Promoting Peace and Sustainable Development through Action and Advocacy - Peacebuilding Initiatives - Unesco
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2017 Report
Promoting Peace
and Sustainable
Development
through Action
and Advocacy
“Building peace in the minds of men and women”
UNESCO
Peacebuilding Initiatives
By Forest Whitaker
UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation
2017 Report
Promoting Peace
and Sustainable
Development
through Action
and Advocacy
Peacebuilding Initiatives
By Forest Whitaker
UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation
Table of Contents
Foreword
My Mission: To Get Young People to Become Partners in the Promotion of
Lasting Peace and Sustainable Development in their Communities
I. Participation of Forest Whitaker in Key High Level Events in 2017 in His Capacity
as UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation…………………………4
January: Special Guest at the World Economic Forum at Davos 2017
February: Forest Whitaker, supported by SDG Advocates Muhammad Yunus and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser’s
organisations, works with young peacemakers
April: Driving Social Innovation at the Gamechanger Festival 2017 in Vienna
May: Championing African Youth at the World Economic Forum at Durban 2017
May: Joining forces at the Hague with SDG Advocates to call for renewed international efforts to protect education in conflict
June: Forest Whitaker moderates a panel with the Dalai Lama at the invitation of Starkey Hearing Technologies
September: UN Week: SDG Advocates meet with the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General in New York
September: UN Week: Forest Whitaker and UNESCO Director-General exchange on key challenges and opportunities for
peace and development at the 2017 Concordia’s Annual Summit in New York
September: UN Week: Tribute to the Heroes of the Global Campaign Against Extremism and Intolerance
September: UN Week: Forest Whitaker reads one of Martin Luther King’s historic speeches where it was
first delivered, at Riverside Church fifty years ago
September: Forest Whitaker’s work as an artist and social activist in the spotlight at the El Gouna Film
Festival in Egypt
November: Advocating for SDGs at Philanthropy Awards organized by Bank of the West / BNP Paribas
II. Missions as CEO of the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative and UNESCO
Special Envoy…………………………………………..……….…………19
UGANDA
February: Strengthening programs in Uganda
April: Launch of a new deployment of the Youth Peacemaker Network in Acholi sub-region
December: In Northern Uganda, Forest Whitaker and his partners take stock of progress made by WPDI on the ground and
welcome a new cohort of future community leaders
SOUTH SUDAN
February: Strengthening programs in South Sudan
April: Expanding the scope of WPDI in South Sudan through a new cohort of youth leaders
April: Forward-looking words of inspiration to the students of Juba University
December: Forest Whitaker inaugurates a new Community Learning Center in South Sudan, signaling a major step in the
expansion of WPDI in the country
December: Forest Whitaker welcomes a new cohort of young peacemakers in the Western Equatoria of South Sudan
1A
III. Articles and Blogs from Forest Whitaker Published in his Capacity as UNESCO
Special Envoy………………………………………………….…………33
January: From the blog of the World Economic Forum at Davos: “This is what real leadership means to me”
March: On CNN.com: “It’s not too late to save South Sudan”
May: From the blog of the World Economic Forum on Africa at Durban: “How young people can break the cycle of violence”
May: Joint Letter to the Editor of the London Times on the Protection of Education in Conflict
June: From the UN SDG Knowledge Platform: “Investing in ICT access and quality education to promote lasting peace”
September: On Africa.com : Let’s Help the Youth of South Sudan Write Their Own History
November: With UNESCO The role of a lifetime: fostering peace and creativity
IV. Video Messages Recorded for UNESCO and the UN………………………47
February: Forest Whitaker delivers video message on children in armed conflict
September: UN Week: Video message of Forest Whitaker for the International Conference on Sustainable Development
September: Forest Whitaker dedicates a video message on International Peace Day to the peoples and the youth of
South Sudan
V. Awards Received in 2017 for his Work as UNESCO Special Envoy and CEO of the
Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative………………………………….49
January: 2017 Crystal Award at the 47th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum
April: 4GAMECHANGER Of The Year Award at the Vienna 4GAMECHANGER Festival
VI. Youth Trained by WPDI in the Spotlight……………………………..….51
WPDI Peacemaker participates in 10th UNESCO Youth Forum to brainstorm on new avenues to peace and
sustainable development
UNESCO Courier: The story of Magdalena—South Sudan
VII. WPDI’s Partnerships……………………………..………………….53
VIII. Translating Our Ideals Into Concrete Action…………………………..55
A. Activities on the ground in South Sudan
Testimonies from South Sudan
B. Activities on the ground in Uganda
Testimonies from Uganda
C. Activities on the ground in Mexico
Testimony from Mexico
D. Activities on the ground in United States
1B
Foreword
2
My mission: to get young people to become partners in the promotion of lasting
peace and sustainable development in their communities
When communities have been touched by darkness, when they have been shattered by violence
or poverty, their energy must be rekindled from within. For these communities, recovery is
always possible, but never inevitable.
I founded the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) to strengthen my work on the
ground as UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation with the mission of promoting
peace at the global level and facilitating peacebuilding and reconciliation in parts of the world
impacted by conflict. Through WPDI, I seek to bring women and men together and to empower
them to become peace leaders and agents of positive transformations in their countries and
communities. I believe that young people, so often entrapped in destructive cycles of violence,
have in fact the passion and creativity to lead their communities down a different path, one of
peace and sustainable development. If we can connect these young women and men to each
other and channel their collective energy to be a force for good, their sparks will come together
to create a fire that will drive out even the most impenetrable darkness.
My teams and I are proud to work jointly with UNESCO in Mexico, Uganda, South Sudan, and the
United States. In these countries, we develop on-the-ground program to:
• Empower a new generation of peacebuilders with trainings in conflict resolution,
computers and technology, entrepreneurship, and life skills.
• Harness the potential of the Internet and mobile technology to connect
individuals and communities.
