Liberia

Search for Common Ground in Liberia (SFCG) was established in 1997 to support the elections process. Since that time, SFCG and its media production studio Talking Drum Studio have grown into a household name. As the country has experienced another period of conflict, and then finally transitioned from violence into peace, SFCG has supported the process with public information, dialogue, community outreach and capacity building.

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Liberian Youth: A Call for Engagement

This has been the first comprehensive attempt to find out what Liberia's youth are concerned about, what they want and need, and what they hope for.  It is also the first attempt to compare International donor priorities with the expressed concerns of young Liberians. 

To find out, conversations were held with over 1000 young people throughout Liberia's 15 Counties.  Twenty international donors were interviewed to find out the extent to which the priorities of international donors are aligned with those of the youth.   The interviews were carried out by teams of Liberian and American youth between the ages of 18 and 35 from Liberia's Federation of Liberian Youth and from American University in Washington DC.

The findings showed a significant overlap between international funder priorities, with those of youth, but there is much potential to improve and strengthen the connection between the two. The youth sector needs to be a donor and policy priority with increased accountability from the donors and policy makers toward youth in Liberia.

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Media Production

SFCG's Talking Drum Studio (TDS), a multi-media project with studios in Monrovia and up country in the town of Gbarnga, has built a national audience with its nine regular weekly programmes that address governance, reconciliation, and conflict issues. A recent listener survey found that 83% of respondents with broadcast coverage had listened to TDS programmes. In addition to building a strong reputation with listeners, TDS has also developed good relationships with decision-makers and civil society representatives, who make regular contributions to the programmes.

Established in 1997 as SFCG –TDS's overall goal had been transformed from reducing immediate political and ethnic violence to promoting long-term peace and stability by stressing four core themes: accountability; youth and engagement; leadership; identity; and ethnicity.

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Media Sector Support

SFCG has worked in selected counties that lack radio coverage to lay the groundwork for and support new community radio stations, including most recently in the remote Grand Cape Mount province. SFCG has developed a model for community radio development that fosters local ownership and sustainability.  Through sustained engagement and support by SFCG and partners, the community identifies and provides its own contribution to the project, including the land for the building, blocks and labor for its construction and the necessary fees to secure a community radio-broadcasting license.  The community also identifies appropriate leaders to serve on the Board of Directors, who receive training in management and decision-making from SFCG and have the opportunity to visit other, similar stations to see what works and what can be applied in their community.

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Civil Society Outreach

Search for Common Ground in Liberia (SFCG) believes in bringing together different parties to an issue to collectively discuss challenges and together decide how to move forward. Such venues for collective decision-making can bring together local government, the community, traditional leaders, and even large companies active in the area.

A recent example has been SFCG's recent engagement with ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel company, which is preparing to commence iron ore mining operations in Liberia's Bong, Nimba and Grand Bassa counties and as part of its contract with the government is giving $3 million in development funds to the three counties.

To facilitate responsible and collective decision-making regarding the use the funds, SFCG held a town hall meeting between local government officials and citizens in each of the three counties.

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