Search for Common Ground

Search for Common Ground is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to ending violent conflict and building healthy, safe, and just societies. It is the largest organization focused on peacebuilding, operating in over 30 countries.

History

Search for Common Ground was founded in 1982 by John Marks, a former United States Department of State diplomat, during the height of the Cold War. The organization's first major project involved fostering cooperation between the United States and the Soviet Union to address violence in Lebanon. This initiative led to a multilateral peace process that contributed to the end of the Israeli-Jordanian war. Since its inception, Search has expanded its operations to multiple regions, opening offices in the Middle East in 1991, Europe in 1994, Africa in 1995, and Asia in 2002.

Mission and Approach

The organization's mission is to transform how the world manages conflict by shifting from adversarial approaches to cooperative solutions. The Common Ground Approach, developed over nearly four decades, involves bringing people together across divides, understanding underlying needs, identifying shared problems, and solving them collaboratively. This method fosters trust and ensures lasting change by integrating solutions into local markets, norms, and institutions.

Work and Projects

Search for Common Ground employs a variety of strategies to achieve its goals, including:

• Dialogue Training: Facilitating dialogue and understanding among diverse groups.
• Joint Development Projects: Collaborative projects that promote mutual interests.
• Public Art and Social Impact Entertainment: Using radio, TV, film, and print media to shift societal attitudes and norms.
• Sports Leagues: Promoting unity through sports.

Each year, over 300,000 people participate in Search events. The organization directly engages with thousands of religious leaders, security officials, political leaders, and media professionals.

Notable Projects

• Community Memorialization Project (Sri Lanka): Created an archive of stories from people affected by Sri Lanka's civil war, leading to a touring exhibit and a media campaign reaching two million people.
• Inuka! (Kenya): A program aimed at countering violent extremism and building resilient communities in Kenya.
• The President (Jerusalem) and I am the President (Tunisia): Political reality TV shows promoting democratic engagement among youth.

Financial and Organizational Structure

As a nonprofit organization with an EIN of 521257425, Search for Common Ground relies primarily on contributions for its operations. In recent years, the organization has reported significant assets and has received funding from various foundations, non-profit organizations, governments, and multilateral institutions. John Marks led the organization until 2014, when Shamil Idriss became its president and CEO.

Recognition and Impact

In 2018, Search for Common Ground was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The organization engages over 27 million people annually and works with more than 1,000 local partners across 35 countries. With 89% of its staff being local to their country of operation, Search maintains a strong commitment to community-driven peacebuilding.