewels were part of the evening experience, which is captured in the glamorous red carpet and award ceremonies of today.

What is it like for you, as a jewelry designer, to be part of couples' engagement stories as such an instrumental part of the proposal process?
Designing engagement rings is always a privilege. It’s always an honor to be a part of one of the most romantic experiences of a couple’s life. It’s truly a blessing.

What was is like to design a ring for Angelina Jolie with Brad Pitt?
I have had a longstanding professional relationship with both Brad and Angelina. Throughout the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with them on special gifts along with creating unique jewels for them both on and off camera.

Brad had a vision and I was honored to be a part of it. Brad's vision was all about making the perfect ring that compliments her style and grace. The diamonds were all faceted to fit the design, and I will not be making another one.

You and Brad worked on the ring for a year. What’s the process like when you're working with a client on a piece of jewelry for his wife or a special woman in his life?

There are those romantic men in the world who like to plan things. They will put their hearts and minds into creating something special for a woman they adore. Sometimes it is for an upcoming occasion but often it’s for no reason at all, solely a gift of love for a woman. It begins with an inspirational thought that becomes a search for the perfect stone.

After a unique gem is thoughtfully selected, the person will then begin the exploration into what they believe the woman in their life will appreciate and enjoy. They will consider the style, the taste and even the size that will fit her hand. Many times this process begins very much in advanced anticipation of bringing surprise, romance and joy to someone. From this process we create a storyboard for inspiration to help formulate the designs. After images are chosen and reviewed, a final design will be selected.

You collaborated with Brad on his engagement ring for Angelina, but you also collaborated with Angelina on your Style of Jolie collection. What is it like working with her?
She is a truly gifted artist and a pleasure to work with; she brings joy to everyone around her. It is an honor to work with someone who uses her talents to help the lives of so many. She is an inspiration.

What do you see in terms of trends for engagement rings over the next ten or so years?
Traditionally in the past, engagement rings might follow a trend or direction. I’m now seeing an aspiration towards uniqueness, a thoughtful design process, more so than adhering to a trend or style. There seems to be a consciousness toward creating a one-of-a-kind jewel, both in the development approach as well as finding the correct quality and value for a piece. Also, wedding bands are now being designed as a separate jewel. Although generally matching in style, they tend to now be worn separately.

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Chester author John Coventry’s book to become Hollywood film with Angelina Jolie and Anthony Hopkins

Apr 26 2012 by Mark Dowling, Chester Chronicle

A CHESTER author’s fascinating memoir of espionage, inner Government dealings and an unlikely romance with a terrorist is to be made into a Hollywood movie featuring Angelina Jolie and Sir Anthony Hopkins.

John Coventry’s debut book I Was, I Am, I Will Be, published by BenBella Books, has been an international smash hit, so much so that he sold the film rights to Paramount Pictures.

The book details John’s time as a spy against terrorists connected to Ireland and France, before an improbable romance with a well-known member of the Action Directe terrorist group in France, who he later discovers is also linked to the notorious Baader Meinhoff gang.

John said: “It’s a true life memoir. I wrote it and to my amazement the publishers in the US took it on.

“It’s a very frank account and I don’t hold anything back.

“I was brought up fairly well and I did a pretty stupid thing in trying to take money from the Government.

“From that, I worked with Customs and Excise and worked to tackle drugs smugglers who were actually a lot more than that.

“This was a story I thought I would never tell. Many of the events happened so long ago, and many of the memories I wanted to keep buried forever.

“I tried and it was important for me to let the readers know the honest truth, I was not a good person or led a good life, in fact I have made some shocking mistakes and hurt a lot of people.”

John said he had help from Canadian writer Patricia Faber in the production of the book, as well as a number of celebrities.

“I was living for a while in Los Angeles and was very friendly with an actor called Vincent Schiavelli, who starred in Ghost. He knew about my story and told me that to get over my past, I needed to go somewhere peaceful and write it all down, thus the memoir was started.

“I had huge help from the Stallones, both Jackie and her son Sly, (they and Patricia) guided me through the two years of writing this.”

John added he was proud of his Cestrian roots. He said: “I was brought up here in Chester, which despite now spending most of my time in London, Paris, New York and Los Angeles, I consider Chester my home town and the place I love to be and will always remain.

“I live on my own here with my late mother’s 25-year-old Persian cat, Bobby, who has travelled everywhere with me. Chester and its people have always been good to me and one day soon I intend to repay it.”

John is now in the process of writing the concluding part to his two-part memoir, which takes the reader right up to the present day.

Filming on the thriller begins later this year, with the film due out in 2013.

I Was, I Am, I Will Be is available to buy as a hardcover or as a digital download from Amazon and Apple.

Cr ChesterChronicle

Take with a huge pinch of Salt, but I do love the sound of this one!