• Establish Community Learning Centers to bring Internet connectivity
and continuing education to fragile communities in Uganda and South Sudan.
• Build social networks to empower young people as peace leaders who can
disseminate values of tolerance and reconciliation.
• Mobilize international and local partners who can provide expertise in conflict
resolution.
• Support young women and men in the design and development of income-generating
projects through the provision of grants, continuous trainings and networking
opportunities.
3
I. Participation of Forest Whitaker in key high level events in 2017 in his capacity as
UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation and UN Advocate for the SDGs
Among his roles as UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, one of the key missions of
Forest Whitaker is to champion the values of UNESCO and to heighten its visibility in important
international events.
January: Special Guest at the World Economic Forum at Davos 2017
Forest Whitaker actively contributed to the 2017 session of the Davos World Economic Forum,
notably at its opening, when he received the Crystal Awards for the leadership in peacebuilding
and conflict-resolution he has demonstrated throughout the years. Forest Whitaker participated in
a series of events and interviews some of them livestream. The Forum as a whole presented him
with a unique opportunity to showcase the work of his Foundation as well as to promote
innovative approaches to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Established in 1971 as a not-for-profit foundation by Klaus Schwab, the World Economic Forum
engages the foremost political, business and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and
industry agendas. The 47th Annual Meeting convened from 17 to 20 January 2017, under the
theme “Responsive and Responsible Leadership”, on which Forest Whitaker published a tribune
on the website of the Forum.
On Monday 16 January, he received the prestigious Annual Crystal Awards, which honours artists
whose important contributions are improving the state of the world and who best represent the
“spirit of Davos”. The award was given to him for the leadership in peacebuilding and conflict-
resolution he has demonstrated throughout the years, notably by empowering youth as leaders
and entrepreneurs in communities touched by violence and poverty. The two other awardees
were violinist Anne-Sophie Mutter and singer/songwriter Shakira.
After the award ceremony, Mr Whitaker participated with Shakira in the media reception in their
capacity as SDGs Advocate. Mr Whitaker presented to more than 100 journalists his concrete
actions on the ground towards peace and security.
4
Mr. Whitaker also shared his experiences as artist and humanitarian and his vision for peace in a
number of events, press interviews and sessions.
Mr. Whitaker was interviewed live on his artistic and humanitarian careers by Tany Bryer of CNBC
Europe. (http://www.cnbc.com/live-tv/?trknav=navigation:livetv:watch-cnbc-tv:100563680).
He also participated in the interactive panel session “The New Lead Characters”. At this session,
other artists including choreographer Jin Xing (China), producer Karan Johar (India) and Filmmaker
Haifaa Al Mansour (Saudi Arabia) spelled their views on the diversity and complexity of our world.
The session is available onwatch on the Forum’s Youtube Channel.
Forest Whitaker engaged as well in a one-on-one conversation with BBC World News presenter
Zeinab Badawi. Through a provocative interview, Mr Whitaker was able to elaborate on fostering
peace and reconciliation in disadvantaged and fragile communities around the globe.
Mr Whitaker also participated as a keynote speaker in the session on the Future of Humanitarian
Response. Here are the key highlights from the humanitarian discussions:
Shifting the narrative on public-private collaboration: there exist great opportunities to grow
collaboration that goes beyond corporate social responsibility (CSR) and philanthropy to delivering
value both to people in need and to the private sector.
Leveraging technology and data responsibly: there has been a large increase in “digital
humanitarianism” in recent years. The constraint is not the technology, but a number of legal and
policy issues.
Understanding the connected refugee: delivering connectivity to all is essential for informed and
effective responses. Better connectivity has the potential to put crisis-affected people at the heart
of humanitarian response.
Applying innovative financing approaches: further exploration of new models – from Islamic
Finance to impact investment and social impact bonds – that secure long-term financing is
required.
Mr Whitaker did some additional interviews with Reuters, the Wall Street Journal, CNBC “Squawk
Box”, etc.
5
February: Forest Whitaker, supported by SDG Advocates Muhammad Yunus and Her
Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser’s organisations, works with young peacemakers
On 06 – 10 February 2017, Forest Whitaker hosted, through his foundation, the Whitaker Peace &
Development Initiative (WPDI), a week-long workshop for young peacemakers from Uganda and
South Sudan, partnering with foundations and organisations founded by fellow Advocates
Muhammad Yunus and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser.
Young peacemakers trained and supported by WPDI gathered in February in Uganda to
participate in workshops to reinforce their capacities as mediators and entrepreneurs. The
workshop benefited from the expertise and contribution of Yunus Social Business, an initiative of
Muhammad Yunus, Education Above All (EAA), founded by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint
Nasser, and UNESCO. The participants learned a unique mix of conflict resolution, personal
development, Information and Communication and business/project management skills, as well
as learning about the SDGs.
“The young people we are gathering at this training have been active peace leaders for some time
now through our Youth Peacemaker Network program. They have already accomplished a lot for
their communities,” said SDG Advocate Forest Whitaker. “This week is not just about teaching
them things they do not know. It is also a time for us to listen to them, to learn from their stories.
As they grow in confidence and experience, I feel that I receive more and more from them.”
During the week, the workshop featured lectures and interactive sessions run by WPDI on conflict
resolution and business skills, as well as a session on life skills led by Forest Whitaker. In addition
a representative of Yunus Social Business taught participants the principles of social business and
provided concrete examples of how they can improve livelihoods for youth. EAA through its
Protect Education in Insecurity and Conflict (PEIC) initiative, held workshops on international law
and the protection of education, and together WPDI and UNESCO taught the SDG framework to
help the young leaders identify how they can contribute to the global goals through their
community projects and reach out to stakeholders for their support.
The young peacemakers left the training with greater mediation and entrepreneurial skills,
further empowered to transform their communities from the inside.
