“La paz no es solamente la ausencia de la guerra, sino, es la solidaridad entre los hermanos y las hermanas.”
Graffiti on a wall in Bolivia
I remember seeing the above quote many years ago, long before I joined MPI. It states that peace is not just the absence of war, rather, it is solidarity between brothers and sisters. This has been a guiding message for me as I have tried to be in solidarity with those with whom I live and work in whatever context and culture and has extended as much as possible to be in solidarity with our environment in order to work toward a holistic peace.
After ten years, I decided to retire from my work with MPI as of the end of January 2024. It was a difficult decision, made in part so that I could spend more time with Jet, my spouse and life partner, who already retired. I also felt that with Chris Vertucci leaving as director, it was time for the next generation to bring MPI into the future.