Common Ground Newsletter

Spring 2009

Dear Friend of Search for Common Ground,

Human beings are members of a whole
In creation of one essence and soul.
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.
If you have no sympathy for human pain,
The name of human you cannot retain.
Saadi – 13th century poet

The current economic crisis is profoundly damaging and disruptive. Still, there is good news: Out of crisis comes opportunity. Our response at Search for Common Ground is to intensify our efforts to transform how the world deals with conflict – particularly violent conflict – away from adversarial, win-lose approaches to non-adversarial, win-win solutions. Wherever violence exists, human rights are abused, economic development is stifled, the environment is ravaged, hopes and dreams are shattered, and misery abounds. Indeed, we believe that violence is the key, underlying issue with which humanity must grapple.

THE TEAM. The Sundance Institute and the Skoll Foundation have given a grant to film-maker Patrick Reed to make a feature-length documentary about the making of The Team, the dramatic TV series that we are producing in ten different countries. In each place, we work with a local partner to produce an original, multi-part series about a fictional soccer team whose players are of different ethnicities and religions. The core metaphor is simple: If players don't cooperate, they won't score goals. Patrick's documentary portrays The Team in Kenya, where we and Media Focus on Africa are producing a 26-episode series that will première May 21st on Citizen TV, the country's most popular network.

Ivoirian Team. In the Ivory Coast, we have finished a 19-episode Team series that will air on RTI national television later this spring. In addition, we are using mobile cinemas to show the series in rural areas, as part of solidarity days that feature facilitated dialogue around issues raised in the programs. (To see a clip from the Ivorien series, please visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3ab7Ljwp0M&feature=channel_page.)

Ethiopian Team. In Ethiopia, we have completed a radio version of The Team. Here is what one young listener had to say about it in a focus group:

Normally, in our day-to-day life, people do not try to solve differences in a peaceful manner; nor do they try to compromise through an exchange of ideas and dialogue. From the radio drama, we see that no matter what differences exist, if the parties are willing to discuss them, there is a possibility of finding solutions that satisfy all the conflicting parties.

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO. In the DRC, colonialism, dictatorship, and war have led to millions of deaths, devastated the infrastructure, and had a hugely negative impact on the social fabric. In this difficult environment, we use radio and TV programming, training, and arts-based activities to defuse violence. Across the DRC, we have six offices and a staff of 60 Congolese – skillfully led by our Country Director, Lena Slachmuijlder. Here are capsule descriptions of three staff members:

• Hangi Byanikiro. Hangi is a former major in military intelligence. In 2006, he joined the training and public awareness project that we implement with the Congolese Army. The goals are to improve the behavior of soldiers and convince them to respect human rights. Given the Army's awful record of abusing civilians, this may seem like an impossible task. Nevertheless, we believe that trust must be restored between the military and civilian populations. Declares Hangi:
  
  I thought that the way we behaved as soldiers was normal and that treating civilians badly was just part of war. I see things differently now. I realize we must reach out to civilians to restore the broken relationship.

• Joseph Muhaya. A former teacher, Joseph belonged to the Mai Mai militia in South Kivu. He is now a scriptwriter for our Tomorrow is a New Day radio soap opera that addresses themes of demobilization, disarmament, and reconciliation. This series, like the other nine radio programs we produce each week, is broadcast on 98 partner radio stations across the DRC. The villain of the series is called "Commandant Janvier," and this name has become widely synonymous with the kind of military misconduct that we are working to prevent. Notes a top military officer:
  
  If you want to let someone know that he is doing something wrong, just call him Commandant Janvier.

• Bahati Kizungu. Badly treated by his guardian after his mother's death, Bahati joined the Congolese Army at age 12 and later moved to the Mai Mai militia. After listening to our radio programs about ending the use of child soldiers, he quit and later became part of our team of eight young journalists who report on children's issues. States Bahati:

Popular Culture. In the DRC, as elsewhere, we make extensive use of popular culture to promote peace and reconciliation. In addition to the radio soap opera and children's programming mentioned above, here are other examples of our multi-media activities.

• Participatory Theater. We send teams of actors and actresses from village to village. They listen carefully to the audience and improvise drama based on local conflicts. Then, audience members come to the stage to act out better ways to deal with conflicts. Since 2006, we have sponsored more than 1000 performances for over 1 million Congolese. A manual describing our methodology can be downloaded at http://www.sfcg.org/programmes/drcongo/pdf/Participatory-Theatre-Manual-EN.pdf, and a short video can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaXR3PKXvoM.
• Mobile Cinemas. In remote parts of Eastern Congo, we use mobile cinemas to raise awareness about preventing sexual violence. Since September 2008, more than 130,000 people have attended these events, which are followed by facilitated group discussions. Surveys show that over half those present in the audience know a rape victim and that the screenings result in a marked change in attitudes toward both victims and perpetrators.

• Reality TV. We produce Let's Do It, the DRC's first and only reality TV series. Hosted by a pop music star, the program features young Congolese who work on issues like child abuse, corruption, and pollution. Each week two finalists are put through "challenges" in which they are shown making a difference in their communities. An episode from the 11-part series can be viewed at http://blip.tv/in file/1923280/.
• Comic Books. We publish comics to influence attitudes and behaviors. Our most current is Mopila, the story of a taxi driver who puts democratic institutions to the test, as he overcomes seemingly insurmountable barriers in getting a road repaired. We are distributing 100,000 copies in five languages.

ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN OUTWARD BOUND. Since we began in 1982, we have felt that the best way to set the stage for a negotiation – or any meeting, for that matter – is for the parties to embark on a white-water, boating trip. However, this remained an organizational fantasy until February when we worked with the Outward Bound Center for Peacebuilding to take 12 Israeli and Palestinian social entrepreneurs on a nine-day, wilderness expedition. Shawn Dunning, head of our Leadership Wisdom Initiative, explains:

Israeli-Palestinian cooperation outside Big Bend, Texas

Instead of using workshops and classrooms to teach leadership skills, we used the natural challenges of living in the wilderness and navigating a raging river. There were tense moments in the form of canoes pinned to rocks, cuts, bruises, and dehydration. The primary goals were to empower a select group of emerging leaders, otherwise separated by walls and checkpoints and to develop lasting relationships among them. Participants made specific promises about how they could assist each other when they got home. The next phase will involve a six-month leadership development program that aims to establish the group as the core of a Palestinian-Israeli network working for positive social change.

PLEASE SUPPORT US. The work we are privileged to do is made possible by contributions from people like you, and we are tremendously grateful. Especially in these difficult times, we need more support. We ask that you make a substantial investment in us. As President Obama has said, "No one is exempt from the call to find common ground." Please donate by mail or by visiting https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?aid=3923.