Originally posted on eurorscgpr.com.
I’m very proud that Euro PR counts Wyclef Jean and his nongovernmental organization, Yéle Haiti, among our clients. I’ve been fortunate to work with him on ongoing communications and when he addressed the delegates at the One Young World conference in London in February. As both a collaborator and an observer, I’m deeply impressed and inspired by his commitment to his native country, Haiti.
As I watched him speak by satellite at One Young World, I sent excited tweets like these:
- Wyclef Jean at #oneyoungworld informing the world about Haiti and inspiring all of us; he is the voice of greatness.
- Wyclef says help orphans and seniors in Haiti @ #OYW. We all have to make a new Haiti sustainable. He has made us all better via satellite.
His commitment—thousands and thousands of hours of his time, freely given, to raise funds and steer Yéle daily—comes from his personal connection. And although Yéle has been bettering the lives of Haitians since 2005, the recent devastating earthquake refocused everyone’s attention and efforts. As Clef recently wrote on his blog, “So many innocent people have died in the streets of Port-au-Prince, in the country where I was born. I can’t just sit still. Every day I think of my brothers and sisters who are living in ruins but hoping for brighter days.”
Clef didn’t invent celebrity philanthropy, to be sure. He comes from a long tradition of star-powered advocacy, from the Jerry Lewis Telethon to Live Aid to George Clooney’s televised fundraiser for Haiti. Matt Damon helped focus the world’s attention on Darfur. Leonardo DiCaprio made environmentalism sexy. Bono has arguably done more for Africa than anyone, with the possible exception of Bill and Melinda Gates. Brad Pitt built houses in post-Katrina New Orleans, and his wife, Angelina Jolie, is practically a one-woman UNICEF.
What fascinates me is why some celebrities raise up while some of their peers seem content to simply engage in tabloid shenanigans and collect Twitter followers. What motivates them to use their fame and influence to bring about good in the world? What leads them to work so hard to raise funds and awareness?
I can’t begin to explain all the reasons, but in the case of Yéle Haiti, I suspect it stems partly from Clef’s direct, personal ties to the country. Born in Haiti, he has long been the nation’s best-known nonpolitical figure. Because he lived it, he has a solid sense of what people need to be able to help themselves, through education, sports, the environment and the arts. More important, he can’t give up on it, and he can’t turn away.
The more than $9 million Yéle has raised is impressive, but Clef’s message of empowerment is especially inspiring. He created Yéle Haiti as not just an NGO but also a movement. Not limited to official NGO staff and volunteers, Yéle has support from and, in a way, is “owned” by Haitians from all walks of life. The very poor see Yéle as embodying their hopes and dreams. To them, Wyclef Jean is not a pampered rock star in a faraway place but a generous man who is already making an impact on their lives.
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