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SPEAKERS SPOTLIGHT SERIES

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The International Peace Festival | Festival Internationale De La Paix, which is being held in Toronto, Canada, is honoured to welcome to its 2024 edition, CommanderCdR Don Maestro, under the High Patronage of the Consul General of Monaco and the following organizations: World at Peace Organization, Foundation for Sport and Development and Peace, the Comité International Pierre de Coubertin, and the Sustainable Peace and Development Movement Nepal.  An exchange of ideas and friendship will take place between the organizations with youth leadership at its very heart.  Representatives from these organizations will participate in IPF | FIP's Opening Ceremony to be held on Thursday, Saturday 21, 2024, and will join IPF | FIP's Speakers Spotlight Series panel discussions September 21 - 28, 2024.

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Join our Speakers Spotlight Series for talks and panels, keynotes and conversations, where world-renowned icons, advocates, activists and innovators share their inspiring stories and the way in which they use the arts, creativity and innovation as resources for waging conflicts nonviolently, transforming relationships in the aftermath of violence and building capacities required for peace. 
 

This is your chance to join the conversation through interactive and intimate dialogues facilitated by creative and socially-minded speakers. With packed days of talk, IPF’s Speakers Spotlight Series is a catalyst for dialogue and discussion around the solutions to our society’s greatest challenges.

We must rely on the recognition of a plurality of models, cultures and socio-economical diversification as a humanist approach involving a transdisciplinary focus. As well as biodiversity is the way for the emergence of new species, cultural diversity represents the creative potential of world-society. This requires a radical change in the ontological models of sustainable development, global education and world-society.

IPF’s Speakers Spotlight Series contributes to this transdisciplinary discourse in the convergence of art, science, technology and consciousness research as a model of sustainable development representing the creative potential of world-society based on respect, solidarity and cooperation as global standards for the entire human development with no boundaries.

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NADIA TJOA

Nadia Tjoa advocates for human rights, the protection of refugees, education and women and children's rights. As a humanitarian and Chair of IPF's Global Peace Ambassador & Cultural Exchange Program (GPACEP), Nadia addresses people's rights to peace, especially with a focus on the right to water, disarmament, women and children's rights, the right to a healthy environment and the right to healthcare. Originally from Surabaya, Indonesia, Nadia has been active in multiple philanthropic and humanitarian relief causes over the years . For the last two years she has volunteered as a teacher at the refugee learning center in Jakarta and deeply believes in the power of education to uplift communities. Nadia is the title holder of Miss Face of Humanity 2022 and during her term represents the IPF as a Global Peace Ambassador. Her humanitarian mission has taken her to many parts of the world such as Japan, Mexico, Canada, USA, and in rural parts of her home country Indonesia, where she continues to spread the message of tolerance and peace between nations. She has majored and graduated from Binus University in Jakarta with a Bachelor's Degree in Architecture and is currently pursuing her Master's Degree in Management from Mercu Buana University. Professionally she is a speaker, model and actress with more than 10 years of experience.

