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{{Short description|American activist}}
'''Marla Ruzicka''' (] ] – ], ]), of ], was an ] ] ] and ] who was killed by a ] blast in ]. She founded the ] (CIVIC), an organization that assists ]i victims of the ].
{{Infobox person
| image =
| caption =
| name = Marla Ruzicka
| birthname =
| birth_date = December 31, 1976
| birth_place = ], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2005|4|16|1976|12|31}}
| death_place = ], ], Iraq
| alma_mater = ]
| occupation = Founder of ] (CIVIC)
}}
'''Marla Ruzicka''' (December 31, 1976 – April 16, 2005) was an American activist-turned-aid worker. She believed that combatant governments had a legal and moral responsibility to compensate the families of civilians killed or injured in military conflicts.


In 2003, Ruzicka founded the ] (CIVIC), an organization that counted civilian casualties and assisted ]i victims of the ]. In 2005, she was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq.<ref name="Youtube">{{cite web | title= Faith Complex: Sarah Holewinski on Innocent Victims in Conflict (PART ONE) | date=11 January 2010 | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G---HJwiyzQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211213/G---HJwiyzQ |archive-date=2021-12-13 |url-status=live| publisher= Youtube | accessdate= 2010-12-02}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
]


===Afganistan and Iraq=== ==Early life and education==
Born in ], Ruzicka attended ]'s ], and spent four years traveling throughout ], ], ], ], and ]. After graduating in 1999, Ruzicka volunteered for the San Francisco-based organizations ] and ].


==Afghanistan and Iraq==
Prior to launching the project in Iraq, she was based in ], ]. Ruzicka worked with the ]-based human rights organization, ], to pressure the US government to set up a fund for Afghan families harmed in ]. She arrived in Kabul only a few days after the ] were removed from power. In Afghanistan, she conducted a survey on the military campaign effects on Afghan civilians to apply for compensation and aid. Prior to launching CIVIC in ], she was based in ], ], and later ], ]. Under the auspices of ], she pressured the US government to set up a fund for Afghan families harmed in ]. However, she soon struck out on her own to form CIVIC, and arrived in Kabul only a few days after the ] were removed from power. In Afghanistan, she began conducting a grassroots survey on the military campaign effects on Afghan civilians, in order to apply for compensation and aid. On April 7, 2002, she protested outside the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, alongside several civilians who had lost relatives as the result of U.S. air strikes.


In July 2002, Ruzicka began working with ] and the ] to allocate money to rebuild the homes of families that had suffered losses as a result of military action. After receiving CIVIC's first report, ] - the ] Senator for ] - sponsored legislation to provide $10 million in U.S. aid to innocent Iraqis who had been harmed by the ]. In July 2002, Ruzicka began working with ] and the ] to allocate money to rebuild the homes of families that had suffered losses as a result of military action. After receiving CIVIC's first report, Senator ] (]-]) sponsored legislation to provide $10 million in U.S. aid to Afghan civilians who had been harmed by the ]. He said, "Marla Ruzicka is out there saying, 'Wait, everybody. Here is what is really happening. You'd better know about this.' We have ] in industry. Maybe sometimes we need whistle blowers in ]."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.veteransforpeace.org/American_woman_052803.htm |title=American Woman Travels Door to Door to Count Iraqi Casualties, Veterans for Peace (Archived Copy) |accessdate=2006-09-14 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060913082908/http://www.veteransforpeace.org/American_woman_052803.htm |archivedate=2006-09-13 }}</ref><ref>United States ], {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207055230/https://oig.usaid.gov/content/audit-usaidiraqs-management-marla-ruzicka-iraqi-war-victims-fund |date=2017-02-07 }}</ref>


