The mission of Search USA is to foster cooperative approaches to resolving public policy issues. We bring diverse stakeholders together to build consensus solutions to specific, important issues at the national, state and local levels; and we build institutions that foster cooperation and consensus-building over time. We also make use of complementary approaches, such as polling and citizen engagement, so that the views of the public can be actively considered and better inform public policy dialogue.
Active Projects
Search USA is currently developing projects to address these issues:
True Roots
The True Roots Project gives at-risk, black youth the opportunity to discover something precious about themselves using ancestry testing to reveal their true heritage. Rather than embracing the gang culture’s false tribalism, they will have the opportunity to embrace their true roots – as proud sons and daughters of Africa in America.
The "One America" Project
What would it take to heal the wounds of racism in the US? The One America Project will provide a comprehensive umbrella for racial healing nationwide. Search USA will connect practitioners through trainings, gatherings, and media to build the momentum necessary to create a national racial equity/healing movement. We will help mobilize racial healing by providing training to leaders, organizing national gatherings, catalyzing constructive dialogues, highlighting existing efforts, and plugging local organizations and their constituencies into our national online network. For more information, contact Project Director Jana Carter at jcarter@sfcg.org.
Generation Common Ground
Imagine a culture where young people seek to understand their differences and act upon their commonalities when they encounter conflict. This is the vision of our movement. Through Generation Common Ground, people are coming together across the lines that divides us - race, class, ethnicity, etc. - to collaboratively solve problems in their communities.
Same Gender Couples
Search USA is developing a national dialogue among key stakeholders to find common ground on the issues surrounding same-gender couples.
The Bridging Network
The Bridging Network is an idea, hoping to become a movement. Each year billions of dollars transfers from older to younger generations, yet few inheritors become donors. The Bridging Network integrates young wealth-holders into communities of young social change leaders to inspire greater understanding of youth issues and healthier philanthropy. The project will build the infrastructure for a new, international, young philanthropy network dedicated to collaborative problem solving.
Past Projects
U.S. Consensus Council
A diverse, bi-partisan leadership group has come together to form the United States Consensus Council (USCC). USCC members include former U.S. Senators, Representatives, Cabinet Officials and Diplomats; former Governors and Mayors; and other leaders from law, business, politics and the non-profit sector.
The USCC already has been involved in advising national policy consensus processes on: faith-based social service initiatives, health care coverage for the uninsured, US-Muslim relaitons, and HIV/AIDS. Additional local consensus projects supported by the USCC include work on reentry of ex-offenders into society in Philadelphia, and creating a viable mixed-income community in near Southeast and Southwest Washington, D.C. [more]
U.S.-Muslim Engagement
SFCG-USA and the U.S. Consensus Council are working in partnership with the Consensus Building Institute to conduct a groundbreaking, interdisciplinary leadership dialogue and public engagement process to improve US-Muslim relations. [more]
A brief TV documentary was made about the work of the U.S. - Muslim Leadership Group and their Report "Changing Course."
Health Care Coverage for the Uninsured - Consensus-Building Project
There is widespread agreement across the political spectrum that all Americans should have access to health insurance; however, major disagreement on how best to address this problem has left the issue grid-locked for many years. [more]
Working Group on Human Needs and Faith-Based and Community Initiatives
In 2001 members from civil liberties and religious groups released 29 joint recommendations for expanding and strengthening the role of faith-based and community organizations in the delivery of social services to America's neediest citizens. In 2003 the Working Group met again and released 38 joint recommendations for further expanding and strengthening the role of faith-based and community organizations. [more]
Search for Common Ground on HIV/AIDS Project
The first meeting of the participants in the Search for Common Ground on HIV/AIDS Project will take place on October 26, 2005. Senators Rick Santorum (R-PA) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) have agreed to be co-convenors of this process, and Democratic and Republican House co-convenors are also expected to join the effort. [more]
Collaboration DC
Collaboration DC is bringing about change in the way the District of Columbia works as a city. Our work includes facilitating public partnerships on critical issues, such as the District of Columbia Education Compact, an ambitious education reform initiative drawing together all parts of the community. [more]
The Common Ground Communities Project
Between 2000 and 2004 we conducted this project to support U.S. communities in developing the capacity to deal constructively with recurring community disputes. We provided training, technical advice and support materials. [more]
Philadelphia Consensus Group on Reentry and Reintegration
Managed by Search for Common Ground staff in Philadelphia from 2003 to 2006, this program served more than 400 men and women who returned to Philadelphia after periods of incarceration in county and state correctional facilities. The program, whose participants had a recidivism rate roughly 15% of the national average, was part of a U.S. Department of Labor demonstration project spearheaded by Public/Private Ventures, a social policy research organization based in Philadelphia PA. [more]
