“The pursuit of peace and progress cannot end in a few years in either victory or defeat. The pursuit of peace and progress, with its trials and its errors, its successes and its setbacks, can never be relaxed and never abandoned.“
- Dag Hammarskjöld
Peace is not an event. It’s a continuing process. As Woody Allen has said, “80% of success is showing up.” We at Search for Common Ground continue to show up — and to expand. Everywhere we work, we make long-term commitments, and we now have 53 offices in 34 countries.
WOMEN
The Team — Female empowerment — Click here to watch trailer
March 8th was International Women’s Day, and it was an occasion for us to renew our longstanding commitment to promoting women — and men — as peacemakers. For example, 18 years ago, we started a Women’s Peace Center in Burundi. In Tanzania, we produce our popular TV drama series, The Team, with storylines to boost female leadership roles. In the Congo, we carry out a countrywide initiative to prevent sexual violence. Our work with women also involves training, empowerment, and support programs in many other places.
Pakistan
See Nasim and other Pakistani "sheroes” (“she heroes”) by clicking here
Women are the majority in Pakistan. Yet, their lack of involvement in the political process contributes to an unfair, unbalanced system that impedes democracy and produces conflict. To help change this, the US State Department provides us with funding to carry out the Women’s Initiatives for Learning & Leadership (WILL). One participant is Nasim Riaz, who married at age 13 in a remote region of Pakistan where child marriage frequently occurs. Untypically, however, Nasim’s husband encouraged her to continue her education. She eventually earned a Master’s degree and became head of a private school. Then, she ran for the local council on a platform of encouraging girls’ education. Despite threats from extremists “to cut off fingers,” Nasim was elected, and she soon became a Provincial Coordinator for a major political party. Still, she wanted to work at the national level, and she joined our WILL program to learn more about legislation, negotiation, and media relations. She and other WILL members decided to launch a national caucus to support female legislators and to promote common interests across party lines and family allegiances. “I have benefitted a lot from this training,” declares Nazim. “I have convinced the women and girls of my village that it is no crime if they want to do something for their household or if they want to work or to enter the field of politics.”
GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR YOUTH
SFCG’s Saji Prelis discusses the Guiding Principles at launch in New York
Young people can be a powerful force for building peace. To this end, Saji Prelis, our Director of Children and Youth, co-chairs a working group at the UN to provide guidance to UN agencies, governments, and NGOs in increasing youth engagement in conflict prevention. On April 24th, the guidelines, which can be read here, were released. In the weeks ahead, our offices in 16 African, Asian, and Middle Eastern countries will be sponsoring local launches.
UNORTHODOX METHODS
Having developed an imaginative and extensive toolbox, we are able to touch both the minds and the hearts of tens of millions of people. We make extensive use of such well-known peacebuilding techniques as mediation and training and of less conventional ones, including participatory theater and music video.
Participatory Theater
Participatory Theater – please click here to see an article about this work from the African Peace and Conflict
We have sponsored performances for millions of people in thousands of locations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Côte d’Ivoire, Sudan, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Burundi, Angola, and Nigeria. Our “common ground actors” put on plays in communities where there is conflict — whether ethnic, gender-based, or military-civilian. The actors first improvise drama around local disputes, and then they invite audience members to replace them and act out possible solutions. Participatory theater that involves military men and their wives has proved to be a particularly effective way to train soldiers in not being sexual predators. A study of our work in the DRC showed that 78% of audience members said that they had learned a great deal about how to deal non-violently with conflict.
