Angelina Jolie has composed a powerful and heartfelt essay which demonstrates her children's involvement in her humanitarian work. The actress made the decision to open dialogue with her and Brad Pitt's six offspring about the attack on 14-year-old Pakistani activist Malala Yousafzai.
Taliban forces opened fire on the youngster as she rode to school in her native country. The actress raised the issue with her children, and shared their mature insights in an essay published on current affairs website, The Daily Beast. "On Wednesday morning, as we readied the kids for school amidst a few of the usual complaints about not wanting to go, I saw a headline on the cover of The New York Times," she begins. "After reading the article, I felt compelled to share Malala's story with my children. It was difficult for them to comprehend a world where men would try to kill a child whose only 'crime' was the desire that she and others like her be allowed to go to school."
Touchingly, her children's response were a mixture of articulate curiosity – a result of living in Angelina's politically astute household – and innocent musings about who would look after Malala's pet. "Our eight-year-old (Pax) suggested that the world build a statue for Malala, and fittingly create a reading nook near it. Our six-year-old (Shiloh) asked the practical question of whether Malala had any pets, and if so, who would take care of them? "She also asked about Malala's parents and if they were crying. We decided that they were, but not only for their daughter, also for children around the world denied this basic human right." During the essay, Angelina also revealed that she, Pax and Shiloh learned about Malala together, watching her interviews and reading her diaries.
Observing her children's reactions, the actress said that the chat "stayed with them throughout the day." The revelation leaves no doubt that Angelina is keen to transmit her social consciousness to her youngsters. Her role a special envoy to the United Nations refugee agency is just as important to her – if not more so – than her Hollywood screen outings. Receiving the Heart of Sarajevo Award during a visit to Bosnia in 2011, organisers praised her "active engagement in the complexities of the real world".
