The philanthropic couple will also march in a student-organised rally next month.
On March 24, Amal and George Clooney will be found standing “side by side” with America’s youth in a poignant protest against gun violence in the States.
The A-list couple have also donated US$500,000 (Dhs1.8 million) to help fund “March for Our Lives“, the student-organised rally launched following last week’s devastating attack at a school in Florida that claimed 17 lives.
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The Hollywood actor and the Beirut-born human rights lawyer made the donation in the name of their twins, Alexander and Ella, whom they welcomed last June.
“Amal and I are so inspired by the courage and eloquence of these young men and women from Stoneman Douglas High School,” George said in a statement to ABC News.
“Our family will be there on March 24 to stand side by side with this incredible generation of young people from all over the country.”
The star added that “our children’s lives depend on” the “groundbreaking” event, which has been organised following the February 14 attack by former student Nikolas Cruz.
The Clooneys’ move spurned similar pledges from their fellow celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg, who each matched the US$500,000 donation.
George and Amal, I couldn’t agree with you more. I am joining forces with you and will match your $500,000 donation to ‘March For Our Lives.’ These inspiring young people remind me of the Freedom Riders of the 60s who also said we’ve had ENOUGH and our voices will be heard.
— Oprah Winfrey (@Oprah) February 20, 2018
The march, which was announced on Sunday, calls for children and families to take to the streets “to demand that their lives and safety become a priority and that we end gun violence and mass shootings in our schools today”.
This isn’t the first high-profile donation from George and British-Lebanese lawyer Amal, who are widely recognised as passionate philanthropists.
Last year the couple pledged Dhs9.18 million towards helping educate Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Dhs3.67 million towards fighting hate groups in the US.
The Clooneys have also welcomed an Iraqi refugee into their Kentucky home, and helped him study in the US.
“I’ve had the privilege of representing a number of Yazidis who have been the victims of genocide perpetrated by ISIS over the past couple of years, that’s how I met Hazim,” Amal revealed in a brief (and rare) interview this month.
“When I met him, I remember being so struck by his courage but also just his amazing spirit and how he spoke about, even after everything he lost, he spoke about his desire for justice, not revenge,” Amal added.
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When 23-year-old Avdal revealed his desire to further his education in the company of the Clooneys and George’s parents, the seed was sown.
“He spoke about his dream about one day studying in the US and I knew we all had the same thought, which was, ‘Well, maybe there’s something we can do to help with that,’” Amal said.
Images: Getty
