Common Ground News Service

As an initiative of the international conflict transformation organization Search for Common Ground, CGNews welcomes all stakeholders to share their perspectives on key issues affecting Muslim-Western relations.

CGNews articles present constructive ideas, provide solutions, humanize the other, offer hope and/or shed light on a variety of issues, including but not limited to:

• Muslims in the West

• The Arab-Israeli conflict

• Social and political events in Muslim-majority countries

• Interfaith dialogue

• Civil society activism, especially women's activism

CGNews articles, written by authors from over 45 countries, have been republished over 37,000 times to date - more than 30 times per article on average. And of the authors, nearly 50% have been women addressing Muslim-Western issues in recent years. Articles distributed by the news service have appeared in more than 4,800 media outlets around the world, including distributing partner McClatchy-Tribune Information Services, which partners with 450 global news outlets.

CGNews articles:

Cross boundaries:

"It's work like this that helps dispel the wrong notion we have about the Muslim world." - CGNews reader from the United States

Connect people:

"The editorial I wrote has opened doors and impacted others - I just returned from presenting the editorial at a peace conference in Italy. The opportunity you enabled has opened my eyes and impacted me. I am developing the idea I wrote about and looking to apply it." - CGNews contributor

Influence action:

"Because of [everyone who contributed to releasing my article] I received many useful comments and encouragement. Even the Ministry of Political Development asked to meet with me to discuss the content of the article." - CGNews contributor

"Reverend Lavender's article "has motivated me to 'do something' in response to recent depressing events instead of just feeling helpless and in shock. For one thing, I WILL forward and share this article and, hopefully, it will show people in this part of the world that not all Westerners are ignorant and unreasonable." - CGNews English edition reader

Offer hope:

One CGNews survey respondent replied that the most interesting thing s/he has learned from CGNews is that "no matter what I hear from our general media, there are a lot of people in this world who want to make it a better place for everyone."

"It is said that in the longer run, the pen is mightier than the sword ... and it is truly manifested in these times where fear and hate are the result of improper information! In the present time, the whole world is polarised between two extremities. Firstly, one of fear and hatred... secondly, the focus on economic sustainability and ethics. It is at these times that your article showed a ray of hope." - Qatari reader

Dispel stereotypes:

"I used to think that Westerners and Muslims hate each other deeply, but this misconception was due to my being influenced by some extremist opinions and some conservative readings from other sides. [CGNews] has helped dissipate these ideas." - CGNews Arabic edition reader from Yemen