Emilia Broomé

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Overview

Emilia Broomé (née Lothigius) born Jönköping, Sweden January 13, 1866 (d. 1925). Founded Swedish Women's Peace Organization, 1898; WILPF leader; first woman in Swedish national legislature, 1914.

Quotations

“Sure that the growth of civilization will be able to overcome ancient barbarity, we look,forward confidently to the future, when respect for the right will be stronger than the inclination to violence, and the nations will no longer be divided against one another, but will stand together in peaceful and friendly cooperation.” (Advocate of Peace 1907, p. 101; photo http://bit.ly/y7cvEN)

Brigid Brophy

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Overview

Brigid Brophy, Lady Levey born London, England June 12, 1929 (d. 1995). British author and playwright. Feminist, pacifist, socialist pamphleteer, and social reformer. Waged vigorous public campaign against Vietnam War.

Quotations

On war: “[It is the result of nations'] unconscious lust to bring destruction on themselves by way of punishment.” (Black Ship to Hell, 1962, p. 40; photo vegansociety.com)

Flora Brovina

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Overview

Flora Brovina born Skënderaj, Kosovo September 30, 1949. Kosovar Albanian poet and pediatrician; tortured during 19 months Serbian prison; Millennium Women's Peace Prize 2001.

Quotations

"I would urge all Albanian intellectuals to raise their voices and speak out against violence and in favour of reconciliation. As a woman, I would offer my hand to Serb women as that is what women should do—build bridges, help." (Independent, Dec. 10, 1999; photo othervoicespoetry.org)

Gertrude Foster Brown

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Overview

Gertrude Foster Brown born Morrison, IL January 29, 1867 (d. 1956). Concert pianist; suffragist; editor; active promoter of League of Nations; representative of Women's Action Committee for Victory and Lasting Peace at UN founding San Francisco, 1945.

Quotations

"The protection and care of human life has always been woman's great business in life." (Your Vote, 1918, pref.; photo http://bit.ly/GJHCEf)

Rosemary Brown

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Overview

Rosemary Brown (née Wedderburn) born Kingston, Jamaica June 17, 1930 (d. 2003). Canadian Black human rights leader, first Black in provincial legislature, served 15 years 1972-86; professor of women's studies; Chief of Ontario Human Rights Commission; early member of pacifist Voice of Women.

Quotations

"Unless all of us are free, none of us will be free. . . Until all of us have made it, none of us have made it." (photo collectionscanada.gc.ca)

Antoinette Brown Blackwell

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Overview

Antoinette Louisa Brown Blackwell born Henrietta, NY May 20, 1825 (d. 1921). Feminist, abolitionist, suffrage orator; author of books on science and philosophy; first woman Congregational Minister; mobbed at World's Temperance Convention 1843.

Quotations

"The struggle for existence is but a perfected system of cooperations in which all sentient and unsentient forces mutually co-work in securing the highest ultimate for good." (Studies in General Science, 1869; photo Unit.-Universalists)

Minnijean Brown-Trickey

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Overview

Minnijean Brown-Trickey born Little Rock, AR September 11, 1941. Civil rights activist. At age 16 one of Little Rock Nine who desegregated Central High School; expelled for calling girl "white trash" who hit her with her purse, and spilling chili onto floor in front of harassing boys; exiled during Vietnam War to Canada where she supported First Nation issues; Interior Dept. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Diversity under Clinton 1999-2001; Congressional Gold Medal 1999.

Quotations

"The general feeling was if she [Rosa Parks] could do it, we could do it. . . She was really a heroine to us. She was an ordinary woman and we were ordinary kids and it seems we had a relationship." ("Little Rock Nine member calls Parks an inspiration", Associated Press, Oct. 26, 2005; photo thirteen.org)

Mary N. Brownell

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Overview

Mary N. Brownell born Maryland County, Liberia March 12, 1929. Liberian educator; crusader for peace, women’s rights, and democracy. Founded Liberian Women’s Initiative (LWI), which was crucial to ending civil war, 1994. Active in postwar reconciliation. Honored as Ambassador for Peace by the Interreligious and International Foundation for World Peace, 2006.

