Radio
 | West Africa – May 2020 – Key HighlightsWEST AFRICA – MAY 2020 – KEY HIGHLIGHTS |
 | Search – Sri Lanka 2019 |
 | Talking Drum Studio, The Radio Stars that Healed a NationSearch for Common Ground’s production house Talking Drum Studio gave Liberians who bore the scars of the conflict a platform to inspire each other. Through talk shows, dramas, news programs, and storytelling, they joined forces to rebuild their country and provide hope to millions. After more than twenty years of fearless work, Talking Drum Studio is a household name in Liberian media, credited for playing a vital role in post-war recovery. |
 | Final Evaluation – New Life, New Hope: A Social Reintegration Program in the Sahel-Maghreb Region – September 2018The two-year project New Life, New Hope: A Social Reintegration Program in the Sahel-Maghreb Region in Niger, Mali and Morocco was funded by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL). The project sought to improve the reintegration of detainees in Niger, Mali and Morocco.The prison conditions in these countries—and, in in particular, in Niger and Mali—are generally poor and not conducive to detainee rehabilitation. The main deficiencies are the overpopulation of the prisons, as well as a lack of social, medical and legal assistance and opportunities for recreational and professional activities. Moreover, in Niger and Mali, the judicial system lacks the ability to process court cases within a reasonable time limit and to guarantee fair process conditions. Search offered various socio-professional activities for detainees, and organized training activities for employees in the jurisdictory sector. It aired awareness-raising campaigns on various TV and radio channels to foster the destigmatization of detainees in society. Finally, Search organized activities to enhance collaboration and information-sharing between the project countries. The socio-professional activities provided detainees with skills that enable them to find a job upon their release. The activities also provided detainees with meaningful ways to spend their time and promoted collaborative and peaceful relationships between the detainees. Prison management and personnel are now better prepared to provide successful reintegration programs, and have increased skills in conflict resolution, psycho-social support and inmate management. |
| Conflict Scan – Preventing Election and Community Violence through Early Warning and Early Response in Guinea – September 2017The conflict scan report of the project Preventing Election and Community Violence through Early Warning and Early Response in Guinea was financed by the United States Department of State’s Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations and issued in September 2017. The report concerns the situation in Upper Guinea (Siguiri, Mandiana, Kouroussa and Kankan). It focuses on the main kinds of conflicts in this region, the causes of the conflicts, the actors involved in them, as well as the ways in which these conflicts might be resolved. The methodology that was used was qualitative, and involved key informant interviews and focus groups. The kinds of conflict that were reported as being the most severe ones where those related to the artisanal exploitation of gold on the one hand, and those over access to land for cashew cultivation on the other. The report notices an overburden of the administration that is formally in charge of handling conflicts, and a decreasing influence of the traditional main source of conflict resolution, i.e., the councils of the wise. It identifies the djélitombas (griots) as promising cooperation partners in peacebuilding work, due to their high esteem in all parts of the population. The report recommends Search to rely on resources such as media productions and participatory theaters to enhance an understanding of the conflict situation with the stakeholders. Another main recommendation is to implement activities that restore trust in the decisions of jurisprudence and the councils of the wise in the population. |
| Facilitating Access to Justice in South Sudan – October 2018This report is the final evaluation for the project Facilitating Access to Justice in South Sudan. The project was funded by the US Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and implemented in partnership the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) and the Initiative for Peace Communication Association (IPCA), from October 2016 through June 2018. The project aimed to improve access to justice and legal remedies for rural and marginalized citizens of South Sudan. The main objectives of the program were to increase the demand for effective justice services and improve the supply of quality legal remedies for marginalized groups. The evaluation found that usage of justice systems in the target communities increased by 53% from the baseline and that the program succeeded in increasing the demand for justice by increasing community members’ knowledge of legal issues. |
| Final Evaluation – “The Partnership for Behavior and Social Change in Yemen” Project in Taiz and Hodeidah, Second Phase – December 2017In partnership with and funded by UNICEF, Search implemented an 18-month project in June 2016 in Yemen, titled: “The Partnership for Behavior and Social Change in Yemen” Project in Taiz and Hodeidah, Second Phase. This final evaluation report explores the results of of the 18-month second phase project in seven districts and in two regions of Yemen, in which the goal was to provide Yemeni children and their families with knowledge on safe health practices to reduce the impact of conflict in Yemen on children’s health. The project was implemented through the use of a multi-layer outreach campaign that used house visits, dialogue sessions with community leaders, mobile cinema, and mass media through radio broadcasting. Using community facilitators to moderate these events, the project aimed to raise communities’ awareness and encourage adoption of the key life-saving care and protective behaviors identified by UNICEF. The primary two objectives of this project were: for Yemeni parents and community leaders to have increased knowledge of life-saving care and protection strategies for their children and for Yemeni parents to believe that adopting the life-saving care and protection strategies is the right choice for their families. The evaluation showed that overall, target communities responded positively to all components of the project. Data showed that the project actively supported national policies and strategies alongside Search and UNICEF’s country program efforts in maintaining the delivery of basic social services. In partnership with UNICEF, Search was successful in delivering immediate results in terms of awareness-raising, which led to impact in the short and medium terms. The community initiatives also served to gain trust and ensure the program’s credibility among Yemenis, parents, community members, and local leaders for more long-term interventions. 75,600 family members directly benefited from the program’s interventions and improved their knowledge on the lifesaving and health care practices related to health and nutrition, water and sanitation, and child protection. |