By Tom Ryan, Kansas City Star Reader Advisory Panel

For those readers who have engaged in the work of peace, those engaged at this moment, the real prize is the work. Those with experience tells us that the work never stops. Collectively we can say that there are many paths to peace. President Obama’s award can be shared with those doing the work.

Leaders know that the work of peace happens everyday at embassies, consulates, fire bases, food distribution camps, in boardrooms, at sea, with airlifts of food and shelter, on patrols, in clinics, and even in deadly firefights. There’s a great deal to this working for peace. The spectrum of jobs is wide. No one owns the job field. Paradoxically it unites a lot of people from various partisan tribes, religious denominations, and ethnic claim areas.

For those reading who have done the work, in whatever capacity they’ve done it, for those doing it today, for those training or at school learning things to help them do it in the future, this prize our President will receive that celebrates peace, is perhaps better characterized as an affirmation that the work is the thing.

…there’s the image of the soldier at this moment, ruckin’ up for a patrol, hearing this announcement on his buddy’s laptop…a pause, and then on with the day. This peace thing is work that never quits, but it’s good work.