Quotations

“The women attended all of the peace conferences; we were never invited but we made our way there. They would say, ‘You are here again?’ I would say ‘Anywhere you men go I will follow you until you decide to put the guns down and stop fighting.’” (Critical Half, Fall 2007, p. 17; photo trcofliberia.org)

Carrie Brownstein

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Overview

Carrie Brownstein born Redmond, WA September 27, 1974. Antiwar guitarist.

Quotations

On Iraq war: "[T]he goal of this rhetoric is so that people will forget what we are actually doing over there. No one wants to think about the fact that people are dying." (March 3, 2004)

The good old boys are back on top again
And if we let them lead us blindly
The past becomes the future once again

("Combat Rock" 2003)

Margaret K. Bruce

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Overview

Margaret “Molly” Bruce (née Kitchen) born Batley, Yorkshire, England July 13, 1918 (d. 2012). Human rights activist. Lifelong UN employee, 1946-77. Secretary of Human Rights Commission under Eleanor Roosevelt during the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1946. Deputy Secretary General, responsible for organizing International Women's Year and first World Conference on Women, Mexico, 1975. (photo unhistory.org)

 

Edith Bruck

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Overview

Edith Bruck (née Steinschreiber) born Tiszakarád, Hungary May 3, 1932. Italian writer, poet and cinematographer; holocaust survivor. Member of Ara Pacis Initiative Council for Dignity, Forgiveness, Justice & Reconciliation.

Quotations

"As long as arms, political powers, economic interests, nationalism, hidden or open dictatorships, concealed democracies, peoples in misery, trafficking of the young, and starving children dominate our world, peace is and shall remain an abused word without any meaning and humanity will not be human."

"Love from human to human which has real and profound civil and spiritual meaning, which is capable of capturing and fertilizing pacifism between individuals, groups, ethnicities and religions." (Ara Pacis Initiative on Forgiveness; photo women in culture)

Janet Bruin

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Overview

Janet Bruin born Philadelphia, PA January 23, 1945 (d. 1996). Swiss-American; second generation WILPF member; editor of WILPF publication Pax et Libertas.

Quotations

"[WILPF is] a remarkable organization. . . a real tribute to women—to our vision, to our stubbornness, and our love." (Women for All Seasons, p. 171).

"I'm in the peace movement because I love life. I refuse to sit back and let this precious planet be destroyed." ("Black Movements," WILPF, Sept. 1985)

Esther Caukin Brunauer

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Overview

Esther Caukin Brunauer born Jackson, CA July 7, 1901 (d. 1959). American internationalist, expert on establishing international organizations: Dumbarton Oaks for UN and UNESCO 1946, with rank of Minister; expert on Nazi Germany; Exec. Secretary Am. Assn. University Women; fired from State Dept. 1952 after McCarthy attacks.

Quotations

"The nations of the world must work together for the betterment of human life and must develop such strong ties among their peoples that war will eventually become unthinkable." (UNESCO AAUP Bulletin, p. 32, Spring 1947; photo UN)

Gro Harlem Brundtland

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Overview

Gro Harlem Brundtland born Oslo, Norway April 20, 1939. Head of World Commission on Development and Environment 1983; three times prime minister of Norway, first woman and youngest ever; first woman to head World Health Organization 1998-2003; UN Special Envoy for Climate Change 2007; Charlemagne Prize 1994.

Quotations

"Women power is a formidable force." (Final address Beijing Women's Conference; photo WHO)

Louise Bruyn

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Overview

Louise Bruyn (née Muenzer) born Chicago, IL May 23, 1931. Quaker peace activist. Walked 450 miles from Newton, MA to Washington DC in 45 days to protest expansion of Vietnam War to Laos, 1971. Published memoir She Walked for All of Us: One Woman’s 1971 Protest Against an Illegal War, 2013.

Quotations

“I felt that I must break my own routine in order to make my protest heard. For me, this is what my action means. I am speaking as strongly as I know how. It is my deep hope that others will be moved to take some action which for them is right-as strongly as they know how-to end the war. . . I am asking them to look for alternatives, to actively say no to the death machine which is war, in their own way." (Boston College, The Heights, March 2, 1971; photo dennispubliclibrary)