Global Citizen Kelowna week continues with the Speakers Series this Monday February 24, 2014.  Hosted by local leadership group JCI Okanagan and presented with support from SunFM and Niteo Africa, ‘Peace Building through education” will be a night that showcases how locals are making a difference in their communities and around the world. The keynote presentation will highlight why it matters with a storyteller from Northern Uganda. 
The featured speaker at the event will be Okello Kelo Sam.  Beginning with the emotional story of his desperate drive to Northern Uganda and his reasoning for suddenly deciding to stop, he tells the tale of how he began Hope North, a home, school, and rehabilitation sanctuary for former child soldiers.

Listeners will be inspired to feel good by doing good.  Through retelling the story of his own discovery for personal drive, Okello will inspire listeners to discover what drives them. Okello punctuates his memorable tale with original music and inspiring messages for all of us.  A trained performer prior to the war, Okello uses the arts as a platform for education and social activism. He is a gifted actor who has had starring roles in the films “Abducted: War Child,” directed by Robert E. Altman, and “Silent Army,” directed by Jean van de Velde which premiered at Cannes Film Festival in 2009. Both films address the crisis of child soldiers. He also appeared in “The Last King of Scotland,” as well as serving as choreographer and composer for the film.  www.hopenorth.org

Opening the event will be local poet Rawle James of the Inspired Word Café and Jen Sencar from JCI Canada. Karine Veldhoen will be introducing Okello with a story of how she came to meet him while working on a rural education project in Uganda with Okanagan based organization Niteo Africa.

The event will also feature the Global Marketplace, open before and after the presentations, where local NGOs will be on hand to showcase how local groups are supporting the UN Millennium Development goals in their own unique ways.

Global Citizen Kelowna is an opportunity for all citizens to celebrate the local actions that make an impact towards a better world. Tickets for this event at $12 (or 10 for $90) and are available for purchase at: www.globalcitizenkelowna.org/ss