Search for Common Ground

Calling all those between 15-35 who have an interest in policymaking processes and community engagement and live in Burundi 🇧🇮 Burkina Faso 🇧🇫 Ghana 🇬🇭South Sudan 🇸🇸 Cameroon 🇨🇲 Senegal 🇸🇳 Sierra Leone 🇸🇱 Tunisia 🇹🇳 or Belgium 🇧🇪 ! Applications are now open for the Youth Advisory Board of the AU-EU Youth Voices Lab - Power of the Collective, an initiative co-funded by the European Union and implemented by us and our partners: Oxfam, Restless Development, Youthmakers Hub, and ComDev Africa. Looking to join other young people from across Africa and Europe to build a better future and make a real difference? If so, then check out the opportunity below! 👇 Application deadline: Sep 20, 12 PM EAT

As religious leaders gathered together in Pennsylvania, USA, their message was clear: peace is only possible when we all come together. Choosing peace in our daily interactions during this election season has a real impact on our shared future. We stand with faith leaders rejecting violence and embracing unity. Join our movement of peacebuilders sparking change this US election season: www.cg-usa.org

In Nimule and Pageri, peace committees and local leaders are bringing communities closer and reducing gender-based violence and army conflicts. Progress is real, even as challenges like gang crime persist. We’re seeing the power of conversation, collaboration, and hope in action.

🌍 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲: 𝗟’𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝗱𝗵𝗶𝗹𝘁'𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝗹𝗶 In the heart of conflict-affected Gao, Mali, 𝗟’𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗮𝗱𝗵𝗶𝗹𝘁 is transforming barren landscapes into thriving ecosystems—and they're just getting started. As the Q1 2024 recipient of the 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗼𝗻 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 from Search for Common Ground, they’ve secured $9,231 to take their reforestation efforts to the next level. 🌳 𝟮𝟬𝟬 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: These trees symbolize hope, resilience, and the fight for the environmental health. Through grassroots campaigns, Tadhilt has already planted 200 trees, and they’re mobilizing the next generation by involving five local schools in a dedicated tree-planting day. ♻ 𝗘𝗰𝗼 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: But it doesn’t stop at trees. Tadhilt is setting the stage for long-term impact, introducing sustainable waste management practices and distributing waste bins to keep communities clean and green. Every action is a step toward a more resilient ecosystem, even in a region facing conflict challenges and climate extremes. The work of L’Association Tadhilt is proof that reforestation is more than planting trees—it's planting the seeds of a sustainable future for Mali.

With the third anniversary of the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, our Country Director, Zuhra Bahman, joined Mark Leon Goldberg on the Global Dispatches podcast—one of the most influential voices in our sector. In this 24-minute episode, Zuhra delves into the current context in Afghanistan, how life has shifted over the past few years, and the critical need for engagement rather than isolation. The discussion also explores the complex topic of foreign governments' recognition of the Taliban. This conversation is timely and essential—definitely worth your time! 🎧 Listen here: https://lnkd.in/gfymMrxW

Are you a driven fundraising professional passionate about ensuring major donors have a positive and rewarding philanthropic experience? Search is hiring a Senior Specialist, Major Gifts (West Coast) to create synergy between donors, prospects, and our mission. Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/gcmdytpr

A recent study with Tilwate Peace Network reveals how women in Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali must navigate increasingly hostile online environments. Despite these obstacles, Sahelian women are actively working to make online spaces safer for themselves and others. The Tilwate Peace Network and Bamako Forum on Digital and Social Cohesion invite you to a virtual briefing on the Sahelian Women in Digital Spaces report. Join us on Thursday, August 29th: • Learn from the experiences of Sahelian women. • Explore how to prevent TFGBV in the Sahel. • Unpack the accountability of tech companies in finding a durable solution. • Engage with experts on strategies for promoting digital safety. RSVP: https://lnkd.in/eYhurKXN

NEW PODCAST EPISODE | Designing tech for trust in a polarized world Lena Slachmuijlder, Executive Director of Digital Peacebuilding at Search for Common Ground, is harnessing trust-building tech design to stop online harms that lead to real world violence. Changing the practices of profit-driven tech companies is a huge challenge. But in a world where online animosity can provoke real-world violence, this work is essential. In this episode, Lena provides provides a succinct, reality-based roadmap for dealing with the dangers of the social media platforms. Listen to the episode: https://lnkd.in/e3n7wyn3 Lena is a veteran journalist turned peacebuilder. She spent the 1990s in South Africa, covering the lead up to the end of Apartheid and the early years of democratic rule. She began working for the peacebuilding organization Search for Common Ground in 2001, directing a radio studio promoting peace, nonviolence and reconciliation in Burundi, during that country's civil war. Today, Lena directs Search for Common Ground's Digital Peacebuilding initiative, which identifies and trains "digital stewards" around the world, people who are trusted by their communities and can help stem the spread of fake news online. Additionally, in Lena’s work as co-chair of the Council on Tech and Social Cohesion, she and her colleagues are developing new tech solutions that harness AI to foster real conversations online. Search for Common Ground Alliance for Peacebuilding

#Jobopportunity! Search is #hiring a Program Manager to coordinate an exciting multi-year program to support strategic reflection, implementation, and adaptation in peacebuilding programming in four countries, and use learnings to inform and influence policy nationally and globally. Learn more about this Belgium-based position and apply by August 26th, 2024: https://lnkd.in/eUW_Ad5F