Prince Harry
Teamwork with a Hollywood A-Lister
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Prince Harry has teamed up with one of the great Hollywood stars to jointly fight for an important project. Prince Harry’s campaign to stop oil drilling in Africa has now gained some high-profile supporters. Africa has been close to Prince Harry’s heart since he was a child.
Together they are stronger: Prince Harry, 37, has teamed up with Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, 46, to combat the “immediate threat” to a region of Africa that he particularly loves. Actors Forest Whitaker, 60, and Djimon Hounsou, 57, are also involved in this project and, together with the Duke of Sussex and the Oscar winner, are calling for an end to drilling in the Okavango river basin, reports “People Magazine”.
Prince Harry: Joint cause with an Oscar winner
According to a press release from Re: wild, Leonardo DiCaprio, Forest Whitaker and Djimon Hounsou, along with the Duke of Sussex and leading conservationists, are calling for an immediate suspension of oil and gas drilling in the Okavango River Basin. The river basin has a network of river systems that traverse Angola, Botswana, and Namibia, supplying water to nearly 1 million people and the region’s wildlife population. It also includes the Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its biodiversity.
Warning from Prince Harry
Canadian oil and gas company Reconnaissance Energy Africa (ReconAfrica) began drilling in the Okavango River Basin in late 2020 after obtaining a license to explore an area of 34,188 square kilometers despite local concerns. In a report published by Prince Harry and a Namibian environmental activist in the US newspaper “Washington Post”, the two warned of the “permanent destruction” from the drilling: “We believe this would loot the ecosystem for potential gain. There are some things in life that are best left undisturbed in order to serve their purpose as natural benefits. This is one of them. ”
Special love for Africa
Prince Harry, who visited Africa on many occasions as a young boy, has called the continent his “second home”. Harry is President of African Parks and Patron of Rhino Conservation Botswana. He also founded a charity in 2006 to support young people affected by HIV and AIDS in Lesotho, Botswana and Malawi. He visited Botswana early in his relationship with Duchess Meghan, 40, in the summer of 2016. “I managed to persuade her to come to me in Botswana. We camped together under the stars, which was absolutely fantastic,” said Harry his engagement.
DiCaprio shared a video on Instagram urging fans to include their names in the open letter calling for an end to drilling in the area.
Sources used: People Magazine, Instagram