The Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative is a non-governmental organization with global scope & reach founded by @ForestWhitaker / instagram: Whitaker_Peace
Joined June 2014
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"Our mission is to empower dedicated people to give them the tools to make them effective peacemakers and entrepreneurs." - @ForestWhitaker
youtu.be/c7qekaqXVUg
What happens when communities make space to listen?
In Lafon, South Sudan, 69 community leaders and representatives came together through a WPDI-led dialogue to discuss local challenges, resolve land disputes and strengthen peace.
Read the full story: wpdi.org/news/traditional-an…
One evening. A global community. A shared commitment to peace. 🌍
From inspiring Youth Peacemakers to the inaugural WPDI Impact Awards, discover the highlights of the #RiseAsOne Gala 2026 and the people driving change.
Read our newsletter: wpdi.org/news/inside-wpdis-r…
One evening. A global community. A shared commitment to peace. 🌍
From inspiring Youth Peacemakers to the inaugural WPDI Impact Awards, discover the highlights of the #RiseAsOne Gala 2026 and the people driving change.
Read our newsletter ↓wpdi.org/news/inside-wpdis-r…
Through our partnership with @RCSGroup_, WPDI South Africa has trained 90 participants in conflict resolution in 2026. At a recent session, RCS team leaders explored listening, managing emotions, and navigating disagreements at work and in daily life ↓ wpdi.org/news/building-skill…
Peace is a skill, and the classroom is one place to start.
After 10 years of WPDI’s Domestic Harmonizer Program, our team shares 10 lessons on helping students navigate conflict, support their peers, and carry these skills into everyday life.
Read more↓
wpdi.org/news/10-years-of-th…
WPDI retweeted
Peace is possible, and it begins with people. Thank you to everyone who made WPDI’s #RiseAsOne Gala so meaningful: our youth peacemakers, honorees, performers, partners, and friends. 14 years ago, I founded WPDI with a vision for what we could build together. Our work continues.
WPDI retweeted
From fighting apartheid in South Africa to defending human rights worldwide, Navi Pillay reminds us that peace begins with the courage to imagine a more just world, and to spend a lifetime working toward it. Congratulations, Navi, on your well-deserved Nobel Peace Prize!
Amazing moment.
Navi Pillay has received the Nobel Peace Prize ! bbc.co.uk/news/live/ck5yng9z…
We are at the Nuremberg Court; I cannot think of a stronger symbol for her Nobel prize.
We are all so thrilled!
This is her first reactions upon hearing the news:
Mental well-being touches every part of our lives, and our work at WPDI. This #WorldMentalHealthDay, we recognize the care, connection, and opportunity it takes to heal. Peace is a skill: practicing empathy and dialogue helps us feel heard and hopeful
Skill + Idea + Support = Economic Independence💡
At WPDI Mexico, 12 participants completed 6 months of entrepreneurship training, turning skills into business plans, & building confidence.
See how WPDI creates local opportunity: wpdi.org/news/from-crochet-b…
Our voices are powerful tools for peace. On #InternationalDayOfNonViolence, we share children’s doves from South Africa, South Sudan and Uganda, brought to our gala through @childreninwar's #ProveItMatters campaign. Their hopes call us to listen, and act.
🎥 See it come to life!
Digital skills open doors and help build peace.
At WPDI Chiapas, 13 culinary technicians strengthened their digital skills through hands-on training from creating recipe templates to using Word & other tools.
Skills for school, work & new opportunities ↓wpdi.org/news/young-people-i…
For @childreninwar’s global #ProveItMatters campaign @_VanessaFrazier WPDI helped 680+ children in South Africa, South Sudan and Uganda learn about their rights, write peace messages and fold them into doves. Their doves will be displayed at our gala 🕊️↓
wpdi.org/news/prove-it-matte…
WPDI retweeted
At his final #UNGA, @antonioguterres said: “To pretend that peace can be separated from dignity, opportunity and rights is an unacceptable illusion.” As @UNESCO’s Special Envoy, I saw this firsthand. It led me to create @connectWPDI. May this belief guide this week's discussions.
“The greatest power is not the power to dominate.
It is the power to build a future that works for everyone.”
At #UNGA, @antonioguterres stresses our shared future depends on whether humanity can govern power wisely.
un.org/sg/en/content/sg/stat…
Bid on unforgettable experiences, from an #ILoveLA set visit and Global Citizen Festival VIP access to a premium night with the New York Rangers. Funds raised support WPDI’s peacebuilding work. Auction closes Friday, Sept. 25: us.givergy.com/WPDI2026Gala/…
WPDI retweeted
Everywhere my work with @UNESCO and @connectWPDI has taken me, I’ve seen the same truth: peace takes root when we invest in people. This #InternationalDayofPeace, I reflect on what that commitment looks like, and why it cannot wait until conflict begins. wpdi.org/news/investing-in-p…
Too often, the world waits until conflict erupts to invest in peace. This #PeaceDay, our founder & CEO
@ForestWhitaker reflects on why we must invest earlier, and why building lasting peace begins with investing in people. Read his new op-ed ↓ wpdi.org/news/investing-in-p…
WPDI retweeted
Peace is not simply the absence of war. It depends on the ability of societies to confront disagreement without violence, protect human rights and dignity, and keep dialogue open when tensions rise.
Today, conflict, displacement, discrimination, hate speech, backsliding on rights and polarization are fracturing communities and eroding trust.
On this #InternationalDayOfPeace, @UNESCO calls for greater investment in the institutions, skills and relationships that allow societies to address tensions before they turn into violence.
unesco.org/en/days/peace?hub… #ForThePeople
“For the first time in my life, I am a financially independent woman.”
Over 3 years, WPDI + @Skinny_Dipped have supported 431 women & helped establish 224 businesses in South Sudan. Now, the partnership enters a new 2-year phase. Read more: wpdi.org/news/wpdi-and-skinn…
After South Sudan & South Africa, Uganda became the third country where WPDI partnered with @childreninwar to #ProveItMatters. In August, 465+ children across 3 regions folded origami doves with hopes for peace, now carrying their voices to the global stage at #UNGA in New York🕊️