6
April: Driving Social Innovation at the Gamechanger Festival 2017 in Vienna
Forest Whitaker participated in the Gamechanger Festival 2017 to exchange on the issue of
refugees and the work of WPDI to empower young refugees in Uganda with his partner, Híkmet
Ersek, CEO of Western Union, and Sebastian Kurz, Austria’s Foreign Affairs Minister.
The Festival was an opportunity to showcase the work Forest Whitaker initiated with the Western
Union Foundation to empower young women and men residing in a settlement for refugees in
Kiryandongo Uganda. WPDI and Western Union Foundation decided to join forces in the benefit
of refugees in Uganda because the country is currently host to more than 800.000 people who
have fled from South Sudan since 2013 – and 400.000 since July 2016, when the civil war was
taken to new record levels of violence. Since WPDI already runs projects for internally displaced
people in South Sudan and has youth programs in northern Uganda, it was a logical move to
initiate work benefiting South
Sudanese youth in Uganda, a
country, which also has open
policies towards refugees and
favors innovative solutions in this
domain.
As a stage designed to showcase
innovation, notably through
information and communication
technology, the Gamechanger
festival provided a unique
opportunity to exchange on such groundbreaking projects as the Youth Peacemaker Network,
which equips young people with peacebuilding, ICT and entrepreneurship skills as well as mobile
technology so they can actively promote peace and reconciliation in their communities. A key
aspect of the project is indeed that young people are in the driving seat and develop their own
educational and business projects to benefit other youth of their community. They are the
partners, not just the beneficiaries of the program.
Forest Whitaker notably hold a conversion on the issue of refugees with Híkmet Ersek, CEO of
Western Union, Sebastian Kurz, Austria’s Foreign Minister, and innovators from the Austrian
business scene. In his keynote address, he said: “If no one cares for the physical and psychological
well-being of young refugees, then we allow in them the seeds of resentment and violence to be
sown, and we will only reap more conflict and war in the next generation. When women and
children are disenfranchised and abused, when men and boys are idling in neglect, peace is in
danger. […] We must help them wherever they are. It can be Syria, where some 11 million people
have fled their homes since the outbreak of the civil war in 2011. It can be Colombia, where the
decades of civil war have internally displaced nearly 7 million people. It can be South Sudan,
where nearly 3 million people have been forced out of their homes since 2013 by civil war,
including more than 1.8 million internally
“When women and children are disenfranchised and
displaced and 1.1 million seeking refuge in abused, when men and boys are idling in neglect,
neighboring countries.” peace is in danger.”
7
Forest Whitaker in Vienna, AustriaMay: Championing African Youth at the World Economic Forum at Durban 2017
“Youth leadership is the future of the continent.”
Forest Whitaker to African Leaders at WEF
Forest Whitaker delivered his strong message
on the eminent role young people should have in all decisions of concern to them and their
communities at the 27th edition of the World Economic Forum on Africa (WEF Africa) where he
participated on 4-5 May 2017. The WEF Africa is the regional edition of the World Economic
Forum held every year in Davos, Switzerland.
Organized this year in Durban in partnership with the Government of the Republic of South Africa,
the WEF Africa 2017 gathered outstanding figures from business, government and civil society to
agree on priorities that will help Africa achieve inclusive growth. Indeed, events in Africa and
across the world have demonstrated a need for leaders to be responsive to the demands of the
people who have entrusted them to lead, and to also provide a vision and a way forward.
Forest Whitaker took part to a number of sessions in his capacities as head of WPDI, UNESCO
Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation and UN Advocate for the Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs). At a panel discussion on fragile States and vulnerable communities he sat along
experts and leading figures of the continent, including President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe;
Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of Oxfam International; Donald Kaberuka, Special Envoy of
the African Union Peace Fund; Christopher Mikkelsen, Co-Founder and Co-Chief Executive Officer
of Refugees United (REFUNITE); Victor Ochen, Executive Director of African Youth Initiative
Network-Uganda and Gisele Yitamben, Founder and President of Association pour le Soutien et
l'Appui à la Femme Entrepreneur (ASAFE). Forest Whitaker elaborated on the root causes of
fragility in South Sudan, pointing to gaps in governance and a lack of will to let young people have
their say on the future of their country. He stressed that chronic conflict and violence are
symptoms of a lack of resilience and described the work of WPDI as an effort to restore the
capacity of vulnerable communities to rebound and engage into on a path of positive change,
which can come from within only, hence the mobilization of local youth as peacemakers and
entrepreneurs.
In an interview session on South Sudan, Forest Whitaker shared his views on the state and fate of
the country. He insisted that South Sudanese are very resilient and have a strong spirit. There is a
frustration because of the state of the country. They are aware of the problems on a personal
basis – many people, including among his trainees, have lost relatives and friends or know people
who were forced to flee their homes. Forest Whitaker nevertheless said that young people in
South Sudan made him optimistic pointing to examples of what his trainees were accomplishing
in their communities, including trainings of officials on conflict resolutions or campaigning against
gender-based violence. He recounted testimonies from young South Sudanese enrolled in his
Conflict Resolution Education program in a school located in the refugee camp of Kiryandongo,
Uganda. They had expressed gratitude and appreciation at the training provided by WPDI, which 8had raised their awareness on the importance of overcoming their desire of violent revenge for
what they and their families had been through during the conflict in South Sudan. Pointing to such
man-made catastrophic crises as famine, he recognized that the international community could
definitely do more for peace and stability in South Sudan but in the end, the solutions had to
come from within the country. Noting that 72% of the country is under 30 years old, he stated
that “when you talk about dealing with country, you have to deal with the youth”.
At a roundtable on “How can new technologies expand access to education?”, Forest Whitaker
noted that “the future of the world will depend on its capacity to articulate education and
technology”. The world economy in general is, in his view, more and more dependent on
knowledge and technology since countries grow in relation to the education level of their
population and also to their exchanges with other countries, which depend on technological
progress. This implies that technology must be used to enhance access to and the quality of
education, and that education systems have to teach technology, as a preparation to our world.
