Award winning actor Forest Whitaker in Uganda for youth initiative

ruby orimba

February 9, 2017 12:01 PM

The youth advocate to spend his week building awareness on peace after violence

Besides his acting career, Forest Whitaker is known for his passionate advocacy for peace and youth empowerment.

Forest Whitaker is in Uganda on a mission to empower young people in post violence areas by championing for peace and development initiatives.

The U.S actor and film producer is visiting the country this week for the second time to consolidate his program dabbed Harmonize where he will participate in a myriad of activities on social and economic aspects such as business training, peace, education and life skills with young people from South Sudan, North Uganda and the soon coming branch in Kiryandongo, Uganda.

For the past few years, the Last King of Scotland star has been working with various organizations advocating for peace in violence prone areas. In 2012 he launched the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative as a means to assist South Sudan war victims in a programme named Youth Peacemaker Network that has now expanded to Uganda.

In conjunction with United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Forest Whitaker who is also a UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation.

Speaking to the press yesterday he said, “I am happy to be here to see the work we’re doing with young people. This is an exciting first moment to meet the youths in Kiryandongo to share stories, philosophies and mechanism in order to move forward.”

The Academy Award winning actor who is also an advocate for the youth set out for Kiryandongo yesterday where his team is meant to visit refugee resettlement camps in Gulu and conduct training workshops and documenting success stories for the young people they have been supporting at the Hope North Centre which, also has a program under the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative.

This is initiative is in alignment with the UN sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by all countries to mobilize efforts and end all forms of poverty, fight inequalities and tackle climate change while ensuring that no one is left behind.

Forest Whitaker arrived on Tuesday in the company of UN Assistant Director General for Social and Human Sciences, Nada Al-Nashif

The actor who is also the UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation and a member of the United Nations(UN) Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group had a brief engagement with journalists at the UN head offices in Kampala before he set out for a field visit to the upcountry districts of Kiryandongo and Gulu.

ruby orimba