Richard Gere
(1949-)

birthdate: August 31
birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Richard Gere has enjoyed a successful career as one of Hollywood's biggest stars, and in 1999 was voted by People Magazine as the Sexiest Man Alive, but throughout his career he has spent his off-camera time championing humanitarian causes. In 1978 he became passionate about the plight of the Tibetans and met with many monks and lamas while in Nepal. He is one of the founders of Tibet House, a nonprofit organization which works to preserve Tibetan culture. In the early 1980s during the wars in El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua he traveled with a doctor throughout Latin America visiting refugee camps. He has been active in Survival International, which works for indigenous peoples to help them protect their land and human rights and decide their own future. He has also been a strong supporter of other human rights groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. Finding a cure for AIDS has also been one of his Richard Gere's priorities and he has supported many global efforts and organizations working towards this goal. His dedication to creating a better world was noted with many awards and honors including the prestigious Eleanor Roosevelt Humanitarian Award.