Theme: Peacebuilding

When war breaks out, the world focuses — rightly — on the visible damage. Strikes. Casualties. Displacements. Shortages. But there is another layer of damage that rarely makes headlines.  For example in Iraq — where recovery from past wars intersects with ongoing regional power struggles — escalation doesn’t just destroy…

As crises grow in the Middle East, you can save lives. Our Teams Are Already Responding. Missiles are flying. Families are fleeing. Public services are shutting down. Retaliation is accelerating. This is not a warning phase. This is an active regional crisis. And the cost — human and economic —…

Across sectors and industries, leaders are confronting a shared reality: growing polarization is blocking progress. From education and business to civic life and philanthropy, conflict is increasingly stalling innovation, eroding trust, and isolating decision-makers. Leaders are being asked to navigate complex, divided stakeholder environments—yet many feel ill-equipped to do so.…

In this video, Shamil breaks down the key highlights of Search for Common Ground’s new 2026–2030 Global Strategy—and why this moment demands a different approach to preventing violence. After one of the most disruptive periods the peacebuilding sector has faced, this strategy reflects hard lessons learned, difficult choices made, and…

Global military spending now reaches into the trillions of dollars each year. Meanwhile, peacebuilding—the work that prevents violence before it starts—receives only a fraction of that investment. This imbalance persists despite a growing body of evidence showing that community-led peacebuilding delivers some of the highest returns of any global development…

Violent conflict costs the world nearly $20 trillion each year—not only in economic losses, but in lives disrupted, communities fractured, and futures put on hold. By contrast, research suggests that every dollar invested in peacebuilding can save up to $103 in conflict-related costs. That comparison raises a critical question for…

EU defence spending is on the rise. According to the European Defence Agency’s (EDA) latest 2024 – 2025 report, the 27 member states are set to spend a record €381 billion ($443 billion) in 2025, building on a 19% jump in 2024 that brought total spending to €343 billion. This surge in defence…

Une carte blanche de Joep van Mierlo, directeur général Vétérinaires Sans Frontières et Hilde Deman, directrice exécutive Search for Common Ground. La région du Sahel traverse aujourd’hui une crise majeure de sécurité et de stabilité. Pour la première fois, elle concentre plus de la moitié des victimes d’attaques terroristes dans…

How to build peace in these troubled times? Conflict and violence are major drivers of poverty and suffering worldwide. Hear from Shamil Idriss, CEO of the world’s largest dedicated peacebuilding organisation, Search for Common Ground. Shamil describes the work of SFCG, the impacts of increasing polarisation and digital media, and…

The Executive Director of Search for Common Ground, Hilde Deman, talks to La Libre about how what we took for granted in Belgium and other European countries—our “security”—is suddenly taking on a whole new meaning and becoming a matter of urgency as politicians, generals and opinion-makers warn Europe to prepare…