Women peacemakers born today

1861 Alice Locke Park born Boston, MA (d. 1961). Absolute pacifist; opposed Spanish-American War; quit Unitarian society over its failure to oppose World War I. Delegate to International Women's Congress for Peace and Freedom, the Hague, 1915; member of Ford Peace Expedition, 1915; leader of WILPF. Founded Palo Alto Women's Peace Party, 1915. Her poem "Disarm Christmas" opposed the giving of war toys.
1866 Alice Chown born Ontario, Canada (d. 1949). Canadian radical pacifist and suffragist. Active at Hague Peace Conference, 1915; founded Women's Peace Organization in Toronto and Women's League of Nations Association, 1930.
1909 Simone Weil born Paris, France (d. 1943). Philosopher and social activist. Advocate of nonviolence; anarchist. Aided German communists fleeing Hitler's regime, 1932; took part in France's general strike, 1933.
1952 Ruth Misselwitz born Zützen, Brandenburg, Germany. Protestant pastor. Founded Pankow Peace Circle, opposing East German regime, 1981; leader of Women for Peace, 1982. Led church peace and environmental movement in GDR; Action Reconciliation chairman.
1957 Sima Samar born Jaghori, Afghanistan. UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in Sudan, 2005; current Chairperson of Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. Recipient of numerous human rights awards, including the Tipperary International Peace Prize, 2010.

Women's peacemaking on this day

1893 Abigail Ashbrook of Willingboro, NJ refused to pay her taxes because she was denied the right to vote.

1939 Gandhi's wife Kasturba arrested in nonviolent protest at Rajkot, India.
1969 The UN Commission on the Status of Women passed Resolution 4(XXII), calling for special protection for women and children in armed conflict.
2003 Deidre Clancy, Nuin Dunlop and Karen Fallon arrested Shannon airport for attempt to disarm US plane bound for Iraq War; acquitted by jury 2006.