Words by Smiley Team
Actor Javier Bardem has ‘donated his iris' to charity to raise money to prevent avoidable blindness in developing countries.
(To save any confusion, it's not his actual iris, but an NFT image of it.)
The Eyes of the World Foundation has launched the ‘Iris of the World’ project to raise funds by auctioning the exclusive image of the iris of a number of famous people, the first being Javier Bardem.
“We want to communicate that the right to vision should not be subject to the availability of economic resources of a person or a country,” said Director of the Eyes of the World Foundation, Anna Barba .”It’s a question of giving sight back to thousands of people without resources who suffer from serious eye problems that can be prevented or treated if action is taken in time.”
The auction starts 29 September and runs until 6 October, with the NFT image of Javier’s iris beginning at $9,000.
“To be able to see, to be able to hear, to be able to touch or to be able to feel are things that we don’t appreciate until we lose them,” said Javier. “To be able to feel all the emotions that happen through sight and have an impact on us is an emotional and spiritual phenomenon. For this reason, I am happy to collaborate with ‘Iris del Mundo’ by donating a photograph of my iris to be auctioned and to continue helping the Foundation’s work on avoidable blindness.”
Eyes of the World estimates the cost of an eye check-up at $7 and a cataract operation at $7. The scope of the initiative will depend on the amounts raised at the various auctions.
You can find this auction, and the following ones, at www.irisesoftheworld.org.
DONATE: Visit Irises Of The World to bid in the auction for the NFT of Javier Bardem’s iris.
GET INVOLVED: Donate to Eyes of the World to help fund eye tests for people around the world.
