On 21 September, SDG Advocate Forest Whitaker gave a keynote address at the pledging conference for the Secretary-General’s Peacebuilding Fund, which received $152 million in pledges at the event.
Providing inspiring examples of young people working toward peace, Whitaker noted that “their courage is the rule, not exception.” In this context, Whitaker urged the audience to “imagine what a tremendous force for good it would be if we invested as much time and money in their education and development as we do in fighting wars.”
The pledges cover the years 2017-2019 and will go toward projects the Fund underwrites in more than 20 countries with the aim of sustaining peace and preventing violent conflict. The event was co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Republic of Korea, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sweden and the United Kingdom. The conference sought pledges totalling $300 million over three years.
The Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) is a non-governmental organization with an international scope and reach, founded by Forest Whitaker in 2012. WPDI develops peace-building programs, initiatives and campaigns to foster peace and reconciliation in disadvantaged and fragile communities around the world, including in Africa, Latin America and the United States.
Video of the pledging conference (Whitaker’s address from 12:30): https://goo.gl/nQ8MxH
Message from Forest Whitaker on the occasion of the International Day of Peace, 21 September 2016: https://goo.gl/XR0lHs