Music Video
While words and ideas are very important in transforming conflict, music can also play an important role. Thus, when we make a new TV series, we usually produce an accompanying music video that serves as the theme song and is performed by well-known, local artists. And on occasion, as occurred in Angola, we have created a recording that becomes the theme song for an entire peace process. Here are some of our greatest hits:
People Are Calling for Peace (Angola — Performed by Bonga, Felipe Zau, and other Angolan singers — Click here to see video)
In My Heart (Israel-Palestinian Territories — Performed by David Broza and Wisam Murad — Click here)
Ring the Bells (Performed by Melissa Etheridge and Salman Ahmad — Click here)
Nashe Maalo Theme Song (Macedonia — Performed by the cast — Click here)
The Team Theme Song (Nepal — Performed by Nima Rumba and Astha B — Click here)
The Team Theme Song (Morocco — Performed by Mazagan — Click here)
The Team Theme Song (Kenya — Performed by the cast — Click here)
Kilna Bil Hayy Theme Song (Lebanon — Performed by Tania Kassis — Click here)
The Station Peace Song (Egypt — Performed by cast — Click here)
Holy Sites
Ambassador Ufuk Gokcen from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation at Holy Sites meeting
For several years, Sharon Rosen, Co-Director of our Jerusalem office, has been leading an initiative to have the UN adapt a resolution to assure access to — and protection of — places held sacred by the world’s religions. In February with funding from the Henry Luce Foundation, we organized a policy consultation in New York to enlist support. 14 UN missions and US government agencies took part. Participants heard about pilot projects currently taking place in the Holy Land and in Bosnia, along with a new pilot that will begin this year in Indonesia.
Fire Lines: Israeli-Palestinian Documentary
In partnership with the Ma’an Palestinian Network and with funding from the US State Department, we have co-produced this 42-minute film. It was written and directed by Avi Goldstein and David Viola. The film tells the remarkable story of the Palestinian firefighters who helped fight Israel’s mammoth Carmel fire in December 2010. Like our dramatic feature film, Under the Same Sun, it is being screened on broadcast television and in targeted showings to Israelis and Palestinians. For copies of either film, please contact Susan Koscis at skoscis@sfcg.org.
CÔTE D’IVOIRE
Ivorian political leaders flank SFCG Country Director (fourth from left), Minister Anne Ouloto, and US Ambassador Terence McCulley
As part of our ongoing effort to promote dialogue in this strife-torn country, we recently convened leaders from the governing party and the opposition. This was the first time since the 2010-11 violence that such a group had met. Anne Ouloto, the Minister of Solidarity, made opening remarks that encouraged participants to take the opportunity to bring peace and social cohesion to the country. Our Country Director, Quentin Kanyatsi, facilitated the day’s discussion, and the group requested that we should continue the process.
MOROCCO
Imam and Mourchidate graduates of our training
A key question that drives our work in Muslim countries is how to combine the practice of conflict resolution with traditional Islamic teaching. In Morocco, where we seek to build a culture of mediation, our programs led directly to passage of a law in 2007 that institutionalizes mediation across the country. Recently, we have worked in partnership with Rabita Mohammadia des Oulemas (the League of Islamic Scholars) to train 270 Imams (male clerics), scholars, and Mourchidates (female teachers who instruct women). In October, we sponsored a conference in Rabat to discuss the main findings of a nation-wide project to merge traditional Islam with contemporary approaches. Participants made policy recommendations. (To view, please click here.)
MADAGASCAR
Adrien Sindayigaya, SFCG’s chief radio trainer, leads Madagascar workshop
Since 2011, we have worked with the country’s radio stations to produce programming that promotes dialogue and mutual understanding. In February, we organized a three-day workshop for our 26 radio partners that ended with creation of the Coalition of Radios for Peacebuilding. This was the first time that Madagascar’s commercial, public, religious, and community radios have overcome their differences and agreed to work toward a common goal. Visit the Coalition’s website in French and English at www.coalitionradios-madagascar.org.
SAM LEWIS: REST IN PEACE
Sam Lewis
We mourn the passing of Ambassador Samuel Lewis. In addition to his career as an Ambassador, Assistant Secretary of State, Director of Policy Planning at the State Department, and President of the US Institute of Peace, Sam served for 10 years as Chair of our Middle East Advisory Board. His career reflected US diplomacy at its very best. He had a wonderful ability to take very complicated issues and to explain them clearly — and, in the process, to move them toward resolution. He was a lovely man — kind, caring and wise — and a true champion of peace. We will hugely miss him.
PLEASE INVEST IN US
In these turbulent times when violence is all too prevalent, we recognize that we cannot do our work without the support of people like you. We ask that you make an investment in your future — and in ours — by making a contribution by clicking here.
With best wishes,
John Marks
President
Location: Washington, DC