Learning from Past Experiences In Order to Progress
Evaluating programs leads to improvement as lessons learned are incorporated. SFCG has researched different methods for evaluation of its programs in Nepal (picture) and Kenya.
In the shadow of Disneyland, in Anaheim CA, over 2,000 evaluators from all over the world gathered for November 2-5th for the Annual American Evaluation Association Conference. The conference is held annually to explore themes around program evaluation. This year’s theme was “Values and Valuing in Evaluation.”Special attention was paid to the plurality of audiences and purposes for which evaluation information can be used. It also addressed key evaluation questions and quality criteria in evaluation. Search for Common Ground staff from our Institutional Learning Team (ILT) moderated and presented at two panels.
Ratiba Taouti-Cherif, Design, Monitoring & Evaluation consultant working for SFCG in Senegal, moderated and presented a panel focused on Evaluating Media for Peacebuilding. Nick Oatley, Director of Institutional Learning, moderated a panel on Theories of Change and Peacebuilding. Jonathan White, Learning Portal Content Manager, presented the Learning Portal for DM&E for Peacebuilding which will go live in December. The Institutional Learning team is responsible for evaluating SFCG programs and sharing best practices and strategies across the organization. The conference provided a way for them to share their experiences and learn from others in order to foster creativity, create new opportunities, and magnify the results of SFCG’s work. Learn more about the Institutional Learning Team here.
During the panel she moderated, Ratiba Taouti-Cherif described how SFCG has embarked on a journey to find the best way of telling the story of transformation through its TV and radio dramas.
Peace is the only battle worth waging. -- Albert Camus
Peace is not the product of terror or fear.
Peace is not the silence of cemeteries.
Peace is not the silent revolt of violent repression.
Peace is the generous, tranquil contribution
of all to the good of all.
Peace is dynamism. Peace is generosity.
It is right and it is duty.
— Bishop Oscar Romero (1917-1980)
Do you know what astonished me most in the world? The inability of force to create anything. In the long run the sword is always beaten by the spirit. Soldiers usually win battles and generals get the credit for them. You must not fight too often with one enemy, or you will teach him all your art of war. If they want peace, nations should avoid the pin-pricks that precede cannon shots.
— Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821)
Happy Veterans’ Day Everyone!
The Team Inspires Youth in Burundi
Burundian youth participated in a music competition that cummulated into a festival with three finalists.
Since May 2011, SFCG in Burundi has been implementing a multi-faceted campaign aimed at non-violence and reconciliation among youth as a response to the tense political environment and growing insecurity. Following the failure of the 2010 electoral process to secure lasting peace dividends, tensions have been running high between youth members of different political parties, at times spilling over into political violence. With poverty and high unemployment leaving youth vulnerable to manipulation or even recruitment into the nascent rebellion, the need has never been greater for positive outlets for youth energy.
In light of this context, SFCG launched The Team, with support from UKAID, to encourage all Burundians, and particularly youth, to engage in peaceful cohabitation amongst their diversity and to fight all forms of manipulation. A key aspect of the campaign was a bi-weekly radio series called Intamenwa! – The Indivisibles! about a football team of the same name.
Over 32 episodes, listeners followed Muravyo and Doddy, two team members from completely different social backgrounds, as they tackled issues of money, love, manipulation, and politics. The series showed the Intamenwa! players coming to realize that for their team to win the match, they must overcome their ethnic, political, socio-economic and regional differences, and stand united.
The Transformative Power of Art in Peacebuilding
Discussing the potential of arts in peacebuilding: Cynthia Cohen, Lena Slachmuijlder, Cynthia Schneider (left to right)
“Art is not what one sees but what one can make others see”
With this quote from painter Edgard Degas, Sheldon Himmelfarb, Director at the Center of Innovation at United States Institute for Peace (USIP) opened the Conflict Prevention and Resolution Forum on art and peacebuilding.
The first panelist was Cynthia Cohen, Director of the Peacebuilding and the Arts program at Brandeis University, Boston. Cohen argued that theater can contribute to conflict transformation for several reasons: it can engage the people ecstatically; it connects intellect with the senses, individuals with groups and has the capacity to create a better world through moral imagination. read more…
Liberian Women will not have their Hopes for Peace and Democracy Dashed
- Liberian women proudly should their voter registration cards and fingers marked for voting. (Photos: Lindsay Forslund)
By Lindsay Forslund
The mood was somber and even a little eerie yesterday morning in Monrovia, despite the clear skies and sunshine that greeted Liberians, and encouraged them to go out to the polling stations. A stark contrast from the mood on October 11, 2011, despite the stormy skies and rain, voters’ spirits in the city were hopeful and energetic as many queues formed outside of the polling stations hours before opening.
The electoral road to democracy has not been a smooth one this past month for Liberia. The opposition party, Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) has continuously been pushing their claims and making demands concerning the credibility and fairness of the electoral process. Not satisfied with the concessions made by National Elections Commission (NEC) the CDC chose to boycott the runoff elections.