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DANILO PONCIANO

Dr. Danilo Ponciano is the Founder and President of the Pierre de Coubertin Committee of Guatemala and holds the executive direction of the Guatemalan Olympic Academy at Guatemalan Olympic Committee. His core expertise is on the use of sport to achieve human development through physical education and community sport interventions with at risk-youth in Latin America. This framework has served as the thesis for Danilo’s MA and PhD work with a scholarship endowment from the Sport for Tomorrow Agency which oversaw the organizing of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Danilo is the academic director and professor of undergraduate programs specialized in physical education and sports at the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala which is the number one university in Guatemala and private university in Central America. He has published more than 15 scientific papers, including articles in indexed journals and chapters in specialized books. He has extensive experience working for high-level sports institutions in his country, performing tasks related to scientific research, training, administration, organization of national and international events, and management of multidisciplinary teams. Danilo is currently working on establishing the program “Acts of Sports Kindness” around Latin America in collaboration with World@Peace, the Pierre de Coubertin Committees of Latin America and Latin American Center for Coubertinian Studies, which aims to prevent bullying at schools with resources adapted to the context of each country. As Director of IPF’s Sports for Peace division, Danilo hopes to extend this campaign around the world in concert with IPF’s Youth and Global Peace Ambassadors Program. On September 21, 2023, he will be joining the youth panel discussion, The Guardians of Peace, to be held at the University Club of Toronto, 380 University Avenue, Toronto, between 2pm-4pm. Dr. Danilo Ponciano is the Founder and President of the Pierre de Coubertin Committee of Guatemala and holdsthe executive direction of the Guatemalan Olympic Academy at Guatemalan Olympic Committee. His core expertise is on the use of sport to achieve human development through physical education and community sport interventions with at risk-youth in Latin America. This framework has served as plan for Ponciano´ MA and PhD work with scholarship from Sport for Tomorrow Agency which oversaw organizing the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Dr.Ponciano has been academic director and professor of undergraduate programs specialized in physical education and sports at the Universidad del Valle de Guatemala which is the number one university in Guatemala and private university in Central America.Dr. Ponciano has published more than 15 scientific papers, including articles in indexed journals and chapters in specialized books.Dr.Ponciano has extensive experience working for high-level sports institutions in his country, performing tasks related to scientific research, training, administration, organization of national and international events, and management of multidisciplinary teams. Dr. Ponciano is currently working on establishing the program of “Acts of Sports Kindness” around Latin America in collaboration with World@Peace, the Pierre de Coubertin Committees of Latin America and Latin American Center for Coubertinian Studies, which aims to prevent bullying at schools with resources adapted to the context of each country.

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DEREK PEAPLE

Derek Peaple is a visionary education leader, recently shortlisted for the Times Education Supplement National Headteacher of the Year Award and recognized by Ofsted for a ‘values-driven ambition for students’ Led Park House School to become one of the top 100 non-selective secondary schools in the UK for student achievement. He is currently the founder and Managing Director of his own education and leadership consultancy company – The Leading Peaple Company. Derek has played a leading role in regional, national and international sports education initiatives. He helped to devise the London 2012 Get Set Education program and additionally developed online learning materials for the global learning BBC World Olympic Dreams initiative. Based on this experience, he went on to support the design of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic education program. Derek was appointed as the first Chair of the Youth Sport Trust’s national Headteacher Strategy Group to promote the Olympic and Paralympic Legacy and received the inaugural Sir John Madejski Award for Outstanding Contribution to Education and Sport. His advice featured in the House of Commons Education Committee’s influential Report, ‘School Sport following London 2012: No more political football’ and he regularly presents nationally and internationally on the role of sport in shaping school culture. Most recently, he has worked with a range of clients to develop education resources for the UFEA Women’s EURO and Sporting Heritage, including unique programs on the role of sport in the promotion of equalities and anti-bullying. He is also a co-founder of World Peace School Sports Day (WPSSD), a worldwide movement of schools and youth groups that comes together every September 21st to celebrate International Day of Peace. The International Peace Alliance is proud to partner with WPSSD to give young people the opportunity to make a positive difference and to show their support for the concept of world peace. Derek strongly believes that young people can and will make a difference by using learning, sport, and arts culture to confirm the international values of peace and friendship.

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CYNTHIA RICHARDS

Cynthia Richards is a women rights advocate and counsellor. She graduated with honors from the Assaulted Women’s Counsellor Advocate Program at George Brown College and is currently working as a counselor with Elizabeth Fry Toronto. Before joining Elizabeth Fry Toronto, she worked for Canada Post Corporation representing the Canadian Union of Postal employees as a support counsellor. She held the post of Local President, OPSEU region 518 and is certified as a life skills coach by the YWCA. Cynthia realized that her passion was in working with people and so she enhanced her educational and training needs to be able to support clients in reaching their employment goals, helping them to build their communication and social skills and awareness, and empowering them with advocacy skills. As a participant in and contributor to IPF’s Speakers Spotlight Series, Cynthia addresses the need for the implementation of preventive measures and education of the young in overcoming the risk of interaction with the criminal justice system. She explains how even a casual brush with the law can permanently mar a young person’s life. The IPF l FIP is honoured to welcome Cynthia Richards as a panelist at this year’s youth panel discussion, The Guardians of Peace, to be held at the University Club of Toronto, 380 University Avenue, Toronto, on Thursday, September 21st, 2pm-4pm.

