Asia Weekly

People and Politics Asia

Jet Li: rising philanthropic star

 

When Jet Li was caught up in the tsunami that wreaked disaster on much of Southeast Asia in 2004, the experience served as "a proverbial wakeup call," he told Wong Kim Hoh in The Straits Times (Singapore). "One moment we were on the beach, the next the water was up to my chin," he said. When he and his family were safe, the action hero veteran of over 35 films began to reassess his goals. "There is no guarantee when you will finish your life. You may not live until 60. When you die, all your dreams will die with you," said Li. Before the tsunami, "everything was about me," he said. "After that, I told myself I have to do things for society." That's why he has started One Foundation, which aims to be the first organization to reach out and help victims of natural disasters, says BK Sidhu in The Star Online (Malaysia). The 45-year-old Li has taken a year off from acting to raise money for the foundation and has enlisted star-studded friends and politicians like Bill Clinton and Tony Blair for support. So far, the organization has helped victims of seven disasters in Asia, including the Sichuan earthquake and the typhoon in Burma. "This foundation is where my heart is; it is my life, my home, my belief, and my dream," he said.

 

Read other articles from Asia Politics: