Hugh Jackman's Advocacies

[jo]

Hugh Jackman ‏@realhughjackman · May 20
Use your 1 extra second to help end extreme poverty with @glblctzn #UseYourSecond

http://instagram.com/p/26P0zFChJt

[jo]

Details on the NYC premiere of DUKALE'S DREAM --

www.tugg.com/events/23402

[jo]

More on Dukale's story -- including updates on the lives of the people ( Dukale's family) whom we first met when we saw the original documentary SEEDS OF HOPE.

www.worldvision.com.au/Issues/Improving_Incomes/hugh-jackman-dukales-dream-fairtrade-coffee.aspx

[jo]

Hugh Jackman ‏@realhughjackman · 35m35 minutes ago
An AMAZING "site" in our journey!! keurig.com/laughingman @deborra_lee @livelaughingman @worldvisionaus @dukalesdream Proud & Grateful HJ

www.keurig.com/laughingman







Do check out the rest of the Keurig site, including a video message from Hugh!


Jo

[jo]

Hugh Jackman ‏@realhughjackman · 4h4 hours ago
Awesome day for the LAUGHING MAN, Keurig, World Vision and Dukale's Dream teams!

http://instagram.com/p/3hM3XgihGk

[jo]

At the special New York screening of DUKALE'S DREAM --

[carouselkathy]

Just ordered 4 boxes! I need my coffee in the AM. So great to be able to help a great cause!

[jo]

[mamaleh]

He and Deb looked great; just wish they could have stayed for the Q&A after the film. I really like how the filmmaker expanded it from its earlier incarnation to add more scenes of the growing bond between Hugh and Dukale, and Hugh's stopping passersby in NYC to ask them if they buy fair trade items. Nice companion shots of Oscar and Ava, then Dukale's children. It's a well-made film.

Ellen

[jo]

[jo]

Hugh Jackman, Laughing Man Coffee. Photo: Warwick Saint


June 04, 2015 12:01 PM Eastern Daylight Time


WATERBURY, Vt.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Keurig Green Mountain, Inc., (Keurig) (NASDAQ: GMCR), a leader in specialty coffee, coffee makers, teas and other beverages with its innovative brewing technology, today announced the launch of Laughing Man® coffee for the Keurig® hot brewing system. Laughing Man® was co-founded by actor Hugh Jackman, who continues to be involved with the brand, working closely with Keurig on its development.


“The origins of Laughing Man truly resonate with the values we hold here at Keurig”

Laughing Man® K-Cup® pods are available on Keurig.com starting June 4, 2015. The four varieties at launch include two of the Laughing Man Café’s most popular blends, crafted in collaboration with the Keurig Coffee Department - Dukale’s Blend™ and 184 Duane St. Blend™.

“The origins of Laughing Man truly resonate with the values we hold here at Keurig,” said John Whoriskey, president, U.S. sales and marketing at Keurig. “We are absolutely thrilled to bring this inspiring story and artfully crafted coffee to even more people through the Keurig system.”

Laughing Man® coffee was the result of an inspiring visit to Ethiopia where Jackman met a young coffee farmer named Dukale. Inspired by Dukale’s optimism and determination, Jackman opened the Laughing Man café, a small storefront offering responsibly-sourced coffees. Last year, Keurig acquired the Laughing Man® brand from Laughing Man Worldwide. All Laughing Man® coffees are Fair Trade Certified™ and a portion of sales will go to support Jackman’s Laughing Man Foundation, whose mission is to encourage collective action, personal initiative, and community awareness in underserved populations throughout the world.

The story of Laughing Man® is told in the documentary film Dukale’s Dream, directed by Josh Rothstein. The film will open in select theaters on Friday, June 5th and will be available on video on demand beginning Tuesday, July 14, 2015.

“We started Laughing Man to fulfill a promise I made to share the amazing story of an Ethiopian coffee farmer named Dukale,” said Jackman, a partner of Laughing Man Worldwide. “Six years later, it’s humbling to know, through this agreement, Dukale’s exceptional coffee, among other Laughing Man products, will be enjoyed through the convenience of the Keurig brewing system.”

Laughing Man® coffees are available exclusively on Keurig.com beginning June 4, 2015, and are planned to expand to retail by the end of 2015. Laughing Man® varieties include Dukale's Blend, a balanced, velvety, and bright dark roast coffee and the cornerstone of the collection, as well as 184 Duane St. Blend™, a smooth and balanced light roast, Ethiopia Sidama, a sweet, aromatic light roast and Colombia Huila, a complex dark roast with notes of black cherry and dark chocolate. Laughing Man® coffees are available in 3-, 10- and 16-count boxes of K-Cup® pods for $2.49, $9.99 and $12.99 SRP, respectively.

About Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.

