Welcome to the Common Ground Blog
The Common Ground Blog is an initiative of (Search for Common Ground), an international non-governmental organization (NGO), headquartered in Washington and Brussels, whose mission is to transform the way the world deals with conflict - away from adversarial confrontation towards cooperative solutions. (more here)
VOICES FROM THE FIELD
By Mike Jobbins
Mike is SFCG Program Officer in Angola and Great Lakes Region
Yesterday I met Marie-Gorethe, a young journalist from Radio Rurale Kanyabayonga, a community station in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The radio station is located in the center of North Kivu province, an area that has been, and still is, among the most dangerous of the region.
Gorethe explained that on the way to our meeting (an 8 hour drive), her vehicle was attacked by the FDLR, the primarily Hutu based militia group. Some people were shot, fortunately no one was killed, and everything was stolen except for the radio’s official seal, which she had hidden during the attack.
Nonetheless she was in good spirits and thanked SFCG for the support we’ve shown to the radio station since it was pillaged a few years back. I asked what she thought about SFCG’s involvement in the region. She said “the radio programs that Search sends us help to ease the spirits of the population that is suffering.”
In my conversations with several people in North Kivu, one of the most common comments about our programs are that they “appaisent les esprits” –a small testament to the role of programs that discuss how to resolve conflicts peacefully, in an area often prone to violence.
When I asked what additional support she would like from Search, rather than asking for money or equipment, she simply requested we increase our programs in their area, and raise more awareness about violence against women. I was pleased to say that Search will be accomplishing both ventures through forthcoming projects by SFCG Africa team.
By Jess Engebretson
Jess Engebretson interned with SFCG Indonesia
It was time to go home. The hectic day was over and beneath the dark sky, sleeping bodies lay stretched along duffel bags on the porch. We—a group of SFCG staffers and about fifty Indonesian youth– had just finished organizing a three-day convention. Participants of the “Aceh Youth Forum” came in hopes of answering the question: how can Acehnese youth contribute to sustainable peacebuilding and reconstruction of their community?
The young Acehnese napping around me had discussed everything from shari’ah (Islamic law) and LGBT issues to social networking. At the end of each day, they wrote
Youth typing lessons learned from the day's seminars
summaries of their discussions along with a proposed plan of action. The resulting 50 page document was later sent to local leaders. It consisted of several recommendations including: the need to increase educational opportunities for youth, promote tourism and preserve traditional culture.
The Youth Forum was the conclusion of a three-month long project, Aceh Youth Radio for Peacebuilding (AYRP), in which Acehnese radio professionals taught radio journalism skills to youth.
The youth then produced a weekly show called “Geunderang Damee” (The Drums of Peace). We previously blogged about the show here.
The program ran for 12 weeks, after which, participants gathered at the Forum to discuss their experience. As we concluded several days of intense discussions on the future of Aceh, we were tuckered out.
Leaning against a pillar on the tiled porch of SFCG’s office in Aceh, I waved good-bye tothe last group of participants as they grabbed their bags and boarded the labi-labis that would take them home.
Though the project was complete and SFCG staff relocated their office from Aceh to Jakarta, the youth participants continued the work inspired by the Forum.
The Youth Declaration was celebrated at a street fair
They organized and drafted a Youth Declaration which was printed and distributed
throughout the city, including copies delivered to the KNPI (National Youth Committee of Indonesia).
The work of the youth organizers led them to be featured on the front page of the Indonesian newspaper, Serambi. They became like local celebrities, demonstrating their commitment to positively shaping Aceh’s future at a time when most news coverage featured disagreements and citizens casting doubt on Aceh’s future.
Aceh Youth participants
Youth were empowered as a result of the Forum and they are still working, writing and organizing. And as long as they have something to say, I – and many others who’ve had the privilege of working with them – will be listening closely.
By Juontel White
The monthly Conflict Prevention Resolution Forum co-sponsored by SFCG, was hosted today at John Hopkins School of International Studies. Practitioners in the peacebuilding community along with members of the general public gathered to discuss how to reform the Foreign Assistance Act (FAA).
Enacted in 1961, the FAA reorganized aid for foreign assistance programs between military and non-military agencies. It also led to the creation of the U.S. Agency for International Development.
The Act currently lacks any language to address programs that aim to prevent and/or resolve conflict. Thus, as it is now up for reform, the peacebuilding community has an opportunity to influence the creation of such language. This would help guarantee funds specifically for programs in conflict resolution and prevention.