She traveled to ] after the ]. CIVIC's efforts were featured on '']'' and ], as well as in '']'' and '']'' magazine. "With a shoestring budget, almost no staff and a bundle of energy, Ruzicka has already had more impact on more lives than many seasoned K Street lobbyists," '']'' reported in 2004.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A24737-2004Aug22.html |title=U.S. Activist Mends Lives Torn by War |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=June 9, 2012 |first=Glenn |last=Kessler |date=August 23, 2004}}</ref> Ruzicka was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the summer of 2004.<ref>{{cite news|last=Philp|first=Catherine|url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/my-friend-marla-the-one-woman-aid-agency-6h8382lgxgj|title=My friend Marla, the one woman aid agency|newspaper=The Times|location=London|date=April 27, 2005|access-date=April 16, 2022|url-access=subscription}}</ref>
Following the fall of Baghdad to the US-led coalition in April 2003, her CIVIC activities focused on the organization of door-to-door surveys to obtain first-hand accounts of civilian casualties that had been killed, injured, abused, displaced, or made homeless as a result of military action. She was in Iraq prior to the war with the ] organization.


===Death===
"Marla Ruzicka is out there saying, 'Wait, everybody. Here is what is really happening. You'd better know about this.' We have whistle blowers in industry. Maybe sometimes we need whistle blowers in foreign policy." - ].
Ruzicka and her Iraqi translator, Faiz Ali Salim, were killed by a ] on the ] on April 16, 2005. More than 600 people attended her funeral in her hometown of Lakeport; ] and ] were among those who spoke at her memorial service.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/04/24/BAG02CEA1V1.DTL&hw=ruzicka&sn=003&sc=836 |title=LAKEPORT: More than 600 mourn peace activist at service |first=Jason B. |last=Johnson |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=April 24, 2005}}</ref> There were also memorial services in ], ], Baghdad, Kabul, and San Francisco.


According to '']'', "Ruzicka is perhaps the most famous American aid worker to die in any conflict of the past ten or twenty years. Though a novice in life—she had less than four years of professional humanitarian experience—her death resonated far beyond the tightly knit group of war junkies and policymakers who knew her. She stands as a youthful representative of a certain kind of not-yet-lost American idealism, and darkly symbolic of what has gone so tragically wrong in Iraq."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/7371965/the_girl_who_tried_to_save_the_world/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070504061519/http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/7371965/the_girl_who_tried_to_save_the_world/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 4, 2007 |title=The Girl Who Tried to Save the World: The heroic life and final days of Marla Ruzicka, an American martyr |magazine=Rolling Stone |first=Janet |last=Reitman |date=Jun 2, 2005}}</ref>
In the days and weeks after her death in Baghdad, the story of Marla's life and work received widespread international coverage. The journalistic coverage of her extraordinary journey from California to Baghdad (via Afghanistan) ranged from articles that broadly praised her tenacity, courage and compassion through to more conservative minded comment (mainly emanating from the United States) that denounced her role in a leftist campaign to undermine the reputation and legitimacy of ongoing US military operations in Iraq. It seems likely that Marla Ruzicka and her significant campaigning legacy will remain a potentially divisive topic of conversation in American political circles for a number of years to come.


Marla Ruzicka left a one line will stating that her friend, war journalist ], would take care of CIVIC and appoint a new director.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/07/09/1014598150/home-front-marlas-list|title = Home/Front: Marla's List : Rough Translation|website = NPR.org}}</ref>
==Earlier work==

At Senator Leahy's urging, President ] signed legislation on May 11, 2005, which renamed the civilian war victims the "Marla Ruzicka Iraqi War Victims Fund." As of 2006, the combined sum that Congress has allocated to assist Afghan and Iraqi civilians who were victims of U.S. warfare is thirty-eight million dollars.<ref>Abrahamson, Jennifer. Sweet Relief: The Marla Ruzicka Story, October 1, 2006, page 181-182</ref><ref></ref>


==Depiction in film media== ==Depiction in film media==
Film rights to the story of Ruzicka's life were bought by ] in 2004. In the deal the studio also bought the rights to a book by ], who planned to write it with the aid worker before Ruzicka died in April. ] agreed to play Ruzicka in the movie scripted by Lorene Scafaria, whose recent credits include "The Mighty Flinn" for Warner Independent Pictures. Filming is expected to begin sometime in late 2006. Film rights to Ruzicka's life story were purchased by ].<ref>Philip Sherwell, , ''Telegraph'', (03 July 2005)</ref> The studio also bought the rights to the book ''Sweet Relief: The Marla Ruzicka Story'' by Jennifer Abrahamson, who had begun collaborating on the book with Ruzicka before her death. ] agreed to play Ruzicka in the movie scripted by ].