As a leader in specialty coffee, coffee makers, teas and other beverages, Keurig Green Mountain (NASDAQ: GMCR), is recognized for its award-winning beverages, innovative brewing technology, and socially responsible business practices. The Company has inspired consumer passion for its products by revolutionizing beverage preparation at home and in the workplace. Keurig supports local and global communities by investing in sustainably-grown coffee and by its active involvement in a variety of social and environmental projects. By helping consumers drink for themselves, we believe we can brew a better world. For more information visit: www.KeurigGreenMountain.com. To purchase Keurig® products visit: www.Keurig.com or www.Keurig.ca.

Keurig routinely posts information that may be of importance to investors in the Investor Relations section of its website, www.KeurigGreenMountain.com, including news releases and its complete financial statements, as filed with the SEC. The Company encourages investors to consult this section of its website regularly for important information and news. Additionally, by subscribing to the Company's automatic email news release delivery, individuals can receive news directly from Keurig as it is released.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information in this press release constitutes "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "seeks" or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs, such as "will," "should," "could," "may," "aims," "intends," or "projects." However, the absence of these words or similar expressions does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. These statements may relate to the success of introducing and producing new product offerings. A forward-looking statement is neither a prediction nor a guarantee of future events or circumstances, and those future events or circumstances may not occur. Management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made. However, caution should be taken not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements because such statements speak only as of the date when made. We expressly disclaim any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In addition, forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from our historical experience and our present expectations or projections. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those described in Part I, "Item 1A. Risk Factors" and Part II "Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our fiscal 2014 Annual Report filed on Form 10-K, elsewhere in that report and those described from time to time in our future reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

KGM-G, KGM-US




Contacts

For Media
Keurig Green Mountain, Inc.
Amy Doyle, 802-882-2295
[e-mail]
or
For Hugh Jackman/Laughing Man Worldwide
Michele Schweitzer, 917-400-3939
[e-mail]

[jo]

[carouselkathy]

Is Hugh going to make TV commercials for Laughing Man? I think it would be a great strategy. He could explain about Dukale and the origin of the coffee. It's a wonderful way to spread the self-help philosophy of Dukale and his people.

[jo]

[jo]

Video clip on USA Today -- Laughing Man is getting free publicity with entertainment sites.


www.usatoday.com/videos/life/2015/06/05/28524979/


At 1'10", Hugh says he "takes his coffee black when he is in Wolverine training...which is now". smiley-signs002


Did I hear that right? Hmmm....


Jo

[jo]

Great interview! Hugh being interviewed by the Wall Street Journal on subjects that the business paper deal in! Who would ever think that Dukale's name would ever land on the pages of arguably the most respected business paper in the world ? And one's respect for Hugh goes deeper as he articulates his philosophy in life.


blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2015/06/05/hugh-jackman-takes-on-global-poverty-with-fair-trade-coffee-in-dukales-dream/

Hugh Jackman Takes On Global Poverty With Fair-Trade Coffee in ‘Dukale’s Dream’


By
Robin Kawakami



Hugh Jackman believes that big change can happen through small choices—starting with your daily cup of coffee. Over the past six years, the actor best known for playing Wolverine in the “X-Men” film franchise has turned his attention to fair-trade coffee, and creating a viable business model that links coffee growers in the developing world to U.S. consumers.

“We are completely connected more than ever before in history,” said Jackman. “You cannot tackle, for example, climate change, without tackling poverty; you cannot tackle terrorism without tackling poverty.”

Jackman witnessed this interconnectivity firsthand in 2009, when he and his wife, Deborra-Lee Furness, traveled to Ethiopia to meet a coffee farmer named Dukale, who toiled day in and day out, struggling to provide for his family. The actor saw how basic technology investments, like a methane gas converter, made a remarkable difference in Dukale’s life. With this new source of energy, Dukale’s family no longer had to chop down trees for fuel—deforestation being a big problem there—and they had more time to devote to other efforts.

“He was exiting the cycle of poverty for the first time in many, many, many generations,” said Jackman, who promised Dukale that he would “do something.”

Hugh Jackman with coffee farmer Dukale in Ethiopia —The 7th Floor
The actor made good on his word, opening up the popular and successful Laughing Man cafe in Tribeca, New York. Jackman also started a foundation that supports education, community and social entrepreneurs. This week, he launched a new line of fair-trade coffee with Keurig Green Mountain, and now appears in “Dukale’s Dream,” a documentary film which opens in select theaters Friday and on video-on-demand July 14.

Jackman believes that telling the story of coffee highlights “how our choices as consumers make a massive difference to people all around the world.” Supporting fair trade, and asking where your daily cup of coffee comes from, he said, makes a difference. “You’re helping out the grower, you’re helping out the communities they live in, and you’re actually contributing.”

The 46-year-old actor, who is at ease talking about microfinance and globalization, has no problem admitting when he doesn’t have an answer. But his commitment to philanthropy is clear. It all started, he says, with reading Paul Newman’s book, “Shameless Exploitation in the Pursuit of the Common Good,” and meeting Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank.


