LOS ANGELES - s4story -- The BUILD Program and the Professional Community Intervention Training Institute (PCITI) successfully hosted the BUILDing Youthful Warriors Leadership Workshop on 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 continued the legacy established by the late Dr. Aquil F. Basheer, a nationally respected pioneer in Community Violence Intervention (CVI), community-based public safety, youth development, and leadership training. For more than five decades, Dr. 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.

Today, under the leadership of 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.

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"Nobody's opinion of you has to be your reality," said Halimah Basheer, Executive Director of BUILD and PCITI. "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 community resources. Participants strengthened 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," said Halimah Basheer. "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.

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Community Violence Intervention and community-based public safety address 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, Dr. Basheer championed these principles.

Through BUILD and PCITI, that work continues by developing leaders, empowering youth, strengthening families, and promoting sustainable community-driven public safety solutions. Visit https://buildprogram.org/.

About BUILD
The BUILD Program is dedicated to empowering youth and communities through leadership development, mentorship, violence prevention, emotional intelligence, and life skills training.

About PCITI
The Professional Community Intervention Training Institute (PCITI) provides nationally and internationally recognized training in Community Violence Intervention, conflict resolution, leadership development, trauma-informed practices, and community-based public safety.