In Northeast Syria, Al Rashad II worked with local communities to rebuild in a post-conflict context.
Al Rashad worked to bolster security in northeast Syria by addressing urgent security concerns and by building the capacity of police to ensure the lasting defeat of ISIS. Al Rashad used a community policing approach to increase public trust in the local police and improve responsiveness to citizens’ needs, a significant change from the mentality fostered under the Assad Regime and ISIS.
Al Rashad implemented community security activities in partnership with local security governance bodies, developing their capacity to design and deliver security services that responded to the population’s needs and establishing civilian oversight over the security sector.
As a result of this support, Al Rashad and its local security partners rehabilitated 31 miles of streetlighting, installed 122 traffic lights and held more than 50 community dialogue sessions on security needs between local leaders and the police. Al Rashad also trained more than 8,000 police officers in northeast Syria on community policing topics, including human rights and respect for minorities.
Beginning in 2021, Al Rashad II built upon this momentum, continuing to bolster security initiatives stemming from local stakeholders’ needs. The program was funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by Creative Associates International.
