After that, I made a promise to her that I would dedicate the rest of my life to all the mothers in this world and the entire human race. Yes, human life is a just a matter of a breath. Years later, a narrow escape from the Asian tsunami again caused me to think about life. Life is such a fragile thing that misfortune can strike any of us, no matter who we are. We should constantly care for and help each other. It has become my dream, as one who grew up on the very land of Beijing, to promote this idea." His words even moved some listeners to tears.
Mr. Li described his One Foundation as a platform to optimize philanthropic resources, rather than an organization dedicated to addressing problems in one particular area. The foundation will enhance the sense of philanthropy throughout society and provide opportunities to specialists from different fields to join hands and make the world a better place. This will certainly promote the development of China's social sector, which, still in its infancy, urgently needs support and guidance.
Mr. Li's actions speak even louder than his words. After the devastating earthquake that hit Sichuan Province in May, the One Foundation helped to ensure that hundreds of thousands of dollars were used effectively. Mr. Li rushed to the quake-stricken areas again and again to supervise his staff's work and console victims.
This is a major change for the actor's image. In the mid-1990s when Jet Li established himself as an A-list star in Asia, he made very few public appearances. In a rare interview at the time, he said that movies were his whole life and he had no interest in appearing in commercials. A lot of people might have supposed him very shy.
In late 1990s he began to be seen in TV commercials, but not often. During those years, he gave many more interviews and began to talk about his family, his films and his first failed marriage. He answered questions directly and honestly. Once he had developed his charity idea, he missed no opportunity to promote it. Now he is constantly in the spotlight. His interviews and speeches are to be found everywhere. The action star has truly become a public figure.
Certainly there is a long way for Mr. Li to go. He says that he expects to devote 20 or 30 years to changing people's attitudes to charity. There remains the question whether people will want to buy what he has to sell. Let us wait, hope, and see.
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