He stressed that the programs of WPDI directly fit this profile since the young trainees under his
programs receive trainings in ICTs as well as mobile equipment to learn better and to deliver more
efficiently on their projects. However, he warned that the issue of ICT in education in not simply a
technological one. He noted that teachers have to be trained in ICTs – “Technology and pedagogy
have to work hand in hand”. His conclusion was that “We should always have in mind that the
role of education is to prepare citizens.”
The session “Forest Whitaker on South Sudan” can be found at the following address: https://
www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-on-africa-2017/sessions/forest-whitaker-on-
saving-lives-in-south-sudan#
More information and videos are
available on the web page of the
WEF Africa 2017: https://
www.weforum.org/events/world
-economic-forum-on-africa-2017.
“The future of the world will depend on its capacity
to articulate education and technology.”
Forest Whitaker
9May: Joining forces at the Hague with fellow SDG Advocates to call for renewed
international efforts to protect education in conflict
In his contribution to the Distinguished Speaker Series on Law, Education and the SDGs held on
19th May in The Hague, Forest Whitaker and fellow SDG Advocates affirmed that the protection of
education in conflict and post-conflict situations is key for the implementation of the SDGs.
The Hague Institute for Global Justice is an independent, non-profit organization that aims to
shape discourse and bridge gaps between research, policy and practice on global issues at the
intersection of peace, security and justice.
The seminar aimed to raise awareness of leaders from all sectors on the imperative to protect
education in conflict and post-conflict situations, bearing in mind that one quarter of all school-
aged children live in countries devastated by conflict. South Sudan, where WPDI is very active, is
home to the highest proportion of out of school children in the world. As of 2016, the civil war had
forced 413,000 children out of school, and led to the destruction of more than 800 schools.
Efforts by the international community to address attacks on schools, students and teachers
remain insufficient. One main conclusion of the meeting is that the protection of education could
well be a cornerstone in the achievement of the SDGs.
The opening ceremony featured a keynote address by HH Sheikha Moza, and was attended by HM
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, who takes a strong interest in this policy area, as well as Dick
Benschop, chair of the Supervisory Board at The Hague Institute and President of Shell
Netherlands. In her address, HH Sheikha Moza affirmed that long-term peace and the wider
sustainable development agenda remains unachievable unless a stronger global governance
system is established based on a common goal – to protect education in conflict. In her view, the
international community has therefore the responsibility to mobilize and unite to ensure
accountability for crimes against education and children and to create opportunities to prevent
conflict and establish peace and security.
10In his contributions to the discussions, Forest Whitaker remarked that, taking into account the
number of children out of school in conflict-affected and post-conflict countries, protecting
education was both a long-term investment and a vital emergency. The stakes are high for these
countries because they risk having a lost generation: failing to recognize education as an
emergency in time of conflict would give rise to a generation of soldiers in waiting. It was also
important to take into account the quality of education, namely its relevance. It was, for
instance, crucial to have peace education and trauma healing fully integrated to education in
conflict for children and youth to rebound and grow harmoniously. However, he noted, it is
somehow difficult to promote education in conflict and post-conflict situations precisely
because humanitarian intervention and development action are mostly disconnected on the
international agendas. He recalled that Secretary-General António Guterres had called to bridge
this gap.
He added that protecting and promoting education in conflict and post-conflict can have a dual
preventive aspect by keeping children and youth out of conflict in the present and by preparing
them for a better future. Elaborating on his work in South Sudan, he concluded that young
people must be considered as key actors and partners of prevention and reconciliation.
The seminar also included contributions from Fatou Bensouda, Prosecutor of the International
Criminal Court, Kevin Watkins, CEO of Save the Children UK and Laila Bokhari, State Ministry,
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
For fellow SDG Advocates Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, founder of EAA, Graça
Machel, founder of the Foundation for Community Development (FDC), and Forest Whita-
ker, the meeting was a unique opportunity to join forces and deliver the message that the
SDGs call for unprecedented efforts across all domains. Their message was captured in a
joint letter to the Editor of The Times published on the same day as the seminar.
“Young people have a role to play in
promotion & protection of education.
Everyone gains when no student is
left behind. ”
Forest Whitaker’s at the Hague
Institute for Global Justice
11June: Forest Whitaker moderates a panel with the Dalai Lama at the invitation of
Starkey Hearing Technologies
On June 23, Forest Whitaker was in
Minnesota to moderate exchanges at a
panel with His Holiness the 14th Dalai
Lama and philanthropist Bill Austin, the
CEO of the Starkey Hearing Technologies,
and the host of the event. While active in
different domains, these three figures
have been guided by a common sense of
humanity that has shaped the friendship
they have developed over the past years.
Two years after his participation in the 80th birthday ceremony of His Holiness the Dalai Lama,
Forest Whitaker was delighted to officiate again in his company. The Dalai Lama has always been
a source of inspiration for Forest Whitaker, including in his humanitarian work where the notion
of inner peace is a central part of the training process he has designed to empower young women
and men from vulnerable communities as peacemakers and community leaders.
The theme of the discussion, “A Call for Compassion and Conscious Kindness” was an opportunity
for the participants to share their views on how to achieve peace in a world of complexity with
the invited guests, many of whom business and community leaders.
In his introductory remarks, Forest Whitaker praised the Dalai Lama and Bill and Tani Austin: “All
of us are graced today to be here in the presence of his holiness the Dalai Lama who Archbishop
Desmond Tutu of South Africa describes as a beacon of light for our world and this is so
important in a time when so many people are feeling that the darkness, pain and fear are starting
to control our universe. Let’s remember, when you’re in a darkened room it only takes one match
to ignite, and bring light. When many of these matches come together creates a flame. And Bill
and Tani Austin have been working tirelessly to bring light and hope so the world may hear.”
