May 16, 2023 – UNESCO developed their UNESCO Campus initiative as a way to help young people better understand the different issues affecting the world today and become agents of change. WPDI shares the view that humanity’s best chance of achieving lasting peace and stability is by giving young people the tools to effect change themselves. We have always been astounded by the commitment and enthusiasm of young people to do just that, to build peace.
WPDI was therefore honored that UNESCO decided to focus this campus day on ‘For the Sake of Peace’, a documentary co-produced by WPDI, Significant Productions and R2 Production, that focuses on two WPDI Youth Peacemakers and their inspiring efforts to successfully create conditions for peace in South Sudan. 450 students from the Paris region were joined by WPDI President and Founder, Forest Whitaker, Executive Director Caroline Descombris, and one of the film’s directors, Thomas Sametin, for a special Q&A following the screening. Students were given the opportunity to find out more about Forest Whitaker’s decade-long journey to help marginalized communities find a path to peace, and ask questions about the filming itself.
The documentary film, presented at the Cannes Film Festival last year, focuses on the resilience and actions of Nandege and Gatjang, who each have a firm commitment to create peace in the volatile context of the world’s youngest country which has been ravaged by violence since its inception in 2011, with over 350,000 people killed since then.
The film shows that in spite of this, through this darkness and repeated conflict, hope shines through: the determination of young women and men who refuse to give up on Peace. Gatjang, a referee in a camp for displaced people in Juba, uses sport to pass on a culture of peace to children and young people from tribes opposed by stubborn hostility. Nandege, a young mother, manages to emerge against all odds as a talented mediator in the settlement of a deadly conflict that has pitted communities in the Kidepo Valley against each other for generations. Through their stories, we become aware of the paths available to our humanity and their resonance across horizons and borders.
Forest Whitaker with UNESCO Director-General, Audrey Azoulay
WPDI would like to thank UNESCO for providing a platform for us to spread our message of peace and directly impact the peacemakers of tomorrow.
For the Sake of Peace Synopsis: South Sudan is the youngest country in the world, at war with itself, with over 350,000 people killed since its inception in 2011. However, through this darkness, its endless cycle of conflict has hope: the determination of young women and men who refuse to give up on peace. Gatjang, a referee in a refugee camp of Juba, uses sports to bring a culture of peace to children and youths from adverse tribes. And Nandege, a young mother, becomes a successful mediator against all odds to address a lethal conflict that has opposed communities of the Kidepo Valley for generations. Through their stories, we gain awareness of the paths open to our humanity, which resonates across backgrounds and borders.
