November 13, 2020 – The Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI) is incredibly pleased to announce that two of our leading partners, Verizon and Bank of the West, have just renewed their support to our US-based Domestic Harmonizer Program (DHP) for 2021. This is a very positive development in a period of heightened psycho-social crises – from COVID-19 to racial injustice and economic downturns – as vulnerable communities face even more ordeals and difficulties than before. Their very capacity to address challenges, notably conflicts and traumas, is deeply impacted. The DHP was conceived by the artist and social activist Forest Whitaker to help communities regain this capacity by empowering youth as driver of change.
Operated in middle schools of California, the DHP helps students and teachers work together to create inclusive and safe learning environments. The program’s curriculum, workshops, and e-learning tools spans all three years of middle school and helps students and teachers build understanding, empathy, and dialogue both inside and outside of the classroom. The DHP is unprecedented in its approach because it integrates problem-solving skills such as negotiation and mediation with academic content in English, social studies, math, and science covered in the Common Core State Standards to make it easier for teachers to implement this content in routine classroom instruction. Rooted in restorative practices, the DHP routinely works with students and teachers to build a deep understanding of conflict, and how to resolve it constructively in various contexts. A recent evaluation of the program by a professor of the University of Southern California highlighted that the DHP is the kind of program that is needed to address the challenges that the country is currently undergoing.
The continued support of Verizon and Bank of the West in 2021 will enable WPDI to continue our important work in our existing partner schools in the greater Los Angeles area and expand both geographically – to other schools – and strategically, by launching new, groundbreaking activities, including through an online platform with educational games and tools as well as a trauma-healing activities. “It is thanks to Verizon and Bank of the West that this program can reach many, many more youths and educators across California and the United States, says Domestic Program Director, Monya Kian. “The educational game and virtual center, both of which will debut in 2021, will especially make an impact, and we are excited to use these tools to engage more youth and educators in peaceful conflict resolution.”
Indeed, WPDI will continue to adapt the DHP to help school communities address tensions and traumas that arise in their midst. We look forward to seeing the program grow even more in 2021!
