Hollywood star Forest Whitaker on global peace mission to help child soldiers

 
Actor Forest Whitaker attends "The Great Debaters" film premiere at the Ziegfeld Theater, Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007 in New York.
Benedict Moore-Bridger7 November 2012

He once played brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Armin. But now Forest Whitaker is hoping to use his celebrity status to help child soldiers in war-ravaged countries.

The Oscar-winning actor is on a mission to promote peace across the world, with an ambitious new charity called the PeaceEarth Foundation.

Officially launched last month, it will serve as a vehicle for a number of private and public organisations to set up an array of programmes and initiatives across the globe.

Whitaker, who was recently made a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation, is now hoping to raise millions of pounds to help fund the enterprise, which has already got backing from technology company Ericsson.

And he is travelling to London this week to press his celebrity friends and colleagues for cash at a glitzy fundraiser co-hosted by Russian-born writer and humanitarian Ella Krasner.

With tickets costing £1,000 per person, it is hoped the Place for Peace event at the Banqueting House in Whitehall Palace – sponsored by jewellery company Star Diamond and including a performance by singer Mary J Blige – will raise significant funds for the various projects already under way.

Among those attending on Saturday are fellow actors Jude Law and James McAvoy, while John Travolta is also slated to make an appearance.

They will be bidding on a number of luxury items as part of an auction for the foundation, including a signed guitar from Jon Bon Jovi, a suit from John Travolta, a portrait sitting with Jake and Dinos Chapman, the jacket worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger in ”The Last Stand”, a walk-on role in the upcoming NBC “Dracula” television series, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and pair of 14.64-carat “Botswana Diamonds” earrings donated by Star Diamond.

Speaking exclusively to the Standard, Whitaker said trying to help young people overcome the horrors of war was key to building lasting peace in war-torn countries.

He said: “We’re looking to make an impact and one of the ways is to partner with people on the ground. 

"We work with teams dealing with conflict resolution, mediation training, initiatives setting up access to the internet to help with education, sponsoring groups of individuals’ education, so they can then come back to their societies and help others.

“You can relate it to my work as an actor. When I look at a character I’m playing I look at the seed of what is inside that character, and that understanding is what I am continuing to do in my other work. It is the core of who I am, at least - who I would like to be – connecting to other people.

“It taking up most of my hours. But it is a great feeling.”

Around, 1.5 billion people live in countries affected by violent conflict, and more than 8 million children have been killed or disabled through violent conflict.

The foundation’s main projects are currently in Northern Uganda and Southern Sudan, where they are using local and international experts to train orphans, former child soldiers, and other vulnerable people in become “harmonisers” – skilled in conflict resolution, leadership, peace and community building.

Whitaker, who is currently filming police drama Zulu with Orlando Bloom in South Africa, said: “It is about building awareness and understanding.

“Hopefully we can raise some funds to enable this work to carry on for the next 10 years and hopefully people will be able to see some advantage in what we are doing, because it is powerful.

“When I went to Uganda and saw the child soldiers I saw the similarities, but also the differences. What I've come to understand is that youth across the globe share the same story, and have the same hopes.

Youth have the power to create change. And for real progress to be made, they need to be a part of the solution.”

Philippe Roth, director of Star Diamond Group – which operates to the diamond industry’s highest ethical standards in Africa – said: “We are thrilled to support The Place for Peace event in aid of a cause that is so close to our hearts and to give something back through Forest Whitaker’s PeaceEarth Foundation.”

Anyone wishing to make a donation should ring 020 8691 7860 or visit www.peaceearth.org for more information.

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