Sean Penn Announced as Honouree at the Bovet 1822 Artists for Peace and Justice 2016 Toronto Film Festival Gala Event in Support of Haiti

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160808/396297)

Sean Penn's humanitarian work found him in New Orleans in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and later in earthquake-ravaged Haiti. In January 2010, Penn established the J/P Haitian Relief Organization (J/P HRO), which continues to support vulnerable communities to rebuild their lives in healthier and safer neighborhoods through access to quality education, health services, improved housing and infrastructure, and livelihoods. For his efforts, Penn has received numerous honors and awards including being named Ambassador at Large for Haiti in 2012.  In addition, he was presented with the 2012 Peace Summit Award at the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates.  At the COP21 Climate Conference in December 2015, Penn partnered with a global coalition including Ségolène Royal, French Ministry for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, to launch an initiative called "Haiti Takes Root," which is committed to reforest Haiti over the next 10 years.

While noted for his sustained work in Haiti, Penn has been a long-time activist and promoter of civil rights.  In 2002, he penned a prescient open letter, which he published in The Washington Post and New York Times, to President George W. Bush against the planned invasion of Iraq.  Additionally, he traveled to Baghdad and Tehran in 2002 and 2003 to report for the San Francisco Chronicle.  Penn published landmark interviews with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Cuba's President Raul Castro for The Nation; Penn's interview with Castro was his first-ever with a foreign journalist.  In 2013, Penn played a vital role in getting wrongfully imprisoned American entrepreneur Jacob Ostreicher released from a Bolivian prison, for which he was honored from the Aleph Institute in 2015.

In over eight years, APJ's annual Toronto event has played an integral role in fundraising for the charity, contributing to over $20 million raised for the organization since it was founded in 2009. Funds raised have supported the development of Port-au-Prince's first free public high school, the Academy for Peace and Justice. Serving over 2,600 students, 2016 marks a milestone year for the Academy, celebrating its inaugural graduating class.

This year's event co-chairs Natasha Koifman, the APJ Canadian Board Chair who helped launch the charity in 2009, and Suzanne Boyd, Editor-in-Chief of Zoomer Magazine, alongside the event committee Nicholas Mellamphy and Simona Shnaider, traveled to Haiti to commemorate the graduation. Visiting the Academy together allowed for the team to witness and experience APJ's commitment to long-term, sustainable development in direct partnership with the Haitian people, with a vision toward growing a new generation of Haiti's leaders by providing access to quality secondary and higher education.

For more information and to buy tickets and sponsorships, visit www.apjnow.org. For the latest news, please follow Artists for Peace and Justice on Twitter and Instagram @artistsforpeace.

About Artists for Peace and Justice
Founded by filmmaker Paul Haggis, Artists for Peace and Justice (APJ) is a non-profit organization that encourages peace and social justice and addresses issues of poverty around the world. APJ's immediate goal is to serve the poorest communities in Haiti with programs in education, healthcare, and dignity through the arts. The organization is committed to long-term, sustainable development in direct partnership with the Haitian people. The model is simple: APJ believes in empowering local communities, fostering economic growth, and the power of education to change a nation. APJ is based in New York; David Belle serves as its CEO. www.apjnow.org 

About J/P HAITIAN RELIEF ORGANIZATION:
J/P Haitian Relief Organization is dedicated to saving lives and bringing sustainable programs to the Haitian people quickly and effectively. Following the tragic earthquake of 2010, J/P HRO began working immediately to make a meaningful and lasting impact in Haiti. The goal of J/P HRO is to support the residents of the camps we manage and surrounding areas transition from life left homeless by the earthquake to durable, sustainable, and prosperous communities. J/P HRO has implemented its mission through four integrated programs: Medical, Camp & Relocations Management, Engineering & Construction, and Community Development/Education. Most recently, J/P HRO has expanded its focus to include a nation-wide reforestation effort called Haiti Takes Root, in coordination with many other governmental and non-governmental organizations. We work with the support of and in collaboration with local and national government leaders, community based organizations, other international NGOs, UN agencies, donors and—most importantly—the community members themselves. More information can be found at www.jphro.org. You can follow J/P HRO on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/JPHRO, add J/P HRO to your Google+ circles at http://bit.ly/jphroplus, and find J/P HRO on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/JPHRO.

About Bovet 1822
Founded in 1822, the House of Bovet has for almost two centuries occupied a mastery position in the world of fine watchmaking. Since Pascal Raffy's acquisition of Bovet 1822 in 2001, the charity endeavors undertaken by Bovet have been exclusively devoted to children and education. Three years ago a relationship emerged between Paul Haggis and Pascal Raffy through Bovet's support of the actions of Artists for Peace and Justice in aiding children in need in Haiti. Becoming immersed in these efforts Bovet officially continues their commitment and dedication to the children through a long-term partnership with Artists for Peace and Justice, which began this year. www.bovet.com  

SOURCE Artists for Peace and Justice (APJ)

Related Links

http://www.apjnow.org