BOVET 1822 and Artists For Peace and Justice (APJ) organized their second songs from the cinema concert in Los Angeles on March 4, 2018. The event supports the education and training of the Haiti youth generation while maintaining peace and social justice as well as addressing issues of the poverty around the world.

Numerous celebrities are involved in the APJ and BOVET 1822 organization process each year. This year, the evening was hosted by APJ Board of Directors Susan Sarandon and Olivia Wilde, along with Garcelle Beauvais, Jimmy Jean Louis, Josie Maran and David Belle.

Jackson Browne has been creating and curating the concert, by gathering a group of talented artists, who performed an outstanding song from the history of cinema during the demonstration.

“APJ started as a family and continues as a family. They are a group of people who have a really authentic connection to Haiti. I have great admiration for how the organization is run with a real eye on respect for local opportunities on the ground and empowering people with the tools they need to do for their community what they so deserve. It has been life-changing for me to be a part of this process. Haiti has been a part of my life since I was a kid. My parents took me there when I was three years old and I fell in love with it. The second I met everyone at APJ, I knew I had a home in Haiti. That’s how I still feel today,” said Olivia Wilde.

The list of performers is rather diverse and includes such celebrities as Adam Sandler, Rufus Wainwright, T-Bone Jackson, Simone Baker, Blake Mills, Sharlotte Gibson, Petra Haden, Molly Lewis, Khamal Iwuanyanwu, Mark Foster etc.

Jackson Browne who has been working closely with Artists for Peace and Justice was the one who came up with the concept of Songs From The Cinema due to a desire to celebrate the best music from the film while highlighting the important work of Artists for Peace and Justice. Browne is also leading trips to their Artists Institute in Haiti and binding local and international musicians together in order to write and record.

"In these calamitous times, when each day comes with yet another new outrage, it's more important than ever to stand up for Haiti, and continue to fund the work that APJ has done over the last eight years to provide first world education and opportunity to the poorest children in the Western Hemisphere,” said Songs From The Cinema creator and curator, Jackson Browne.

After the 2010 Haitian earthquake, APJ and the rest of the partners were concentrating their efforts on education for the very poor by building a high school, The Academy for Peace and Justice, and a post-secondary school, The Artists Institute. Today they are all united as one group and are encouraging activism and social actions that help us to shape a more peaceful world.

By: Diana Igumnova

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