I first learned about Marla Ruzicka through Iraqi blogger Salam Pax after American troops invaded Iraq in March of 2003. Here was this young American girl literally going door to door inquiring about casualties resulting from U.S. and coalition military operations. Marla was a genuine peace maker and Iraqis soon learned to trust her. No one else was asking or even cared about the fate of their family members whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Marla was my hero. She was young, fearless and seemed to have a heart bigger than the universe. Single handedly, she took on the American government and insisted that they not only keep track of the deaths of innocent victims caught in the crossfire’s of war, but compensate the families for their losses as well.

When Marla died in 2005 from a car bomb, my hope for peace in Iraq was crushed. Marla was supposed to be invincible. She was the very essence of all things good and good is suppose to triumph over all. How then could I possibly go on believing in peace when what was good had succumbed to what was bad?

The foundation called CIVIC (The Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict) which Marla founded, however, did not fade away after her death. It continues on today as if Marla herself is still there pushing them on. This gives me renewed hope that her love lives on and peace is still possible.

I may not have the guts or the calling to go door to door in Iraq like Marla did, but there are things that I can do right from very my own living room that can make a difference in the world. Like blogging for peace and spreading the word about organizations like CIVIC.

If you would like to take part in advocating peace, CIVIC is currently campaigning to limit the use of U.S. made cluster bombs. Though intended for the battlefield, these cluster bombs often end up in civilian neighborhoods causing death and injury to innocent men, women and children. They are considered to be one of the worlds most indiscriminate and deadly weapons. Similar to minefields, the unexploded cluster “duds” left behind pose a constant threat to innocent civilians for years to come.

You can help by sending a note to your senator to Co-sponsor the Cluster Munitions Civilian Protection Act of 2007 (S 594)at http://www.civicworldwide.org Click the tag "get involved/take action now".