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DR. FRANK ALEXANDER CLARK, MD, FAPA

Dr. Frank Alexander Clark is a board-certified adult outpatient psychiatrist at Prisma Health-Upstate. He also serves as clinical associate professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine-Greenville. Dr. Clark received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Monmouth College in Illinois and a Doctor of Medicine degree from Northwestern University. He then completed his residency in general psychiatry at Palmetto Richland Hospital in Columbia, SC (now Prisma Health-Midlands) In addition to his psychiatric practice, Dr. Clark has held many leadership positions in national organizations including the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Psychiatric Association(APA). Locally he serves on the board of directors for National Alliance on Mental Illness-Greenville (NAMI). Dr. Clark is passionate about the intersection between the humanities and medicine. He is a former recipient of the 2019 Leo Tow Humanism in Medicine Award sponsored by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation. Dr. Clark is a former board member of the South Carolina Philharmonic and currently serves on their advisory council. One of his proudest accomplishments involves being the co-founder of the South Carolina Philharmonic Healing Harmonies Program. This program seeks to provide music as healing tool for healthcare environments. Dr. Clark has a strong passion for medical mission work and has traveled to numerous countries including Zambia, Ireland, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Canada, and Haiti to serve others medically and spiritually. He considers his faith a significant factor in his success and his practice. He enjoys spending with his family, exercising, writing poetry, collaborating with composers/artists, and traveling.

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LEKHANATH SAPKOTA

Lekhanath Sapkota is a national of Nepal and the President and CEO of the leading NGO, SPDM (Nepal) - “Sustainable Peace and Development Movement Nepal”. As the principal of SPDM (Nepal) and the director of his own dairy production company, Lekhanath International Dairy, Mr. Sapkota’s interests range from improving workplace safety to managing environmental responsibilities. His NGO addresses the theme of “eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world,” an imperative that is also a prerequisite for sustainable peace. Mr. Sapkota holds in the belief that each country is responsible for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) in consultation with its people. SPDM (Nepal) advocates for governments to promote programming that develops knowledge to practice sustainable agriculture, and support stakeholders across the food system – primary small and family farm producers, food chain workers, and small and medium enterprises, particularly producer-led enterprises and cooperatives. From individuals to local authorities to national ministries to UN agencies, Mr. Sapkota and his NGO take ownership of these goals in their particular contexts, and recommend the following regarding the SDGs: Goal 1: Addressing the causes and manifestations of structural poverty by utilizing holistic, context-specific solutions interlinked with all other goals. Goal 2: To end hunger and all forms of malnutrition, by changing agricultural production from high-input, industrial exploitation towards systems that support smallholders’ livelihoods and preserve cultures and biodiversity. Goal 3: Efforts to achieve health-related targets should prioritize the full spectrum of services from promotion, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and palliation. Governments, through a multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder approach, must endeavour to remove social, cultural, and economic barriers to ensure full access to affordable, quality physical and mental health services for all. Goal 4: Obstacles to the actualization of gender equality and the fundamental rights of women and girls should be overcome through implementing laws and policies that prohibit discrimination, redistribute unpaid care work, promote equality in access to resources, education, and decision-making, in alignment with internationally agreed conventions and standards. Goal 5: All governments, including regional and local authorities, should promote inclusive, ecologically-sound industrialization and the provision of basic infrastructure that incorporates the protection of nature and participatory decision-making. Goal 6: SDG 6 must be a keystone in protecting the oceans as a substantial part of the biosphere, a unique ecosystem, an integral part of human civilization and major food provider, and a common good with equal and fair access rights. In keeping with the commitment to “Leave No One Behind,” the full position paper of the SPDM (Nepal) details the ways in which the SDGs are interconnected, locally applicable yet requiring universal commitment, and essential for the eradication of poverty and promotion of prosperity for all. As a graduate of Tribhuvan University, a non-profit autonomous, pioneering public institution, and the oldest university in Nepal, Mr. Sapkota has had the privilege of collaborating with members of the university’s department of food technology and the department of geology, among many others, in implementing the goals of SPDM (Nepal).

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