What is a peacemaker?

              In a world that is always evolving, where there seems to be more and more violence and terror in the streets, where humans can do the cruellest and most treacherous things to one another, we must remember that some people are fighting for our freedom. Some people are trying to bring an end to the pain and the loss. Some people are trying to bring peace to our planet. And those people are peacemakers.

              Peacemakers come from various ethnic backgrounds, financial backgrounds, and in all shapes and sizes. Peacemakers share a vision, a vision of a world where there is peace and harmony. Though it may seem like an impossible task, peacemakers are making a difference in our world today.

For example; one peacemaker who started a special tradition that would continue to live on long after his death: Master Corporal Mark Isfeld. Mark was a military mines engineer who was known for his generosity towards children in the war-stricken countries he worked in. Mark began to give home-made dolls (made by his mother) to the young children who suffered from the war and violence. These dolls were called “Izzy” dolls. These dolls not only served as a toy for the children, but also as a special gift that could make them forget the terror that surrounded them. It gave the children a little joy in their hard lives. The “Izzy” doll tradition continued well after MCpt Mark Isfeld’s death in Croatia in 1994.

         This small act of kindness had a huge impact on the children. Mark Isfeld gave hope and happiness to innocent children, children who were caught in the middle of a fight that they could not understand. It is random little acts like this, acts that impact and improve the quality of life of those in suffering,  that characterize a peacemaker.