Ruzicka appears briefly in the documentary '']'' as one of the protesters who disrupts ]'s speech at ].

==References==
{{reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
*, Biography published by ]
*
* *
** , The results of CIVIC's campaign in Iraq.
⚫ *
*https://www.comune.re.it/Applicazioni/stradarioCAP.nsf/PESVieWeb/7EA1880ADE750DACC1257705003A6E51?opendocument, Municipality of Reggio Emilia new street dedication.
*

*
;Magazines and newspapers
⚫ *

*
*'']'', {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050420071642/http://news.independent.co.uk//world//middle_east//story.jsp?story=630851 |date=2005-04-20 }}
⚫ *
* '']'', {{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} (Obituary by Mark MacKinnon)
⚫ *
* *'']'', (Obituary)
* '']'',
*
* '']'',
⚫ ]
⚫ *'']'',
⚫ ]
*'']'',
⚫ ]

]
;Websites
* ''Alternet'', {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060408174539/http://www.alternet.org/story/21780/ |date=2006-04-08 }}, ].
⚫ * ''Back to Iraq'', - by Iraq-based journalist ].
⚫ * ''Blogspot'', , A blog of memories from Marla's friends
* ''IMDb'', {{IMDb title|id=0485287|title=Sweet Relief}} - film about Marla's life
* ''Google'',
⚫ * ''Uruknet'',
* ''Youtube'', .
*''NPR Podcast:Rough Translation'',

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruzicka, Marla}}
⚫ ]
⚫ ]
]
]
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]
⚫ ]

Latest revision as of 00:45, 28 September 2024

American activist
Marla Ruzicka
BornDecember 31, 1976
Lakeport, California, U.S.
DiedApril 16, 2005(2005-04-16) (aged 28)
Baghdad Airport Road, Baghdad, Iraq
Alma materFriends World Program
OccupationFounder of Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict (CIVIC)

Marla Ruzicka (December 31, 1976 – April 16, 2005) was an American activist-turned-aid worker. She believed that combatant governments had a legal and moral responsibility to compensate the families of civilians killed or injured in military conflicts.

In 2003, Ruzicka founded the Campaign for Innocent Victims in Conflict (CIVIC), an organization that counted civilian casualties and assisted Iraqi victims of the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. In 2005, she was killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq.

Early life and education

Born in Lakeport, California, Ruzicka attended Long Island University's Friends World Program, and spent four years traveling throughout Costa Rica, Kenya, Cuba, Israel, and Zimbabwe. After graduating in 1999, Ruzicka volunteered for the San Francisco-based organizations Rainforest Action Network and Global Exchange.

Afghanistan and Iraq

Prior to launching CIVIC in Iraq, she was based in Peshawar, Pakistan, and later Kabul, Afghanistan. Under the auspices of Global Exchange, she pressured the US government to set up a fund for Afghan families harmed in Operation Enduring Freedom. However, she soon struck out on her own to form CIVIC, and arrived in Kabul only a few days after the Taliban were removed from power. In Afghanistan, she began conducting a grassroots survey on the military campaign effects on Afghan civilians, in order to apply for compensation and aid. On April 7, 2002, she protested outside the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, alongside several civilians who had lost relatives as the result of U.S. air strikes.