Jackman talked with Speakeasy about the super-rich’s role in fighting global poverty, climate change doubters, and how he isn’t worried that Wolverine will become his “Birdman.” And as for appearing in “X-Men: Apocalpyse”? Jackman flashes a smile and says, “I can’t tell you that.”



Edited excerpts:

You talked to economist Jeffrey Sachs in the film. He mentions in his book “The End of Poverty” that the top 400 taxpayers in the U.S. in 2000 had a combined income that exceeded the combined incomes of four African countries (Botswana, Nigeria, Senegal and Uganda). What do you believe should be the role of the super-rich in fighting world poverty?


Hugh Jackman: To be super generous. And I actually think there’s been some amazing examples of that out there today. This Bill Gates/Warren Buffett pledge [to give away the majority of their wealth to philanthropic causes] is pretty much unheard of, I would say, in history. There have been incredible philanthropists, but so many people signing on and just saying, “There’s half of my wealth.” And what they’re doing with it is pretty extraordinary.

You’re right, there’s a massive discrepancy in the world today on many, many levels. And I am part of that. I’m an actor who gets paid—in my mind—ridiculous amounts of money at times for what I do, which I don’t do for money. But it’s weird how that happens.

If you look at money more like as energy, there’s only so much energy you need. But if you have an excess, then it’s actually a great opportunity to use it for good. So it’s not necessarily something—and I do suffer some kind of guilt at times about it, but I think anybody basically living in a first-world country. We live in circumstances, whether you’re a millionaire or not, we live in circumstances that are unfathomable to huge portions of the population. So on some level, anyone who’s humanistic or sees the planet in its entirety can see imbalance and it’s our job, whatever ability we have, to give back, I think. That’s what I was taught. My dad always taught me that.

Sachs also says it’s not a question of whether the rich can afford to help the poor, but whether they can afford not to. In recent news, hedge fund billionaire John Paulson gave $400 million to Harvard, a move that was lambasted by Malcolm Gladwell. Do you think such giving needs to take a broader view?

I would never, ever comment on where someone gives their money. No one knows what motivates that person. No one knows what that institution means to them, nor do they know how their money’s earmarked. That money may be earmarked for scholarships for people who would never normally be able to afford to go to that institution. I don’t know that. So that’s not my business. I applaud him for generosity, for thinking outside of himself, for whatever reason that motivates him.


I think what’s important and interesting about your question is what Jeffrey Sachs brings up is our world is completely interconnected. You can see it in this simple story of the movie of “Dukale’s Dream.” The cup of coffee you’re drinking today—the simple choice you have of buying a fair-trade coffee and the difference that makes—huge difference to that man’s life between living comfortably and being able to educate his children, or living in a subsistent kind of lifestyle. It’s massive.

From an environmental standpoint, Ethiopia itself what I learned there—and this was the president there told me that at the time, it used to be 40% forested. It’s now 3% forested. So that has a knock-on effect for the environment literally on the other side of the planet. So why is it deforested? Because many, many people need the wood to build houses, or for fuel. So the methane gas converter—such a simple thing—is helping people not just in their community, but everybody.

The larger your world view, I think, is the goal in everything. But hey, it starts at home. Take care of your family, love your family, love your wife, your kids. Expand it out to your friends. Expand it out to your community. There’s some people like the Dalai Lama who can love everyone on the planet, and not all of us are like that. And I’m not going to stand here and give someone a really hard time for giving away $400 million to an educational institution. I would certainly not put that on my list of sins in the world. There’s plenty of things that are a lot worse.




The film touches upon climate change. What do you say to people who doubt that climate change is happening?

Good. I say doubt everything. Investigate everything. From what I understand, I believe that there’s a real issue we need to handle—that we need to tackle. But you should doubt. You should question. I don’t think you should take anyone’s word. You should investigate yourself and find everything out.

I’m more than happy in my own life, if I find out in 20 years that by consuming less, by recycling, that it was all a waste of time, I’m fine with that mistake. I would hate in 20 years to realize it was all real, and I did nothing. I’d find that very hard to live with. I would be more than happy to live by the mistake of trying to look after the planet.





In the film we learn that aid is about development and getting people out of the cycle of poverty so they can help themselves and their communities. Does a shift in perception need to occur so people in the developed world don’t just view aid as charity—as just throwing money at the cause?


I think people want accountability in every aspect to their life, and they should get it. And we live in this great world where you can find that out. You can actually find out accountability of every charity on the planet of how much percentage of each dollar is spent on infrastructure, for example, or what happens to the money. I think it’s fantastic. You can give $5 and they will actually tell you where that $5 went.

