Participatory Theater Sets the Stage for Non-Violent Solutions in Guinea & Beyond
By: Rahel Baumgartner, SFCG Guinea International Intern, in collaboration with Christopher White, SFCG Communications Consultant
Guinea is a very young democracy – if it is one at all. The first democratic elections took place in late 2010. A year and a half later, people are still waiting to elect their representatives for the National Parliament. The political process behind the overdue legislative elections is at a stand-still. Dialogue at the institutional level is paralyzed and people are fed up. If that weren’t enough, there are also many other latent conflicts simmering in Guinea.
SFCG’s Talking Drum Studio is working to tackle these underlying conflicts through the novel use of participatory theater. read more…
Susan Collin Marks and John Marks speaking at the Common Ground Awards.
By Chris de Wit, The Netherlands (Cross-posted from the IPSI Institute)
In a few years I reckon I’ll look back on today, thinking it was one of these days that has had a significant impact on my ‘road taken’. John and Susan Marks visited us today and they were both just magnificent. John talked extensively about Search for Common Ground and what it takes to be a good Social Entrepreneur, but I think Susan was the most impressive speaker. She has taught me so much and I would be surprised if she hasn’t had a similar impact on at least one of my co-students.
After her inspiring talk I was able for the first time in my life to actually write down on a piece of paper what I want to do with my studies, with my career, with my life even. It’s funny how one simple lecture and picking up random cards with quotes on them from the floor can have such a big influence on somebody. read more…
Young People Provide Hope for a Bright Future in Angola
Carlos, SFCG Angola Program Coordinator, with conflict resolution community mediators from the students associations of Cacuaco.
By Simone Pissi
They call it casimbo, or “winter” in the local language, when referring to the everlasting haziness that blankets Angola’s capital city of Luanda all year round. It is immediately noticeable after stepping off the plane. Surprises, however, do not end at the airport. Three weeks into my arrival in Angola, I still look the perfect picture of amazement as we travel the country. Mouth agape, I find myself needing to snap photos as memories of the past quickly fade and mold with new extraordinary elements of Angolan life.
Kifangondo Momunent, a symbol of the struggle for liberty and of the belief in a better tomorrow.
Having spent most of my life in different countries, three months in Angola did not seem so unsettling. And while in Italy, trying to piece together Angola’s social context and history and skimming quickly through the pages of an overpriced Lonely Planet Angolan guide in a library in Rome, I asked myself: How many years did it take to get a feel of the Emirates? How long did take to make sense ofmy surroundings in the United States, England or Tanzania? An idea was forming and I decided to leave the many questions about Angola unanswered before setting off.
Humbling is the first word that comes to mind if you ask me to summarize Angola thus far. The never ending music, incessant traffic, and the explosion of a young population have managed to render the 27 years of civil war and a hurried European decolonization almost a thing of the past. While the memories of the conflicts are still fresh among many adult Angolans, it is fascinating to see how these people, fueled by a relentless dynamism and “joie de vivre,” are continuing to make steps towards rebuilding their nation.
Whilst the country is undergoing a critical moment, SFCG Angola and its local partners have been implementing a number of projects across the many national provinces, ranging from media productions, to radio talk-shows, to civil society and community engagement, to youth conflict resolution centers and school parliaments focused on capacity strengthening. And while it only takes a few hours through the busy streets of Luanda to understand why the main focus of the reconstruction process and determination of Angola’s future is directed towards the young generation, the rebuilding processes will undoubtedly take much longer.
Students from a youth association when Simone was visiting a youth conflict resolution center being rehabilitated by SFCG.
The project has managed to set up a number of Youth Conflict Resolution Centers throughout the capital city. As part of the implementation team that carries out the focus group questionnaires for the evaluation of the project, I have been able to witness the positive results both from the students and, inevitably, from the project itself. Tasked with assessing the level of knowledge and know-how retained at the end of the training, I have noted that the students who were part of the workshops were able to actively participate and answer questions with relative ease.