In July 2002, Ruzicka began working with USAID and the Senate Appropriations Committee to allocate money to rebuild the homes of families that had suffered losses as a result of military action. After receiving CIVIC's first report, Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) sponsored legislation to provide $10 million in U.S. aid to Afghan civilians who had been harmed by the US military. He said, "Marla Ruzicka is out there saying, 'Wait, everybody. Here is what is really happening. You'd better know about this.' We have whistle blowers in industry. Maybe sometimes we need whistle blowers in foreign policy."

She traveled to Baghdad after the April 2003 U.S. invasion. CIVIC's efforts were featured on Nightline and CNN, as well as in The New York Times and Elle magazine. "With a shoestring budget, almost no staff and a bundle of energy, Ruzicka has already had more impact on more lives than many seasoned K Street lobbyists," The Washington Post reported in 2004. Ruzicka was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the summer of 2004.

Death

Ruzicka and her Iraqi translator, Faiz Ali Salim, were killed by a suicide car bombing on the Baghdad Airport Road on April 16, 2005. More than 600 people attended her funeral in her hometown of Lakeport; Barbara Boxer and Sean Penn were among those who spoke at her memorial service. There were also memorial services in New York City, Washington, D.C., Baghdad, Kabul, and San Francisco.

According to Rolling Stone, "Ruzicka is perhaps the most famous American aid worker to die in any conflict of the past ten or twenty years. Though a novice in life—she had less than four years of professional humanitarian experience—her death resonated far beyond the tightly knit group of war junkies and policymakers who knew her. She stands as a youthful representative of a certain kind of not-yet-lost American idealism, and darkly symbolic of what has gone so tragically wrong in Iraq."

Marla Ruzicka left a one line will stating that her friend, war journalist Tara Sutton, would take care of CIVIC and appoint a new director.

At Senator Leahy's urging, President George W. Bush signed legislation on May 11, 2005, which renamed the civilian war victims the "Marla Ruzicka Iraqi War Victims Fund." As of 2006, the combined sum that Congress has allocated to assist Afghan and Iraqi civilians who were victims of U.S. warfare is thirty-eight million dollars.

Depiction in film media

Film rights to Ruzicka's life story were purchased by Paramount Pictures. The studio also bought the rights to the book Sweet Relief: The Marla Ruzicka Story by Jennifer Abrahamson, who had begun collaborating on the book with Ruzicka before her death. Kirsten Dunst agreed to play Ruzicka in the movie scripted by Lorene Scafaria.

Ruzicka appears briefly in the documentary Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room as one of the protesters who disrupts Jeffrey Skilling's speech at The Commonwealth Club.

References

  1. "Faith Complex: Sarah Holewinski on Innocent Victims in Conflict (PART ONE)". Youtube. 11 January 2010. Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2010-12-02.
  2. "American Woman Travels Door to Door to Count Iraqi Casualties, Veterans for Peace (Archived Copy)". Archived from the original on 2006-09-13. Retrieved 2006-09-14.
  3. United States Office of the Inspector General, Audit of USAID/Iraq's Management of the Marla Ruzicka Iraqi War Victims Fund Archived 2017-02-07 at the Wayback Machine
  4. Kessler, Glenn (August 23, 2004). "U.S. Activist Mends Lives Torn by War". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 9, 2012.
  5. Philp, Catherine (April 27, 2005). "My friend Marla, the one woman aid agency". The Times. London. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
  6. Johnson, Jason B. (April 24, 2005). "LAKEPORT: More than 600 mourn peace activist at service". San Francisco Chronicle.
  7. Reitman, Janet (Jun 2, 2005). "The Girl Who Tried to Save the World: The heroic life and final days of Marla Ruzicka, an American martyr". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on May 4, 2007.
  8. "Home/Front: Marla's List : Rough Translation". NPR.org.
  9. Abrahamson, Jennifer. Sweet Relief: The Marla Ruzicka Story, October 1, 2006, page 181-182
  10. Marla Ruzicka Iraqi War Victims Fund - Global Communities
  11. Philip Sherwell, Iraq aid worker's life to become Hollywood film, Telegraph, (03 July 2005)

External links

Magazines and newspapers
Websites
Categories: