Actor, philanthropist Idris Elba talks inspiring next generation of environmental changemakers at QF’s Earthna Summit 

Doha, Qatar: Actor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Idris Elba has spoken of the need to innovate through creativity in order to drive change at Qata...

Doha, Qatar: Actor, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Idris Elba has spoken of the need to innovate through creativity in order to drive change at Qatar Foundation’s Earthna Summit – and highlighted the importance of engaging young people where they are, through platforms like his new application the Akuna Wallet, which will empower African creatives.

Speaking on Earth Day, at the opening ceremony of the two-day event — titled ‘Building Our Legacy: Sustainability, Innovation and Traditional Knowledge’ — Elba illustrated how vital it is to inspire young people by reflecting on how his own passion for acting was ignited at the age of 14, when a well-known British actor visited his school.

“It was then, for the first time, we realized that acting was a job,” he explained. “And from that time on, my own career has been built on finding ways to replicate that moment of encouragement and inspiration.” This mission manifests in Elba’s philanthropic work, which he directs through the establishment of the Elba Hope Foundation.

“I’m allowed to come here because of what I do for a living,” he said. “But the seed of being able to inspire others is completely embedded in me. So now I am very focused on doing as much as I can when it comes to youth engagement, to pass on that inspiration – to have that moment where they’re like, ‘this man, from this show, is a human being, and is helping me right now’.”