Middle East Media

Search for Common Ground in the Middle East initiates activities with regional media professionals to improve communication across borders, increase regional understanding, and encourage journalists to challenge their own biases and stereotypes while using the media as a tool for peace rather than for exacerbating conflicts. Since 1994, the meetings we have held with editors and journalists from the Middle East have yielded such projects as ongoing roundtable forums, joint publications, exchanges of editors, training of journalists, and more.

Current projects include

The Common Ground News Service (CGNews)
The Common Ground weekly news service (CGNews) publishes balanced and solution-oriented articles by local and international experts that promote constructive perspectives and encourage dialogue about current Middle East issues and the relationship between the West and the Arab/Muslim world. CGNews targets media outlets for further republications in the Middle East regional and international press and has succeeded in securing over 1,840 republications of our articles in media outlets as key as Al-Hayat, Ha'aretz, Al-Jazeera.Net, Al-Quds, The Daily Star, The Middle East Times, The Jewish Comment, The Lebanon Wire, and The Jordan Times.

CGNews also targets policy makers, scholars, think tanks, and interested readers worldwide. Today, it has over 13,370 subscribers, an active network of contributing authors, and major media partners. CGNews is one of comparatively few transmission mechanisms for continuing media interaction over the Middle East conflict and between the Arab world and the West. In the current atmosphere of distrust, this bridging role is more important than ever and needs to be reinforced and expanded in the months and years to come.

Click here to go to the Common Ground News website.

The Shape of the Future Documentary Series
The Shape of the Future is a five part documentary series that portrays what an eventual Palestinian-Israeli peace settlement would look like. Produced by SFCG, the emphasis is prospective which, in itself, makes this a unique documentary effort. The core idea is to examine, in an even-handed way, the aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians and to show that agreements are possible that do not threaten the national existence of either party. [more]

Partnership with Palestinian TV Stations
Over the past three years, we have developed a solid partnership with the Ma'an Network of independent Palestinian TV stations, covering the West Bank and Gaza. The strengthening of independent media is crucial for stimulating open debate and creating space for alternate voices in today's political environment. Specific programs include production of a series of 26 roundtable political programs on non-violent alternatives to conflict; production and broadcasting of a 15-part series on Reframing Incitement. In the fall of 2005, we produced and broadcast an intended-outcome TV drama that addresses issues related to Palestinian daily life and provides creative tools for resolving these issues. [more]

Public Education Campaign of Israelis on Palestinian Refugee Issue
We are currently in the planning stages of what will be a public education campaign for Israelis on the Palestinian refugee issue. The development of a public campaign will aim to raise awareness in the Israeli public to the components, possible solutions and implications of the Palestinian refugee issue. Such a campaign would support any future efforts to resolve this complex issue.

The Eliav-Sartawi Awards for Middle Eastern Journalism
These annual awards celebrate journalism that contributes to better understanding between people in the Middle East. [more]

Bulletin of Regional Cooperation in the Middle East
Since 1992, the Bulletin of Regional Cooperation in the Middle East has been the principal public outreach activity of Search for Common Ground in the Middle East. The Bulletin continues to reach a growing audience among policy-makers, educators, social activists, academics and diplomats worldwide. [more]

Completed projects include

Work with Palestinian Radio
In Partnership with MEND (Middle East Non-Violence & Democracy), a Palestinian NGO, we aired in July 2005 the third 26-part season of a dramatic radio series, Il-Dar Dar Abuna (Home Is Our Home). The series was broadcast by ten stations on the West Bank and in Gaza, and it stressed themes of non-violence and individual responsibility. [more]

First Common Ground Film Festival in Jerusalem - June 22-26 2004
Opening night of the first Common Ground Film Festival in Jerusalem, co-sponsored with the Jerusalem International YMCA, was a resounding success drawing a sold-out crowd of 630 people. The festival began June 22nd with the feature film "Monsieur Ibrahim" telling the story of a relationship that develops between a Muslim shopkeeper and a Jewish boy, which was then followed by a reception of Middle Eastern cuisine and live music. [more]

Middle East Nonviolence Polls
In 2002, Search for Common Ground commissioned two polls, which were conducted by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) of the University of Maryland, to determine attitudes of the Palestinian and Jewish-Israeli publics on the potential for non-violent methods in the Palestinian intifada. [more]

Links to Middle Eastern media outlets

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