TIJUANA.- Thirty four teenagers from Tijuana who were selected to be part of renown actor Forest Whitaker's 'Harmonizing Program' graduated from said program last night at UABC's Lecture Hall. This is the first group of many to come, which has benefitted from the 'Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative' (WPDI), a program that helps teens living in vulnerable areas of the region.

With this graduation ceremony, the 'Youth Peacemakers' have concluded a training phase, and are now ready to put to practice everything they have learned over the past 16 months, where they were given tools to create different community projects, such as folkloric dance workshops, murals, urban gardens and a recreational center, all with the purpose of transforming Tijuana.

The event was attended by Raúl Castañeda Pomposo, representing the state of Baja; Carlos Reyna, a UABC's representative; program manager, Monya Kian; program manager in Latin America, Francisco Diez and the initiative's CEO Forest Whitaker, in order to congratulate and acknowledge the Peacemakers effort.

Throughout the ceremony, one of the Peacemakers, Judith Huerta, rose to the podium to thank everyone and talk about her experience. She mentioned how WPDI gave her and her peers the necessary tools, not only for their projects but for their daily lives, at home as well as in school.

"I was able to use the opportunity for progress, of lending a service to someone else, acquiring knowledge and making new friends, as well as keeping my hope of being able to change our city," she added.

A moment after, Carlos Reyna gave a few words and expressed his interest in the program, from an academic and cultural point of view, highlighting that everyone should try and make a change:

"Im very happy for this, specially because on multiple occasions the university's dean has commented on how, as school officials, she should always transmit a sense of kindness, letting the people of Mexico know that we have a right to be happy, and that we're not always full of bad news, given that we have the power to create a different point of view as well as a social change. Mexicans are big, we can and we will change."

On his behalf, Forest Whitaker, moved by the testimonials of other Peacemaker participants, thanked the effort and dedication each and everyone of the teens put in their program, given that in the end, his purpose was to channel his energy through different activities that contributed to a healthy development for the program members.

"Today is a very special day, I'm very thankful to be able to share this with you guys, our Peacemakers, who have spent the last few months developing abilities such as conflict resolution, in order to create a community that works to achieve real change."

He also mentioned that he was inspired by the 'ideas and the love expressed for the city they call home', he applauded the teens who fight against difference problems such as drug addiction, violence and poverty. From this day on, the 34 boy and girls of the WPDI program will never see the world with the same eyes. Mr. Whitaker only hopes that this reaches other cities around the world in a near future.

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elizabeth.rosales@sandiegored.com