On this day, Memorial Day, we attempt to memorialize those who gave their lives in service to our country. Each year, words fail us. It is, as Abraham Lincoln said at the dedication of the Gettysburg battlefield cemetery: …we can not dedicate — we can not consecrate — we can…

The number of forcibly displaced persons has rushed over 80 million in 2021 — the largest number in the history of our world and almost double the number of just a decade ago. Imagine that. One percent of the human population of the world — one in every 97 people…

Salaam. The word ‘peace’ passed through my speakers and Qamar Gul’s kindness spilled through the screen as she greeted me. The stars were out in Texas as the sun cast shadows on the streets of Afghanistan — we smiled at one another, almost eight thousand miles apart. Sitting in front…

During her stop in Des Moines, Iowa, and a presentation at Drake University, I met Zarifa Ghafari. Ms. Ghafari is mayor of Maidan Shahr, Afghanistan, and recipient of the US State Department’s 2020 Women of Courage award. This award recognizes women around the world who represent exceptional courage and leadership…

“In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” — Mahatma Gandhi It is true that out of small things come that which is great. We, too often, consider our small acts of kindness and encouragement to be insignificant — too small to make a difference. In a world where…

The world seems complex, chaotic, and dangerous in this moment. And yet, over the past few decades we have made greater progress in alleviating poverty and suffering than during any other time in the history of the world. The paradox — Over the last 25 years, more than a billion…

All I can do is make this borrowed time matter On April 27, 2019, a gunman entered the Chabad of Poway Synagogue in Poway, California and opened fire on innocent worshipers. …

“We are at a watershed, where success in managing forced displacement globally requires a new and far more comprehensive approach so that countries and communities aren’t left dealing with this alone.” -Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Those of us blessed to live in places of relative security and…

I am amazed at and inspired by the resiliency of people, particularly women. Too often disdained, those who exist in a world of poverty, insecurity, displacement, and other monumental disadvantages find ways to survive and thrive. They get up each morning and face the day with courage and resolve, partially…