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Resources Home > Common Ground Newsletters
Common Ground Newsletter
Winter 2006-2007
Dear Friend,
As our 24th year comes to an end and we prepare to celebrate our 25th anniversary, my colleagues and I have the distinct pleasure of wishing you joyous holidays. Despite the dreadful state of the world, we have much to be thankful for. We remain optimistic and proud of what we are accomplishing. Indeed, we take seriously the role that TV newsman Ted Koppel ascribed to us when he called us "the voice of hope." Our wish for 2007 is that large numbers of additional people - and nations - will realize that everyone on the planet shares common humanity and that all of us can do much better in resolving conflict peacefully.
COMMON GROUND.
In the aftermath of the recent US congressional elections, the political wars in the United States seem to have diminished somewhat. In our view, polarization - whether partisan, national, ethnic, or religious - is hugely damaging. When life is played out as a zero-sum game, virtually everyone loses. A recent poll conducted by Douglas Schoen for the Aspen Ideas Festival shows that 95% of Americans agree with the statement:
"Our country is strongest when it is united and together and therefore we need to find common solutions to our problems that both Democrats and Republicans agree with."
SOAP OPERA.
Who would have thought when we began almost a quarter century ago that we would become soap-meisters? While we employ a full toolbox of other conflict resolution techniques - including mediation, training, and collaborative problem-solving - we are perhaps best known for making TV and radio drama. To date, we have produced several thousand episodes of radio soap opera in ten countries and more than 100 dramatic TV shows in four countries.
"Search for Common Ground knows first hand the subtle, healing power of storytelling." - Christian Science Monitor
Mass Entertainment.
We use popular culture to communicate themes of conflict resolution and mutual respect. Our aim is for the audience to understand differences, while stressing commonalities. Storylines feature characters who overcome major obstacles and achieve shared goals. We spotlight positive role models. Our core message is that violence is not inevitable and that peaceful solutions are possible. Everywhere we work, our writers, producers, and technical crews are local citizens who mirror the diversity of their society in terms of ethnicity, religion, and class. The characters portrayed in our shows engage in the difficult process of finding common ground. Their struggles provide the tension that makes the drama come alive.
Embedded Ideas.
In producing TV and radio soaps, we use intended outcome methodology, which infuses programs with themes that promote desired social change. We deliver messages that we hope will have a pronounced impact on the audience. The goal is to produce a shift in societal norms and behaviors. Our shows combine clearly researched, curricular goals with high-quality entertainment. To test the results, we use a variety of evaluation and measurement techniques, such as focus groups, surveys, and polls.
NIGERIAN PROGRAMS.
Our most ambitious media production ever is now underway in Nigeria. It consists of a dramatic TV and radio series and a reality TV series. Under the skilled leadership of Series Producer Allen Scheid, we have converted a dilapidated warehouse in Lagos into a first-class production studio. Over 1,800 Nigerians are involved in the production. In October, the dramatic TV series, called The Station, had its première. During the next four years, there will be a total of 52 episodes. The broadcasters are NTA, Nigeria's national network; AIT (Africa Independent Television); and Nigeria's state broadcasters.
Covering Conflict.
The series tells the story of a fictionalized TV news station in Lagos. The boss is a Muslim woman, and the reporters come from Nigeria's various ethnic and religious groups. They tackle such critical issues as tribal violence, youth unemployment, HIV/AIDS, and corruption. The Station does not provide specific answers to Nigeria's problems, but rather it aims to empower Nigerians to engage in constructive problem-solving that moves the country toward positive solutions.
Reality TV.
To prepare the way for The Station, we produced our first-ever reality television series. It had 15 episodes, and it portrayed the process by which we selected cast members for The Station: namely, we advertised throughout Nigeria for aspiring actors and actresses, and we received 56,000 replies. The series showed how we trained the cast and introduced them to the concept of common ground drama.
"I think it's very exciting." - Former President Bill Clinton
Feedback.
The reaction to our Nigerian programs has been overwhelming. CNN has aired a piece, and the Nigerian newspapers have been full of positive articles. Especially gratifying, however, has been audience reaction. For example, a recent episode of The Station brought in 1801 text messages and 803 cell phone calls. Here are some of the responses:
"Very, very nice program. You are taking Nigeria to the next level."
"Your program is way out for us youth. It is the turning point."
"The Station is really inspiring. I want to be part of this change in Nigerian society."
"You have created a great way to reach out to the less privileged - especially, the teens and the miscreants."
"Wow! I couldn't believe I was watching a fictional drama. Everything looks so real and cool. Innovation at its best."
PALESTINIAN DRAMA.
