Common Ground Newsletters-Summer 2003

Summer 2003

Dear Friend,

Keeping Hope Alive
These are difficult times for those of us who work as peacemakers. Non-violent conflict prevention failed in Iraq. Despite some forward movement, the Israeli-Palestinian struggle is still caught up in violence. It would be easy to despair and forget that peace processes typically have enormous ups and downs. We need to keep reminding the world -- and ourselves -- that: There is no conflict that cannot be resolved. Violent conflict is created and sustained by human beings, and it can be ended by human beings. -- Former US Senator George Mitchell

Positive Change
Political activists usually define themselves by what they oppose. We are different. Our goal is to build a new, non-adversarial system -- not to fight the old one. Thus, we operate within a framework of being for -- rather than being against. As individuals, we have strong views about right and wrong, but we try to avoid getting caught up in divisive issues and becoming part of the problem. Instead, we want to be part of the solution, which we see as resolving the conflict. Our commitment is to the process of finding common ground -- not to the positions of one side or the other.

Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has. -- Margaret Mead

Awards
Every year since 1998, we have presented Common Ground Awards to honor extraordinary achievements in negotiation and conflict resolution. Senator Mitchell made the statement quoted above when he accepted our award for groundbreaking work as lead mediator in Northern Ireland. Other past winners included former President Jimmy Carter; ex-US Secretary of State James Baker; the late Maître Alioune Blondin Beye; authors Deborah Tannen, William Ury, and Daniel Yankelovich; conductor Daniel Barenboim; Southeast Washington's Alliance of Concerned Men; and Boston's Ten Point Coalition. In December, the Austrian Embassy in Washington generously hosted a ceremony at which we presented the 2002 awards.

• Lifetime Achievement in Peacebuilding: Archbishop Desmond Tutu
• Bridging Differences through Television: Ted Koppel, ABC-TV's Nightline
• Promoting Cross-Cultural Communication: Daniel Pearl Foundation
• Building Peaceful Communities: Azim Khamisa and Ples Felix, San Diego, CA
• Creating a New Generation of Peacemakers: John Wallach, founder, Seeds of Peace (awarded posthumously)

Societal Conflict Resolution
When we began 21 years ago, we had a staff of two. Today, we have 375 employees in 13 countries. Our largest program is in Burundi where 100 people work on tens of projects. When we began in Burundi in 1995, the country was on the edge of genocide. Now, while huge problems remain, there is also good news. In May, President Pierre Buyoya, a Tutsi, peacefully stepped down and was replaced by Vice President Domitien Ndayizeye, a Hutu. Our role was -- and is -- to help defuse ethnic tension. We make extensive use of media, and we are engaged for the long haul -- from both the top-down and the bottom-up. In Burundi and elsewhere, we work at a societal level to change attitudes and behavior toward violent conflict.

Multi-Pronged Approach
Our Burundi program is based in Bujumbura and has branch offices in Ngozi, Makamba, and Ruyigi. The program is funded principally by USAID and includes the following elements:

Studio Ijambo
This radio production facility employs a multi-ethnic staff to produce 13 hours a week of original programming. The most popular show is a soap opera, called Our Neighbors, Ourselves. It promotes tolerance and good governance, attracts 90% of Burundi's listeners, and is in its 540th episode. We also produce mediated call-in shows, roundtables, and programs by and for young people, women, and elders. There is a series on Hutus who have saved the lives of Tutsis --and vice versa. The studio responds to misinformation and violence by sending reporters across the country to give voice to people from all groups.

Radio Isanganiro
In 2002, we supported the journalists who work for Studio Ijambo in launching their own independent station, Radio Isanganiro (Crossroads Radio). The station broadcasts most of Studio Ijambo's output, as well as original programming. Through web-streaming (see www.ijambo.net), it also reaches thousands of Burundians who live abroad and who stay connected by e-mailing and phoning-in. The station's motto is: Dialogue is better than force..

Women's Peace Centre
Since 1996, we have assisted Burundian women in establishing and strengthening local associations that encourage reconciliation and healing. In the last two years, we have worked with 240 such associations to provide training in conflict resolution, leadership, organizational development, and transparency. In addition, we produce radio programs about the work of these associations in order to encourage and inspire other Burundian women.

Youth Project
For many years, Burundi's extremists have exploited young people and manipulated them toward violence. In contrast, we support activities to promote ethnic cooperation and rehabilitate child soldiers. In partnership with Burundian groups, we use sports, music, and skills training as tools for peacebuilding. We even co-sponsored publication of an anti-violence comic book that is now part of the national school curriculum.

