Susan Morton Blaustein facts for kids

Susan Morton Blaustein (born in 1953) is an American leader who helps people around the world. She is a professor, a writer, and a composer.

Susan started an organization called WomenStrong International. This group helps local women's organizations in different countries. They work together to share ideas and find solutions to make life better for women and families in cities. Their goal is to help achieve equality for everyone. Susan also teaches at Columbia University. Before this, she was a journalist who wrote about human rights. She was also a talented composer who won many awards for her music.

Early Life and Learning

Susan Blaustein was born in Palo Alto, California, and grew up in Baltimore, Maryland.

Her family has a history of making a difference. Her great-grandfather and grandfather created a special kind of gasoline in 1911. They started a company called American Oil Company (AMOCO). Her grandfather, Jacob Blaustein, was also a leader in human rights. He worked with several US presidents, like Harry S. Truman and John F. Kennedy. He helped make sure human rights were included in the United Nations rules. He also helped get support for people affected by the Holocaust.

Susan went to The Park School in Baltimore. She then studied music at Pomona College, where she learned to play piano and compose music. She continued her music studies in Belgium and at Yale School of Music.

While at Yale, Susan won many awards for her music. She also received grants from groups like the National Endowment for the Arts. Later, she was a special fellow at Harvard University. There, she wrote more music, including a large piece for singers and orchestra.

Her Work

Susan's career began with music. At Yale, she composed many pieces, including her "Fantasie for Piano Solo." During her time at Harvard, she finished her "Song of Songs," which was first performed by the American Composers Orchestra in 1985. She also wrote a cello concerto.

From 1985 to 1989, she was a music professor at Columbia University. She continued to compose music and learn from other famous composers.

In 1988, Susan's life changed when she visited Manila, Philippines. Her husband, Alan Berlow, opened the first National Public Radio office there. Susan saw the difficulties many people faced in Manila. This experience made her want to help. She started reporting on the lives of people dealing with extreme poverty and unfairness.

Susan reported from many countries, including the Philippines, Cambodia, and Vietnam. She wrote about conflicts, politics, and social problems. Her articles appeared in well-known magazines and newspapers like The New Yorker and The Washington Post.

In 1998, she started working with the International Crisis Group. She focused on helping people in places like Bosnia, Kosovo, and Serbia. She worked with other groups to help people affected by conflicts. She later joined the Coalition for International Justice. There, she continued to report on serious human rights issues and financial problems caused by leaders like Slobodan Milošević and Saddam Hussein. Her work helped bring attention to these important issues.

In 2006, Susan helped start The Millennium Cities Initiative. This project aimed to help cities in Africa become more sustainable. During this work, Susan noticed something important: women in these cities always knew the problems their communities faced and had ideas to fix them. However, they often didn't have the resources or support to make their ideas happen.

Because of this, Susan and her colleagues founded WomenStrong International in 2014–15. This organization gives money and support to groups that work to improve the lives of women and girls in cities worldwide. Since it started, WomenStrong International has given out almost $10 million in grants. It now works with 18 partner organizations in 15 different countries.

Other Activities

Susan Blaustein has also served on the boards of many non-profit organizations. These include groups like Physicians for Human Rights and Millennium Promise. She also helps guide two family foundations.

Awards and Recognition

Susan has received many awards for her work. In 1988, she received a Guggenheim Fellowship. She also won awards from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Many famous artists and groups have performed her music. These include the American Composers Orchestra and the Kronos Quartet.

In 2019, Susan was named one of the "21 Leaders for the 21st Century" by Women's eNews. She also received the Ban Ki-moon Award for Women's Empowerment in 2018.

Works

Some of Susan Blaustein's musical works include:

• To Orpheus for chorus, based on poems by Rainer Maria Rilke, 1922
• Ricercate: String Quartet No. 1, 1981

She has also written articles for professional journals, such as "The Survival of Aesthetics."