THE ARTIST

Writer's Notes

This project began for me many years ago when I was watching coverage of the conflict in Serbo-Croatia. As it unfolded, I was shocked and appalled. I couldn’t believe that after the tragedy of the Nazi Holocoust the world could still tolerate ’Ethnic Cleansing.’ I couldn’t understand how this could be happening. What does it take for a group of people to decide to slaughter another group? What do the dissenters do? How do the women react? Conversely, I was aware that it appeared that the only way to stop this violence was to use even greater force. This seamed incongruous. Many years later my own life has unfolded. I have children. I have experienced 9-11 and the wars that followed; I have experienced CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, BBC, CNBC, etc. and what seems like a constant barrage of horrors in the world. I have become fascinated with the news and the question of how a reporter remains impartial and sane. During those many years I still had not figured out what to do to make the world a better place. I felt completely and utterly impotent.

When 9-11 happened, I decided I had to do something, anything. I began small, donating money or used clothing or shoes, helping at food banks. I said yes to as many things as I could. None of these things had a direct link to 9-11 or the wars currently being waged in this world. It did not matter to me. I was learning that every small thing makes a difference. I was beginning to have faith in humanity again. I was walking toward my sanctuary. My purpose is to say out loud, we need to do better. We can do better. Yes, protect ourselves, but how? Peace is inevitable. I will keep sayng that; otherwise it will never happen. I am determined to leave the world better than when I found it.

Susanne Sulby has been acting and teaching for over 25 years. For more information on her career, visit her website www.susannesulby.com

Employing writings ranging from Rumi's thirteenth-century poetry to a soldiers e-mail as it tracks the intransigence of war through history, a theme emerges: one war is like another; history repeats itself as the same mistakes are made again and again.

I ask is it possible to break the cycle & find a sanctuary?