Winter 2004-2005 Message from Search for Common Ground

Dear Friend of Search for Common Ground,
During this holiday season, we send you and your family our message of warm feelings and good cheer. As we complete our 23rd year, we continue to believe that, despite the setbacks - and there have been many during 2004 - history is evolving in positive ways. Ours is an optimistic view, and optimism is an integral part of our organization and worldview.

JERUSALEM TO WASHINGTON.
On a personal note, Susan Collin Marks and I have now returned to Washington after two years in Jerusalem. Despite the appalling conflict, we loved our life in that wonderful city, where we lived on the seam between Israelis and Palestinians. We are convinced that our work made - and continues to make - a difference, both on its own terms and in keeping hope alive. In the middle of a seemingly intractable struggle, we believe that we were successful in reducing and transforming conflict. Specifically, we worked with staff and partners to produce several TV and radio series, operate the Common Ground News Service, hold a Common Ground Film Festival at the Jerusalem YMCA, and sponsor the Middle East Consortium on Infectious Disease Surveillance.

New Leaders.
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Pamela Pelletreau and Ambassador Robert Pelletreau have replaced Susan and me as SFCG's Co-Directors in Jerusalem. Bob was an Assistant Secretary of State and US envoy to Egypt, Tunisia, and Bahrain. Pam taught at American University in Washington and held several positions with USAID. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have them join us.

Acting on Commonalities.
With violence raging in the Middle East, it has become difficult to convene people across ethnic and national lines. Still, it can be done, particularly when there is a shared threat that provides compelling reasons for people to come together. We have found that the superordinate goal of preventing infectious diseases - whether occurring naturally or due to terrorism - can spark cooperation. Thus, in 2002, we launched the Middle East Consortium on Infectious Disease Surveillance (MECIDS), with funding from the Nuclear Threat Initiative. The Consortium includes the Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian Ministries of Health. Its unofficial slogan is: "Bacteria do not stop at checkpoints."

Acting on Commonalities.
With violence raging in the Middle East, it has become difficult to convene people across ethnic and national lines. Still, it can be done, particularly when there is a shared threat that provides compelling reasons for people to come together. We have found that the superordinate goal of preventing infectious diseases - whether occurring naturally or due to terrorism - can spark cooperation. Thus, in 2002, we launched the Middle East Consortium on Infectious Disease Surveillance (MECIDS), with funding from the Nuclear Threat Initiative. The Consortium includes the Israeli, Jordanian, and Palestinian Ministries of Health. Its unofficial slogan is: "Bacteria do not stop at checkpoints."

Training.
In September in Istanbul, we convened a week-long course on interventional epidemiology that was attended by 35 Jordanian, Israeli, and Palestinian senior public health officials and younger researchers. On the agenda were topics of detection, data sharing, and collaborative problem-solving. Here are some comments from participants:
There was wonderful, unexpected interaction between the three peoples. We wish for more collaboration to make life easier for all our people. - Palestinian Ministry of Health official
I enjoyed very much meeting people from the other side who enjoyed so much the subject that I love: epidemiology. Things change in small steps. - Israeli Ministry of Health official
I think that we professionals can do more than politicians can do. I hope the politicians can learn from us. - Jordanian Ministry of Health official

AMERICAN ELECTIONS.
We Searchers work in conflict transformation around the world, and we are committed, not to a particular outcome, but to the process of finding common ground. Obviously, in any conflict, all of us have our own views and preferences. We usually believe that one side is mostly right and the other wrong. When the conflict is in a faraway place, most of us feel that, of course, combatants should work out their differences and find common ground. However, when the conflict is our own, we tend to become advocates and to engage in stereotyping and dehumanizing those with whom we disagree. While such behavior is understandable and widespread, it can lead to major breakdowns and to violence.

Transformational Leap.
We have a key operating principle: Understand the differences and act on the commonalities. We try to recognize the common humanity of all people and to focus on that which unites them, rather than that which divides them. This does not require giving up strongly held positions or compromising principles. It does mean trying to reach agreements that are to the mutual benefit of the parties. For example, while it is probably not possible to reach a compromise on a divisive social issue like abortion, it certainly is feasible for large numbers of pro-choice and pro-life supporters to work together to prevent unwanted pregnancies. Not only does joint action of this kind have an important impact in its own right, but it also serves to drain poison from the political system. Indeed, it represents a transformational leap and creates a huge opening for positive action. And all of us can start on the personal level. We can choose to be vigilant about not stereotyping and dehumanizing our political foes. We can opt for compassion. We can reach out to people who are different from us, and try to understand where they come from. In short, we can actively engage in uniting our communities - and the world.

UKRAINIAN ELECTIONS.
As this letter is written, Ukraine is in turmoil. There are charges of massive election fraud. Huge demonstrations are taking place, and the country seems on the verge of civil war. Without getting into the facts, it can be safely said that both sides are actively demonizing the other, and that the dispute over the election results has become an all-or-nothing, zero-sum game. Consider the words of Yulia Tishchenko, of the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research, quoted in the Washington Post: "The dangerous consequences are now becoming apparent. Everyone thinks that, if they lose, they lose everything."

