Global Expert Finder is a resource for journalists covering stories about cultural, religious and political tensions between communities, and across borders.

GEF connects media professionals with leading analysts and commentators on inter-cultural crises and their likely long-term impact.

The experts represent a wide range of views and opinions, and are interested in sharing them with the media.

Global Expert Finder was developed by the UN's Alliance of Civilizations to bring a diversity of perspectives on issues that go to the core of relations between cultures, and threaten to widen existing divides.

Such issues include, for instance, the Danish Cartoons crisis, controversies about the wearing the veil (or hijab), freedom of speech, or the carrying of the kirpan, the traditional Sikh knife.

By providing fast and efficient access to a diversity of experts and analysts, Global Expert Finder supports the work of journalists, editors and producers, particularly but not exclusively, in times of cross-cultural crises. It enables experienced commentators to give interviews, provide quotes, and share their views to help create greater understanding of potentially polarizing issues.

The experts listed in the resource have been selected on the basis of their knowledge of a broad range of subjects - such as politics, law, human rights, migration and media - as they relate to tensions that may arise across cultures and religions. Every effort has been made to represent a wide range of cultural, political, sociological, linguistic and regional backgrounds. Each expert has a strong track record in engaging with media to provide timely, informed and independent views on current issues.

Global Expert Finder is a growing resource and additional names of experts will be included regularly. We are very interested in your feedback and would be grateful if you could send your comments to Emmanuel Kattan (kattan@un.org; +1 917 547 0073) or Daanish Masood (daanishm@unops.org; +1 917 367 9963).