Liberia

Our Work

Search for Common Ground (SFCG) in Liberia 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.

SFCG’s principal tools - Media and Community Outreach - work hand-in-hand in Liberia.  Informed by issue mapping, surveying, and other research techniques, SFCG scans for potential conflict issues and flashpoints and intentionally engages around these themes to foster dialogue and a constructive search for solutions while reducing tensions and rhetoric.  Issues introduced through the media are addressed in depth through community-level engagement, and community-driven activities are given national attention through media coverage.  This integrated, synergistic approach enables SFCG to achieve a breadth and depth of impact that would not be possible working at one level—national or local—alone.

SFCG is working towards an overall goal of strengthening participation and inclusion to consolidate peace in Liberia. Efforts focus on four priority thematic areas, identified during a strategic session with staff as well as key operational partners, and include: Accountability and Transparency, Leadership, Youth Engagement, and Identity/Ethnicity. All of SFCG’s radio programmes and outreach activities address one of these issues, strengthening the overall results through this coordination and emphasis.