To foster a greater relationship between the force and the public in addressing insecurity, a group, Initiatives of Change (IofC) Nigeria in conjunction with the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police, Lagos, has launched a trustbuilding programme, "Police I Care".

Speaking at the launch at the Zone 2 Command headquarters, Lagos, President of the group, Felicia Olufunmilayo Odetoyinbo, said the programme is a trust-building initiative geared towards bridging the gap between the people and the police as a panacea for improved people-police interactions.

According to her, the programme is aimed at engaging the police, communities, government/non-government institutions and other stakeholders through partnership and collaboration in mitigating the devastation that distrust, hate suspicion and apathy have wreaked on the collective responsibility of all towards the protection of life and property, detection, prevention and prosecution of crimes.

Violent Extremism in Burkina Faso Executive Summary Violent extremism is on the rise again in several regions of Burkina Faso after talks between authorities and insurgent groups collapsed around early 2021. An attack on the Northeastern village of Solhan in June resulted in the death of over 150 people and was carried out by children between the ages of 12 and 14 according to the Burkinabe government and the United Nations. This atrocity was one of the most violent assaults on Burkina Faso since the security crisis started in the country in 2015. Burkina Faso’s strategic location in the heart of west Africa means its security situation is deeply linked to transnational trends. That said, the depth of cohesion between violent extremist groups (VEGs) and their affiliates, or regional offshoots, remains somewhat unclear.

On the 22-24 of February 2022 a group of 17 participants together with Creators of Peace (CoP) facilitators gathered together to embark on a journey of inner healing, sharing their hardships and past wounds. The group ranged between the ages of 18-44 years – two men and 15 women. This took place at It takes a Village NPO in Khayelitsha, Cape Town.

The group was enthusiastic, showing up every morning ready to share and be heard. Some came having been referred by previous participants. “When Alford told me about CoP I felt the need to come and experience it myself,” shared Katleho. Shared expectations were, in particular, the need to gain trust, forgiveness, unity and develop listening and communication skills.

“I don’t know what it is like to have a family because mine was never there for me,” said Bukeka, one of the participants during the 17 to 19th March 2022 when Creators of Peace Circle team (CoPC) facilitated a Peace Circle (PC) to 12 participants (one man and 11 women) aged between 20- 55yrs.

The PC dynamic was more mature, unlike the previous two workshops where the majority of the participants were younger.  They were inquisitive and eager to know what CoPC is all about and how they will benefit from the space.  “I have been to more than one-on-one counselling so it will be interesting for me to see how the inner healing group setting unfolds,” commented Busisiwe. The participant's expectations were to know more about inner healing and learn from each other’s experiences, gain a family and friends and also draw strength from one another. 

Through dialogues and workshops that bring together aggrieved communities and members of the police force, the trustbuilding team in Nigeria builds trust between authorities and the people of the community.  

Why is trust needed? 
Misconceptions from police officers, communities and other stakeholders about the police's position, purpose, and authority have been obstacles to achieving a desired modern police force. There is an urgent need to demystify what the uniform represents.   

Mistrust between young Nigerians and the police came to a clash when tens of thousands of people took to the streets to protest against police brutality in October 2020, which became known as the #EndSARS demonstrations. 

For decades, politico-ethnic conflicts have torn communities apart, causing many deaths and leading to many people seeking refuge in neighbouring countries. The trustbuilding team in Burundi aims to build trust and heal historical wounds between the communities affected by the ethnopolitical divisions (Hutu, Tutsi and Twa ethnic groups).

Why is trust needed? 
Since its independence in 1962, Burundi has experienced repeated violent conflicts. Large-scale interethnic massacres occurred in 1972, 1988 and 1993, and another wave of violence in 2015. Despite various attempts for national unity after each crisis, including peace deals, Burundian society remains polarised. Psychological wounds caused by all the violence, if not healed, have the risk of being passed down from generation to generation.

The International Trustbuilding Program (TBP) was launched in July 2019 and is now active with national programs in Australia, Burundi, Canada, France, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, South Africa, and Ukraine

The purpose of this letter is to invite interested teams and organizations to consider submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) to be part of the TBP, beginning in January 2023.

The TBP is a strategic part of IofC’s work. It is an expression of what IofC has to offer the world, based on 80 years of experience in building trust across divides. It is based on a partnership model between IofCI and local IofC teams. It is designed to build capability and financial sustainability of local teams through training, expert guidance and experience sharing with other teams. Effective execution of the program has been seen to increase the visibility and credibility of the work local teams do whilst making an impact to communities where it is delivered.

A team of representatives from Moral Rearmament conducted a training in line with the year theme of 'An Encounter with Iofc' at a local high school - Sacred Heart College in Gweru. As part of the programme, the human library provided a platform for story sharing touching on how IofC and the Four Absolute standards have helped in self discovery. Participation was high and the participants were keen to learn and explore more on what the journey of change entails.

A one day Trustbuilding dialogue with the Red Cross volunteers at their facility in Nakuru town on 4th February 2022. The objective of the meeting was to try and help young people maintain peace within the campaign period and on to the election time. The group comprised of 21 young people drawn from different corners of the town who are currently attending to different chores; some are students in local colleges and some trying out some small business and other temporary jobs. 

I pray that I never tire of living a significant life that will continue to have an impact, and encourage those who will take the baton from us.
I do not know how to put all this in one sentence!  But let me try to sum up this way. Through IofC International, I have had the opportunity to become my best self, and to grow in leadership to help meet the great challenges of my continent. This is a never-ending job that requires the best from all of us in IofC not only in Africa, but across the globe. But I thank God that IofC International has given me practical ways to serve, and all the support I need to do so.