Today’s forum was moderated by SFCG Vice President Sandra Malone and included panelists: Diana Ohlbaum, Senior Staff member for the House Committee on Foreign Affairs; Bridget Moix, Legislative Secretary for the Friends Committee on National Legislation; and Susan Reichle, Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator for USAID’s Bureau for Democracy, Conflict and Humanitarian Assistance.
They sought to explore the challenges inherent within FAA and address ways to help create a more effective strategy in the future.
*Because the Forum was held under Chatham House Rules, the information discussed is not attributed to any panelist or individual.
Despite the alarming link between conflict and underdevelopment, there has been little collaboration between conflict resolution and development programs in the U.S. In fact, one panelist described these programs as “underfunded, disrespected and disempowered.”
Through the discussion, several key issues in the process of providing foreign assistance were identified:
1) Difficulty to convert information to action
Though agencies develop solutions to addressing conflict in a given nation, there is often a lag time for when those solutions are actually implemented (if at all)
2) Stages of conflict handled by different agencies
Because pre- and post-conflict strategies are addressed by separate bureaus, there has been little collaboration between these departments
3) Lack of funding
Because of limited funds, programs in peacebuilding have also been limited
4) Lack of Capacity
There is a low reserve of experts in specialized conflict resolution and prevention, such as how to address gender-based sexual violence
A proposed solution to addressing these issues is to increase non-military aid. A panelist explained that between 1998-2005 the Department of Defense’ control of the U.S. Official development assistance fund (ODA) increased from 3.5 to 22 percent.
Meanwhile, USAID control over the Fund during that time decreased 65 to 40 percent. Reversing this trend and increasing civilian aid would provide peacebuilding programs more resources to fulfill their missions.
In addition, a complementary solution was introduced: cultivating a more integrated peacebuilding effort. Greater cooperation between U.S. agencies and international organizations involved in conflict resolution and prevention would help strengthen such efforts at a community level.
The peacebuilding community has formed a working group that will express these issues and solutions to Congress. With that, they hope the reformed FAA will effectively address programs in conflict prevention and resolution.
By Suheir Rasul
Suheir Rasul is Co-Director of SFCG Jersusalem
Search for Common Ground’s Jerusalem office recently hosted the Eliav-Sartawi Awards for Middle Eastern Journalism. The Awards, which began in 2000, recognize journalists whose work promotes greater understanding between Arabs and Israelis.
Aziz Abu Sarah (l) and Yizhar Be’er (r)
The annual ceremony is hosted in Jerusalem and winners each receive an engraved plaque along with a $1000 prize. The 2009 Awards were held on Nov. 16 at the city’s Ambassador Hotel. Awardees included: Palestinian Aziz Abu Sarah, Israeli Yizhar Be’er and Mona Eltahawy, an Egyptian journalist. (Links to their winning articles are listed below).
Approximately 60 guests were in attendance, each from a variety of government and nonprofit agencies. Some notable guests were U.S.consul general Daniel Rubenstein along with representatives from USAID and the U.S. Middle East Partnership Initiative.
During the program, award winners were each invited to give a speech. Abu Sarah explained that despite his brother being killed as a result of the Arab-Israeli conflict, he did not become resentful, but rather made a commitment to helping construct a better, more peaceful future
Yizhar Be'er gives acceptance speech
for both states.
Yizhar Be’er admitted that he has always been a pessimist about conflict in the Middle East, but writing the Common Ground News article was a transformative moment. He was commissioned to write the piece last December, immediately after the outbreak of the Gaza War and unlike most of his previously published articles, it was the first that compelled him to write something constructive. Be’er explained that, thereafter, he began to think and write differently. His testimony is exemplary of how media can be used to bring about positive change.
Because Eltahawy was unable to attend, she sent a video which can be viewed below.
The Awards are named after two pioneers of Israeli-Palestinian dialogue: Dr. Issam Sartawi, an advisor to Yasser Arafat and who was assassinated in 1983 for his peacebuilding efforts as well as Lova Eliav, an Israeli politician who was active since the state’s founding. Both received the 1979 Kreisky Prize of Austria for their commitment to exploring peaceful solutions to the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Read the winning articles
Aziz Abu Sarah: “A Palestinian remembers the Holocaust”
Yizhar Be’er: “Human tragedy as a catalyst for change”
Mona Eltahawy: “The Loneliest Man in the World”
Search for Common Ground is proud to be a supporting partner of two outstanding projects: the Charter for Compassion and the Global Tole-rants Movement.
