Cultural heritage is a double-edged sword: it can widen divisions, or be a way to build connection. Young people in Lebanon tell us how.

In conflict-affected areas, does cultural heritage widen divisions, or can it be a way to build connection? Young people in Lebanon help us answer this question in the first episode of Breakthroughs, a podcast from Search for Common Ground which reveals the secrets to solving tough problems through collaboration.

In Season 1, Breakthroughs focuses on polarization and how to decrease it, one of the five outcomes Search seeks to achieve in all of its programs. In Lebanon, polarization has manifested itself in many ways after decades of civil war and political & sectarian conflicts. In this context, Search made the audacious bet of leveraging cultural heritage as a source of unity.

Breakthroughs is produced by Search for Common Ground, the world’s largest peacebuilding organization. Each episode highlights the stories of activists on the frontlines of violent conflict. We’ll discover how they tackled tough problems around the world, by building collaboration.

Hosted by Lena Slachmuijlder. Produced by Lena Slachmuijlder, Massimiliano Colonna, and Omar Salem. Learn more about Search for Common Ground at sfcg.org, follow us on Twitter at @SFCG_.