Angelina Jolie Watch

When Brad Pitt recently plunked down $1 million for a painting, we actually had a commenter who criticized Brad for waisting money that should have gone to charity.  (Oh the haters.)  Once again, Brad has shown how generous he is. (Not that he needed to. What he does with his money is his business.)

Brad’s brother Doug Pitt announced last week that the “Brad Pitt family, Doug and Lisa Pitt and Rob and Julie Neal” are donating $1 million to St. John’s hospital in Brad’s hometown of Springfield, Missouri.

St. John will rename the cancer unit in honor of Brad’s mother. The Jane Pitt Pediatric Cancer Center will use the funds to create an endowment that will hire cancer specialists, add additional beds, build a hospital based Ronald McDonald House and increase the neonatal and pediatric intensive care units.

Kudos to Angelina, Brad and the entire Pitt family.

Angelina Jolie and ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo.

Angelina Jolie continued her activism work today as she attended the trial of a ” Congolese warlord charged with using child soldiers.”

In a statement released by the court, Angelina commended the former child soldiers for traveling to Hague, Netherlands to testify.

“After watching the proceedings from the viewing booth, I stood up and found Thomas Lubanga Dyilo looking at me,” Jolie said. “I imagined how difficult how difficult it must be for all the brave young children who have come to testify against him.”

Thomas Lubanga Dyilo is the former leader and founder of the Union of Congolese Patriots. He stands accused of forcing children to serve as soldiers during tribal conflicts in 2002-2003. The prosecution alleges that the group’s militia abducted “children as young as 11″ and took “them to military training camps where they were beaten and drugged. The girls among them were allegedly used as sex slaves.” Lubanga Dyilo is has denied all chargers

“Using children in conflict is a heinous crime and destroys the very fabric of a society,” she added.

Lubanga is the founder of the Union of Congolese Patriots political movement and its armed wing. He stands accused of forcing children to serve as soldiers during tribal conflicts in 2002-2003. This is the first international trial that focuses solely on the victimization of children.

In other news, Brad and his Brother Doug Pitt are doing their part to make the world a better place. The brother’s donated $200,000 to Drury University’s O’Reilly Family Event Center to fund the center’s Leadership in Environmental Energy and Design Gold certification. It’ll be the first of it’s kind in the nations. The brothers made the donation in their father’s name.

Doug Pitt talks about Care to Learn, a project that was partially funded by the Jolie-Pitt Foundation.

The Jolie-Pitt Foundation, Brad’s brother Doug(pictured left) and another Missouri businessman are banding together to help Springfield schools. The Care to Learn Foundation helps students with basic needs like hygiene, hunger and heath. Founders will donate “$3 for every $1 contributed, and funds will support.” The Foundation for Springfield Public Schools will oversee the fund. So many children aren’t able to learn because basic needs are not met. A hungry, sick child isn’t able learn. Kudos to Brad, Doug and Angelina for their continued support of young people. This effort should go a long way towards helping public school students in Brad’s home town. Totally random note: Doug’s a cutie like his brother.