September 24, 2026 – Across South Africa, South Sudan, and Uganda, WPDI mobilized over 680 children to tap their voices and creativity in calling for a future in which every child can live, learn, and grow in peace.
This effort was part of the campaign Prove It Matters, led by the United Nations Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. The purpose of the campaign is to invite children to learn about their rights and share messages directly with global leaders. Participants transformed sheets of paper into origami doves, writing their hopes for peace and calls to protect children from violence, armed conflict, and other violations of their rights.
Forest Whitaker also lent his voice to the campaign through a video message released on the International Day to Protect Education from Attack. As Advocate for Children And Armed Conflict as well as UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace, the campaign went right to the heart of his commitment as an international humanist and activist.
“War leaves deep scars on children – on their safety, their dignity, and their chance to learn,” said Mr. Whitaker, calling for greater global action to safeguard children’s right to learn in peace.
In South Africa, the campaign reached over 100 learners in the Cape Flats between March and April of this year. In communities where organized violence can affect children’s safety and education, learners explored the Convention on the Rights of the Child and created doves addressed to decision-makers.
“I truly hope that my message will reach the right leaders and that all our voices as children will be heard,” said Siwaphiwe Nonyongo, a student at Riverside Primary School.
In Uganda, 465 children participated across 10 schools in the Karamoja and Acholi sub-regions, as well as the Kiryandongo Refugee Settlement. Uganda’s own history of civil conflict, together with its role as a place of refuge for families displaced by crises across the region, gave the campaign particular meaning.
In South Sudan, more than 100 children participated through WPDI’s Community Learning Centers. In a country whose short history has been marked by conflict and displacement, and where ongoing insecurity continues to disrupt children’s lives and education, one young participant’s message captured a simple but urgent hope.
“Let us learn in peace!” shared one young female learner participating in the campaign in South Sudan.
The diversity of all the countries and communities from which all these children came from only highlighted the unity and urgency behind their message of shared hope: to feel safe, continue learning, and grow up free from violence.
The doves created by WPDI participants were shipped to the UN Office in New York City and will be featured in an exhibition at WPDI’s Rise As One Gala on September 25.
Together, the doves remind us that when children speak about the future they deserve, the world has a responsibility to listen, and act.
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