I find this picture incredibly powerful. It was taken during Angelina Jolie’s field trip to a refugee camp in the Democratic Republic of Congo as the Special Envoy for the United Nations Refugee Agency. Its power doesn’t just come from the symbolism of a celebrity showing up in a disadvantaged community, but the deeply compassionate heart not visible in the photo.

There is a long history of celebrities using their fame and visibility to campaign for humanitarian causes. Some examples that come to mind are Princess Diana, with her efforts to advocate for the demining of war-torn countries with landmines buried underground, and Audrey Hepburn’s dedication to improving children’s livelihoods worldwide as UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassador.

Now, we have celebrities like Emma Watson speaking up for women’s rights around the world and promoting the “HeforShe” movement; and as the United Nations Messenger of Peace, Leonardo DiCaprio combating climate change through his foundation and documentary “Before the Flood.”

When celebrities appear in headlines as champions for humanity instead of as what they’re known for, whether that’s a classic movie character or Hollywood glitz, it’s worth pondering how much of their intentions are really for the causes as opposed to media attention and the feel-good factor for themselves. I’ve personally had a hard time reaching a conclusion on this question until I heard a speech that Angelina Jolie recently delivered at the United Nations.

“I am a proud American, and I am an internationalist,” Jolie said in her speech. “I believe anyone committed to human rights is. It means seeing the world with a sense of fairness and humility and recognizing our own humanity in the struggles of others.”

I was struck by the scope of her knowledge and understanding about the issues as well as a sense of deep commitment to them in the Q&A section. We’re used to listening to well-crafted speeches given by celebrities on various issues, but Jolie’s responses stem from her numerous visits to refugee camps worldwide and personal interactions with people on the ground. It is an especially precious effort given how easily she could have just given glossy speeches to generate media attention.

Jolie has always been vocal about helping refugees and recently wrote an op-ed for The New York Times called “Refugee Policy Should Be Based on Facts, Not Fear” days after President Donald J. Trump’s first executive order banning immigration from seven Muslim-majority countries.

Having celebrity names appearing in our op-ed columns or testifying at the United Nations Security Council can also be a breath of fresh air for the audience. Jolie testified at the Security Council addressing sexual violence in armed conflict in 2013. She used stories from her personal interactions on the ground to urge the Security Council to look beyond the statistics of sexual violence, and instead remember that each of those numbers is “a person with a name, personality, a story and dreams no different than ours and those of our children.”

I’m making a case for celebrities voicing their political beliefs and acting on some of the most urgent issues facing our planet right now. Next time you read in the headlines that a celebrity has made a commitment to an important cause, I invite you to shift the tabloid-reader mindset and give them an opportunity to prove to you why that cause matters and why they are passionate about it. You will soon discover that there usually is more to their motivation than a desire for publicity.

To quote our “HeforShe” champion Emma Watson: “You might be thinking, ‘Who is this Harry Potter girl? And what is she doing up on stage at the UN?’ It’s a good question, and trust me, I have been asking myself the same thing. I don’t know if I am qualified to be here. All I know is that I care about this problem. And I want to make it better.”