Trudy Rubin: Tribute to the brave men and women in the world

I could cite so many other acts of courage in 2012, by women activists in Egypt, rule-of-law crusaders in China, etc. But all these activists share a common characteristic: They refuse to stop fighting against seemingly insurmountable odds, because they know — as the Arab Spring revolts proved — that we never can predict when history will deliver surprises.

In some cases, U.S. officials can help (by not abandoning Afghan women or by smarter policy on Syria), and concerned U.S. citizens should pressure them to do so. In other cases, we can bring their struggle to the world's attention, support human-rights organizations that defend them — and keep these men and women of courage in our prayers.

Trudy Rubin is a columnist and editorial-board member for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Email trubin@phillynews.com.