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Common Ground News Service (CGNews) is an independent source of news and opinion that disseminates fresh, solution-oriented articles to promote constructive dialogue on Muslim-Western relations and the Arab-Israeli conflict. CGNews is currently available in two weekly editions:
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Common Ground News Service is a non-profit initiative of Search for Common Ground, an international non-governmental organization that is transforming the way the world deals with conflict – away from adversarial confrontation towards cooperative solutions.
ISRAEL21C.ORG: MIDDLE-EAST ALLIANCE WORKS TO COMBAT THE SWINE FLU PANDEMIC
Nothing brings people together like adversity. The swine flu pandemic, or the H1N1 flu, while not the ubuiquitous news story of a week ago, remains a major concern threatening the lives of millions of families across North America and around the world. Founded in 2003, the Middle East Consortium on Infectious Disease Surveillance (MECIDS), working with Search for Common Ground, the Global Health and Security Initiative, and the Nuclear Threat Initiative, has brought it’s collaborative energy and years of experience to the task of planning and preparing for each phase of the threat. Comprised of top health officials from Israel, Palestine, and Jordan, MECIDS serves as a shining example of SFCG’s mission: “…acting on the commonalities.”
Read the full article | Visit SFCG.org
Question to the Blogosphere: How can successful collaboration in less politically-charged areas like public health be leveraged to foster healthy relations between groups with opposing views?
THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR: IN REMOTE AFGHAN VALLEY, A RARE PEACE SPROUTS WITH INSURGENTS
In the midst of battles with insurgents in a mountain valley north of Kabul, a progovernment tribal leader met with the insurgents and made them an appealing offer: Stop fighting, and we will give you amnesty and a job. The men cautiously accepted. They joined a program aimed at reconciling rank-and-file insurgents with the government, an initiative that figures to be a central component in the Obama administration’s strategy to stabilize this country. Local tribal elders credit this reconciliation process, together with the French-led military offensive, for a stark turnaround in the security situation here. The Afghan government, through an agency called the Peace and Reconciliation Commission, has mediated with hundreds of insurgents. Since its founding in 2005, the commission has even enticed some insurgent commanders to switch sides. In addition, a parallel effort is under way with the US-funded Afghan Social Outreach Program, an agency associated with the office of the president.
Question to the Blogosphere: Many times in development and conflict resolution efforts, programs can be redundant therefore confusing to the people who are supposed to be benefiting from them. Do you think that two groups who perform the same services in giving insurgents jobs and amnesty will create chaos? To what extent do these programs recognize the interests of the insurgents–which may be more of a need for a job and a future than a need for strict Sharia law in Afghanistan?
ALLAFRICA.COM: AFRICA: VATICAN PRELATE URGES MEDIA USE IN PEACE BUILDING
Members of the Catholic church in Africa believe it should implement local means of social communication that promote peace and reconciliation in line with the theme of the upcoming second African Synod. Sharing of experiences and exploring the roots of conflict through local media will promote practices and experiences that bring peace in situations of conflict, said Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications (PCSC).
Question to the Blogosphere: What can the Catholic church do to ameliorate conflict situations in Africa? What wait does the Church hold in the eyes of Africans? Is it the same across countries, or can the Church be more useful in helping parties build common ground in some situations but not in others? Which other organizations should be involved in peacebuilding on the African continent? To what extent can communication devices build common ground between rival groups in Africa?
DAILY NEWS: TWO BROOKLYN TROUPES TO ENGAGE IN DIPLOMACY THROUGH DANCE
Washington diplomats want to sell the rest of the world on the USA by sending out some special emissaries – two small modern dance troupes from Brooklyn. The Fort Greene-based African-American modern dance companies will head overseas early next year as part of DanceMotion USA, a cultural diplomacy program launched Wednesday by the State Department and the Brooklyn Academy of Music. A company from San Francisco will also make the trip. Officials hope to use culture and art to improve America’s image by sending the dancers to countries – such as Venezuela, Nigeria and Brazil – where its reputation has suffered in recent years.
Question to the Blogosphere: In what ways can public diplomacy enhance awareness around the world of the common humanity the US shares with the rest of the world? Do you think that dance troupes will be a particularly effective tool for public diplomacy in places like Brazil, Venezuela and Nigeria–by whom American dance has been inspired over time? What other types of public diplomacy should America be investigating to improve her image overseas?
BBC NEWS: RUSSIA’S BORDER PACT WITH REBELS
Russia has signed a five-year deal taking formal control of its de facto borders with two breakaway regions of Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia. NATO said Russia was in “clear contravention” of the ceasefire ending last year’s conflict with Georgia; while Russia’s Dmitri Medvedev argued that NATO’s exercises in Georgia next week represent overt provocation to Russia. The length of the deal Russia signed with re bel leaders in the breakaway republics is significant but it will change little on the ground.
During the brief war last August, Georgia’s attempts to regain control of its breakaway region of South Ossetia were repelled by Russian forces. Georgian troops were eventually ejected from South Ossetia and the other breakaway region of Abkhazia, both of which Russia subsequently recognised as independent states – a move which drew strong international condemnation.
Question to the Blogosphere: This represents a case in which finding common ground between two groups (in this case the Russians and the rebel leaders of South Ossetia and Abkhazia) has caused the breakdown in relations between Russia and one of its neighbors, Georgia, and has strained its relations with the West. What do you think the agreement signed today means for Russia’s relations with the rest of the world? Do you think that South Ossetia and Abkhazia should be recognized as independent entities? Is the rift between NATO and Russia a matter of a misunderstanding, or is there a deeper mistrust between the two parties that needs to be addressed to maintain security in the region? Today two Russian diplomats were expelled from NATO’s headquarters in Brussels after they were accused of spying. What can be done to improve relations between Russia and NATO and who should work on this?