Learn More And Get Involved!
The Charter
of Compassion is a cooperative effort to restore not only compassionate thinking but, more importantly, compassionate action to the center of religious, moral and political life. The Charter for Compassion espouses a principle that is embraced by every faith, and by every moral code. It is often referred to as The Golden Rule. It requires that we use empathy and our moral imagination to put ourselves in others’ shoes. We should act toward them as we would want them to act toward us. http://charterforcompassion.org
Tole-rants is a global movement to inspire hope about solving social problems. Rather than ranting about everything that is wrong in 
the world, tole-ranters speak from the heart about social problems, and point to potential solutions – all in 60 seconds. The dawn of hope-filled, heartfelt communications is here. It’s time to tole-rant.
The following is an Op-Ed recently published in the Washington Post
A courageous call for civility
The most surprising and disappointing aspect of our politics is how little pushback there has been against the vile, extremist rhetoric that has characterized such a large part of the anti-Obama movement.
President Obama’s White House has largely ignored those accusing him of “fascism” and “communism,” presumably believing that restraint in defense of dignity is no vice.
Republican politicians, worried about future primary fights, have been reluctant to pick a fight with a radical right that seems to be the most energized section of their party. Their “moderation” has consisted of a non-benign neglect of the extremists and of accusing the president merely of “socialism.” And so it is that the first genuinely ringing call for moderation has come from a man who is effectively without a party and whose own demeanor and career define temperance.
Jim Leach spent 30 years as a Republican member of Congress who went his own way. If this meant standing almost alone against his caucus, he was content to do so.
But he was never bombastic about it, as befits an extravagantly understated guy. The characteristic Leach look is a comfortable sweater worn under a tweed jacket, in season and out. That’s about as fashionable as the persona of old Mr. Chips, the warmhearted and mildly Victorian headmaster who was the hero of James Hilton’s 1934 novel.
Leach lost his Iowa seat in the 2006 Democratic tide, but he emerged relieved rather than bitter. He turned to academia, not the lobbying trade favored by so many defeated politicians, and in 2008 engaged in the ultimate act of a maverick (a real one) by becoming a Republican for Obama. The new president in turn appointed Leach chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
It was in this role that Leach offered his critique of extremism in a speech at the National Press Club titled “Bridging Cultures” a few days before Thanksgiving. It deserves far more attention than it has received.
“Little is more important for the world’s leading democracy in this change-intensive century,” Leach argued, “than establishing an ethos of thoughtfulness and decency of expression in the public square.
“If we don’t try to understand and respect others, how can we expect them to respect us, our values and our way of life?” But our own political practice belies anything remotely like “civility,” a word that Leach has as much a right to use as anyone in public life.
“It is particularly difficult not to be concerned about American public manners and the discordant rhetoric of our politics,” he declared. “Words reflect emotion as well as meaning. They clarify — or cloud — thought and energize action, sometimes bringing out the better angels in our nature, sometimes lesser instincts.” But what are we doing in this great democracy? “Public officials,” Leach observed, “are being labeled ‘fascist’ or ‘communist.’
And more bizarrely, significant public figures have toyed with hints of history-blind radicalism — the notion of ’secession.’ ” This last is a reference to Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s effort to ride to reelection by invoking a concept that we thought had been discredited in 1865.
Leach has no problem with a vigorous debate, but he’s right that much of what passes for argument right now is mere calumny.
“There is, after all, a difference between holding a particular tax or spending or health-care view,” he said, “and asserting that an American who supports another approach or is a member of a different political party is an advocate of an ‘ism’ of hate that encompasses gulags and concentration camps. One framework of thought defines rival ideas; the other, enemies.” As a result, “citizens of various philosophical persuasions are reflecting increased disrespect for fellow citizens and thus for modern-day democratic governance.”
Leach still has a lot of the old moderate Republican in him, and he is critical of a political system that, by creating so many safe one-party seats, has produced strong incentives for politicians “to remain firmly positioned far from the center.” He adds: “Institutional polarization is the inevitable result.” That’s true, too, especially in the GOP.
Leach’s speech is the kickoff for a 50-state “civility tour,” and my hunch is that this very civil man may have to put up with a lot of incivility along the way. It’s strange that a call to consider respecting each other more might become a controversial endeavor. This is precisely why Leach’s witness to moderation requires an immoderate dose of courage.
Read the original article here
