Peace Is a Skill: A Fireside Conversation with Forest Whitaker
The Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative works across six regions worldwide, including in Cape Town, where it supports young peacebuilders in the Cape Flats. Academy Award-winning actor, UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, and WPDI Founder Forest Whitaker is joined by CEO Caroline Descombris and two young peacebuilders from the Cape Flats for a conversation on what community-led peace work looks like on the ground.
Speakers
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Forest WhitakerArtist, UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, Founder and CEO of Whitaker Peace and Development InitiativeForest Whitaker
Artist, UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, Founder and CEO of Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative
Forest Whitaker is the founder and CEO of the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI), through which he provides skills and opportunities to youths and women in regions affected by violence and armed conflict in Mexico, South Africa, South Sudan, Uganda, France, and the United States. He is also co-founder and chair of the International Institute for Peace, UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, and a member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group. Renowned for his dedication to cultivating children’s and youths’ artistic talents, he served on President Obama’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, working closely with elementary schools to demonstrate the power of the arts to unlock creative potential.
In addition to his social activism, Whitaker is one of Hollywood’s most accomplished and versatile figures. Through his production company, Significant Productions, he supports young filmmakers and believes film can inspire meaningful dialogue on important social issues. He has produced several award-winning documentaries and received numerous distinctions for his acting, including the 2007 Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland, for which he also received a BAFTA Award, SAG Award, and Golden Globe. He also received the Palme d’Or for Best Actor for Bird at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival, among other artistic and humanitarian accolades.
Whitaker’s commitment to peace and social justice has led him to work closely with the United Nations and its agencies. He has addressed the Security Council and the Human Rights Council, and through UNESCO continues to champion tolerance, openness, and mutual understanding as UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation.
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Caroline DescombrisCEOCaroline Descombris
CEO
Caroline Descombris has been leading Forest Whitaker’s non-profit organization, the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI), since its creation in 2012. She has worked alongside Forest Whitaker on the
creation of the NGO, the conception of programs, and the development on the ground. Under her leadership, the Youth Peacemaker Network, WPDI's flagship program, has expanded to nine countries: South Sudan, Uganda, Mexico, South Africa, Cameroon, Chad, Gabon, France, and the United States. She also leads WPDI's
fundraising efforts and liaises with its partners and donors.Ms. Descombris acts as Liaison Officer and Strategic Adviser to Forest Whitaker in his various capacities at the UN, including as UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, Chair of the International Institute for Peace (UNESCO Category 2 Institute), member of the Sustainable Development Goals Advocacy Group, and Advocate for Children Affected by War.
Before joining WPDI, Ms. Descombris had worked for more than ten years within the UN system, first as Membership Liaison Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean, and later as Executive Officer of UNESCO's Bureau of Strategic Planning. She holds a five-year university degree in International and Legal Affairs from the Paris Institut Supérieur du Commerce.