As we champion the incredible work that Search’s frontline peacebuilders are doing in places like Sudan, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan, we are thrilled to celebrate how peace is being built in communities around the world.
Every day, ordinary people work to build bridges and help people find common ground amidst conflict. They work tirelessly and often without much attention. This summer, our community shone a spotlight on these peacebuilders and the difference they’re making in their communities—and we’re proud to recognize the inspiring individuals you helped us discover.
These are the everyday peacebuilders who saw needs in their communities and decided to address them. They bravely tackle challenges and boldly inspire others to join the cause. We’re honored to share their stories and celebrate their vital work.
2025 Common Ground Hero Award Recipients:
Kitti Murray
Kitti is the CEO and founder of The Refuge Coffee in Clarkston, Georgia—known as the most diverse square mile in the US. Since launching in 2015 as a coffee and community hub, Kitti has created phenomenal impact by employing over 70% of her staff as former refugees and immigrants, providing them with 12 to 18 months of barista training.
Through her work, Kitti has generated a powerful ripple effect throughout the Clarkston community. Together with her late husband Bill, she has curated an environment of inclusivity and support, backed by over a million dollars in community investments since 2015, demonstrating how business can be a force for peace.
Abdullah Abdulqader Al Bakri
Abdullah is a community leader and peacebuilder from southern Yemen who has dedicated 15 years to promoting peace through youth empowerment, women’s rights advocacy, and cultural initiatives. He founded the Aden Foundation for Arts and Sciences, using arts and cultural heritage to counter violence and build community unity.
His key achievements include creating the “Safe Communities” peacebuilding program that trains youth in conflict mediation, and launching “Voice of Memory” to preserve cultural heritage digitally. His grassroots approach to peacebuilding has directly helped hundreds of people and influenced broader public dialogue toward greater tolerance and inclusion in conflict-affected Yemen.
Abubaker Sekatuka
Abubaker Sekatuka is a grassroots peacebuilder from Uganda whose journey began with personal tragedy—losing his sister Nakato, who had cerebral palsy, to preventable malaria. Her death inspired him to build a world where disability, trauma, or poverty don’t define destiny.
He founded Sharing Circles, a youth-led movement focused on trauma healing and inclusive dialogue. Through his book “Herd Trauma” and the IMPACT Program, he equips marginalized young people with skills to heal and create peace-driven solutions in their communities.
Abubaker challenges harmful systems and advocates for the voiceless, from health responses to students’ rights. His disability awareness parade—”Disability is not a curse, exclusion is”—reflects his belief that “healing is resistance, and inclusion is the most radical act of love.”
He is not only a peacebuilder but a peace multiplier, empowering young leaders to build bridges in divided spaces as a quiet but powerful force of transformation.
Daniel Adeyinka
Daniel Adeyinka is deeply passionate about promoting peace, inspired by growing up in Northern Nigeria where he witnessed how lack of peace education fueled divisions. He established the Daniel Damilare Peace Foundation to empower individuals through technology, research, education, and advocacy.
In the past year alone, Daniel has brought peace education to over a thousand youths and elderly people. As a conflict resolution specialist, he mediates organizational conflicts pro-bono, with the foundation actively working in Nigeria’s conflict-affected areas.
Daniel has built a team of passionate peace advocates, conducting outreaches in schools, IDP camps, juvenile prisons, and security organizations. He has impacted many lives, settled community disputes, and promoted peace across various sectors.
His vision is a continent where insurgency is no longer seen as lucrative and people take responsibility for peace. When people hear Daniel’s name, they think of peace—he truly embodies what it means to be a peace advocate through his words, actions, and life.
Zaidel Katembo Ngolo
Zaidel is a peacebuilder from the Democratic Republic of Congo who began his journey in 2009 as a community radio host in Karumba, leading programs on social cohesion. After training with Search for Common Ground in 2015 as a conflict-sensitive journalist, he improved his programs to help communities resolve differences peacefully, hosting popular local language broadcasts followed especially by village elders.
Zaidel joined a local association focused on socioeconomic recovery for violence survivors, particularly women and children affected by sexual, gender-based, and physical violence. He provided vocational training through healthcare, education, and civic society programs.
He co-founded FIRD, a network established to amplify women’s and youth voices in rebuilding peace and promoting sustainable development in conflict-affected communities in eastern DRC. Through radio journalism and community organizing, Zaidel has been instrumental in fostering dialogue and recovery in his rural community.