In the ensuing exchange, the panel, facilitated by Forest Whitaker, addressed the issues of
leadership, education, and compassion.
There was agreement that good leadership should be recognized as a capacity to develop trust
among people through compassion. In the words of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, "To be a
leader, you need trust. And in order to develop trust, you need compassion, vision & foresight". A
true leader must have a long term vision and awareness of the full picture. Leadership means that
one can look at issues from several angles knowing that people are the core of everything. They
concluded on a concept of servant leadership whereby leadership is measured by how one serves
the others.
In the minds of the panelists, education is key to build healthy minds, bodies, communities and
families. Education systems should cover the education of the mind. People collectively need to
know more about the mind and emotions so as to practice kindness and better handle emotions.
Constructive emotions should be considered as academic subject, just like physical and mental
health.
The panelists discussed also on how to nurture compassion.
CEO of Starkey Hearing Technologies and founder of Starkey Hearing Foundation, Bill Austin
declared: "Everything we say matters. Everything we do matters. Your small act of caring can
make a difference in the world."
12In the present world, though, making such differences requires, they concurred, to change
materialistic attitudes towards culture and life. Material things only provide physical comfort.
Experience of a mental level is crucial. We should be more attentive to the world: consciousness
is key.
September: UN Week: SDG Advocates meet with the Secretary-General and Deputy
Secretary-General in New York
Forest Whitaker and his fellow SDG Advocates met with the Secretary-General and Deputy
Secretary-General at the United Nations Headquarters on Sunday, September 17.
Led by President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana, and Prime Minister Erna Solberg of Norway via
video conference in Oslo, the Advocates, the Secretary-General, the Deputy Secretary-General
and Under-Secretary-General Liu, discussed how they can increase knowledge of the SDGs around
the world. All participants in the meeting agreed that improving knowledge of the SDGs, and
implementing them on the ground, are crucial and urgent tasks.
“We are already two years into Agenda 2030, and have only 13 years left to achieve the ambitious
Goals,” said the Secretary-General.
In his remarks, Forest Whitaker insisted that the SDGs can be transformative only if they are
endorsed and implemented at the grass-root level “by the people and for the people”. Noting
that there was a strong movement at the international level, among governments, international
organizations and global NGOs, he nevertheless stressed the need to reach communities closer to
the ground to make the SDGs truly universal and transformative.
13The Advocates reiterated their commitment to promoting the SDGs, highlighting the
interconnectedness and universality of the Goals, and agreed that the SDGs are a roadmap to the
future we want.
September: UN Week: Forest Whitaker and UNESCO Director-General exchange on key
challenges and opportunities for peace and development at the 2017 Concordia’s
Annual Summit in New York
On September 17th, Forest Whitaker shared his views with the Director-General of UNESCO, on
how to shape a future of hope at the 2017 Concordia's Annual Summit in New York in a session
dedicated to the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the world leaders in 2015 for 2030.
Held in the context of UN Week, Concordia’s Annual Summit is a 2-day convening of over 2,000
leaders, influencers and decision makers working to drive transformative action by building
partnerships for social impact.
Together, heads of state, U.S. administration officials, CEOs, and non-profit leaders explore
innovative avenues to address the most pressing issues impacting the world at large.
The session on "Building Peace: security and Development for the SDGs", featured Forest
Whitaker and UNESCO Chief and was moderated by Michelle Caruso-Cabrera CNBC’s chief
international correspondent.
Forest Whitaker's intervention drew on his experiences as CEO of WPDI as well as UNESCO
Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation and UN SDG Advocate.
© UNESCO/Joel Sheakoski
14On the central issue of education, a key cross-cutting area, he and the Director General of
UNESCO agreed that significant progress had been made in terms of access to education in
general and in literacy in particular but that renewed efforts were needed to meet the SDGs on
time. Forest Whitaker signaled in particular a remaining gap in youth literacy, which affects
around one in five countries. In these countries, mainly located in Northern Africa and Western
Asia, Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, young women aged 15 to 24 lag behind young men
in terms of basic reading and writing skills. He saw that as a main challenge both for the present
and the future. As CEO of a youth-empowering peacebuilding organization, he voiced his
satisfaction at the growing interest of local and national governments in South Sudan and
Uganda in the teaching of peace education and conflict resolution.
Forest Whitaker stressed, however, that governments could not meet the targets of the SDGs
without mobilizing civil society at large and consult with their citizens, adopting an attitude of
learning and openness. In the same vein, he also insisted on the role of the private sector as
crucial for people to engage in income-generating activities that will empower them and afford
them economic freedom. Ms. Bokova emphasized that "partnership is the new leadership,"
noting that national ownership of the SDGs is key, together with citizen responsibility to craft
new paths to development and peace.
On the issue of ICTs raised in the debate, Forest Whitaker exposed a key aspect of the
philosophy behind the work of WPDI, namely that peace is best practiced by individuals
integrated into thriving communities, and that communities thrive when their members
exchange among themselves and communicate with those outside. ICTs clearly have a role to
play in the development of societies, he implied, concluding, nevertheless, that technology can
help us become better people if education teaches that communication must be a means for
genuine dialogue.
September: UN Week: Tribute to the Heroes of the Global Campaign Against
Extremism and Intolerance
Forest Whitaker participated in the launch of the
Global Hope Coalition at a special ceremony bringing
together 550 government and business leaders,
cultural icons, philanthropists, and human rights
activists with the avowed aim of “taking the fight
against extremism and intolerance to the next level.”
At the event, ten men and women from around the
world who are taking great risks to oppose extremists,
wherever they spread lies, bigotry, and hatred, were
honored as Everyday Heroes.
