(Editor’s Note: Today I introduce you to my friend and colleague Susan Partnow, the founder of Global Citizen Journey, a new citizen diplomacy NGO that takes American citizens on trips to third world countries. GCJ is now planning its next trip, to Burundi, in July 2009.) Is a Peacemaker Born or Made? Q: Susan, How did you come to be so interested in and passionate about peace and social justice? Does a particular memory come to mind? It’s been that way since I was a child. WWII and the Holocaust deeply affected me.

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As we watch the war in the Middle East unfold on our television screens, each day bringing new scenes of devastation and horror, more and more I am hearing people say, “This is crazy, there has to be a better way.” These comments are not just coming from my peace and justice friends, the already converted dovish ones I can count on to espouse such things. No, this time I’m hearing this from unexpected quarters, from people I would never have expected it from. Yesterday’s news of 37 children killed in the village of Qana seemed so over the top, so outrageous, that I thought, “that’s it, they have to stop now,” and yet they are not stopping. The rockets continue to rain on Israel and the Israelis will not stop until they feel they have knocked out Hezbollah completely, until they feel safe. And I don’t know when, Hezbollah will ever stop. So we’re probably in this one for a very,very long time.

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