Common Ground Records

With a modest beginning in the early 1980s of approximately twelve members whose interest ranged from nonviolence and social justice to ecological awareness, Common Ground stemmed from Harrisonburg's Choose Life Peace Center which was an ecumenical group concerned with nuclear proliferation and the U.S. intervention in Central America. Common Ground: Network for Peace, Justice, and the Environment was officially founded in June 1987 by a group of representatives from local peace, justice, and environmental organizations. As a not-for-profit networking organization to channel the efforts of local groups, associations, and churches through education, research and civic action, Common Ground's primary goals were education, study and research on peace, justice and environmental quality; networking; building strong personal bonds of mutual support; active participation for change; and celebrating spiritual and ethical commitments. By 1996, the network had grown to fifty-three affiliate organizations. Xaverian Brother, Pete Mahoney was the network's long term director serving from 1987-1997. Brother Pete was followed by Ms. Dale Diaz in 1997 and Greg Czyszczon in 2003.

Common Ground's newsletter was known by three different names while in publication - Network for Peace and Justice (December 1983 - May 1987), Common Weal (August 1987, November 1987), and Common Ground (March 1988 - December 1996). All three titles are present within this collection. Early newsletters were mimeographed or photocopied. By 1992 the newsletters were published on newsprint. In its heyday in the late 1990s, circulation reached 2,000 copies. A quarter of the subscriptions were paid and the rest of the newsletters were freely distributed at local restaurants,campuses, and churches.

The Harrisonburg area Network for Peace and Justice is the predecessor of the Common Ground. Originally conceived of as a vehicle for "communication, cooperation and consciousness-raising" among twelve socially progressive local groups or chapters of national groups, the participating organizations listed in the inaugural October 1983 newsletter are: Choose Life; Christians for Peace; Church Women United, Harrisonburg/Rockingham County; Citizens Party, Harrisonburg/Rockingham County; Community Mediation Center; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; National Organization of Women, Harrisonburg/Rockingham County and James Madison University chapters; Peacemakers, Trinity Presbyterian Church; Peace Ministry Committee, Church of the Brethren; and Women’s Caucus, Church of the Brethren. Robert Bersson, JMU professor emeritus of art, was the newsletter's first editor. Contributions of articles came from representatives of member organizations.

For a short time, as the newsletter began to gain popularity and local support, the newsletter changed its title to Common Weal from August 1987 to November 1987. After this change, the title was again altered to become its final iteration as Common Ground: The Network for Peace, Justice, and the Environment in March 1988, retaining the original newsletter’s title as its subtitle.

Common Ground promoted its core values by recognizing community members and projects at an annual awards banquet. Recipients over the years have been: Blacks Run Restoration; Allies (an organization for advocacy on behalf of the local gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual community); Ron Copeland for organizing the Little Grill Soup Kitchen; Joe Giarriatano, an inmate who formed the Peace Center at Augusta Correctional Center in Craigsville; the Community Mediation Center; and John Eckman for the Valley Conservation Center among many others.

The spirit of Common Ground embodied both "nonpartisan radicalism" and liberation theology with its preferential option for the poor and the marginalized members of society. Common Ground's activities and publications celebrated and gave voice to affiliate members and interests outside Harrisonburg's mainstream media outlets. The result of its alternative voice was political in nature: early Common Ground members credit their activism to General Dynamics' withdrawal of a proposal to build a munitions plant in the Shenandoah Valley; Common Ground worked with the Piedmont Environmental Council to successfully oppose Walt Disney Inc.'s proposed "Historic America Theme Park" in Haymarket, Virginia; and former Harrisonburg Mayor Carolyn Frank credits Common Ground members with changing "politics as usual" in this community by rallying with the "Taxpayers Against Golf Spending" campaign which placed new faceson Harrisonburg's City Council.