Susan Sarandon

© UNICEF video

Internationally acclaimed actress Susan Sarandon has devoted her talents to supporting efforts to relieve hunger, promote women’s issues, help children in need, and people with HIV/AIDS around the world. In 1999 she received the Amnesty International USA Media Spotlight Award for Leadership and the same year was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.

Shortly after her appointment Sarandon delivered an inspiring address at UNICEF House in New York to help launch one of the organization’s flagship publications: The State of the World’s Children 2000. At the beginning of 2000 she filmed a series of public service announcements in support of UNICEF’s global work. In addition she prepared video and radio messages that helped promote the work of the Canadian UNICEF Committee.

Sarandon undertook her first UNICEF field mission to the United Republic of Tanzania in May 2000. She met the President and other senior government officials and visited UNICEF health and education programmes, including a community theatre that uses drama to inform young people about the risks of HIV/AIDS. She opened a youth centre and met young activists campaigning to protect children, especially girls and women, from HIV/AIDS. On returning to New York she promoted these programmes with the media and co-sponsored the ‘Dig a Well for UNICEF’ fund-raising campaign and initiated and designed a benefit to raise money for clean water.