The countries of Armenia and Azerbaijan have not had the best relations since the dying days of the Soviet Union and the Nagorno-Karabakh War. The border between the two countries remains closed to this day. However, recently, Global Voices has discovered that among youth in the two nations, the number one concern for the future is the environment.
Question to the Blogosphere: How intractable is the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan? Can youth who find common ground across national lines have an impact on the foreign policies of their respective nations?
THE NEW YORK TIMES: LEFTIST ISRAELIS HELP PALESTINIANS OVERCOME SETTLEMENT PROBLEM
Although some in Israel condone the Israeli settlement of private Palestinian lands, leftist Israeli groups are now working with Palestinians to regain lands lost to Israeli settlements. Palestinians have wanted their land back for their own interests. Now some Israelis recognize that it is in their national interest as well to return the lands to their previous owners for security reasons. This moment of recognition of common ground between Israelis and Palestinians is refreshing in the context of increased tensions between the two entities.
Question to the Blogosphere: How much power do you think Israeli leftist organizations have in the political system in Israel? In other words, do you think this recognition of common ground between Israelis and Palestinians can amount to broader decreased tensions? How important do you think the settlement issue is to the reconciliation efforts between the Israelis and Palestinians?
THE NEW YORK TIMES: CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES FIND COMMON GROUND
China and the United States appear on the outside to have very little in common: they have different opinions on issues as diverse as trade, North Korea, human rights, and Taiwan. But recently there has been a recognition by both sides of their common interest in improving the condition of the environment. As the two delegations develop relationships over negotiations on climate change, perhaps these relationships could be useful in negotiations on matters which are more controversial between the two parties.
Question to the Blogosphere: Why are China and United States only recognizing their common interest in preserving the environment now? What “ripened” the situation to bring the parties together? Is there potential for the negotiations on climate change to lead to further negotiations on issues such as human rights?
THE NEW YORK TIMES: SKATEBOARDING TO UNDERSTANDING
Oliver Percovich, a 34-year-old from Melbourne, Australia, discovered that “Afghan kids are the same as kids all over the world…they just haven’t been given the same opportunities. They need a positive environment to do positive things for Afghanistan and for themselves.” At the new Percovich is developing, children from different social classes and ethnic groups interact–for better or worse–because of their shared interest in skateboarding.
Question to the Blogosphere: How useful do you think community initiatives like Skateistan, the skate park Percovich is creating, will be for the development of common ground among youth in the divided nation of Afghanistan? What are the cultural limitations of this endeavor that could derail the process? Should women’s rights be attached to any conflict mediation effort?
THE BEDFORD SUN: A SEARCH FOR COMMON GROUND AT THE LOCAL LEVEL
Although many reconciliation efforts focus on international conflict, it is necessary to recognize that conflicts and the search for common ground happen in our everyday lives. 
The firefighters and city council in Bedford, Ohio are realizing that now. The city council lowered the minimum of six men in a firestation at any given time to five, causing an emotional response from the firefighters. An interested third party, Tim Tench, the newly elected president of the Bedford City School District Board of Education, has asked that the city council and fire department to come together to amicably resolve their differences.
Question to the Blogosphere: When can third parties, like Tim Tench, help parties like the city council and the fire department search for common ground? What are some of the mutual interests the city council and the fire department have that could help build this common ground? What parallels can we draw from this situation to international contexts?
The new president (photographed by the WSJ here with Joshua DuBois, the new head of the Office on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships) is looking to find common ground between liberals and conservatives in the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships while avoiding the constitutional issues that plagued the previous administration’s efforts with the program. Bringing together leaders from different religious groups to discuss issues ranging from reducing teen pregnancy and the need for abortion to encouraging interfaith dialogue abroad will help develop mutual understanding and respect between people of different faiths.
Question to the Blogosphere: What can American religious leaders do to promote dialogue with Muslim countries? Which American and Muslim religious leaders would be most approachable in this endeavor?
As always, questions and comments are highly encouraged by Search for Common Ground.
