Search for Common Ground
Search for Common Ground (or Search) is an international non-governmental organization that works to end violent conflict and build healthy, safe, and just societies. It is the largest such organization dedicated to peacebuilding,[1] with offices in over 30 countries and a media reach of roughly 40 million people.[2]
Abbreviation
Since its founding in 1982, Search for Common Ground has helped to avert genocide in Burundi,[3] supported post-civil war elections in Liberia and Sierra Leone,[4] shaped gender norms in Nepal with a TV show reaching 25 percent of the population,[5] and mainstreamed sexual assault training for soldiers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.[6] In 2018, Search was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.[7]
History[edit]
Search was founded at the height of the Cold War by John Marks, a former diplomat at the United States Department of State. The first major project was fostering cooperation between the United States and the Soviet Union to address violence in Lebanon. With Search’s support, a task force proposed a multilateral, regional peace process that led to the end of the Israeli-Jordanian war.[8]
Since 1982, Search for Common Ground has expanded work to over 30 countries and 1,000 staff. Search opened its first office in the Middle East in 1991, Europe in 1994, Africa in 1995, and Asia in 2002.
The Common Ground Approach[edit]
The Common Ground Approach is the core methodology that Search for Common Ground uses, developed over nearly four decades of frontline experience.[9] The essence of the Approach is to bring people together across divides, understand the needs lurking beneath surface labels, identify shared problems, and solve those problems. Trust grows over time, and change lasts when embedded in markets, norms, and institutions.
Structure[edit]
Search for Common Ground is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and Brussels, Belgium, although over 90 percent of staff are based in other country offices.[2] Search offices reflect the social divides that they seek to bridge, with staff recruited across ethnic, racial, and political lines and 89 percent of staff working in their home country.[2]
John Marks led Search from 1982 to 2014, when Shamil Idriss became president and CEO. Search’s budget and portfolio has expanded steadily across decades, with net assets at $90.5 million in 2020.[2] The organization has received funding from over 65 foundations and non-profit organizations, 14 governments, and 15 multilateral institutions.[13]