Victims of Torture
Launched in March, this project promotes physical and psychological healing, legal assistance, awareness raising, support for social reintegration, and preventive advocacy. Our partners are Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Services, International Human Rights Law Group, and Ligue Iteka.

Indonesia
Burundi is comparatively small -- with about 6.5 million people in a country the size of Maryland or Wales. In comparison, Indonesia has 240 million people spread out across 17,000 islands. Nevertheless, in Indonesia as in Burundi, we reach large numbers of people through radio soap opera and comic books. However, unlike Burundi where we focus on one core conflict, in Indonesia we concentrate on three local conflicts -- in Kalimantan, Madura and Papua (formerly Irian Jaya). We are funded by the Australian, British, and Dutch governments. Here is a recent report from our Country Director, Vanessa Johanson, a dynamic Australian who speaks fluently Bahasa Indonesia, the national language:

Ethnic conflict tore through West and Central Kalimantan between 1996 and 2001, with thousands killed and about 200,000 people displaced. Working with communities and civil-society organizations in conflict-vulnerable areas of Indonesia, our Community Transformation Teams are carrying out cross-sectoral dialogue programs, conflict resolution training, peace education programs in Islamic boarding schools in Madura, and activities to reunite children separated by conflict. In Papua, we are developing a video dialogue program and a second-track dialogue program.

Vox Pop
The following quotes come from Indonesians who have recently participated in our activities:

Of all the dialogues that have been carried out since the conflict began two years ago [in Central Kalimantan], only the Common Ground one has been of any use. Here we have found some mutual understanding.

No one here needs to beg for forgiveness. But we all need to be able to forgive.

Conflict is like a balloon, if we push it under the water, it just flies up above the water. Likewise if conflict is pushed under, it just gains strength.

Don't ever let the hammer break; don't ever let the snake die [never give up]."

Macedonia: Better Late Than Never
In 1999, we created Nashe Maalo (Our Neighborhood), a dramatic TV series for Macedonian kids (with funding from the British, Dutch, Swedish, Swiss, and US governments and the C.S. Mott Foundation). Four years ago, as we went into production, war broke out in neighboring Kosovo. Macedonian state television (called MTV) had previously agreed to broadcast our series. However, with bombs falling across the border and refugees streaming into Macedonia, MTV decided it did not want to air a series on ethnic tolerance. We were sorry to lose our largest broadcaster, but we did not give up. We managed to cobble together a network of independent stations that reached the whole country. In the end, Nashe Maalo was a big hit, and it reached 70% of Macedonian children. It spun off a number-one music video, a magazine, and a website in five languages (www.nashemaalo.com). Recently, MTV agreed to air the series, now entering its fifth season, on a new, multi-lingual channel in both the Macedonian and Albanian languages.

Domestic Work
We believe that conflict transformation needs to happen at home -- as well as in faraway places. Thus, we began working inside the United States in 1992, and we have recently begun to lay groundwork for similar activities in Belgium, our European base. Here are some of our US projects:

United States Consensus Council (USSC)
In 2001, we launched a campaign to urge Congress to establish the USCC, an agency that would facilitate consensus on national issues. The campaign, headed by Republican National Chairman Marc Racicot and former Democratic Congressman and Secretary of Agriculture Dan Glickman, is close to final passage. Congress has approved a $1 million start-up appropriation. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), Byron Dorgan (D-ND), Rick Santorum (R-PA), Kent Conrad (D-ND), and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) are lead co-sponsors. House backers include Dennis Rehberg (R-MT), Chet Edwards (D-TX), James Walsh (R-NY), and Edolphus Towns (D-NY).

Philadelphia Story
The USCC would operate at the Federal level. In addition, we are working in several US cities to apply consensus-building processes to local problems. In Philadelphia, under the leadership of former Mayor W. Wilson Goode, Sr., we set up a task force to find common ground on crime policy. For a year, we facilitated meetings to try to improve how the city deals with re-entry of ex-prisoners into society. Participants included such key players as the District Attorney, the Police Commissioner, the Public Defender, the head of the court system, community advocates, and actual ex-prisoners. In February, the group agreed on 24 recommendations that were accepted by Mayor John Street at a City Hall ceremony. In addition, Mayor Street stated he would use the Group as his advisory council on ex-offender reentry. With a grant from the JEHT Foundation, we will keep supporting the Philadelphia task force in the implementation phase, and we also will take our consensus process to other cities.

THANK YOU. Thanks to people around the world who share our vision, we are able to do our work. We are extremely grateful. Now, we ask you to make a financial investment that would help us to expand greatly the difference we make.

With best wishes,

John Marks-President