Wave Staff Report
LOS ANGELES — The BUILD Program and the Professional Community Intervention Training Institute hosted a BUILDing Youthful Warriors Leadership Workshop June 27, bringing together young people ages 12 to 27 for a day of leadership development, mentorship, conflict resolution training and community engagement in Los Angeles.
The event served as a continuation of the legacy established by the late Aquil F. Basheer, a nationally respected pioneer in community violence intervention, community-based public safety, youth development and leadership training who died last November. For more than five decades, Basheer dedicated his life to developing leaders, strengthening families, empowering youth and building safer communities, mentoring and training more than 250,000 individuals throughout his career.
Under the leadership of new Executive Director Halimah Basheer, BUILD and PCITI continue advancing that mission by equipping young people with the tools, confidence and leadership skills needed to become positive change agents within their schools, neighborhoods, and communities.
“Nobody’s opinion of you has to be your reality,” Halimah Basheer told the young people attending the workshop. “Every young person deserves the opportunity to recognize their value, discover their purpose and realize their potential regardless of the obstacles they may face.”
The BUILDing Youthful Warriors workshop featured leadership development exercises, mentorship opportunities, conflict resolution training, emotional intelligence education, networking, guest speakers, interactive learning experiences and access to valuable community resources. Participants were encouraged to strengthen their leadership abilities while learning practical strategies for violence prevention, community engagement, and public safety.
“We’re not here to tell the youth or young people what to do or how to do it, we’re here to support, guide and direct them through so they’re equipped to be the next generation of leaders,” Basheer said. “We’re here to BUILD them up, it’s our duty to serve.”
A key focus of the workshop was expanding opportunities for youth from all races, cultures and backgrounds to become involved in BUILD and PCITI’s ongoing leadership development initiatives. The organizations continue to create pathways for the next generation of community leaders committed to building stronger, healthier, and safer communities.
Community violence intervention and community-based public safety emphasize addressing the root causes of violence through mentorship, relationship-building, emotional intelligence, conflict mediation, youth development and community ownership. Long before community violence intervention became a nationally recognized field, Aquil Basheer championed these principles, laying the foundation for approaches that continue to influence communities across the country.
The BUILD Program is dedicated to empowering youth and communities through leadership development, mentorship, violence prevention, emotional intelligence, and life skills training. BUILD prepares the next generation of leaders by fostering resilience, responsibility and community engagement.
The Professional Community Intervention Training Institute provides nationally and internationally recognized training in community violence intervention, conflict resolution, leadership development, trauma-informed practices and community-based public safety.
