Bangladeshi youth have a significant role to play in setting the tone for the future of the country. Since 2002, The Asia Foundation has tapped into this potential by empowering youth to actively participate as responsible citizens in social, political, and economic life. The Foundation builds leadership skills, experience, and civic consciousness among youth so they can effectively participate in electoral and political processes and social development activities, and be catalysts for building social trust within communities and between citizens and the government.
BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN POLICE AND YOUTH
Recognizing the adversarial and often destructive relationship between youth and police, The Asia Foundation developed a replicable model to build the capacity of these groups to communicate effectively, work together to address social challenges in their communities, and increase cooperation in order to strengthen public security. Working in partnership with the Dhaka Metropolitan Police and students at Dhaka University and North South University, the Foundation trained and fostered a core group of Police and Youth Ambassadors, who developed and implemented joint action plans to reduce crime, and initiated formal and informal activities to bring police and youth together. Among the most meaningful activities were informal “tea stall meetings” between on-duty police and students, and student visits to police stations, organized for the first time in Bangladesh by the Foundation. These opportunities helped overcome negative stereotypes and fears by both groups, and enabled youth and police to see each other as individuals and to better understand each other’s perspectives.
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