For the second year in a row, Barilla is encouraging families to “Share the Table” and Mario Batali, Julianne Moore and 10 other notable celebrities have joined together to create the limited edition Celebrity Pasta Lovers’ Cookbook. Available until October 15 at www.ShareTheTable.com, the free cookbook is packed with family meal-sharing tips and exclusive new Mario Batali recipes inspired by favorite pasta dishes from celebrities including Meryl Streep, Andy Roddick and Jimmy Fallon. Barilla’s Share the Table initiative was created to help families make the most of their shared meals through a host of expert and celebrity tips, recipes, giveaways and more – all available at www.ShareTheTable.com. When consumers affirm their belief in meaningful meals, they are also helping to make a difference in the lives of others. For every visitor who clicks on the icon that says they believe in meaningful meals, Barilla will donate $1 to Meals On Wheels Association of America, up to $150,000, and consumers then download the free cookbook – including Meryl’s recipe for Penne with Cauliflower, toasted pine nuts and romano cheese. Many thanks to Jaclyn for letting me know about this!

With many thanks to dvdguy2011, here comes another great find from the past. In 1986, Meryl hosted a public service announcement for “Amnesty International”. The clip can be watched in the video archive, a transcript of her speech is below the preview.

All dictators have fantasies that they can suffocate and divide people in their own country. We know that what they’re afraid of most is world opinion and criticism of their tyranny. Your efforts and prayers saved my life. And thanks to your support I can have an opportunity to live as a human being. A letter sent to us at Amnesty International by a released prisoner of conscience, the republic of Korea. Join us, you’ll never forget the first prisoner you free.

A starry cast, featuring Marcia Gay Harden, Alfred Molina, Julianne Moore, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Elias Koteas, Viggo Mortensen, Aidan Quinn, Gloria Reuben and Debra Winger, presented a concert reading of Ariel Dorfman’s “Speak Truth to Power: Voices from Beyond the Dark” May 3 to benefit Habitat for Humanity’s earthquake relief efforts in Chile.

According to the Public, “Speak Truth to Power chronicles the true-story accounts of heroic people withstanding horrific human rights abuses across the globe. Voices from around the world cry out against violence and oppression — from world leaders like Desmond Tutu to the unknown activists working on the ground level. Speak Truth to Power is a powerful and moving testimony of the will of the human spirit to rise up against injustice, even in the face of incredible darkness.”

Tony Award winner Marcia Gay Harden will join the previously announced Elias Koteas, Alfred Molina, Julianne Moore, Viggo Mortensen, Aidan Quinn, Gloria Reuben, Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, and Debra Winger for a reading of Ariel Dorfman’s Speak Truth to Power: Voices From Beyond the Dark, adapted from the book by Kerry Kennedy. David Esbjornson will direct the benefit performance, at the Public Theater on Monday, May 3 at 7pm. The reading is presented by Dorfman, Kennedy, the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, and The Public. It chronicles the true-story accounts of heroic people withstanding horrific human rights abuses across the globe. Proceeds from the reading will benefit the relief efforts of Habitat for Humanity in Chile. All ticket holders will be invited to an exclusive post-show reception featuring the cast and creative team.

For more information, visit www.publictheater.org.

After watching herself portrayed by Meryl Streep, Northern Irish civil rights leader Inez McCormack stood on stage with the actress and discussed her causes – and what it felt like to watch Streep in action. “She’s better at me than I am,” McCormack said. The clip can be watched in the video archive.

The hallmark women’s magazine is hosting an event to honor influential females during their 125 years of publication. On April 12, in honor of their 125th anniversary, leading women’s magazine Good Housekeeping will host a one-night event in honor of our nation’s most influential women. According to a release, the event, which is being called “Shine On,” will salute icons, visionaries, goddesses, and even “hellraisers.” The New York City event is being staged to raise money to build the first permanent location for the National Women’s History Museum in Washington D.C. “Shine On” will be an original 90-minute long production featuring stars of both the stage and screen including Meryl Streep, Kristen Bell, Fran Drescher and Ann Hampton Callaway. Lynne Taylor-Corbett is directing the show, which will honor “women whose combination of intelligence, imagination and nerve changed our lives forever.” These luminaries include Susan B. Anthony, Martha Stewart, Sally Ride, Dorothy Parker and Madonna. Tickets for “Shine On” are available now on the NY City Center website.

Meryl Streep, Morgan Freeman, Julia Roberts and Reese Witherspoon are the latest to appear in public service messages for the American Red Cross Haitian relief effort. The Advertising Council on Friday announced that they and Tim McGraw, Jake Gyllenhaal and Eva Longoria will be featured in the messages that will start to be distributed this weekend. The latest spots were produced with assistance of the Creative Artists Agency Foundation by ad agency GSD&M Idea City.

George Clooney has rallied a few mates for a telethon today to raise money for earthquake-ravaged communities in Haiti. Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief is set to become the most widely distributed telethon in history, reaching 640 million viewers. Foxtel viewers can see the benefit from 11am today on MTV, VH! and CNN, with repeats throughout the day. The two-hour commercial-free telecast will feature performances from Bruce Springsteen, Madonna, Sting, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder and Taylor Swift. Caboolture boy Keith Urban will perform a group act with Kid Rock and Sheryl Crow, while Coldplay, Beyonce, Jay-Z, Bono and The Edge will collaborate from London. There’ll be a star-studded team working off stage too, with Nicole Kidman, Brad Pitt, Robert Pattinson, Meryl Streep and former US president Bill Clinton giving testimonials and manning the phones. Funds raised will be split evenly between relief organisations in Haiti.

The American Foundation for AIDS Research will hold a special gala in New York on February 10 in memory of actress Natasha Richardson, a trustee of the organization who died in a skiing accident last year. Among the leadership committee are Liam Neeson, Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson, Sharon Stone, Stanley Tucci and Kenneth Cole. Meryl Streep will also attend and will assist in presenting the tribute to Natasha Richardson. This black-tie gala benefit at Cipriani 42nd Street honors those who have made outstanding efforts to raise awareness about the HIV/AIDS epidemic and to raise dollars for AIDS research. The gala, held on the eve of New York Fashion Week, will begin with cocktails, followed by dinner, a live auction of luxury items, and a special tribute to the honorees. More information can be found here.

Yesterday, Meryl has attended the 19th Annual “A Magical Evening” Gala Benefit. Pictures from the event have been added to the Image Library.