480 Part 4 Public Speaking
❶ Many celebrities
(including Ricky Martin,
Selena Gomez, David
Beckham, and Serena
Williams) work with the
United Nations as goodwill
ambassadors for a variety
of specific causes. Why do
you think that the United
Nations seeks their help?
Why would a famous actor
or singer be more persua-
sive than, say, a journalist
or a medical doctor?
❷ What kinds of cultural
values speak to you in a
persuasive speech? Do
you think that Jolie’s focus
on resilience and individu-
als would be as crucial in a
more collectivist culture?
➌ Do many Americans
dismiss the plight of refu-
gees as something that
is not a problem? Does
putting a human face on
displaced people make
them seem more real?
How else might Jolie make
a largely American audi-
ence feel more connected
to refugees?Persuading Across Borders
Actress and activist Angelina Jolie, a goodwill ambassador for the United Na-
tions Refugee Agency, speaks frequently with the desire to raise awareness
of and influence policies related to the plight of refugees worldwide. This can
be a particular challenge culturally, as some groups in wealthy and stable na-
tions are rather removed from the experiences of refugees and cannot fathom
what it would be like to be robbed not merely of one’s home but also of one’s
sense of security, even one’s country, by political turmoil or natural disaster.
In one such speech marking World Refugee Day, Jolie explained:
I’m here today to say that refugees are not numbers. They are not even
just refugees. They are mothers, and daughters, and fathers, and sons.
They are farmers, teachers, doctors, engineers. They’re individuals, all.
And most of all they are survivors, each one with a remarkable story that
tells of resilience in the face of great loss. They are the most impressive
people I have ever met. And they are also some of the world’s most vul-
nerable. Stripped of home and country, refugees are buffeted from every
ill wind that blows across this planet (Jolie, 2009).
By evoking American values like family, individualism, and hard work in
her appeal for assistance for refugees worldwide, Jolie establishes that help-
ing refugees is an ethical goal that her American audience should commit to.
By noting that refugees are mothers, daughters, doctors, teachers, and so
on, she engages her audience members’ emotions and reminds them that
victims are just like the rest of us—people with families, professions, and lives
that matter.
Jolie follows up by detailing the kindness, generosity, and character she
has seen in the refugees she has met during her charitable work. In this way,
she puts a human face on the plight of refugees while also establishing her
own credibility, showing she is not merely a movie star lending her face to a
cause: she is on the ground working for the change she is advocating.
As a global superstar (as well as a spokesperson for an international or-
ganization), Jolie must also bear in mind that her audience is rarely culturally
homogenous. Whether she is addressing a small group of world leaders (as
she did when speaking at a meeting of the G8 in 2013) or a large crowd in the
United States, she is aware that her message will be viewed by people all over
the world. Some of them may be involved in international efforts for change
and awareness; others are simply interested in what she says because she is,
after all, a famous actress. Among those stargazers, her example is an inspira-
tion: she effectively combines the important elements of persuasion to shed
light on a co-culture that listeners might otherwise have ignored.THINK
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