[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 58 (Thursday, May 5, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E902-E903]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        TRIBUTE TO MARLA RUZICKA

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. TIMOTHY H. BISHOP

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 5, 2005

  Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 
an outstanding young woman, Marla Ruzicka, who was tragically killed in 
Iraq on Saturday, April 16, 2005, when a suicide bomber attacked a 
convoy of U.S. security contractors passing her vehicle on the road to 
Baghdad airport. Marla was traveling on the road to visit an Iraqi 
child injured by a bomb, part of her daily work with the humanitarian 
organization she founded--The Campaign for Innocent Victims of Conflict 
(CIVIC). Marla, who was only 28 years old, worked tirelessly and 
fearlessly on behalf of civilian victims of war in some of the most 
dangerous parts of the world, accomplishing more in the area of human 
rights during her short life than most people do in a lifetime.
  It is Marla Ruzicka's affiliation with Southampton College, an 
institution which I served as Provost for many years, that has made her 
tragic death very personal to me. Marla earned her undergraduate degree 
through Southampton College's Friends World Program, an academic 
program that stresses the careful consideration of world problems, and 
encourages a life of committed action in the world community. Many of 
my colleagues on the faculty and staff can recall Marla's passionate 
commitment to making a difference in the world, and were moved by her 
enthusiasm for helping those in need. To those of us who knew of Marla, 
it was no surprise that she gave up her life to serve the needs of 
others.
  Marla's concern for the victims of world injustice began early in 
life. A Northern California native, Marla began her work as a human 
rights activist for the San Francisco office of Global Exchange at the 
young age of 15. It was at this time that Marla first demonstrated her 
desire to educate others about global injustice by organizing 
discussions for her high school classmates about such issues as the 
U.S. trade embargo on Cuba. During her undergraduate education, Marla 
traveled to the Middle East, Cuba, Zimbabwe, and Nicaragua where she 
witnessed firsthand the suffering of those who lived there. After 
earning her degree, she continued her work with Global Exchange and 
traveled to Afghanistan after Operation Enduring Freedom, where she 
recorded the military campaign's effects on Afghan civilians and used 
the information to garner assistance for the families harmed by the 
conflict.
  In 2003, Marla organized her efforts in assisting the victims of war 
by founding an organization she named CIVIC--The Campaign for Innocent 
Victims of Conflict. Marla's assigned mission for CIVIC was both to 
achieve an accurate accounting of civilian casualties caused by the 
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and to secure assistance for their 
families. In pursuing this mission, she spent weeks at a time

[[Page E903]]

traveling the dangerous roads of Afghanistan and Iraq to personally 
interview the injured and their families, document their experiences, 
and work with U.S. military officials to earn them compensation. In 
organizing a group of 150 Iraqi volunteers who went to hospitals and 
into towns, Marla helped produce the first comprehensive list of people 
killed or injured in Iraq by U.S. weapons.

  Marla also achieved a great deal of success in recruiting the efforts 
of military personnel, humanitarian organizations, and the U.S. 
Congress for her cause. Through her boundless energy and determination, 
she lobbied the Senate and helped win the insertion of language in an 
appropriations bill that provided $2.5 million to help victims in 
Afghanistan; this money has now grown to $7.5 million. She also 
succeeded in securing a $10 million appropriation for Iraqi victims, 
which is used to rebuild homes and schools, provide medical assistance, 
and make loans. While in the Middle East, Marla networked with military 
commanders, realizing they often had the freedom and resources to 
assist victims quickly.
  In her interactions with Congress, the U.S. military, and others in 
positions of authority, Marla persuasively argued that achieving an 
accurate accounting for the loss of life in Iraq and Afghanistan would 
not only make the recompense of wartime civilian casualties easier, but 
would also assist U.S. led reconstruction efforts. Through it all, 
Marla's sunny disposition and ability to make friends easily proved 
invaluable in recruiting the assistance of journalists, U.N. officials, 
non-governmental organization staff, and the U.S. military in 
documenting the plight of civilians and providing relief to war-torn 
families.
  Marla's contributions to the most vulnerable of citizens did not come 
without making a great deal of personal sacrifice, however. CIVIC 
operated on a shoe-string budget of about $100,000 a year, which often 
left Marla depending on friends and family to secure enough money for 
airline tickets and living expenses. When returning to the U.S. from 
overseas, Marla would often stay with friends, sleeping on their sofas, 
to continue her work when returning to the United States. Her ability 
to succeed in the most difficult of circumstances is a testament to her 
natural ability and drive, and serves as an inspiration to many.
  Mr. Speaker, few people possess the undying commitment to selflessly 
and courageously pursue justice on behalf of the less fortunate as did 
Marla Ruzicka. During her lifetime, Marla viewed it as her personal 
obligation to fight for the less fortunate in this world and, under the 
most difficult of circumstances, demanded and achieved justice for so 
many victims of war and conflict. Her relentless dedication and 
optimism won over the hearts of the most influential people, making it 
possible to relieve the suffering of those most in need. Her actions 
were nothing short of heroic, and should serve as an inspiration to us 
all. I ask those in this distinguished body to join me in offering my 
condolences to Marla's parents, Clifford and Nancy Ruzicka. They should 
be commended on their daughter's extraordinary commitment to improving 
the world one life at a time.

                          ____________________