Forest Whitaker introduced two of these Everyday
Heroes to the audience: Dr. Denis Mukwege,
Congolese gynecologist, for founding the Panzi
Hospital in Bukavu where he specializes in the
treatment of women who have been gang-raped by
rebel forces; and Sammy Rangel, a former gang
member, for co-founding the Chicago-based NGO Life
After Hate to counter the seeds of hate and inspire
and give far-right extremists opportunities to change
their lives and find compassion and forgiveness.
15September: UN Week: Forest Whitaker reads one of Martin Luther King’s historic
speeches where it was first delivered, at Riverside Church fifty years ago
Forest Whitaker was invited to read, on 17
September, one of Martin Luther King’s most
powerful speeches, “Beyond Vietnam”, at the very
same pulpit of the same church on Riverside Drive
in New York. The reading marked the 50th
anniversary of King’s delivery of the speech on 4
April 1967 at Riverside Church. In this address, he
stressed the common link forming between the civil
rights and peace movements, proposing that the
United States stop all bombing of Vietnam and
engage in peace talks. Dr. King maintained his
opposition to the Vietnam war and his support to
peace movements until he was assassinated on
April 4, 1968, one year to the day after delivering
the “Beyond Vietnam” speech.
Forest Whitaker was joined by other leading figures
such as Reverend Al Sharpton, Dr. Chelsea Jackson
Roberts, the Howard University Gospel Choir, Sir
the Baptist, and more.
The celebration of the 50th Anniversary of this
momentous episode of American and world history
was jointly organized by the Riverside Church and
Global Citizen as part of the launch of Global Citizen
Week. These series of events ran from September 17th through the 23rd to convene and
activate a global network of individuals, companies, NGOs, performers, and government
agencies who are committed to joining this movement and taking action.
The Riverside Church ceremony and the events of Global Citizen Week were timed to coincide
with the UN General Assembly, in which Forest Whitaker also participated in his capacities as
UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation and UN Advocate for the Sustainable
Development Goals.
September: Forest Whitaker’s work as an artist and social activist in the spotlight at
the El Gouna Film Festival in Egypt
Forest Whitaker participated as guest of honor in the first El Gouna Film Festival organized by
the Red Sea in Egypt by businessman and philanthropist Naguib Sawiris, with whom WPDI is
entering a partnership to support our activities in South Sudan.
The festival ambitions to become an unmissable annual rendezvous for film professionals and
film lovers from Egypt, the Arabic countries, and the world at large. It was established to
underscore the role film plays in promoting cultural interaction, fostering an awareness of
different cinematic voices by encouraging dialogue and by building bridges of creative energy.
16Furthering their dual ambition to promote artistic and humanitarian goals, the organizers of the
Festival chose to invite Forest Whitaker in his holistic capacities as an artist, a producer and a
social activist.
On Thursday 28th, he presented his views as an artist and as a humanist at a masterclass
organized in the context of the “CineGouna platform,” which offers artists and professionals of
the Middle East and Northern Africa region an opportunity to learn from international figures
and experts.
A day before, Forest Whitaker and Naguib Sawiris officially announced that they are joining
forces to promote lasting peace and sustainable development in South Sudan. They stressed
that this partnership would strengthen the youth leadership program developed by WPDI to
empower the young women and men whom we train and subsequently mentor as mediators
and entrepreneurs.
The press conference was attended by more than 100 journalists, providing a window to
showcase our work to the audiences of the region.
On Friday 29th, the closing day of the festival, Forest Whitaker received an award for his
lifetime achievements. In his acceptance speech, he evoked the multifaceted aspects of his
artistic and humanitarian careers and dedicated the award to the young peacemakers with
whom he works in Africa and the Americas.
17November: Advocating for the SDGs at the Philanthropy Awards organized by Bank of
the West / BNP Paribas
“The SDGs help build a web of
solidarity across the world.”
Forest Whitaker was the guest speaker at the 2017
Forest Whitaker’s at the 2017
Philanthropy Awards ceremony, held on November 14 at
Philanthropy Awards
the Huntington Library and Gardens in Pasadena, Calif. His
remarks, which were presented after a video that introduced his Whitaker Peace & Development
Initiative (WPDI), aimed to convince the audience, mainly composed of high-profile
representatives of the private sector, that the SDGs are a framework for action designed to help
actors from different backgrounds work together.
In this perspective, he declared: “For an organization like mine, which works on very intricate and
complex situations, the SDGs offer a unique platform because they allow us to connect more
easily with partners in different sectors. In education, we have a program in the US with the Los
Angeles Unified School District at Carnegie Middle School in Carson, teaching Conflict Resolution
Education in their core curriculum. We also have partnerships with alternative fuel organizations
supplying solar panels to equip our learning centers in communities that are not on the grid, a
focus of SDG-13: Climate Action. The SDGs also allow establishing a common language for people
headquartered in New York and UN mission offices with other industries, for example farming
communities striving to improve their livelihoods in a remote location a continent away. In other
words, the SDGs help build a web of solidarity across the world. This is key to making the world
better because philanthropists, private sector executives and grant-makers can be more effective
in their impact and more relevant in their targeting by aligning and coordinating their actions
within the framework of the SDGs.”
The Bank of the West Philanthropy Awards are a component of the Bank’s corporate social
responsibility approach, which supports sustainable development through education and job
training, affordable housing, microenterprise and small business development, environmental
conservation, and the arts.
18II. Missions as CEO of the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative and UNESCO
Special Envoy
Uganda
February: Strengthening programs in Uganda
During a mission he undertook in Uganda to monitor his programs on the ground, Forest
Whitaker led two visits respectively to the future location of WPDI services in the camp and to
the WPDI Country Office located in Gulu.
The newly launched program of WPDI in the Kiryandongo refugee settlement will build on the
expertise WPDI has acquired through its leadership program, the Youth Peacemaker Program
(YPN), which Forest Whitaker implements in Mexico, South Sudan and Uganda, and through
programs for displaced people in the UN camp of Juba, South Sudan.
