Forest Whitaker joined a host of celebrities at an event yesterday to raise awareness of Mandela Day, an annual celebration of Nelson Mandela's life and a global call to action for people to recognize their individual power to make an imprint and change the world around them.
Yesterday’s event was held in Los Angeles and was attended by stars such as Morgan Freeman, Clint Eastwood, Marisa Tomei, Sharon Stone, Noah Wyle, Alfre Woodard and Viola Davis.
Nelson Mandela has been making an imprint on the world for 67 years, beginning in 1942 when he first started to campaign for the human rights of every South African. The annual celebration is being created to inspire others to embrace Nelson Mandela’s values as they seek to improve their lives through service to their communities. 46664 and the Nelson Mandela Foundation are calling on people around the world to support the creation of an official Mandela Day, to be held annually on July 18, Mr. Mandela’s birthday.
This year, the celebration includes a series of special events in New York City involving many of the charity’s global ambassadors from the worlds of entertainment, music and film.
46664, the campaign that bears Mr. Mandela’s Robben Island prison number, was originally launched to raise awareness about HIV/AIDS. Working alongside the other Mandela organizations, it is now expanding its focus to champion Mr. Mandela’s broader humanitarian work. A centerpiece of 46664’s activities will be the celebration of Mandela Day each year, and funds raised from Mandela Day will support the ongoing work of 46664 and the Nelson Mandela charitable organizations.
For more information, visit MandelaDay.com or follow at http://twitter.com/mandeladay.
