Search for Common Ground

SFCG

Our Mission We transform conflicts so people can live free from violence and realize the benefits of durable peace. We are locally rooted and globally networked. Our unique value lies in the collective impact of our globally integrated team and partners, from those most directly affected by violent conflict in our communities to those with access and influence on the major powers that influence conflict dynamics. Our Vision We envision a world where conflict doesn’t mean violence, but rather is a source of progress. Our vision is a world where people live in healthy, safe and just societies, where cooperation across differences is a norm. Our vision is of a world where: Differences stimulate social progress, rather than precipitate violence. Respect for and cooperation with those we disagree with is considered the norm for individuals, communities, organizations, and nations.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Geza Strammer (Acting Director Directorate-General for International Partnerships)

22 Aug 2025 · Exchange of views on current INTPA priorities in Africa with focus on areas of work of Search for Common Ground (SCG), notably peace building, security and human rights, and risks management.

Response to International Digital Strategy

21 May 2025

Submission on behalf of Search for Common Ground and Build Up: The EUs International Digital Strategy must not only advance competitiveness and sovereigntyit must lead globally in building democratic, rights-based, and resilient digital ecosystems. Digital harmsincluding incitement, polarization, and surveillanceundermine peace and democratic resilience, especially in fragile contexts. These harms are not just content-level issues; they are the result of design choices that prioritize engagement over societal well-being (Build Up 2025; Better Feeds 2025). Recent peacebuilding initiatives demonstrate that platforms can be reoriented to promote empathy and inclusion. Search for Common Grounds programs in Jordan, Mali, Sri Lanka, and Kenya have shown how digital engagement can foster belonging and reduce division (Search 2024). The EU should support these approaches through Global Gateway and other instruments. Civil society globally is also innovating with civic tech and deliberative AI to counter polarization and enable public dialogue at scale (AI & Democracy Foundation 2024; Democracy R&D 2024). EU support for such technologies can strengthen democratic participation and civic resilience worldwide. To meaningfully shift incentives, the EU must also support the development and adoption of prosocial metricstools that assess platforms not only by their financial returns but by their societal impact. Todays tech valuations often ignore the cost of polarization, disinformation, and privacy violations. Prosocial metrics would create a market signal for these risks, making visible the externalities that current engagement-based metrics conceal. In this spirit, Build Up has developed a new methodology to measure online toxicity and affective polarizationa polarization footprintwhich can help reshape incentives and support smarter, market-based regulation. We recommend the EU: -Center digital harm mitigation and conflict sensitivity in its digital partnerships. -Invest in civic tech and deliberative systems that build democratic resilience. -Embed prosocial design principles in platform governance and procurement. -Require conflict-sensitive due diligence by tech firms in fragile environments (GNI 2024; ARTICLE 19 2024). -Align digital diplomacy with the UNs Global Principles for Information Integrity. -Support sovereignty through European-led digital infrastructure (EuroStack 2025). To lead globally, the EU must integrate safety, inclusion, and democratic innovation at the core of its external digital strategy.
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Meeting with Fabienne Van Den Eede (Acting Head of Unit Directorate-General for International Partnerships)

24 Apr 2025 · Discussion of Search for Common Ground’s work in Afghanistan, with a focus on recent developments - particularly the situation of women - and potential funding opportunities

Meeting with Roland Sourd (Cabinet of Commissioner Jozef Síkela)

17 Feb 2025 · Eu Fragility Strategy