Search For Common Ground and Preemptive Love Coalition are merging! This strategic merger will amplify the impact of both organizations as we pursue a shared vision of advancing global peace. As like-minded organizations, we are committed to our common goals outlined in our missions, visions, and values: building trust, collaborating with and empowering local communities, and creating breakthroughs for peace around the world.

This merger expands the reach and impact of Preemptive Love’s work while opening new doors for Search for Common Ground. Search’s program teams will have an even greater ability to respond to emergencies, meet communities' urgent needs, and further advance organizational goals while remaining true to its mission and methodology.

We understand that in order to create more positive breakthroughs for peace, we need to drive progress through strategic collaboration and partnership.

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Search For Common Ground and Preemptive Love Coalition are currently engaged in conversations to explore a long-term partnership that would amplify the impact of both organizations and pursue a shared vision of advancing global peace. As like-minded organizations, we are committed to the shared goals ascribed in our missions, visions, and values: ending violent conflict, empowering local communities, and creating breakthroughs for global peace.

A Partnership for Peace

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About Search for

Common Ground


Founded in 1982, Search for Common Ground is the world’s largest dedicated peacebuilding organization. Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018, Search seeks to prevent and end violence by helping divided people trust each other, collaborate on shared challenges, and make breakthroughs for peace through the organization’s core methodology: The Common Ground Approach.

Search for Common Ground is a locally-led, global peacebuilding organization, working in 33 countries. Search helps people find local solutions to today’s toughest violent conflicts — and save millions of lives in the process.

Examples of Search’s work include the following: In Burundi, Search’s radio production house, Studio Ijambo, established a rare platform for dialogue between Hutus and Tutsi when the country was on the brink of genocide. This work has been credited by community members and diplomats for helping avert mass atrocities in Burundi. In Yemen, Search is training thousands of women and young people to become local mediators. Today, while the war is still ongoing, these mediators are negotiating local solutions on issues such as access to clean water or combatting domestic violence.

About

Preemptive Love

Preemptive Love was founded in 2007 to help Iraqi children access heart surgeries. In 2014, ISIS’s reign of terror spread across Iraq and Syria. Preemptive Love pivoted, joining with peacemakers around the world to deliver food, medical care, and winter essentials. In 2018, Preemptive Love began helping refugees and displaced people in Iraq access jobs and economic opportunities by providing tech skills training. In 2019, Preemptive Love listened to migrants and asylum seekers sharing their stories about violence in their communities across Latin America. In response, we provided help for those in need at the US-Mexico border and in Colombia and Venezuela. 

Preemptive Love creates peace through three main strategies:  

  • rapid and ongoing response to crises so that people’s immediate needs are met after conflict, violence, or tragedy; 
  • job creation and technical training to empower people to create stability in the aftermath of war;
  • fostering community through a philosophy of empowerment, locally-led efforts, and listening.



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About Preemptive Love Coalition

Preemptive Love was founded in 2007 to help Iraqi children access heart surgeries. In 2014 ISIS’ reign of terror spread across Iraq and syria. Preemptive love pivoted and joined with peacemakers around the world to deliver food, medical care, and winter essentials. In 2018, Preemptive Love began helping refugees and displaced people in Iraq access jobs and economic opportunities. In 2019, Preemptive Love listened to migrants and asylum seekers sharing their stories about violence in their communities across Latin America. In response, we provided help for those in need at the US Mexico border and in Columbia and Venezuela. 

Preemptive Love is peacebuilding by providing relief, creating jobs, and fostering community building blocks of peace. 

The first line of Search for Common Ground’s mission is, “End violent conflict. It’s our purpose — our call to action.” Preemptive Love’s first core value says, “We’re not just aid workers. We are peacemakers.”  Our organizations are serious about transforming violent conflict into peace and are excited to make progress on this issue together.

The established history and experience of Search, paired with Preemptive Love’s rapid response capabilities and community development experience could greatly expand both organizations’ ability to positively affect the communities we work with. Moreover, Search for Common Ground is in a period of accelerated growth and a potential partnership could help both organizations grow in a sustainable, effective, and efficient manner, bolstering the longevity and impact of both organizations.

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A Partnership

for Impact

The first line of Search for Common Ground’s mission is “End violent conflict. It’s our purpose — our call to action.” Preemptive Love’s first core value says, “We’re not just aid workers. We are peacemakers.” Our organizations are serious about transforming violent conflict into peace and are excited to make progress on this issue together.

The established history and experience of Search, paired with Preemptive Love’s rapid response capabilities and community development experience, could greatly expand both organizations’ ability to positively affect the communities where we work. Search for Common Ground is in a period of accelerated growth, and the merger will bolster the longevity and impact of both organizations.

In 2022, Search for Common Ground reached over 27,000,000 people through their programming, across 11 conflict regions, and 33 countries. Here are some of their programmatic highlights from last year:

  • With the support of the US State Department’s Secretary’s Office on Global Women’s Issues, Search launched a global Women, Peace, and Security Rapid Response Fund to support a diverse range of women-led or women-serving initiatives globally. The Fund welcomes proposals that involve women in political negotiations or teach essential skills, allowing civic actors to apply for up to $250,000 in funding.
  • Search is playing a leading role in creating a positive future for all Afghan people. Fifteen months after the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, hope still flickers. Many organizations have been unable to work in the country, and Search’s office has become a staging ground for Afghan civil society organizations working to rebuild Afghan civil society.
  • In collaboration with over 30 leading organizations around the world, Search launched the Peace Impact Framework. This Framework will further professionalize the peacebuilding field and develop the entire peacebuilding sector’s understanding of impact. We’re tracking this data across five key societal vital signs: Polarization, Personal Agency, Resource Investment, Institutional Legitimacy, and Physical Violence.
  • Search’s 2022 Impact Report will be published in March, 2023.

Preemptive Love serves communities in Afghanistan, Middle East, Latin America, and the US. Peace underpins thriving communities. More than the absence of conflict, peace is the absence of worry. People often know what they need. In addition to providing relief like food, blankets, and hygiene kits, we listen to those we serve, which helps us create holistic and agile programming. Thanks to our donors, our partners on the ground, and the people we serve, we’re helping people find a place to belong where they are, for however long they are there. In 2022, our community made the following possible:

  • In Venezuela, a food distribution project added medical services to provide health care to seniors who could not afford to see a doctor.
  • A recycle for food project was added to complement mobile medical services to fight malnutrition and offer a dignified way to earn money for indigenous people in Colombia. From there, we heard and filled their need for clean water.
  • A mobile hospital serving rural Syria added community health awareness sessions and a nutritional treat for those waiting to see a doctor, expanding our impact.
  • Please see our entire 2022 Impact Report.



Our Commitment to You

We are committed to transparency to create deeper and more efficient impact. We commit to our organizational values and to our shared missions of peacebuilding. Please see these Frequently Asked Questions for further information.

Our Commitment to You

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This page will be continuously updated as we progress through the process of merging and are able to share more details.

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