Priority 3: The police’s ability to operate professionally in a multi-ethnic environment and to actively recruit various ethnic minorities into the police is improved CSI has aided in bettering relations between the police and minorities in their AORs. Sports games, town halls, and trainings were held during which individuals of varying ethnic background could meet as peers and neighbours rather than representatives of different groups. Almost all youth events involved this multi-ethnic dynamic so that children might overcome any stereotypes imposed upon them and build friendships across ethnic lines. Police were present at these events so as to teach youths that the police were there to support them and resolve their problems. CSI teams continued to underline and emphasize to their police counterparts the importance of maintaining open, unbiased and thus effective communication with representatives of different ethnic groups and keeping warm relations with all ethnic communities. CSI and the CiB’s PRP developed a project on establishing a multi-ethnic police substation in Osh city, pending approval by the Government at the end of 2013. Events targeting at multi-ethnic policing included: - A two-day seminar on “Multi-Ethnic Tolerance and Rule of Law” for 30 students from three multi-ethnic schools in Kyzyl Kiya; A roundtable and training on “Inter-ethnic Tolerance” for 25 participants in Isfana; A cross-border volleyball tournament among Kyrgyz and Tajik police and schoolchildren from the multi-ethnic villages of Arka, Beshkent, Internatsional, and Kulundu of Kyrgyzstan and Ovchu-Kalacha of Tajikistan. This friendly competition, hosted by the Isfana team, created a common ground of positive interaction for people with diverse ethnic backgrounds, including Kyrgyz, Tajik and Uzbek ethnicities. The Isfana CSI team planned to continue this initiative in 2014. In 2013, CSI’s Osh city teams and ACTED also elaborated a plan for a joint training on conflict de-escalation and effective communication for NIs and small businesses��� employees, where minor misunderstandings may be easily escalated and turned into a bigger conflict, sometimes with inter-ethnic implications. Finally, a brochure on Recruiting Women into the police was approved by the MoI and was ready for distribution in 2014. Co-ordination with Other OSCE Dimensions The relationship between the PPP and CSI deepened during the year, with CSI acting as the implementer and collaborator for several PRP-initiated projects. A big share of work was dedicated to the joint PRP-CSI NMP. CSI also co-operated with the PRP in organizing and holding a two-day seminar on “Multi-Ethnic Tolerance and Rule of Law” for 30 students from three multi-ethnic schools, teaching staff and JDIs in Kyzyl-Kiya district in October (see above). In co-operation with the PRP, an Afghan-Kyrgyz Police Co-operation Training was held in the CPTC in Osh with a special focus on Community Policing. In co-operation with the Human Dimension component of the CiB, training was delivered to police custodies personnel serving in the south of the country (see above). With PMD’s projects on Mediation (“Peace Messengers”) and Youth, co-operation was established to avoid duplication and eliminate inefficiency. 142