By Camille T. Taiara

My memory of the last time I saw Marla Ruzicka is admittedly hazy: it was at a party or social gathering of some sort in San Francisco almost two years ago, and there were drinks involved. But I sure remember our conversation.

Marla had been spending time in Washington, D.C., lobbying Congress about reparations to victims of U.S. wars abroad. I'd been skeptical about what good that would do. Those were the very "leaders" who'd overwhelmingly bought into the Bush administration's lies about WMDs and alleged (although preposterous) "links" between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda – the same ones who'd gone along with Bush's war without question, who didn't seem to care one bit about how many innocent civilians suffered and died as a result. The vast majority were heartless, racist, self-serving cowards as far as I was concerned, interested only in money and power. Marla's efforts seemed senseless.

But I also knew that Marla, by having witnessed war and its effects firsthand during numerous, lengthy stints in Afghanistan and Iraq, had a perspective I could never hope to achieve without doing the same. I was intrigued. I wanted her insights. I was also surprised by her ability to survive emotionally without losing her humanity or hope. And I was awed by her calm courage – particularly as it came from someone who, on the outside at least, resembled the stereotype of the pampered, all-American girl: petite, blond, middle-class, carefree, and almost a bit too chipper.

The next time I saw her was on the San Francisco Chronicle's front page. It seemed so unreal: Marla was dead.

Marla was a mere 28 years old. She and Iraqi coworker Faiz Ali Salim, a 43-year-old husband and father to a two-month-old daughter, died on Saturday – victims of a car bomb attack on the perilous highway leading to Baghdad Airport. They'd been on their way to visit an Iraqi child injured by a bomb.

As it turns out, her efforts in D.C. hadn't been in the least bit futile. She'd persuaded Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.) to push through language in a 2003 appropriations bill that set aside a few million dollars to help victims of the war in Afghanistan – and that was just a start. She'd since prodded Congress into releasing another $20 million in reparations for Afghan and Iraqi war victims. She spearheaded campaigns to track civilian casualties in Afghanistan and Iraq and founded the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict.

According to recent reports, she had planned to return to the United States on April 4 but decided to remain in Iraq longer. She interviewed female prisoners at Abu Ghraib and was busy chasing down evidence she'd said she had that the U.S. military was, indeed, tracking the Iraqi death toll.

Although I didn't know Marla well, I'm certain she understood the risks she was taking and never doubted they were worth it. So many of us are haunted by this horrible and unjust war and dream of turning things around, of having a real impact of some sort. But, whether from fear or despondency, we stop short of doing everything we can.

But Marla didn't dawdle, make excuses, or give in to second thoughts. Countless Iraqis and Afghans dispossessed by our senseless wars – orphans, widows, those left maimed or without homes or the means of survival – have benefited from her efforts as a result. Politicians and soldiers who've met her have gained a bit more humanity. And anyone concerned about the viciousness and iniquity of Bush and co.'s war on terror should be inspired by her example.

To find out more about Marla Ruzicka, contribute to her project, or read her online journal, go to www.civicworldwide.org. Marla's parents, Nancy and Clifford Ruzicka, are also collecting donations to benefit their daughter's work. Checks should be made out to CIVIC and mailed to P.O. Box 1189, Lakeport, CA 95453. For an obituary for Marla written by Global Exchange founders Kevin Danaher and Medea Benjamin, with whom she worked before founding CIVIC, go to www.globalexchange.org/update/press/marla.html. Marla's parents have asked that no memorial services or political events in her memory be conducted until after her funeral, scheduled for April 23, in her hometown of Lakeport. Accordingly, plans for a local remembrance are in the works but won't likely take place for another couple weeks. Refer to upcoming issues of the Bay Guardian or go to either of the Web sites mentioned above for updates.