On May 18th, Artists for Peace and Justice was honored to host Haiti: Carnival in Cannes with our friends JPHRO and Happy Hearts Fund at the Cannes Film Festival.

The benefit was presented by Giorgio Armani to support our three organizations and our work in Haiti. The event was the first of its kind for the Cannes Film Festival, and raised over $2M for Haiti.

An exciting crowd including Gerard Butler, Diane Kruger, Jessica Chastain, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Ewan McGregor, Jada Pinkett Smith, Tom Hardy, Robert De Niro, Sean Combs, Joshua Jackson, Michelle Rodriguez, and more attended the event. Event Chairs Giorgio Armani, Roberta Armani, CAA’s Bryan Lourd, MPAA Chairman and CEO Chris Dodd and the Festival’s own Thierry Frémaux were also in attendance. Singer/songwriter Lyle Lovett performed three songs for the intimate gathering, Haitian Ra Ra band RAM danced down the red carpet, and Haitian president Michel Martelly gave a video speech in appreciation of the work of the three organizations.

The event featured a live auction with a variety of once in a lifetime experiences and items for guests to bid on, including an impromptu auction item from Sean Penn: the chance to spend three days on the ground with him in Haiti. The experience went to three bidders, each paying over $128,000. Bono’s guitar and a backstage meet-and-greet with him at one of his shows went for over $215,000, while a lunch with a Victoria’s Secret Angel – along with VIP access to their 2012 fashion show – sold for over $115,000. APJ supporter Elon Musk donated the opportunity to spend the day with him at SpaceX and Tesla, and the item went for over $80,000.

We look forward to doing more good for Haiti at Cannes in the future!

Part Two of George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight in Haiti, a special broadcast on the second anniversary of the 2010  7.0 earthquake in Haiti.

In this documentary, George talks with APJ Founder, Paul Haggis, as well as Stephanie Tremblay and Janne Suavanto from the World Food Programme, Patrick Elie, a former politician and activist in Haiti, Father Rick Frechette, director of NPH Haiti, and Lolo, of the Haitian band Boukman Esperyans. Click here to read more. 

On Friday, November 18th, the beautiful new wing of classrooms at the Academy for Peace and Justice officially opened.

APJ Country Director Bryn Mooser, the Canadian Broadcasting Company’s George Stromboulopoulos, and advisory board member Martha Rogers joined Father Rick and the St. Luc team to celebrate the opening.

The Academy for Peace and Justice now serves over 750 underprivileged students who would otherwise not be able to attend secondary school. Each student receives a full scholarship, including tuition, uniforms, nutritious meals and access to medical care. The new wing of the Academy is a milestone in our goal of providing free high-quality education to approximately 3,000 students every year.

Students and administrators filled the celebration with singing, dancing, musical performances and speeches. We are so proud of our progress, and we wanted to share more of the ceremony with you. We couldn’t have gotten this far without your support. Enjoy!

2011 New Wing Opening Ceremony from bryn mooser on Vimeo.