Appeal.
In this polarized atmosphere, Roman Koval, the Director of Search for Common Ground in Ukraine, has strived to remain an active voice of moderation. He has appeared regularly in the Ukrainian media with messages of mutual respect, tolerance, and peace. On November 24, Roman called on us, his co-workers and colleagues, to provide advice and assistance. He wrote:

I would never have thought that I would find myself in a situation, where I would need to make choices, as I must today. The situation is getting tense. Many of our staff truly believe that now is probably the time to make their choice, support the values they stand for, and go to the streets, rather then stay inside and do nothing to prevent corruption, cynicism, lies, and a potentially totalitarian regime. It is hard to maintain neutrality (and sometimes even common sense), sitting in the center of this situation. I know some of you have had such experience before and have drawn your own conclusions.

Good Counsel.
Many of us, in fact, have faced the same question: What to do when you perceive that there is overwhelming injustice on one side of a conflict? Our collective response to Roman's appeal for advice was extraordinary, and excerpts follow. (I must say that I am proud to be part of an organization which could communicate so much wisdom.)

Living Together. Ibrahim Mehmeti, our Media Program Manager in Macedonia, commented thusly:

I understand that there are days when you think that no one else shares your view and it is "now or never" to take action. We all are human beings and can't be completely neutral. I remember that in 2001, when no one could say if my country would survive, I had one clear guideline: We - Macedonians and Albanians - will have to live together in the same country, even after the war. All my efforts were oriented toward this belief. Deeply believing in common ground values, I tried to provide a personal example by traveling all over the country and visiting friends and project partners from both the Albanian and Macedonian communities. At the same time, I tried to convince media outlets and individual journalists to transmit this kind of message.

Reframing.
This next reply came from Shamil Idriss, formerly our Chief Operating Officer, who now directs our initiative to build bridges between Islamic countries and the West:
First, I think a key to any creative, positive, pro-active approach is to try to reframe how the dispute is talked about and considered. As long as the Ukrainian conflict is seen as being between a corrupt candidate who stole an election and a popular opposition politician who was wronged, the possibility of reaching across the lines is remote. I am not suggesting that we should assume the role of standing between two equally legitimate forces to keep them from fighting. However, might a reframing be possible that shakes up the current polarities and provides a big enough tent to welcome moderates on both sides, while still speaking to the frustrations of the population? One reframing might be to favor elections that all Ukrainians feel are fair, even if their candidate loses. A second step might be to identify potential flashpoints for violence, as well as potential breakthrough points that could help calm the situation. Third might be to assess our resources and connections as they relate to those flashpoints and opportunities. Fourth, once flashpoints and potential breakthroughs are identified and matched with resources and contacts, we might deploy our resources with clear rules of engagement (i.e. non-violence at all times, respectful interaction with all, etc.).

The Choice.
Here is the reaction from Marko Lovrekovic, our Country Director in Macedonia and a Croatian citizen:
I would never have thought that Croatia would find itself on the brink of a civil war, let alone enter an era of killing, genocide, and destruction. I could not make a choice because my family was split between the two opposite sides. So I did not take any side. The only decision I could make was: What to do to make things better? In Ukraine, the choice does not need to be between Yushchenko and Yanukovych. The choice should be between peace and violence.
Voice of Reason. John Good, a highly skilled private mediator who for many years has contributed his services to work with us in Ukraine and the Middle East, wrote:
It is critical, in my opinion, that there are voices of reason in the midst of the chaos. From what I see on TV and read in the newspapers, there are plenty of adversaries, so the way that we Searchers can make a difference is to provide a safe space for trying to resolve the conflict. There is a time to speak out and a time to fight. Now would seem to be a time to use our training and skills to move the dialogue to a different place.

US-IRAN.
In September, as part of our continuing effort to build better relations between the US and Iran, we sponsored a conference at the Harvard Club in New York with the International Society for Iranian Culture. The conference revisited a possible Dialogue of Civilizations between the two countries. Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi gave the keynote address. Speakers included former US Undersecretary of State Thomas Pickering, Iranian Ambassador to the UN Javad Zarif, and Ambassador (ret.) William Miller of Search for Common Ground.

INVESTORS' TRIP.
In October, Jane Shaw, Co-Director of our Individual Giving Division, led a group of our investors on a visit to Sierra Leone. The idea was for them to get a first-hand sense of the amazing work that our staff is doing on the ground and to see the huge impact that their contributions make. By all accounts, the investors came home inspired and moved. We have scheduled another investor trip to Sierra Leone on February 7-14. If you are interested in joining us, please contact Philip Hellmich at phellmich@sfcg.org.

SFCG is a tremendous force for good in Sierra Leone. There aren't many programs about which you can say that, but about SFCG, I can. I can't think of another program that gets a bigger bang for the buck. - Larry Andre, Deputy Director, Office of West African Affairs, US Department of State
THANK YOU. All of us here are incredibly grateful for the support and funding we receive that makes our work possible. Please keep investing in us.

With best wishes,
John Marks
President

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