From Spring 2003
REAL LIFE
Charitable Causes
Does it all mean something...
An excuse for more publicity or truly a way of life?
By Maya Chendke
Is it possible for a busy Juno award winning musician and celebrity wife to focus her time and energy to genuinely campaign for the rights and well-being of not only humans but animals and the environment as well? Known for involving herself with organizations like ZooCheck, War Child Canada, and even writing letters to Members of Parliament for various causes, Chantal Kreviazuk seems to be everywhere at once.
After being provided and blessed with life and health, Chantal believes that it is only natural to become involved in charitable activities. “You feel good about yourself, you feel like you’re making a difference,” she says. “Life is not about excess. It’s not about owning everything that you see. Achievement is not necessarily reflected in what you own—it’s an overall attitude, it’s a choice.”
So then, what would that commentary say about our Western culture of consumerism, and the flashy trinkets we lust for? She cringes, thinking of all the hyped up, and iced out, music videos today. “When you sport tons of diamonds, the whole bling-bling thing, you bring up the issue of diamond mines,” she says. In Sierra Leone children were subjected to mutilation, amputation, abduction and sometimes rape because of the Country’s corrupt diamond trade. “The reality is that six-monthold babies all over Sierra Leone have no arms or legs, that’s the truth. So I hope you like your diamonds. I’m not saying don’t buy a diamond, I’m saying be aware of the issue.”
It’s evident that she perceives her involvement as something fundamental—as a way of life. “I recycle. I try to be conscious of how many times I use toothpaste and that I use my toothpaste to the end. Not because I can’t afford it, but because I always imagine things that I throw away in the ground, in some landfill, for all eternity. I’m conscious of how much I drive my car. Until I have a hybrid, I feel badly every time I put my foot on the gas.”
But not everyone shares Chantal’s ideals. “I see a lot of people who are in a far better position than me, who have more podiums and opportunities [to draw attention to an issue] but they just don’t. They are more about ‘this is my career, this is what I do,’” she explains. “I don’t think it’s necessary for celebrities to have a message. I do think, however, it is important for celebrities to not send a bad one.”
TOP
