April 10, 2007
Modern Day "Knights" Help Needy Worldwide
Ed Artis, Jim Laws Circle Globe, Aiding Poor In Remote, Hostile Places Ed Artis, Jim Laws Circle Globe, Aiding Poor In Remote, Hostile Places — Just Because
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Play CBS Video Video Modern-Day Knights Modern-day knights "Sir" Dr. James Laws and "Sir" Edward Artis travel around the world to help people in need as part of the humanitarian organization they co-founded, Knightsbridge.org.
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Jim Laws, left, and Ed Artis (CBS)
Ed Artis and Jim Laws prove that.
They've gone around the world eight or nine times, helping the poorest people in the most remote places on earth. Often, those places are hostile, and they put themselves in danger.
But Artis, 62, and Laws, 68, figure it sure beats playing golf to pass the time!
They've gone to war zones and storm zones, slept in palaces and potato cellars, met kings and spies, dealt with warlords and nuns, and faced it all with a unique sense of humor.
These two are not only adventurers, but amazing characters in their own right.
They are modern-day knights.
Harry Smith profiled them on The Early Show Tuesday.
Artis and Laws bring food, shelter, medicine and supplies to people who can't fend for themselves. They've been to Rwanda, Afghanistan and Bosnia. They've fed refugees of war, famine and natural disaster.
"We're a couple of old duffers," Artis says. "I mean, we're not buff, action hero kinda guys. We're shaped like pears. Can't hear, can't see. … But, on the day, we get the job done."
To the tune of more than $40 million worth of aid, begging, borrowing — even stealing and bribing when necessary — stumbling into minefields, rescuing nuns, and befriending the locals.
They've had things transported by the Italian army, and by rebel soldiers; they work with local warlords, and don't care about political fallout. All they care about is delivering the goods.
On one mission, Artis and Laws traveled for weeks, in cars and mules, and fought through jungles, just to take the rust off of a connecting cable to provide a village with power that had been off for several years. They also set up a hospital there.
Whenever they take any piece of technology to a village, whether it's a water pump, a solar oven or an X-ray machine, they don't leave until at least 10 people in the village can take it apart and put it back together again.
They've had more flat tires in a single journey than most people have in a lifetime.
Artis and Laws only do the missions they feel like doing, as long as they're "high adventure, as well as service to the community," says Laws.
They do it all through an organization they founded called Knightsbridge. They raise money like any charity but, says Smith, it's their ability to distribute large quantities of aid and medicine directly to the people at the end of the line that sets them apart.
All money donated to Knightsbridge goes directly to the mission. They have a laptop, satellite phones and no staff, so 100 percent of donated funds go to the cause.
For information on how you can help Artis and Laws on their next humanitarian mission, to Darfur, click here.
For information on the documentary "Beyond the Call," featuring Artis and Laws, click here.
Oh, and Artis really IS a knight. He and Laws met in 1993 in Moscos, where Artis became a Knight of Malta, a humanitarian order that dates back to the Crusades.
To see Smith's piece, and learn more about Artis and Laws, including how they got their start in the humanitarian arena and what they did before that, click here.
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- Other charities would do well to follow Knightsbrg example. It would be hard to do. Takes a special person(s) to do what they do. It takes alot of heart. SALUTE my friends. You show the world that there is another side to life. A good caring side.
Mike Williamson - Reply to this comment
- Well very commendable. I found someone who does the same thing I do and I am also a Knight. We are only seven years old and only shipped 2.5 million. His Work in Progress performs medical and humanitarian assistance to Bosnia, Croatia and Peru currently. We are made up of all volunteers. Being like minded, small and extrememly effective allows you to go directly to the source and fix the root cause. Even better is not having a committee study it to death and may never get implemented. I like people of action. Not afraid to make it happen. I applaud your initiative and persistence. I would entertain a possible joint venture.
Grweat article once again.
The Sir Walter www.hwip.org 215-741-4947 - Reply to this comment
- Great segement on this organization headed by such driven individuals. I saw the film, Beyond the Call by Adrian Belic, and it is impressive to see Ed, Jim, and Walt, take food, medicine, etc. directly to the people who need it and at times, risk their lives in the process. They have been doing this behind the scenes, tirelessly, for years and it is time to see them acknowledged for their accomplishments. Thank you CBS for presenting this.
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- This was a beautifully produced piece that brought the story of these two extraordinary men to life and tears to my eyes. I have known Ed Artis for 20 years and am touched to have his story told to a larger audience on the morning news. The producer should win an award for this piece! Thank you for taking time to spotlight the important work of Knightsbridge, a truly amazing humanitarian organization.
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