Matt Damon: 'Gandhi Had the Right Idea'

Actor Matt Damon speaks during the History Channel documentary 'The People Speak' panel during the Cable portion of the 2009 Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour at the Ritz-Carlton Huntington Hotel on July 29, 2009 in Pasadena, California. (Getty Images)more pics »Matt Damon is a regular do-gooder, having worked closely with Water.org and the ONE campaign. He recently revealed it was his mom Nancy who taught him to help others from a young age -- and Gandhi. He told Parade magazine:
When I was a boy, my mom had a magnet on the refrigerator with a little picture of Gandhi along with a quote from him. It said, ‘No matter how insignificant what you do may seem, it is important that you do it.’

As a child, I was raised to believe that, and to this day I do my best to live it.

It’s really powerful when you get to meet the people and shake their hands and listen to their stories. Matt holding his daughter Isabella. The 39-year-old star, whose philanthropic work includes raising awareness about the global water crisis, extreme poverty and AIDS, is determined to ensure his children are also instilled with the desire to give something back to those less fortunate. Matt, who raises three children, 11-year-old Alexia, three-year-old Isabella and 14-month-old Gia with his wife Luciana, added: “I can’t think of any more important value to instil in our children than the desire to help others."

He continued, “I feel strongly about setting an example for them. Real problems can be solved by the next generation if we instil in them the right values. I’m not a politician, and I don’t want to tell anybody how to live. But I must say, all these years later, I still think Gandhi had the right idea. No matter how small the contribution we make may seem, it’s crucial that we all do our part. In the future, I know these trips are something we’ll do as a family.”

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