I really enjoyed reading the article "Think One Person Can Change the World?" [Spring 1997 OAM]. Like many people, I have been shocked and saddened by the fighting in Bosnia and surrounding areas. I love music--and what it can do for people--and so I was moved by the amazing efforts of Marianne Liberatore.
Marianne Libertore's project touched my heart ["Think One Person Can Change The World?," Spring 1997 OAM]. During the war in the former Yugoslavia I was nearer than most Oberlin alumni, living for the past 13 years in Geneva, Switzerland, where my husband works for the World Council of Churches and I for the Conference of European Churches. Both organizations have staff assigned to consult with and support religious leaders and interreligious and local groups in the new nations of the former Yugoslavia, and many refugees came from Bosnia to Switzerland. I especially remember one young woman who had not known for a year where her children were. A troupe of children came and gave circus performances and shared their poetry and crafts with anyone who would welcome them.
Our family has volunteered for some of the many deserving projects to help those whose lives have been destroyed by the war, and as fellow music lovers, my husband Tom and I want to be a part of the Musical Peace Corps. Truly, a cello shattered by a bullet is an unforgettable symbol of what war is and does. And music does unite people, and helps them to restore the life of their city. Thank you, Marianne, for giving us the chance to join you in this. God bless you.