Location: Sierra Leone

Search for Common Ground Sierra Leone, with support from the Wellspring Philanthropic Fund, implementing the Town Hall Meetings (THM) project over an eighteen-month period with the goal to contribute to better governance of constituencies through citizens’ participation. This project was implemented in a post-election period - a very crucial moment…

Over the course of 2020, Search for Common Ground (Search) conducted research in partnership with Facebook in an effort to advance knowledge of the relationship between building social cohesion and outcomes in peace and conflict, culminating in the report "Building Social Cohesion in the Midst of Conflict: Identifying Challenges, Measuring…

Despite the large diamond deposits in Kono and Moyamba districts, these resources' mismanagement has contributed to perpetuating inequality and poverty. Although the government has taken bold steps to regulate the mining sector, populations still fear the loss of productive agricultural land with little compensation, limited community development, and few alternative…

Women are under-represented in politics at both the national and local levels. Although they constitute half of the population, women and girls, particularly in rural areas, continue to be excluded from governance, political life, and decision making processes...

Following the 2018 general elections, Sierra Leone experienced a rather chaotic and critical political transition based on several episodes of extreme violence and rivalry. Funded by USAID, we are part of the Consortium for Election Political Process Strengthening (CEPPS), which has helped mitigate this competitive turmoil. Borne out of the…

In 2018, after the end of a 10-year presidential term, Search played a crucial role in mitigating election-related violence and strengthening democratic and accountable processes. With funding from the Wellspring Philanthropic Fund (WPF), our initial project “Enhancing Social Dialogue and Political Engagement across Ethnic and Political lines” strengthened the participation…

In 2018, while Sierra Leone was preparing for parliamentary and presidential elections, Search for Common Ground initiated a project and received funding from a donor to implement activities in selected constituencies. Every effort made to implement the Hybrid project geared towards accountability through social dialogue and political engagement. Most importantly,…

Search for Common Ground (Search) in partnership with the 50/50 Group, the Institute for Governance Reform (IGR), and Budget Advocacy Network (BAN) implemented a 12-month Women Unite! Strengthening Women-led Social Cohesion and Accountability in Post-Election Sierra Leone Project which was funded by Irish Aid. The project sought to promote social…

For 3 consecutive years, we have supported Sierra Leone’s efforts toward a smooth democratic transition by ensuring the inclusion of its citizens, particularly young people and women, in decision-making and governance. The project United for Greater Governance and Participation: Empowering Rural Communities to Strengthen Local Governance and Accountability Processes, funded…

Funded by the government of Ireland, our project Women Unite! strengthens the role of women in promoting social cohesion, accountability, and inclusive decision-making in the post-election environment of Sierra Leone. This 12-month initiative targets five districts across the country and is led in partnership with three local civil society organisations,…