The Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative is a non-governmental organization with global scope & reach founded by @ForestWhitaker / instagram: Whitaker_Peace
Joined June 2014
- Tweets 4,767
- Following 394
- Followers 3,127
- Likes 1,442
3,021 Photos and videos
Pinned Tweet
4 Apr 2022
"Our mission is to empower dedicated people to give them the tools to make them effective peacemakers and entrepreneurs." - @ForestWhitaker
youtu.be/c7qekaqXVUg
5
3
24
Jun 12
From community-led impact to global partnerships, our Spring Newsletter highlights the people and programs shaping futures.
Explore stories from the field, insights from our 2025 Annual Report, and a preview of our Rise as One Gala this September
🔗wpdi.org/news/stories-of-lea…
4
Jun 11
Six months after winning WPDI South Africa's Business Pitching Competition, these Cape Town entrepreneurs are scaling fast, new hires, more inventory, bigger customer bases 📈
Check-in with the women turning training funding into business growth 👇
wpdi.org/news/from-wpdi-comp…
14
Jun 10
👂 Sometimes peacebuilding begins with something as simple as listening.
Since 2016, WPDI's Domestic Harmonizer Program has been turning conflict into opportunities for learning, connection & growth, one school at a time🕊️
Free tools & resources here:
domesticharmonizer.org
12
Jun 4
What starts as an idea can become an opportunity for an entire community.
In partnership with @AfricaGemini, 55 entrepreneurs received training, mentorship, and business support. Today, 18 businesses are strengthening local economies in South Sudan.
🔗wpdi.org/news/wpdis-entrepre…
1
1
26
Jun 2
🕊️ Thirty women community leaders in Eerste River joined a WPDI South Africa 🇿🇦 leadership training on inner peace, conflict resolution, and community leadership.
Equipping women with peacebuilding skills helps create generational impact across families and communities!
1
1
20
Jun 1
What does it look like when people work together?
At our Community Learning Center in Chiapas, Mexico, young participants reflected on communication, leadership, and collaboration. Through shared problem-solving exercises, they are building skills to strengthen peace each day!🕊️
1
29
May 28
What began as an International Day of Peace activity at a middle school has grown into a thriving Gaming Club where students build empathy and belonging through play.
Now, up to 185 students gather each week through WPDI’s Domestic Harmonizer Program.
wpdi.org/news/from-campaign-…
2
13
May 28
Community leaders in Yambio recently completed a five-day peacebuilding & conflict resolution training organized by WPDI South Sudan, strengthening local efforts to promote dialogue, mediation, and peaceful coexistence across communities.
1
54
May 26
At WPDI, we know that lasting peace grows from opportunity. Through digital literacy, entrepreneurship, and conflict resolution training in Aubervilliers, France, participants are building the skills, confidence, and connections needed to shape stronger futures together ✨
31
May 20
In Uganda, where WPDI’s mission first began, conflict resolution training continues to plant the seeds of peace.
Today, those lessons have grown far beyond borders, equipping communities around the world with the tools to lead through dialogue, empathy, and understanding.
21
May 16
Peace begins with how we choose to live alongside one another. 🕊️
On the International Day of Living Together in Peace, we honor the young people, communities, and peacebuilders creating spaces rooted in dialogue, dignity, understanding, and opportunity across the world.
1
3
47
May 13
We’re thrilled to see our Founder & CEO, @ForestWhitaker, participating in the @OneYoungWorld Summit 2026 in South Africa 🇿🇦
Forest will join WPDI peacemakers from the Cape Flats for conversations on youth leadership, peacebuilding, and opportunity. Looking forward to Cape Town!
He's transforming the world on- and off-screen 🎬
From becoming on-screen characters to supporting young people in shaping their own futures.
We’re excited to announce that @ForestWhitaker is joining us in Cape Town this November! 🎉
Forest built a career on transformation. Deep immersion. Full commitment. Becoming entirely part of the worlds he portrayed — through research, discipline, and lived detail.
Similarly, his own life evolved and transformed.
An injury changed his direction early on. Sport became opera training. Opera became acting. Forest became globally recognised and award-winning, including an Oscar and a BAFTA.
As his career evolved, so did his purpose.
Through his organisation @connectWPDI, he now works with young people in communities affected by conflict — including in South Africa — supporting skills, opportunity, and leadership pathways that last beyond a single moment on stage.
We are honoured to welcome him as a Counsellor at the One Young World Summit Cape Town, 2026. 🇿🇦
🔔 Stay tuned for more iconic Counsellor announcements!
#OneYoungWorld #OYW26 #ForestWhitaker #CapeTown #Peacebuilding #Leadership
1
70
May 7
🌟 30 women from the Cape Flats joined WPDI’s CRE Training, learning conflict resolution, communication, peacebuilding & leadership.
💬 “This training has taught me better techniques instead of violence. I am grateful to WPDI for this opportunity.” – Tania Nelani, Nyanga
24
Apr 28
In Chiapas, Mexico, WPDI is equipping youth and women with digital and entrepreneurial skills to build lasting opportunity.
From ICT training to women-led business development, skills are becoming pathways to resilience.
Read the webstory: wpdi.org/news/from-skills-to…
26
Apr 23
WPDI France joins CONNECT, a EU initiative supporting migrant entrepreneurs across North-West Europe.
With 13 partners, CONNECT strengthens ecosystems, improves access to finance and mentorship, and tackles structural barriers to help businesses thrive⭐️
wpdi.org/news/wpdi-joins-con…
15
Apr 22
There is no lasting peace without a sustainable future.
We integrate climate and environmental resilience across our programs, supporting communities to adapt to change and strengthen long-term stability.
This #EarthDay, join us in building a sustainable and peaceful future🌍
19
Apr 20
WPDI stands with the #ProveItMatters campaign in South Sudan, where children impacted by conflict learn their rights and share their voices through creative expression.
🕊️100 children reached in South Sudan so far, with a goal of engaging 700 across 3 countries @childreninwar
1
1
145
Apr 17
We're grateful to @SES_Satellites for the additional contribution through the Orbits of Impact initiative at Mobile World Congress, and for delivering internet connectivity to our Community Learning Centers in South Sudan & Uganda, creating a more connected and peaceful future🕊️
46
Apr 15
“Peer mediation training helped me in my personal life, it helped me view things in a healthier way.”
WPDI’s Domestic Harmonizer Program (DHP), students are learning to listen actively, manage emotions, and guide their peers through conflict with empathy
🔗domesticharmonizer.org
42
Apr 8
Community care often begins unseen.
In South Africa, a psychosocial training helped women understand trauma, build coping skills, and begin their own healing, then take those lessons back to support others.
“I now feel more confident to listen and guide.”
wpdi.org/news/strengthening-…
15