What once was my initial perception of Angolan society is quickly becoming a pervasive belief. After the initial assessments of the Youth Conflict Resolution Centers, it has become clear to me that the driving force behind this country lies within its young population. Distracted by the call of western lifestyle and its sometimes secular beliefs, yet still anchored to strong social and religious values, they find the strength to strive towards a better life, a common ground between old and new.
Cristo-Rei, the famous landmark of Lubango.
With a controlled media and a general prevailing sense of unreachable aspirations amongst young Angolans, the challenge for the SFCG staff and its partners has been to increase the awareness and knowledge of democratic principles in order to prevent Angolan youth from easily falling prey to manipulation and to give an alternative to the messages carried by the mainstream ideology in Angola.
My first trip took me to the south of the country. A 14 hour drive that eventually lead to the beautiful town of Lubango where we were greeted by chilly temperatures! The journey was magnificent and Angola showed itself in all its beauty as we travelled and were able to observe the scenery change from desert to savannah to jungle and to high mountains throughout the duration of the trip. We also drove through several cities that have made the history of Angola: the very Portuguese cities of Benguela, Lobito, Porto-Amboim, Sumbe, and Cabo Ledo. Once in Lubango we were greeted by members a local partner association. I was delighted to see the level of enthusiasm and dedication shown by those young people as we exchanged opinions and ideas about the upcoming projects whilst planning for the mobile cinema screenings that will soon take place in this province
A group of young mobile cinema animators brainstorming about the launch of their screenings.
My return to the capital left me with additional questions and concerns but, after coming into contact with the determination of those willing to face these challenges, I remain confident that this country will overcome its adversities and lay the road to a prosperous future. I have no idea what the next turn will bring, but I find the prospect of the upcoming challenges very exciting.
Obrigado e Até logo! [Thank you and goodbye!]
Simone Pissi is currently interning with SFCG’s Luanda office in Angola. Holding a joint degree in Political Science and International Affairs from Link Campus University of Malta and Universita’ Federico II di Napoli, Simone will return to Italy after his internship to continue with his Master’s degree in Human Development and Food Security.
Overcoming Assumptions to Find Common Ground
The U.S. Embassy in Freetown.
By Woodrow Covington
As I was walking in the hills above Freetown on my third day in Sierra Leone, my guide, Mohammed, pointed to a large structure on the opposite hill. It was easily the largest building I had yet seen in the country, and was ringed by a tall metal fence that enclosed a compound of several acres. It is difficult to overstate how large and intimidating the building was – vertical, gray stone walls inlaid with massive black, tinted windows – and how out of place it looked compared to the rickety wood and corrugated metal structures on the rest of the hillside.
“Embassy of America,” Mohammed told me.
As we approached it, the small citadel became even more imposing. read more…
SFCG in Burundi: a retrospective of success
Burundi celebrated its cinquantenaire in July 1st.
By Anne-Lise Seve
With the fiftieth anniversary of Burundi’s independence on the 1st of July 2012, the capital city of Bujumbura was in a fever of excitement. After weeks of preparation, a five hour parade was organized. Every part of Burundian society was present: the different municipalities, the associations, the religious communities, the schools, the main shops of the city, the various ministries, the army etc. The tambourinaires, traditional drummers, gave rhythm to the day and accompanied every Burundian’s joy and enthusiasm. This event takes on great importance because of the symbolic message it conveys. read more…
Being the Bridge: Interviews with Youth Entrepreneurs in Rural Rwanda
Aline Umutesi interviews a member of a bike cooperative in Mataba, Rwanda.
By Katherine Conway
“I have always liked to be the bridge between the vulnerable people and those who can make decisions.”
Unaccustomed to being the one interviewed, journalist Aline Umutesi, shared with me the inspiration that drives her work. Aline, originally from the Northern province of Rwanda, joined Search for Common Ground in March 2012 to coordinate the Kura Wikorera radio program – a program that focuses on sharing success stories from entrepreneurial youth. She draws her inspiration from wanting to make the voices of youth heard, especially youth who are marginalized in rural areas and lack economic opportunities. Aline described to me how young people see the radio as a powerful tool that helps them share stories of how they can create their own livelihoods.
For Aline, journalism is a way to share stories and inspire people to take their lives into their own hands. read more…
