Mary Bowerman writes for USA Today.

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#IWillProtectYou: U.S. Service Members Soothe Scared Muslim Girl

by Mary Bowerman 12-23-2015

Via Twitter.

U.S. service members are using the hashtag #IWillProtectYou to show support for a young Muslim girl who believed her family would be forced to flee following Donald Trump’s call to ban Muslims from the country.

Are Foreign Aid Workers Unprepared for Violence Abroad?

by Mary Bowerman 02-11-2015
Photo courtesy of REUTERS / Nancy Wiechec / RNS

A sign for Kayla Mueller is in Prescott on February 10, 2015. Photo courtesy of REUTERS / Nancy Wiechec / RNS

The risk of foreign aid work, especially for young people, has again been thrust into the national spotlight after the death of 26-year-old Kayla Mueller.

Mueller, a foreign aid worker, was confirmed dead Feb. 10 after being taken hostage by Islamic extremists in 2013 in Syria.

Even as aid organizations have improved security protocols over the past several years, workers can be placed in war-torn areas where safety cannot be guaranteed, said Abby Stoddard of Humanitarian Outcomes, a research and policy group for humanitarian agencies.

And those who feel compelled to take part in easing human suffering abroad may put safety second.