Forest Whitaker became the critical darling of 2006 for his portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the film, The Last King of Scotland. He won more than 25 awards for the performance, including an Academy Award for Best Actor. But long after the film’s buzz settled down, Whitaker’s ties to Uganda remained strong. Through the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, he’s helping youth affected by violence in Uganda as well as South Sudan, South Africa, Mexico and Myanmar.
The Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative was founded in 2012 with a single mission to turn societies impacted by extreme violence into safer communities.
“We all face conflicts of different kinds throughout our lives, and by doing our part individually, we can collectively advance our world towards peace,” the foundation’s official mission statement reads. “One community, one person, and one day at a time.”
The non-governmental organization kicked off its activities in Uganda with the Harmonizer Program. WPDI partnered with Hope North, a Ugandan secondary school, to teach local youth conflict resolution skills as well as leadership, peace and community building skills. The Harmonizer Program also partnered with technology giant Ericsson to provide technology training, mobile devices and computers. The ultimate hope was to fight violence at its source and create a new generation of peace leaders.
Former child soldier Simon Owor credits WPDI with changing the trajectory of his life.
“The educational trainings I’ve received in computers and technology, leadership skills, life skills, conflict resolution, project planning and management, among others, have taught me hard work, honesty, how to socialize and be a good leader and role model in my community,” Owor said in a testimonial on WPDI’s website.
WPDI also piloted the Youth Peacemaker Network in South Sudan in 2012. YPN quickly became a valuable resource when violence swept the country in 2013. Youth involved in the program used YPN as a lifeline to maintain contact with each other. In 2014, YPN moved its activities to the Eastern Equatoria State to continue community building.
The Harmonizer Program is now active in Tijuana, Mexico and is also going strong throughout the United States. Domestic Harmonizers is taking its mission of conflict resolution training to children in elementary and middle schools in California cities like Compton and Carson.
“We must plant the seed of hope. We must nurture the seed of peace. Together it’s possible,” Whitaker said in a statement from WPDI.
In these chaotic times, he has his finger on the pulse—working today to craft a more peaceful tomorrow.