A mere month in Nablus was enough to embroil Masa in the harsh realities of Palestinian life in the West Bank. Her U.S. citizenship was ignored at every military roadblock leading out of Nablus, forcing her to remain within the confines of the city. Her American passport notwithstanding, she was also denied the right to fly back to the U.S. from Ben Gurion Airport, and informed that as a Palestinian, she would need special permission from the Israeli government. Her ordeal, after many days of pleading by friends and family, reached senators from her home state of Michigan and, thankfully, her friends at YPO.

Since Masa was told that her only way out was through Jordan, Dick Simon sent me a message asking if I could be of help. I could hear her desperation when I called. "Send me a copy of your Jordanian passport, and I will get you a permit to cross into Jordan," I said. But she had left her Jordanian passport back in the States, and had to wait another fretful ten days to get it.

Once a copy of her Jordanian passport was received, a Jordanian permit was issued, and special treatment at the crossing point facilitated her quick passage to Amman. Finally, she was free. I wondered about the sheer luck of this kind human being who counts YPOers among her friends.

We can make a difference, and we should make a difference. Our work in the Peace Action Network (PAN) and the Peace Forum is nothing less than a brave effort to break down the barriers of prejudice, suspicion, and hate that are nurtured by war. We are standing up and being counted. We are making a difference, however small.

PAN's mission is to empower its members to Make the Difference that Only We Can throughout the world by utilizing tools very familiar to all YPOers including forums, networking, education and program development. PAN provides life-changing experiences by facilitating and promoting interaction with other YPOers and leading resources from around the world who share a common interest in making a difference in our global community. PAN Chapter members can participate as actively as they choose, serving as champions of PAN Action Forums or events, or just taking advantage of PAN's ongoing networking and educational programs.

For more information about becoming a member of PAN Chapter, please contact Ken Tsunoda at +1.408.353.9042 or ken_tsunoda@yahoo.com.

All the Indian visitors entered into Pakistan by crossing the international border by foot where they received a very warm welcome by their new Pakistani friends. The trip included visits to Pakistani cities of Lahore, Moenjadaro and Karachi.

All were dramatically impacted by that experience, with similar comments being heard from both sides including "they are so much like us - hospitable and warm"; "we even look the same and speak the same language"; and "they are wrong about Kashmir, but that is something you negotiate, not maintain a state of war for 56 years over". All agreed that it was an AMAZING experience!!

One of the Indian YPOers who attended wrote a poem that beautifully captures her experience on the trip.

The PAN Indo-Pak Forum has since formed an India-Pakistan CEO Forum of business leaders to capitalize on the growing commercial opportunities between the two countries. There are also forums of media leaders and parliamentarians.

For more information about Indo-Pak Forum, please contact Amin Hashwani at ahash@super.net.pk.

Holding its initial meeting in Boston this past March, JAMA worked with a YPO international resource who also facilitated the Middle East and Greek/Turkish Peace Forums to develop its mission and agenda for the upcoming year. With a focus on making a difference through action, JAMA is working to create programs and host events which can create a better understanding and shed additional light on the issues most pressing to its members, including the ongoing Israeli/Palestinian conflict, anti-Semitism and the anti-Arab/Islamic fervor, including the impact of the U.S. Patriot Act on Muslim and Arab Americans. A second meeting was held in southern California the last week of July where plans for upcoming JAMA events in LA, Washington D.C. and possibly the Middle East were discussed in detail. A third meeting took place in Washington D.C. in November, with two days of briefings from leaders in Middle East affairs.

Members of JAMA know there is no easy solution to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. However, it is always a step in the right direction when business and community leaders from both "sides" can sit down together and openly and honestly discuss issues such as the separation barrier, the Roadmap to Peace, anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim discrimination, Zionism, the Gaza withdrawal and the Patriot Act. Exercises that allowed JAMA members to see and really "feel" these issues from the perspective of a member from the other side were quite effective at creating understanding and dialogue. It is this new level of understanding that allowed JAMA to formulate the action steps needed to do their part at making a difference.

The one thing that became crystal clear during the meetings is that all JAMA members dream of peaceful coexistence among Israelis, Palestinians and their Arab neighbors, and that such a peace would make the whole world a safer place. JAMA is committed to doing whatever it can towards that goal.

Microcredit Forum held its first meeting in Guadalajara, Mexico in May, hosted by Opportunity International. The forum had an opportunity to visit Opportunidad Microfinanzas, their Mexican affiliate, meet Opportunidad staff, and learn about its philosophy and operations. They also visited three Opportunidad clients, including women who had used Opportunidad loan funding to start small businesses, and a Trust Group meeting where Opportunidad clients get together weekly for mutual support and education. The following day was a Microcredit Forum meeting attended by YPO and WPO members, some already actively engaged in microcredit as investors and executives and others committed to becoming more involved in microcredit through YPO.

A second London meeting was held in October, in conjunction with a Council of Microfinance Equity Investors conference. Several new Microcredit Forum members joined the London meeting. The group discussed plans for upcoming programs, including a YPO Microcredit Day with leading resources in the field, a proposed microcredit program in Palestine partnering with other PAN peace forums, and development of a youth microcredit fund for YPO and WPO families.

Most importantly, the Forum members have committed to support one another in each member's own microcredit efforts by sharing strategies, contacts and resources. The Forum is open to any YPOers or WPOers with a passion for Microcredit who are willing to make a commitment to the group and its action goals. The next meeting of the Microcredit Forum will be held in Washington D.C. in March.

For more information about Microcredit Forum, please contact Elizabeth Funk at Elizabeth@cmlglobal.com.

Global Conference Calls are also planned for 2005. Topics to be covered in these upcoming calls will include panels on microcredit and the humanitarian crisis in Sudan/Darfur.

PAN has championed several successful Global Conference Calls in the past. These calls, which have covered timely and relevant issues relating to global and regional conflict, have included top resources such as NY Times columnist Tom Friedman. They consistently receive some of YPO's top ratings, and the inside perspective offered makes for a unique "only in YPO" experience.

Ken's career combines experience in non-profit management, international business development and entrepreneurship. Ken has over 5 years of experience managing a non-profit economic development organization funded by US Dept. of Commerce and State of California. He has 10 years of international business development experience in the private sector, including 6 years working in Japan for Japanese companies. Prior to joining Peace Action Network, Ken led an entrepreneurial venture developing new business for US-based technology companies in the Korean market. Ken has a degree in physics from Harvard College and a Master in Public Policy degree from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.