UNICEF People

Danny Glover

© Jeff Katz Photography

Danny Glover has received great acclaim for his work on the stage, in television and film and as a producer.  The actor, who is also highly regarded for his humanitarian efforts, was appointed UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador on 20 September 2004.

On a mission for children

Before joining UNICEF, Glover was an active supporter of United Nations efforts to advocate for people living in poverty.  He went on missions to Haiti, Mali, Namibia, Senegal, South Africa and Egypt. Stepping right into his new role as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Glover traveled to Ethiopia in November 2004 to raise awareness of the devastating impact of landmines on children’s lives. Over 80 per cent of the 15,000-20,000 landmine victims each year are civilians, and at least one in five are children. Glover visited areas that were heavily mined during the war and met with leaders, mine survivors and members of mine risk education school clubs to listen to their stories and transmit them to the world. “It is the most painful thing to see how young children become collateral damage of wars,” said Glover. “I listened to children who had dreams and wanted to follow their great Ethiopian tradition and become athletes. But they couldn’t because they’d lost their legs.”

In February 2005, Glover returned to Ethiopia to chair the opening of the Africa Unite Symposium. Africa Unite was created by the Bob Marley and the Rita Marley Foundations with support from UNICEF and partners. The three-day symposium in Addis Ababa brought selected participants from academia, the arts and activism together with prominent young activists and artists from the continent and the African Diaspora. They discussed issues affecting the future of young people in Africa. At the end of the symposium, Glover and fellow UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Angélique Kidjo participated in a benefit concert for Africa Unite.

© UNICEF/2004/Bonn

On 26 November, landmine survivors, all of whom are under 18 years of age, march in a procession promoting a ban on landmines, as they welcome UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Danny Glover (right) to their primary school in the village of Addis Tesfa.

Between his trips, Glover has supported a number of fundraising and advocacy events for UNICEF in Latin America and the USA; he has also recorded Public Service Announcements about landmines and HIV/AIDS.

In May 2006, Glover traveled to Jamaica to give a presentation at the second annual Conference on Caribbean Philanthropy. He stayed on to meet with members of two organizations that are fighting against HIV/AIDS with support from UNICEF.  

Art and activism

Born and raised in San Francisco, California, Glover has appeared in numerous stage productions, including three plays by Athol Fugard which first brought him national recognition: The Island, Sizwe Banzi is Dead and Master Harold and the Boys.

He has received an ACE Award and several NAACP Image Awards for his film and television performances, including Best Actor in Lethal Weapon, Beloved, and HBO’s production of Mandela.  Glover has also produced a number of films for theatre and television.
 
Deeply passionate about his community activism and philanthropic efforts, Glover is involved with the Vanguard Public Foundation based in San Francisco. He is also chairman of the board of TransAfrica Forum, an African-American lobbying organization for Africa and the Caribbean. And he actively serves on the board of The Algebra Project, a math empowerment program developed by civil rights veteran Bob Moses. In recognition of his lifetime dedication to public service, Glover was honored with the 2002 Marian Anderson Award, 2003 NAACP Chairman’s Award and 2004 BET Lifetime Achievement Award.