Ben Stiller Brings STILLERSTRONG to Artists for Peace and Justice

If there's one thing Ben Stiller does well, it's comedy — just look at his Academy Awards presentation for Best Make-up in full N'avi attire. Even when he's faced with a difficult situation, like the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti, Stiller is able to use his natural abilities to put a positive spin on the situation. This is why it comes as no surprise that his own charity, the Haitian School Initiative, which operates under the guise of STILLERSTRONG, is joining forces with Artists for Peace and Justice's relief efforts in Haiti. Stiller will also join the APJ board of directors.

Stiller founded Stillerstrong in 2009 after visiting the impoverished nation. His first act was a promise to build a school, provide clean water and improve agriculture in the village of Cévérine. He did so in typical cheeky Stiller fashion, however, founding Stillerstrong with the motto: "stealing great ideas from other people’s charities to build a school in Haiti." He filmed a series of viral videos with celebrities including Robert DeNiro, Lance Armstrong, Owen Wilson and Ryan Seacrest to encourage others to rally around the cause.

In the wake of the January earthquake in Haiti, Stiller launched the Haitian School Initiative to set up temporary schools for Haitian children who had been displaced by the quake. On Stillerstrong's website, the actor said, "Our goal is to help kids get back in school as quickly as possible. Schools are a safe haven for kids in times of crisis, and are instrumental in delivering not only education but also healthcare, nutrition and other critical services."

Now, the Haitian School Initiative has joined forces with another charity doing great work for the relief efforts in Haiti: Artists for Peace and Justice. This fundraising effort was founded by director Paul Haggis in 2009 and has been committed to improving impoverished living conditions in Haiti since before the earthquake. In the quake's aftermath, both APJ and HSI have recognized the need to come together to build schools for Haiti's displaced children as quickly as possible, which is why Haggis approached Ben Stiller to join Artists for Peace and Justice's board of directors.

"Ben Stiller understands the important role of schools in the lives of Haitian children. Together we share a mutual passion and determination to be as effective as quickly as possible," Haggis told Look to the Stars. "For the children of Haiti, schools provide so much more than education. They provide their only hot meals, their only clean drinking water and medical attention. These are critical elements for children, especially in a time of crisis."

After the merger, building both temporary and permanent schools in Haiti will become a core focus for Artists for Peace and Justice, with Stiller continuing to provide funding. To learn more about how you can contribute to Stillerstrong, visit the website. To participate in APJ's latest fundraising campaign, Crafts for a Cause, check out the Tumblr and auction site.

As if that weren't enough, last Friday, Stiller participated in "A Night of 140 Tweets" (with celebrities — Dane Cook, Will Ferrell, Demi Moore, Jenny McCarthy and 136 others — reading their favorite tweets. 100 percent of proceeds from sales of the event's DVD (out March 26) will go to Artists for Peace and Justice to help build schools in Haiti.

Photo by Romina Espinosa via Wikimedia Commons.