My inspiration originally came from Muhammad Yunus. My wife and I met him. What is so amazing about Muhammad Yunus is he did not want to start a bank. He was very happy being a professor of economics in this university in Bangladesh. And he kept walking to work teaching Keynesian economics and it was during a famine, and they couldn’t even clear the bodies from the side of the street. And finally, he said, “I can’t teach this to you anymore.” And he made every student leave the classroom, go into the slums and say, “Your job is to come back here in six months with a program for how to change the cycle of poverty.” And he said, “That’s all I’m interested in.” And it went from there.

My capital is mainly my profile and how to use that. And so you can use that capital, for example, to bring awareness to an organization—you become an ambassador. And the moment your capital is gone—or your career’s gone or you die, that’s sort of over. Or you can be someone like Paul Newman, who uses the capital to actually create something, which creates jobs, that actually creates a great product that benefits people. And sadly, Paul Newman’s no longer here, and yet his organization is giving hundreds of millions of dollars away, plus 1,000 or 1,500 jobs a year. And I thought that is the smartest way to use capital.

Muhammad Yunus said to me, “You should do that. You should do that in your business.”



You’ve announced your final Wolverine movie. What are your thoughts about your legacy as one of the biggest comic-book characters on film?

I don’t think about it like that. I really don’t. Right now I’m probably more excited about what I’m going to shoot with that film and just getting through that. I think creatively, or actually anything in life, you don’t look back too long. I mean you can pause for a second and look back and be grateful for perhaps all the people who helped you, but I think if you spend too much time looking back, you miss the opportunity to just keep expanding. I feel really blessed. It’s been an amazing character. It’s been the foundation of my career. I wouldn’t have been able to do projects like this probably without it. So in that way, I’m really excited.

When “Birdman” came out, they said, “Oh, are you worried?” I said no, no. I’m fine. I’m sure in 10 years, if some kid comes up to me and says, “Is that Wolverine?” I’ll be like, “Yeah, thanks, cool man.” I really am very grateful for it.

[jo]

Back to normal

And as for appearing in “X-Men: Apocalpyse”? Jackman flashes a smile and says, “I can’t tell you that.”

You’ve announced your final Wolverine movie. What are your thoughts about your legacy as one of the biggest comic-book characters on film?

I don’t think about it like that. I really don’t. Right now I’m probably more excited about what I’m going to shoot with that film and just getting through that. I think creatively, or actually anything in life, you don’t look back too long. I mean you can pause for a second and look back and be grateful for perhaps all the people who helped you, but I think if you spend too much time looking back, you miss the opportunity to just keep expanding. I feel really blessed. It’s been an amazing character. It’s been the foundation of my career. I wouldn’t have been able to do projects like this probably without it. So in that way, I’m really excited.

When “Birdman” came out, they said, “Oh, are you worried?” I said no, no. I’m fine. I’m sure in 10 years, if some kid comes up to me and says, “Is that Wolverine?” I’ll be like, “Yeah, thanks, cool man.” I really am very grateful for it.

Still being coy

Interesting that in a video interview he did say that he likes flat white but when he is in training for Wolverine, he drinks his coffee black...which is now

[hughmanity]

Adweek highlights video spots
www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/ad-day-hugh-jackman-wants-your-help-changing-world-one-k-cup-time-165186

[jo]

Auction for a Dinner with the Jackmans and MP Julie Bishop in NYC, for Australians --

www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/parliament-midwinter-ball-sees-hugh-jackman-take-on-julie-bishop-20150607-ghikfq.html

[jo]

Another advocacy that probably has a special meaning to all Aussies --

Hugh Jackman retweeted


Stephen Fry ‏@stephenfry · 4h4 hours ago
On #WorldOceansDay, let @unesco know that you want the
#GreatBarrierReef protected. reef.wwf.org.au

[jo]

www.huffingtonpost.com/yvonna-russell/dukales-dream_b_7525418.html?utm_hp_ref=impact&ir=Impact

[jo]

Remember the cause that Hugh and his PAN co-stars supported in accepting the Ice Bucket Challenge ?

Hugh Jackman ‏@realhughjackman · 4h4
The awesome foursome. Playing for The ALS Association at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club. What a privilege.

"Shinnecock Hills Golf Club is a links-style golf club located in the town of Southampton on Long Island, New York. It has hosted the U.S. Open four times in three different centuries and is scheduled to host again in 2018. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000.[1][2]

It claims to be the oldest formal organized golf club in the United States (1891), to have the oldest golf clubhouse in the U.S. (1892), and the first to admit women, which it did from the start."

[jo]

[mamaleh]

Somehow I don't think Hugh could ever make it as a jockey. Just a feeling.

Ellen

[jo]

Here's the appearance on Kelly and Michael --

www.youtube.com/watch?v=31nq_P1GBAM


Hugh is looking extremely refreshed ( and handsome!) and I have never heard him talk so fast


Jo