Brussels and Montréal youth exchange on relationships between young people and the police
26 August 2026
This week, a group of young people from Foyer’s Youth Service/Jongerenwerking are taking part in a one-week exchange with a group of young people from Montréal, Canada. Together, they are exploring an important and sometimes complex topic: the relationship between young people and the police.
The project brings young people from Belgium and Canada together to share their experiences, perspectives and ideas. How do young people experience their relationship with the police? What similarities and differences exist between Belgium and Canada? And what can we learn from each other?
In Belgium, the project has been running for some time. Young people and police officers from the BruWest police zone regularly meet for round-table discussions and other moments of dialogue, creating opportunities to get to know each other better and share experiences. Sport is also being used as a way to encourage dialogue. For example, young people and police officers took part together in a mixed badminton activity, giving them an opportunity to get to know each other in a different setting.
The young people themselves prepared the exchange with Montréal and are taking an active role throughout the week. They are building on the discussions and activities taking place as part of the project in Brussels.
This exchange is an important next step in a project centred on mutual understanding. By comparing experiences in Belgium and Canada, the young people aim to better understand how relationships between young people and the police are experienced in both contexts, and to explore ways of strengthening trust.
And the project does not stop here: in September, the Mixed Relay will provide another opportunity to bring young people and police officers together through sport. By taking part in the relay together, they will once again have the chance to get to know each other and build bridges.
