A surprisingly large proportion of Native Americans serve in the United States military. Find out why.
Category Archives: Finding Common Ground
Gypsies, Roma, Travellers: An Animated History
The Roma people, sometimes called gypsies, are scattered across the globe but tied together by both shared heritage and the shared experience of prejudice.
Reel Life: The mesmerizing saga of “56 Up”
In the early 1960s, a young filmmaker named Michael Apted worked on a television documentary about how a group of seven-year-olds from different classes viewed their lives. “7 Up” was followed by “14 Up,” “21 Up,” and so on, checking in with the same group of subjects every seven years. Apted’s extraordinary look at ordinary lives continues with “56 Up.”
Alexander Gardner: The mysteries of the Civil War’s photographic giant
Chances are, if you’ve seen a Civil War-era photograph, it was credited to photographer Mathew Brady. However, that photo was most likely actually taken by Alexander Gardner, who went on to document the American West.
What Explains the Rise of Humans?
Other animals have intelligence, cooperation, and the use of tools, but only humans have imagination. This key trait allows us to treat abstract things like money, religion, and nations as though they are concrete, leading to our domination of the planet.
A Better Way to Talk About Faith
Religious traditions that bring some people together may drive a wedge between others. An organization called Interfaith Youth Core is working to bring together people of all faiths and none to focus on their shared tenets instead of their differences.
Why it’s time for South Africa to take down its walls
In recent decades, South Africans who can afford it have erected ever more daunting walls around their homes to keep out crime. One South African writer argues that only removing or lowering the walls will improve the situation.
Germany’s leap of faith in migrant crisis
With migrants from Syria and other troubled locales flooding into Europe comes an opportunity for one nation to change its image.
The Gettysburg Address
Abraham Lincoln’s brief, powerful speech still resonates today. Find out more about the circumstances in which he delivered it.
U.S. – Soviet Alliance, 1941–1945
They may have eyed each other with suspicion before and been sworn enemies after, but the United States and the Soviet Union found common ground during World War II, working together to defeat Nazi Germany.
Meet the Tenacious Gardeners Putting Down Roots in “America’s Most Desperate Town”
Community gardens have been springing up on blighted urban blocks for decades, but perhaps no city in America needs them more than Camden, New Jersey. Find out how community gardens are bringing together people from all walks of life to solve this city’s pressing problems.
Why Your Family Name Was Not Changed at Ellis Island
One of America’s strengths is the way its people have come together from all over the world, many of them through Ellis Island. But the persistent myth that immigrant’s names were “Americanized” by officials at Ellis Island is false.
A Cause Unites Unlikely Partners in South Wales
In the 1980s, Welsh coal miners went on strike to oppose the policies of British prime minister Margaret Thatcher. They were surprised to receive support from a group vastly different from them, but united in feeling marginalized by the Thatcher government.
What Unites These States?
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Phillip Caputo drove across the country, from Key West, Florida, to Deadhorse, Alaska, in search of common ground. Discover what he learned from his experience about what unites Americans.
Our war-torn world needs a new mediating body to resolve conflicts
An author of the 2014 book The Fog of Peace: The Human Face of Conflict Resolution examines barriers to resolving conflicts in Syria and elsewhere in this opinion piece.
Excerpt from Lincoln’s Boys: All About Abe’s Official Secretaries
Abraham Lincoln called his private secretaries John Hay and John Nicolay “the boys.” In a new book, Joshua Zeitz explores the role the two men had in shaping the image of Lincoln that endures today. Read the excerpt to find out more.
Students Take Hijab Challenge
Recently, students at one university in California attempted to find common ground by wearing a Muslim headscarf, called a hijab, for one day. Read about their eye-opening experiences.
How do you fix a polarized D.C.? Here are three ways.
The members of the United States Congress are elected to represent the interests of their districts or states while working together for the good of the nation as a whole. Why, then, do average Americans find it so much easier to work together than their members of Congress do?
Do uniforms make schools better?
The debate surrounding required uniforms in American schools has been around long enough to have seen trends in fashion come and go and come back around yet again. Why are we further than ever from finding common ground on the uniform issue?
Participatory Theater
Search for Common Ground (SFCG) is a non-profit organization dedicated to finding new ways to help end conflict around the world. In SFCG’s participatory theater program, actors interact with audiences for whom conflict is an inescapable part of everyday life. Watch this video to find out more about the program.