This program will benefit from the support of new partners, such as the Western Union
Foundation, as well as established partners of WPDI, such as UNESCO and Ericsson. To assess the
needs and aspiration of the young camp residents, Forest Whitaker participated in a town hall
style meeting with a group of youth who voiced their concerns and hopes. The most pressing
issues revolved around access to quality education and vocational skills, gender equity, access to
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). Forest Whitaker pledged to do his best to
help them respond to their challenges on their own term. He received the support of the UN
officials participating with him in the meeting, including Ms. Rosa Malongo, UN Resident
Coordinator for Uganda, and Ms. Nada Al-Nashif, Assistant-Director General for Social and
Human Sciences of UNESCO (ADG/SHS), who also participated to the technical meeting held later
between WPDI and the camp commander representing the government of Uganda. To conclude
the visit, Forest Whitaker visited the piece of land granted to WPDI to establish his office within
the settlement, which will include a Community Learning Center (CLC) to provide youth residents
with access to vocational courses, computers, Internet connections and library services.
19Wishing to assess the situation of WPDI's operation on the ground, Forest Whitaker visited the
country office of WPDI for Uganda, located in Gulu, and which double as a Community Learning
Center. He was joined by two delegations of our partners, respectively UNESCO, represented by
ADG/SHS, and representatives of Education Above All Foundation, through their Protect
Education In Conflict (EAA-PEIC) program. Also part of the visit were the Chairman of the Gulu
District. After the planting ceremony for a tree of hope, Forest Whitaker met with students during
an ICT class and expressed his excitement at seeing what had been accomplished since he had
inaugurated the CLC three years ago, "This place had a great meaning in my heart because my
whole program started here in Uganda."
Nada Al-Nashif reaffirmed the commitment of UNESCO to WPDI's program which she
characterized as groundbreaking. "This is very much the future" she said. Former students shared
their experience with WPDI and how transformative it had been for them and their families,
including through the jobs they could get thanks to their training. The Gulu District Chairman
remarked that the WPDI office was more than a building and computers: "you are shaping the
future of these young people and their communities."
20April: Launch of a new deployment of the Youth Peacemaker Network in Acholi sub-
region
Forest Whitaker welcomed a new
cohort of 30 new peacemakers during
a ceremony in Gulu on May 1, 2017 to
kick off the latest deployment of his
foundation’s main youth empowering
program in the Acholi sub-region,
along with dignitaries and program
partners.
The launch of WPDI’s flagship
program, the Youth Peacemaker
Network (YPN), in the Acholi sub-
region in the north of Uganda is
designed to empower young women
and men from vulnerable areas affected by conflict and violence as peacemakers and
community leaders.
The program aims to channel innovative resources into communities, beginning with young
women and men whom WPDI helps to express their full potential for engineering peace and
development to benefit their communities. YPN provides training in transformative
peacebuilding, mediation and life skills, ICTs and entrepreneurship as well as mobile
technology and material support for projects designed and maintained by youth. Other
resources include Community Learning Centers (CLCs) where all community members can
access computers as well as trainings in ICTs, entrepreneurship, arts and crafts, conflict
resolution and literacy. It is through such resources that WPDI will work to sow the seed of
long-term success in the communities of Acholi.
The launch ceremony of the YPN-
Acholi, held in Gulu, at the
Community Learning Center of
WPDI, was an opportunity to
introduce the public to the new
cohort of 30 young peacemakers
who began initial training under
the aegis of WPDI, with the
objective of completing a year-
long mediator and entrepreneur
certification. The new cohort of
30 youth peacemakers, 15
female and 15 male, was
recruited in pairs from each of
21the 15 counties of the Acholi sub-region.
More than 100 people attended the ceremony, including authorities from all districts of the
Acholi sub-region as well as representatives of WPDI partners including UNESCO, Ericsson,
Western Union Foundation, MTN Foundation and the United Nations.
In his address, Mr. Whitaker stated that interconnecting youths and getting them to work
together is key to help disseminate values, attitudes and behaviors of peace and non-violence.
He urged the new trainees to strive to become “voices for peace and change in their
communities.”
The YPN in Acholi is a program that WPDI will implement for the next three years notably in
view of supporting the successful development of youth-led educational and social activities,
including income-generating businesses and peace work of the ToTs at the community level.
The objective is for the YPN to be fully appropriated by the participants and their communities
and to outlive the period of the project.
Following the launch ceremony, the 30 youth peacemakers participated in a five-day intensive
training in peacebuilding, life skills, conflict resolution, entrepreneurship and ICT. Program
Partner Education Above All led a session on the Safe School Declaration and advocacy to
defend the right to education during war, conflict and insecurity.
Youth peacemakers also had the opportunity to interact with President of Global Payments of
Western Union, Jean-Claude Farah, and exchange with him on leadership.
22December: In Northern Uganda, Forest Whitaker and his partners take stock of
progress made by WPDI on the ground and welcome a new cohort of future
community leaders
After two intense weeks supporting his programs in South Sudan and Uganda, our CEO/
Founder Forest Whitaker concluded his mission in Uganda on a day of lively ceremonies and
celebrations crowning two of the most important programs currently developed in the area.
Visiting his programs within the refugee settlement of Kiryandongo and presiding the
graduation ceremony in Gulu of 79 new WPDI peacemakers from Acholi and Kiryandongo, he
vowed to continue helping Ugandan and South Sudanese refugee youth in their pursuit of
peace and sustainable development with the assistance of his partners. Among the partners
represented at this day of celebration were Ericsson, Western Union and the Western Union
Foundation, MTN, and UNESCO.
In the morning, Forest Whitaker led a visit of the programs developed by WPDI in partnership
with the Western Union Foundation within the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement over the past
year. He took his partners to take stock of WPDI programs within the settlement, notably the
Community Learning Center, which was built through Western Union Foundation funding
and where around 400 monthly users take trainings or access computers and library services.
