More than 200 people gathered at the Sierra Leone Muslim Jamaat in Hyattsville, MD to attend a series of Community Safety Awareness Trainings. Attendees from the local mosque had the opportunity to choose one of three days to attend the training held to raise awareness of targeted violence and terrorism prevention.
“We were glad to partner with this very engaged group, they asked important questions and encouraged us to provide more opportunities for them and other members of the community,” said GPF Portfolio Director Cat Lockman. It was ideal for us to partner with this community in Prince George’s County Maryland that are often targeted by violence because of their religious beliefs or practices. We hope that more communities and organizations will join us in this important initiative.
Since its launch more than a year ago, the Global Peace Foundation has trained nearly 2000 persons virtually and in person to raise awareness of targeted violence, build resilience, and strengthen community safety. Residents from across the globe participated in the online training designed to enhance awareness among diverse sectors and connect them to helpful information and resources. Strategies gained during the training provide the tools necessary to create stronger communities and help participants better understand potential threats of targeted violence and terrorism toward families and youth.
“It is so important that we dwell on the issues around us, we have to nip it in the bud. Whatever it is going on, we cannot be oblivious,” said Imam Alhaji Teslim Alghali, Sierra Leone Muslim Jamaat. Faith-based communities have a lot to do, a role to play and we will continue to play that role for the betterment of our society as a whole and we encourage others to host trainings in the future.”
Community organizations, educational institutions, faith groups, or other organizations interested in hosting future trainings should contact [email protected] or call 301-577-6876.
The awareness campaign is funded by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Opportunity number: DHS-21-TTP-132-00-01. For more information on this or other GPF projects visit www.globalpeace.org.
