United Nations, New York, USA, April 21 2016 – Oscar-winning actor and UNESCO special envoy for peace Forest Whitaker holds a press conference today at the UN Headquarters in New York on the Sustainable Development Goals meetings that is taking place at the UN General Assembly. Photo by: Luiz Rampelotto/EuropaNewswire
United Nations, New York, USA, April 21 2016 – Oscar-winning actor and UNESCO special envoy for peace Forest Whitaker holds a press conference today at the UN Headquarters in New York on the Sustainable Development Goals meetings that is taking place at the UN General Assembly.
By Britta Schmitz
UNITED NATIONS, April 24 2016 – Actor Forest Whitaker held a press conference at the UN in
New York, urging world leaders to keep their promise of implementing the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) and ensuring that the Global Goals reach everyone.
“What we have seen is that throughout history and throughout times, that it’s the groups that
push things forward. Of course we have to have those leaders who will point a way, a direction
for us to go and then those others who are with them to be able to push forward the agenda and
become the mechanisms that make it work. So I am very optimistic that we can do this. We have
a lot of proof from the MDGs that things can happen, things can change,“ Whitaker said at the
press conference.
Forest Whitaker has two primary messages which he shared with world leaders at the High-level
Thematic Debate on Achieving the SDGs on April 21.
“First, for them to be able to advocate back home, their law makers and their other leaders in
their countries, and to ensure that the benefits of these SDGs can touch everyone. And second of
all, to get them to, in an inclusive way, have the people themselves help to push forward these
SDGs. To give the individuals this concept that they need to have of empowerment to know that
they actually can make a difference and make a change and some of these motions And to create
swarms of people around the world that will be able to move forward what is a very important
agenda of our planet. An agenda that deals with hunger, eliminating poverty, educating our
people, allowing women to have complete gender rights along with everyone,“ Whitaker said.
United Nations, New York, USA, April 21 2016 – Oscar-winning actor and UNESCO special envoy for peace Forest Whitaker holds a press conference today at the UN Headquarters in New York on the Sustainable Development Goals meetings that is taking place at the UN General Assembly. Photo by: Luiz Rampelotto/EuropaNewswire
United Nations, New York, USA, April 21 2016 – Oscar-winning actor and UNESCO special envoy for peace Forest Whitaker holds a press conference today at the UN Headquarters in New York on the Sustainable Development Goals meetings that is taking place at the UN General Assembly.
Photo by: Luiz Rampelotto/EuropaNewswire
The academy award winning actor has been a Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation for the
UN’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 2012 and was appointed as
one of seventeen SDG advocates by Secretary General Ban ki-Moon in January this year.
In an interview for UN News, the Hollywood actor talks about why the implementation of the
SDGs is so important.
“Unless we’re able to do that, our planet itself will implode, because the needs of the people are
not met. I am excited to get a chance to be involved in sort of just talking about the road map,
talking about the list of things that need to be done in order to meet the needs of society, in
order for the planet to be healed and for us as a society to find what I hope will be enduring
peace,“ Whitaker said.
Forest Whitaker founded the Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI) in 2012. The
initiative develops peace building programs for disadvantaged and fragile communities suffering
from conflicts.
“Forest Whitaker believes that, in order to attain peace and prosperity, communities and nations
must heed the voices of their diverse and vibrant youth. He and the Whitaker Peace &
Development Initiative are committed to providing educational tools and better living conditions
to young women and men living in regions touched by violence, war, and poverty,“ WPDI shares
on its website.
United Nations, New York, USA, April 21 2016 – Oscar-winning actor and UNESCO special envoy for peace Forest Whitaker holds a press conference today at the UN Headquarters in New York on the Sustainable Development Goals meetings that is taking place at the UN General Assembly. Photo by: Luiz Rampelotto/EuropaNewswire
United Nations, New York, USA, April 21 2016 – Oscar-winning actor and UNESCO special envoy for peace Forest Whitaker holds a press conference today at the UN Headquarters in New York on the Sustainable Development Goals meetings that is taking place at the UN General Assembly.
Photo by: Luiz Rampelotto/EuropaNewswire
As CEO of his own non-governmental organization, Whitaker has significant experience in
working as a humanitarian.
“I try to look for areas in need and where I might be able to have some impact. Then once I
figured out where I’m gonna do those things, then I try to see if there is partnerships that I can
have on the ground, they allow me to do something, to make some movements forward and
they allow me to change the environment in a positive way,“ Whitaker said at the press
conference.