The Sudanese actor and stage director Ali Madhi Nouri was designated UNESCO Artist for Peace in October 2012. This title was bestowed upon him in light of his support to the reintegration of child soldiers and war orphans in the Sudan through the Al-Bugaa Theatre and his unfailing efforts to promote the cultural heritage of Sudan on national and regional levels.
In 2000, he founded the Al-Bugaa Theatre, which travels around conflict zones in Sudan and stages plays performed by child soldiers and war orphans. His creations, inspired by Sudanese cultural heritage, comprise various narration techniques as well as folklore and pantomime, promoting theatre as a tool for conflict resolution by building safe environment. As Director of SOS Children’s Villages in Sudan, he champions the protection of refugees, child soldiers and families affected by the conflicts in Sudan. He was part of the delegation when the Sudanese Government signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in 1990.
