*Actor-director Forest Whitaker will be named goodwill ambassador for peace and reconciliation for the United Nations’ educational, scientific and cultural body, UNESCO announced today.
Whitaker, who won an Oscar for his 2006 portrayal of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin Dada in “The Last King of Scotland”, is to be officially named at a ceremony on Tuesday, the UN body said in a statement.
The nomination was “in recognition of Mr. Whitaker’s humanitarian and artistic commitment. This is most visible in his projects, such as ‘Better Angels’, a film about Ugandan child soldiers,” UNESCO said.
At UNESCO, he will be tasked with helping to educate the general public and mobilize political decision makers in favor of youth programs centered on peace education, human rights and global citizenship.
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