Not for Granted

About the Book

Maria Cruickshank has lived her life in the service of others. As a United Nations worker assigned to several peacekeeping missions, she has lived and worked in some of the most beautiful, interesting, and dangerous places on Earth. Now she shares her personal and professional memoirs of more than twenty years working to make the world a safer, more compassionate, and healthier place for all—qualities of basic human dignity that should never be taken for granted.

She grew up in turbulent Guatemala, and some of her earliest memories involve visiting her father in a high-risk prison in her home country. Throughout her life, her work has taken her to Austria, Kosovo, Macedonia, Sierra Leone, Greece, India, and the killing fields of Cambodia. She has witnessed magical experiences and lived in environments that were by turns magnificent, turbulent, colorful, and delightful.

Through her eyes, you can get a glimpse of life in these exotic, mysterious, and often misunderstood places—as well as the people who call them home.

About the Author

Maria Cruickshank worked with the United Nations and other international organizations for more than twenty years. Because of her UN peacekeeping assignments, she lived in countries in conflict, including Cambodia, Kosovo, Macedonia, and Sierra Leone. She speaks English, French, German, Russian, and Spanish. Originally from Guatemala, she now lives in Toowoomba, Australia.