Founded in 1982, Search for Common Ground works to transform the way the world deals with conflict - away from adversarial approaches and towards collaborative problem solving. They work with local partners to find culturally appropriate means to strengthen societies' capacity to deal with conflicts constructively: to understand the differences and act on the commonalities.
The Eliav-Sartawi Awards for Middle Eastern Journalism were originally conceived by Mr Zel Lurie, a veteran American journalist who first began reporting on the Middle East during the British Mandate in Palestine before 1948. By creating the awards, Mr Lurie sought to give recognition to journalists whose work promotes greater understanding between Arabs and Israelis.
Awards are offered for articles published originally in Arabic, in Hebrew and in other languages, including English. For the 2007 edition of the Eliav-Sartawi Awards for Middle Eastern Journalism, the articles must have been published between May 1st, 2006 and August 15th, 2007 in a recognized newspaper, magazine, web-publication or other periodical. Winners in each category will receive a monetary award of $1,000 (one thousand U.S. dollars). Each winner will be invited to an Awards Ceremony organized in New York at the Columbia School of Journalism and the School of International & Public Affairs (SIPA) at Columbia University in November 2007.
The main objective of the awards is to celebrate journalism that contributes to better understanding between people in the Middle East. Search for Common Ground wants to honor articles that try to open windows of understanding on the people in the region, and the issues that divide them, provide insight into regional issues and debates, contribute to political dialogue, expose readers to new perspectives and help to lay the groundwork for peaceful solutions.
The Awards are named after two courageous pioneers of the Israeli-Palestinian dialogue. Dr Issam Sartawi, 1936-1983 (Bio), recognized internationally, culminating in him being awarded the Kreisky Prize in 1979. He was assassinated in April 1983 in a hotel lobby in Lisbon, Portugal while participating in the building of the peace process. The Centre for the Advancement of Peace and Democracy at Al-Quds University in Jerusalem is named after Dr Sartawi.
Lova Eliav has been active in Israeli politics and diplomacy ever since the founding of the state. A member of the Knesset from 1965 - 1979 and again from 1988 - 1992, Eliav served as Secretary-General of the Labor Party in the early 1970s, a position he lost after calling for negotiations with the Palestinians.
Deadline for submissions:15th of August
Search for Common Ground holds the 2007 edition of the annual Awards for Journalism in the Middle East, known since 2003 as the Eliav-Sartawi Awards for Middle Eastern Journalism. These Awards, sponsored by the Zel Lurie Journalism Fund, recognize and encourage journalism that contributes to better understanding between people and maintaining political dialogue in the Middle East.
Founded in 1982, Search for Common Ground works to transform the way the world deals with conflict - away from adversarial approaches and towards collaborative problem solving. They work with local partners to find culturally appropriate means to strengthen societies' capacity to deal with conflicts constructively: to understand the differences and act on the commonalities.