Despite efforts made by ECC and several other civil society organizations as well as international bodies to get stakeholders to reach an agreement, the CDC refused to participate in the electoral process because they felt no satisfactory settlement was reached in time.
Further exasperating the already tense situation, on the eve of the runoff election a gathering at CDC headquarters took a violent direction. Police used teargas and fired live rounds into the crowed leaving several people injured and three dead. The impact of this tragic turn of events could be felt at the polling stations yesterday. As we visited the polls throughout Monrovia the same scene was repeated all over the city; polling station workers, ECC observers and Unity Party observers waiting quietly as voters slowly trickled in throughout the course of the day.
- No need to wait in line: a near empty polling station in Monrovia.
In the ECC’s press release yesterday they noted that overall the process was very peaceful and quiet but raised concerns over the sudden transfer of several polling centers that may have disrupted some voters’ opportunity to cast their ballot. In addition, the closure of four radio stations and three television stations by the government for allegedly broadcasting hate messages is alarming and the ECC has, “called on the government of Liberia to exercise restraint as the closure of media institutions at this crucial moment could be perceived as repressive and anti-democratic.”
- Ballot card for the run-off
Currently, it is estimated that approximately 25% of registered voters turned out to vote yesterday a disappointing number when compared to the 72% in the first round. However, despite the low number of voters and the concerns raised by the ECC, I witnessed something extremely significant and positive yesterday – Liberian women. Out of all the voters we did encounter throughout the day, overwhelmingly 90 plus percent of them were women. When I stopped to ask one woman how she felt after casting her ballot she responded, “ I feel proud, because I have made a decision not just for me but also for my children.” Seeing Liberian women of all ages proudly displaying their voter registration cards and inked fingers gave me a sense of confidence, that even with the roadblocks Liberia has encountered during this electoral cycle they are still moving forward. Ensuring that they will not veer from this positive direction, I see the women of Liberia at the forefront, it is the strength and action of these commitment, brave and driven women that will push messages of hope and peace in this still fragile democracy.
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Lindsay Forslund is an international intern working with SFCG in Liberia. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Gender and Peace Building at the United Nations Mandated University for Peace in San José, Costa Rica. She has written previously about the elections in Liberia on the Common ground Blog:
President and Unity Party candidate, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf waves to supporters during a last electoral campaign rally in Monrovia. (Photo: Luc Gnago / Reuters)
Presidential run-off elections in Liberia are scheduled for today. The first round was held on October 11, 2011. The incumbent, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of the Unity Party, won 45.4% of the votes. She was followed by Winston Tubman and his running mate, the former soccer star George Weah of the Congress for the Democratic Change (CDC) party, who received 29.5% of the votes.
The first round of elections were peaceful and they were generally judged to be free and fair by the various domestic and international observers, including the Election Coordination Committee (ECC), Human Rights Monitors, Liberian Council of Churches, Community Watch Forum, Electoral Institute of South Africa (ELSA), Carter Center, West African Women Election Observation Team, ECOWAS, African Union, United Nations, American Embassy, Japan Embassy, Wayne State University and Mano River Union Peace Network Liberia (MARWOPNET).
Since the first round of elections, the Elections Coordinating Committee (ECC), a coalition of civil society organizations including Search for Common Ground in Liberia as the Chair, have been concerned to see worrying signs surrounding the elections process.
On October 17th, the ECC released a press statement responding to the violent acts targeting the media. Then, in its second press release, the ECC expressed concerns regarding the CDC’s boycott of the presidential run-off. In a statement the ECC encouraged the CDC to channel its grievances through the procedures provided by the election law instead of boycotting the elections. The ECC also urged the National Election Commission (NEC) to publish their findings regarding the fraud claims. Lastly the ECC urged the Government of Liberia to take serious action when the NEC publically blundered undermining the confidence the parties, particularly the CDC, held in the NEC.
Finally, rising tensions emerging between the Liberia National Police and the members of the CDC on November 7, 2011 have been noted by the ECC who is working with all parties to ensure this does not explode into violence.
Liberian opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) party supporters at the rally that turned violent. (Issouf Sanogo/AFP/Getty Images)
Yesterday, on November 7, 2011, a group of CDC supporters, mostly composed of young men, claimed that they were on a peaceful march to hand a petition to the American Ambassador to Liberia and the headquarters of the United Nations Mission in Liberia stating their grievances. However, their march met a blockade of the Emergency Response Unit supported by UN police that was set up as an attempt to prevent clashes and violent incidents by the protesters. As a response, the protesters started to throw rocks and other objects at the police, and at least one person has been killed during the incident.
Like many other observers, ECC and SFCG are disappointed by CDC’s pull out from the electoral process and support the position of using the legal framework to solve issues.
SFCG stands beside the ECC and the people of Liberia as they encourage peaceful and calm elections.
