Almost twenty years ago I went to the Gaza Strip for the first time with my sister, Carol Spencer Mitchell. From 1984 to 1994 she worked as a photojournalist for Newsweek whose beat was the Arab world ,and her ongoing assignment was to focus on the terrorism happening in that...

This week the United Nations will convene world leaders to discuss topics from global warming to the spread of nuclear weapons. Among the meetings will also be the United Nations Human Rights Commission of which our South American neighbor, Chile, is a member.

Last month I was privileged to...

Years ago I watched Al Pacino in a film called Dog Day Afternoon in which there were no dogs; just a botched bank robbery and a sad ending. Lately, it seems that there are a lot of sad endings for dogs and cats and any animal that doesn't have...

It is almost Mother's Day. I find myself running around in a quandary, wondering what to buy, stopping in various stores to find appropriate Mother's Day cards for my mom, my sister, my step-daughter, my daughter-in-law, my best friend, my husband's secretary, my assistant -- well, you get the picture....

This past April 15th marked the 5th anniversary of my sister's death.

Carol Spencer Mitchell: Fearless Photojournalist, Loving Wife and Mother, Her indomitable spirit lives on. 1954-2004.

Of course, how much can you put on a gravestone? My sister led an unbelievable life. She went to Israel in 1984 to...

As a yellow dog Democrat, I returned from the Denver Convention full of...

We often take for granted our right to vote, to work, to speak out and even to wear the clothes that we do. In many countries around the world that isn't the case. Kavita Ramdas, who heads up the Global Fund For Women, explained to me how and why her...

BALANCING YOUR LIFE: " I had everything a woman could want," fashion designer Dana Buchman, said, and then her perfect world fell apart. Her baby daughter was diagnosed with learning difficulties, and Dana was ashamed of being ashamed. So she wrote "A Special Education" about her experience.

Ellen Susman:...

Pardon me, but I'm pissed off.

For more than seven years I have been beating the drum about "Balancing Your Life." I have a television series by that name that's airing nationally on PBS in 78 markets; I have produced conferences about it, and I even blog about it here....

The recent resignation of Senator Larry Craig brings up a lot of questions that are ancillary to his arrest and conviction in an undercover sex sting. Besides the jokes about whether or not you should tap your feet in the stall, or ask for toilet paper by putting your hand...

Usually my weekly blog consists of an interview with one of the fabulous women from "Balancing Your Life". But this week, as I finish up the summer in Aspen, Colorado, I have been reflecting on the past 24 years that I have lived here; 12 of those as a fulltime...

Almost a year and a half ago, I interviewed contemporary artist and icon, Elizabeth Murray, in her New York City studio. Despite undergoing cancer treatment, and being frail in appearance, Elizabeth was upbeat, funny and astute, whether the topic was art, being a female artist, motherhood, or cancer. I was...

Self doubt, procrastination, fear and loathing are all issues that come up when women talk about managing money. Consuelo Mack has seen it all in her career, first as a broker for Merrill Lynch and then, as the Managing Editor and Anchor of the Wall Street Journal Report, which she...

Volunteering is good for the human spirit and the world. Jane Olson has spent a lifetime volunteering for causes that promote international peace and justice. This wife and grandmother of eight spoke with me about the passion and commitment it takes to make a difference in the world and why...

This week in Dallas, the largest Muslim charity in the country goes to trial with the United States government over accusations that donated funds are suspected of supporting and financing terrorism. Federal judges have the responsibility of upholding and interpreting the law in complicated, multi-layered situations. Lee Rosenthal is a...

By now, most people agree that climate change is a real issue. Two billion people tuned in to watch and celebrate Live Earth. California is set to build the world's largest solar farm and in my backyard, bears are breaking into homes since there is not enough food in the...

Last week's defeat of the proposed Immigration Bill in Congress was another setback for the many Hispanics and other immigrants who work in this country. A survey conducted by the American Friends Service Committee found that more than 66% of Americans supported a legal path to permanent residency and eventual...

In the 80's, it was the "Mommy Track." The 90's brought us women who cracked the glass ceiling, and the 21st century has us wondering how we can handle having it all. Back in 2001, I was at a Yale school of Management conference and Indra Nooyi, the CEO of...