Forest Whitaker's peace ambassadors
Big Issue|Issue 282
Actor and UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, Forest Whitaker’s WPDI Youth Peacemaker Network programme is empowering Cape Flats youngsters to become agents of change and peace in their communities.
LUNGISA MNQWAZI & ALICIA ENGLISH
Forest Whitaker's peace ambassadors

Nelson Mandela once said: “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite”.

Decades after apartheid, many young people living on the Cape Flats have either lost their lives, live in fear of falling victim to crime, or are themselves perpetrators of gangsterism and crime. More significantly, there are many more youths who are outstanding role models and aspire to achieve great things and uplift their peers and communities.

In November 2019, American actor Forest Whitaker visited Bridgetown where 45 such young people are being trained as social development ambassadors as part of the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI). The training programme launched in August 2019, empowers the youth to mediate conflicts, foster peace and work towards a peaceful resolution to the violence on the Cape Flats. The area has been locked in cycles of poverty and violence inherited from apartheid. Young people in particular face such high levels of unemployment, that many often have no choice but to join a gang as child soldiers for economic gain and social status.

This story is from the Issue 282 edition of Big Issue.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the Issue 282 edition of Big Issue.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BIG ISSUEView All
Visit The ‘Seaside Circus'
Big Issue

Visit The ‘Seaside Circus'

There’s a new art activation on the prom …

time-read
1 min  |
Issue 300
SA's Food Capture?
Big Issue

SA's Food Capture?

While the debate rages on over glyphosate-based herbicides, farmers are spraying the chemical all over the world

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 300
Design That Uplifts, Delight Intrigues
Big Issue

Design That Uplifts, Delight Intrigues

A collaboration with Southern Guild at the Silo District in Cape Town showcases designer Rich Mnisi’s first solo exhibition, titled Nyoka, on show from 2 October 2021 through to 4 February 2022. Designed to reach out and inspire.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 300
Why Kaaps Language Dictionary Matters!
Big Issue

Why Kaaps Language Dictionary Matters!

The first-ever dictionary of South Africa’s Kaaps language has launched. Why it matters …

time-read
5 mins  |
Issue 300
Hungry, And Tired
Big Issue

Hungry, And Tired

This charity has been feeding Cape Town’s hungry for more than 80 years. Never have so many people queued for food.

time-read
6 mins  |
Issue 300
Life's Ups And Downs
Big Issue

Life's Ups And Downs

Feeling burnt out? Clinical Psychologist and Business Director at The Human Edge, Helene Vermaak, gives some grounded self-care advice for anyone feeling overstressed or depleted.

time-read
4 mins  |
Issue 300
WHAT'S ON?
Big Issue

WHAT'S ON?

Get out and about under the spring sun, or enjoy entertainment online from the comfort of your couch …

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 300
SPACE TO REFLECT
Big Issue

SPACE TO REFLECT

When former Big Issue editor, Alicia English, lost her husband to Covid-19 earlier this year, she and her son discovered a novel way to process overwhelming, difficult feelings.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 300
INSPIRATIONAL READING
Big Issue

INSPIRATIONAL READING

Whether you tap, turn pages or listen to audiobooks, an inspirational read can help you relax and see the world differently.

time-read
2 mins  |
Issue 300
Rough sleeping
Big Issue

Rough sleeping

“Winters are the worst nightmare for us,” says a homeless man in Springs. Temperatures dropped to minus 7º C recently.

time-read
3 mins  |
Issue 300