September 12, 2023 – Promoting youths as agents of transformative change has been the backbone of our peace agenda for 10 years. Through the personal experience of our founder and CEO, Forest Whitaker, and the deep understanding of the dynamics we have at WPDI thanks to our extensive field work and educational programs in zones of conflict, we have developed a steadfast conviction that we cannot hope to attain sustainable peace in areas of conflict if young people do not lead the way. Our Conflict Resolution Education and Peacebuilding program in schools is therefore designed to unlock the potential of youths, because we believe that every single individual has their part to play in the development of peace.
No-one is born with the capacity to mediate conflict. These are skills that must be taught, and learned. Developing the emotional strength to deal with distressing situations, learning to find peaceful resolutions when violence is so prevalent, and developing an understanding of the underlying socio-economic and emotional causes of local conflicts are crucial if youths are to become mediators of change in their local communities.
Our aim has always been therefore to create a grassroots movement from youths upwards, because peace is contagious, and can be wholly sustainable if communities are given the right tools.
In the first half of 2023, we ran one such program across 61 schools in the Acholi Sub-Region, Uganda, reaching and empowering 5,479 students. Participants were introduced to skills that have the potential to transform their communities, help them become better people and improve the social cohesion within their schools and communities. “The program has given me a chance to be a better person because l was really ignorant regarding conflict and peace studies before. I can now confidently say it has improved my understanding and changed the way I interact with my parents, siblings and fellow students. I am a happy person with dreams now. I want to be a champion of peace in my school,” said Duncan, a student at Paicho Secondary School in the Gulu district.
Every year, our aim at WPDI is to reach more and more young people, disseminating a irreversible message of peace so that people in the present and in the future can be safe in the thought that their communities will no longer be rocked by violent conflict and social instability. Mediation, understanding, communication and resolution will be the way to deal with local issues, fostering sustainable peace.
In partnership with
