Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative

At WPDI South Africa’s recent Cinema for Peace event at Kulani Secondary School in the Cape Flats, 128 students came together to explore peacebuilding and conflict resolution through film and dialogue.

The screening encouraged students to reflect on conflict, relationships, and positive ways of addressing challenges within their communities. Through an interactive discussion afterward, learners shared perspectives on peaceful conflict resolution and the importance of empathy and understanding in everyday life.

As we make our way through 2026, we're taking a moment to reflect on the people, partnerships, and progress that have shaped the first half of the year.

In our Spring Newsletter, you'll discover the first episode of Forest Whitaker's new podcast series, Global Voices. Shared Humanity, featuring the story of Evelyn Laruni, WPDI Uganda's Country Coordinator, whose journey from growing up in Northern Uganda to leading WPDI's peacebuilding and empowerment programs offers a powerful perspective on resilience, leadership, and lasting peace.

You'll also read the story of Fatoumata Souane, whose business, Madoudinette, continues to grow following her participation in WPDI France's Women's Livelihood Program.

This edition also offers a look inside our 2025 Annual Report, Transforming Challenges Into Change, which found that 96.4% of community leaders report WPDI is making a lasting impact in their communities.

From community-led change to the partnerships helping make it possible, these stories remind us that lasting peace begins with investing in people.

Read the Spring Newsletter: https://www.wpdi.org/news/stories-of-leadership-resilience-and-opportunity-wpdis-spring-newsletter/

Around the world, women affected by poverty, exclusion, and limited economic opportunities continue to face barriers to achieving financial independence.

Through WPDI's Women's Livelihood Program, women gain the business training, mentorship, and support they need to transform their ambitions into opportunities.

In the Cape Flats, the winners of the 2025 Business Pitching Competition are already putting those skills into action. From expanding businesses and creating jobs to reaching new customers and strengthening their communities, these entrepreneurs are proving the power of investing in women.

Their stories remind us that when women are equipped with knowledge, resources, and confidence, the impact extends far beyond individual success.

Swipe to meet some of the remarkable women turning opportunity into lasting change or read our full artilcle, here: https://www.wpdi.org/news/from-wpdi-competition-winners-to-business-owners-cape-town-women-entrepreneurs-begin-a-new-chapter/

Sometimes peacebuilding starts with something as simple as listening 👂

Since 2016, the Domestic Harmonizer Program (DHP) has been on a mission to transform how schools approach conflict, turning challenges into opportunities for growth, understanding, and resolution. By partnering with schools, the program equips students, teachers, and parents with essential tools to tackle obstacles with confidence, empathy, and creativity.

At the heart of the DHP lies a commitment to restorative practices, an approach that fosters open dialogue, empathy, and collaborative problem-solving. These practices address not just conflict: they repair harm and build stronger connections across the entire school community.

Our goal is to help schools shift from simply managing misbehavior to creating environments of trust, healthy relationships, and inner growth.

Through our Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) model, the DHP provides a comprehensive, community-wide approach to peace education. This ensures that every member of the school ecosystem: students, educators, and parents, have access to resources to navigate conflict effectively.

To learn more about the DHP, visit the Domestic Harmonizer Virtual Center: www.domesticharmonizer.org

What starts as an idea can become an opportunity for an entire community.

Through a partnership between WPDI South Sudan and Gemini Africa, 55 entrepreneurs from across the Equatorias region participated in intensive business training, mentorship, and pitching competitions designed to strengthen their businesses and build practical skills in entrepreneurship, financial management, and leadership.

Following a competitive selection process, 18 entrepreneurs received seed funding and access to WPDI's business incubation support, helping grow businesses across sectors including agriculture, healthcare, retail, and technology.

These enterprises are creating jobs, expanding access to essential goods and services, and contributing to stronger local economies and more resilient communities across South Sudan.

Since 2018, WPDI and Gemini Africa have worked together to expand economic opportunities for young people, helping turn innovative ideas into sustainable livelihoods.

Read more:

WPDI’s Entrepreneurship Training Helps Young South Sudanese Turn Ideas Into Action - WPDI June 4, 2026 – In May, WPDI South Sudan and Gemini Africa helped entrepreneurs across South Sudan take an important step toward creating or strengthening their businesses across the southernmost region of South Sudan, the Equatorias. Through the intensive training, mentorship, and business develop...

30 senior women community leaders from Eerste River recently participated in a leadership training facilitated by WPDI South Africa, focused on strengthening peacebuilding and conflict resolution skills within their communities.

Already serving as active leaders and changemakers, the participants engaged deeply with topics including inner peace, conflict analysis, cycles of escalation, and practical approaches to managing conflict constructively. The training created a safe and empowering space for reflection, healing, and shared learning.

Many participants reflected on how meaningful it was to strengthen not only their leadership skills, but also their personal sense of peace and resilience.

One participant shared that the training “opened my thinking and gave me tools for managing conflict better.” By equipping women leaders with practical peacebuilding tools, trainings like these help strengthen families, neighborhoods, and communities from within.

What does it look like when people work together?

At 📍 WPDI’s Community Learning Center in Chiapas, Mexico, WPDI México, young participants reflected honestly on the challenges and strengths of working together. Some spoke about moments where there was “no coordination” or “failure in communication,” while others shared how teammates stepped up, took initiative, and found solutions collectively.

These conversations are at the heart of peacebuilding. By creating space for dialogue, reflection, and shared leadership, young people are developing the skills to navigate conflict, collaborate across differences, and strengthen their communities together.

What began as an International Day of Peace activity at a middle school in California has grown into a thriving Gaming Club where students are building empathy, connection, and belonging through play.

Through WPDI’s U.S.-based Domestic Harmonizer Program, up to 185 students now gather each week to collaborate, strengthen peer relationships, and create community together in a welcoming space designed around inclusion and positive interaction.

Discover how play became a powerful tool for connection in our latest webstory at https://www.wpdi.org/news/from-campaign-to-community-how-lake-center-middle-school-built-a-thriving-gaming-club-for-connection-and-belonging/

In Yambio, community leaders are stepping forward with a shared commitment to peace.

Representatives from the State Ministry of Peacebuilding, the Peace Commission, Yambio Municipality, County Headquarters, the County Education Department, the County Land Authority, and other local institutions recently completed a five-day peacebuilding and conflict resolution training organized by WPDI South Sudan.

Throughout the training, participants strengthened their skills in dialogue, mediation, and conflict resolution, exploring practical ways to address tensions within their communities and institutions.

During the opening session, the Acting Mayor of Yambio Municipality encouraged participants to carry the lessons learned beyond the training hall and into everyday life, emphasizing the importance of transforming knowledge into action that strengthens peaceful coexistence. He also commended WPDI and its partners for supporting the initiative.

At WPDI, we believe peace begins at the community level. By equipping local leaders with the tools to mediate conflict, encourage dialogue, and foster understanding, we continue working toward stronger, more resilient communities across the world.