Marla Ruzicka’s Legacy: Demanding Justice for Civilians in War
Civilians In Conflict
Marla Ruzicka was 26 years old when she travelled to Afghanistan in the aftermath of the US-led invasion, determined to put a human face on the casualties of war. She went door to door, documenting the harm done to ordinary families by US military operations, and demanding recognition and compensation for their suffering. It was dangerous work, and she did it with relentless determination.
In 2005, Marla and her colleague Faiz Ali Salim were killed in a car bomb attack in Iraq. She was 28 years old. Before she died, she had already changed how the US government thought about civilian harm — and had founded the campaign that would later become the Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC).
More than 20 years on, the organisation she built continues her mission, and the need has never been greater. Civilian casualties in conflict zones have risen 112% since 2022. Child fatalities have tripled since 2023. Behind these numbers are real families, ordinary people for whom protection from conflict should not be a privilege, but a right.
Across three continents, from Ukraine to Sudan and Yemen to Mali, CIVIC works where the risks to civilians are most acute. It equips local communities with the tools and confidence to protect themselves, engages with armed actors to push for concrete changes, but also ensures that the voices of those most often left out of the conversation (women, children, displaced populations, minorities) shape the decisions that affect their lives. The goal is simple, even when the work is not: proving that harm to civilians is not inevitable.
This year, as Marla would have turned 50, CIVIC honoured her legacy with the launch of the Marla Project for Amends and Redress. Marla founded CIVIC on a powerful belief: that civilians are not passive victims of war, but people with agency who deserve acknowledgement, protection, and justice. The Marla Project puts that into action, serving as a dedicated hub for civilians seeking amends from the US military, pairing them with advocates who fight their corner and field teams who support them on the ground. Through this project and all that CIVIC does across the globe, Marla’s legacy lives on.
We invite all members to take the time to discover the vital work that CIVIC is accomplishing.