23The delegation thus had the
opportunity to directly exchange with
beneficiaries and staff and learn more
on the programs they have committed
themselves to. They also went to the
Panyadoli Secondary School, an in-
settlement school where we have
initiated a conflict-resolution education
program.
The afternoon focused on the
graduation ceremony of the young
women and men WPDI has enrolled respectively for the Youth Peacemaker Network (YPN) in
the Acholi subregion, mainly financed by the Swedish Postcode Foundation, and the YPN in
Kiryandongo, mainly supported by the Western Union Foundation. Located at the Hope North
Campus, where Mr. Whitaker started working with young women and men from conflict-
impacted communities, the graduation marked a hinging moment in the life of our programs in
Uganda, since the Acholi cohort represented the first expansion of the YPN beyond its first
implementation in Gulu and that the Kiryandongo cohort embodied our first attempt at
developing a full-fledged program in a camp for refugees.
Taking the two cohorts together, we trained 79 young women and men in conflict resolution,
ICTs and entrepreneurship to prepare them as mediators and business leaders tasked to
promote peace and sustainable development in their communities. After nine months of
intensive training and exigent written test, 52 of the enrolled youth passed the program and
graduated this day. The remaining 27 trainees will be taken through a short phase of revisions
and tutoring to take the tests again in the course of the first quarter of 2018.
Conferring a significant importance to this moment in the careers and the lives of the
peacemakers as well as the destinies of their communities, the WPDI leadership as well as the
representatives of our partners insisted on welcoming the graduates with words of praises and
promises of further commitment to support them in their future responsibilities.
As main contributor for the program
in the Kiryandongo Refugee
Settlement, the Western Union
Foundation was represented at its
highest level. Highlighting the
commitment of her organization to
refugees and displaced persons,
Jacqueline Molnar, Chair of the
Western Union Foundation Board,
remarked that ““Without a doubt, the
24WPDI graduating class of Trainers of Trainees is the most remarkable group of young people I
have ever had the privilege to meet. They are truly the future of peace and prosperity in the
region. The Western Union Foundation is proud and honored to support WPDI and we cannot
wait to see the results of its unprecedented Youth Peacemaker Network.”
Commending our approach to peace and sustainable development, Hikmet Ersek, CEO of
Western Union, said “WPDI’s Youth Peacemaker program provides Trainers of Trainees with
powerful tools to succeed in transforming their own lives as well as the lives of the
communities they live in. Looking in the shiny eyes of these young leaders graduating the
program I know they will be courageous change makers who will work towards the vision of
peace.”
Wim Vanhelleputte, CEO of MTN Uganda, declared that “Education today is no longer just pen
and pencil but ICT and internet connectivity. MTN Uganda is pleased to partner with Forest
Whitaker and his Initiative to provide this vital service. We ascribe to his vision entirely and
pledge our support."
The representative of a long-term ICT partner of WPDI, Elaine Weidman, Senior Vice-President
and Chief Sustainability Officer of Ericsson, who provides mobile technology to our
peacemakers and computers for our CLCs, praised the successes accomplished under our
partnership with them and said that “Since the start of Ericsson’s partnership with WPDI, we
have been a part of a coalition to spark positive change for youth in the epicenter of conflict.
The strength of the partnership is based on the vision of Forest Whitaker, WPDI’s CEO, and his
unwavering commitment to empowering students and building communities for peace. I am
awed by the achievements made by every one of the students participating in the program,
proud of the part technology has played in helping them build life-skills and inspired to be part
of their journey.”
As he moved to hand their certificates to the new
graduates, Forest Whitaker affirmed that “I listened to
you speak about your dreams, heard your cry, watched
you articulate a vision about the future you want. The
beauty is that it is possible. Many of you will be written
about in books, chapters dedicated to you. You are an
amazing group. I am so proud of you."
Some trainees also took the floor during the ceremony.
The expression of their gratitude and willingness to
commit to peace and prosperity in their communities felt
to all the staff of WPDI and our partners like a reward for
the efforts of the past and a promise of transformative
change in the future.
25South Sudan
February: Strengthening programs in
South Sudan
Forest Whitaker was in Juba from 12 to 14
February to take stock of his peacebuilding
programs in South Sudan and work with his
local team on the expansion plan for the launch
of the YPN in former Western Equatoria State
scheduled for 2017. In this most fragile country,
our flagship program, the Youth Peacemaker
Network (YPN) aims at helping conflict-affected
communities on their path back to lasting
peace and resilience by mobilizing the energies
of young women and men.
The visit was also an opportunity to meet with partners on the ground, such as USAID South
Sudan, VISTAS, UN Women, South Sudan Football Association and UNESCO. Among other key
stakeholders, Mr. Whitaker held a meeting with Mr. David Shearer, the newly appointed
Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for South Sudan and Head of the
United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
One of the most exciting moment of Mr. Whitaker’s mission in South Sudan was his visit at the
Protection of Civilians (PoC) site for displaced persons in Juba, where WPDI sensitizes young
residents to peace through conflict resolution education trainings, community dialogues as
well as sports- and cinema-based programs. Mr. Whitaker’s presence was all the more
opportune that it occurred on “Peace Engagement Day”, a day organized by WPDI and
partners at the POC with a series of mini-championships where youth teams created under the
aegis of WPDI play against each other in short, fast-paced games. Peace engagement days
integrate sports, community dialogues and life-skills education with a view to promoting
values, attitudes and behaviors of peace, dialogue and reconciliation.
This event has become a monthly rendezvous at the PoC to reach out to significant numbers of
the close 38,900 community members, as WPDI and its partners can directly sensitize them in
their areas of competence, including on such issues as human rights and sexual and
reproductive health. The success of the event further reinforced Mr. Whitaker in his
determination to redouble efforts to promote peace in South Sudan.
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