With our long-time partner, the Ma'an Independent Palestinian Network, we have produced two dramatic TV series. The first has 13 episodes and is called Mazih fi Jad (Seriously Joking). It features three Palestinian families - two Muslim and one Christian. It aired during Ramadan 2005. For Ramadan 2006, we co-produced a second series with 20 episodes, called Shu Fi Ma Fi? (What's Up?). The plot focuses on a group of Palestinian students who live and study together in dorms at a university on the West Bank.
"Drugs, espionage, mixed marriages, and domestic violence - all artfully woven into messages of peace…. A milestone." - Agence France Presse
"[The series] shatters Palestinians' stereotypes about themselves." - USA Today
GUINEA.
In many places where we work - particularly in Africa - television reaches only a small part of the population. So, we make extensive use of radio. We produce documentaries, talk shows, news magazines, and soap opera. In October, we started production of a new soap in Guinea, funded by UNICEF and called Feu n'est pas incendie (literally, Fire is not necessarily devastating and figuratively, All is not lost). There are 39 episodes, which show how solutions can be found to even the most contentious problems. Here is the plot, as recounted by Quentin Kanyatsi, our Country Director in Conakry:
"The soap begins when the mother of Oumou dies of AIDS, and her uncles try to marry her off to an old man, a truck driver, who offers a large dowry. Oumou resists and begs that she be able to return to school. She does not want to be the wife of such a man - or the 'slave' of his other wives. She realizes that this is the same kind of marriage, which resulted in her mother's death and which threatens her older sisters who have also been forced into arranged marriages. She is in conflict with her uncles who demand that she should marry the truck driver. Oumou gives in and agrees to marry. Her husband, who has several girlfriends on the side, infects her with HIV/AIDS. She becomes a community health worker. The plight of Oumou becomes a lesson for the whole community. In one family, the father wants to give his young daughter in marriage to a merchant, but the mother resists fiercely, saying that the daughter must first finish her studies. The mother cites what happened to Oumou to overcome her husband's objections, and they reach a compromise for the daughter first to complete her schooling before marrying."
CORPORATE SUPPORT.
As a matter of organizational policy, we strive to have a diverse funding base. This helps us maintain our independence and be beholden to no one. We receive support from individual donors, foundations, international organizations, including UN agencies, the European Union, and the World Bank, and governments - European, North American, and Japanese. In the last few years, we have been adding corporate funding to the mix. Here are current examples of companies that support us:
Nestlé. In Nigeria, Nestlé is the commercial sponsor of our TV and radio series. Funding also comes from the Canadian, Norwegian, Swedish, and UK governments, along with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Skoll Foundation.
Chevron. In Angola, we receive funds from Chevron to bring the local community, civil society, and government - along with Chevron itself - into a two-year-long, stakeholder engagement process in the province of Cabinda where Chevron has a large oil-drilling operation and where spills have previously occurred. The US Agency for International Development also supports this project.
Putumayo World Music. Putumayo is an inspiring company, whose mission is to introduce people around the world to music from other cultures. President Dan Storper requires that a certain percentage of sales be donated to selected non-profits, and we have twice been the beneficiary. Putumayo's newest release is One World, Many Cultures, featuring tracks by such leading international stars as Youssou N'Dour, Willy Nelson, Taj Mahal, Wasis Diop, and Ziggy Marley. We receive $1.00 from the sale of each CD. (To order a copy, please click on http://www.sfcg.org/sfcg/putumayo06.html.)
UKRAINE.
Since 2003, our Ukrainian program, led by Roman Koval, has worked to introduce restorative justice into the country's legal system. The goal is to shift the emphasis away from a punitive, stigmatizing approach towards a caring, rehabilitative response that allows offenders to take responsibility for their deeds, repair the harm they have caused, and heal the victim's trauma. We have established eight restorative justice centers across Ukraine, sponsored three international conferences, developed an informative website, produced a training video, and induced the Ministry of Justice to set up an Interdepartmental Working Group on restorative justice. Most recently, the Ministry of Interior's Juvenile Division presented our team in Ukraine with an award for improving the juvenile justice system.
PLEASE INVEST.
People often tell us that one reason Search for Common Ground is important to them is that we lift their spirits by demonstrating there are courageous people around the world working against the odds to bring light in these dark times. We hope you understand that our work does not only belong to staff members. There is a role for every person who believes in preventing and transforming conflict. In addition, for people in the affluent West, there is a conscious choice to be made about how to allocate personal resources. We believe that the way people spend their time and money reflects the kind of world in which they want to live. In this holiday season when there is so much emphasis on giving to others, please consider becoming a partner in our work by making a financial investment. Doing so is a way to make a gift of peace to yourself, to your loved ones, and to the world. You can invest online by clicking on our secure website, http://www.sfcg.org/help/help_home.html, or by sending us either a check or your credit card information.
With best wishes,
John Marks
President
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