The Launch for the Centers for Youth Dialogue Program in Zanzibar

From left to right front row are: Abdulla Mwinyi - Regional Commissioner for Zanzibar Urban West Region (2nd); Jefferson Smith - Zanzibar Affairs Officer (3rd); Nassor Mazrui - Minister of Trade and Industry (and Guest of Honor) (4th); Mussa Ali Mussa - Commissioner of Police Zanzibar (5th), and Sterling Roop - Director of the International Law and Policy Institute (ILPI) (6th). The launch for the Centers for Youth Dialogue program took place in Zanzibar recently and was also attended by youth groups from Stone Town and Kikwajuni in addition to youth from other parts of Zanzibar town, MP Hamad Masauni (Kikwajuni), Zanzibar Representative Ismail Jussa (Stone Town), and regional police commanders. The American people have provided $150,000 to ILPI to run programs at two youth centers in Stone Town and Kikwajuni. The goals of the project include: to build trust between communities, police, and the government, with a focus on youth; to provide training for youth on entrepreneurship and job acquisition; to provide training for youth and police on human rights, social and economic issues, tolerance, duties of citizens and government in a democracy; to strengthen the cooperation of communities in reporting crimes and illicit activities to the police; and to strengthen the capacity of police to receive and act on reports from the community.