Mina Kruseman

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Overview

Mina Kruseman born Velp, Gelderland, Netherlands September 25, 1839 (d. 1922). Pioneering Dutch feminist and pacifist; militant feminist; concert singer named "Oristorio di Frama"; grew up in Dutch East Indies; author, including book on marriage in Indonesia (1872); daughter of military officer, she opposed Franco-German war 1870 and First World War.

Quotations

"We, the women of the world, do not want war more and we will do everything we can to prevent it in the future." (1916 pamphlet, Kunstbus.nl; photo mareonline.nl)

Maggie Kuhn

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Overview

Maggie Kuhn born Buffalo, NY August 3, 1905 (d. 1995). Radical nonviolent social reformer; founded Grey Panthers 1970 against agism, sexism and militarism; first protest opposed Vietnam War Aug. 1970.

Quotations

"We called for an immediate end to the war. We all felt the war was a catastrophe." (No Stone Unturned, p. 136, 1991; photo tucsoncitizen.com)

Ida Kuklina

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Overview

Ida Kuklina born Russia April 15, 1934. Founded Committee of Soldiers' Mothers Against the Chechen War, 1989. Received Right Livelihood Award, 1996.

Quotations

"The mothers' love, the mother’s aspirations to defend their children turned very soon into the conscious human rights activity with the general purpose—to prevent the violations of human rights of those soldiers who were taken to the army for compulsory military service, of draftees and also of their parents." (Right Livelihood Award acceptance speech, Dec. 9, 1996; photo Right Livelihood Award)

Anna Kuliscioff

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Overview

Anna Kuliscioff (née Rosenstein) born Moskaya, Crimea January 9, 1854 (d. 1925) Italian feminist, socialist-anarchist doctor and editor; opposed World War I and Mussolini.

Quotations

"What perversion, what bestial impulses, what general degeneration! It makes me shiver just to think that in cold blood, without heat, without passion, without real fanaticism, one can carry out such ignoble and repugnant gestures." (description of fascists in World War I, Turati & K 1977 IV/2, pp. 808-9, from O'Brien, p. 181; 1908 photo Wikipedia)

Leopoldine Kulka

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Overview

Leopoldine Kulka born Vienna, Austria March 31, 1872 (d. 1920). Austrian feminist and writer. Founding member of WILPF; first editor of International Woman Suffrage Alliance (IWSA) magazine Jus Suffragii. Founded Austrian Women's Federation peace party, 1917.

Quotations

"This is the woman’s task: to oppose the principle of mutual help in every sphere to the principle of strife, in the relations between individuals, between classes, between the sexes, between nations, between States, between races." (Jus Suffragii, April 1, 1915, p. 289; photo peoplecheck.de)

Zofia Kuratowska

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Overview

Zofia Kuratowska born Skolimów-Konstancin, Poland July 20, 1921. Physician, activist, and politician. Leading female organizer of Solidarity movement, 1980. Protested state of war, 1982. President of Senate, 1989-97.

Quotations

“I promised—and we all said this—to tell the truth, and to vote for what we believe is fair, and against what is unfair, and to take into account what the people want, and that our goal was not improvement of the situation, but a change of the system.” (New York Times, June 23, 1983; photo wyborcza.pl)

Aki Kurose

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Overview

Aki Kurose (née Akiko Kato) born Seattle, WA February 11, 1925 (d. 1998). Japanese-American Quaker and peace educator. Honored teacher of peace and nonviolence in Seattle schools. Active in CORE & WILPF; opposed nuclear submarines. Placed in internment camp, 1942.

Quotations

"You call yourself the education president, but one stealth bomber could fund how many good teachers?" (to President Bush, on receiving Presidential Teaching Award, 1990)

"Without peace, real learning cannot take place. Real interaction with others. . . meaningful interaction, cannot take place." (Interview I, Segment 30 in historylink.org; photo Densho Encyclopedia)

Gertrud Kurz-Hohl

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Overview

Gertrud Kurz-Hohl born Lűtzenberg, Switzerland March 15, 1890 (d. 1972). Heroine of the Holocaust; founder and leader of Swiss refugee relief in World War II. Known as the "Mother of Refugees." Leader in Youth Action for Peace and Christian Peace Corps. Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize, 1961, 1962; awarded Albert Schweitzer Prize, 1965.

Quotations

“Actually we should have sat down on the steps of the Parliament building and refused to go away until the asylum policy was made more humane.” (The Righteous of Switzerland, 2000, vol. II, p. 31; photo Seniorweb.ch)

Fuki Kushida

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Overview

Fuki Kushida born Yamaguchi, Japan February 17, 1899 (d. 2001). Leading Japanese feminist; anti-nuclear peace advocate. President of Federation of Japanese Women’s Organizations, 1958. Protested US military presence on Okinawa and sexual assaults committed by foreign servicemen.

Quotations

“As long as U.S. bases exist there, our fear will never end and violence against women will continue.” (The Day, July 8, 2000; photo amazon.co.uk)

Zofka Kveder

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Overview

Zofka Kveder born Ljubljana, Slovenia, Hungary April 22, 1878 (d. 1926). Pioneer Slovene and Croat writer, playwright, journalist; only Slovene woman at founding WILPF The Hague 1915, chosen by Croatian women, as part of Hungarian delegation; feminist author Mystery of a Woman.

Quotations

“I am not afraid of death, if I am to die soon, all right. But I love life. Life is something marvellous, wonderful, big, strong. The feeling of life, the great and strong feeling of being, is something elevated and beautiful. . . Do not be afraid of life!” (letter to Vadosa Jalovsek, Feb. 2, 1915, 3 months before the conference; photo it.wikipedia)

“All who comprehend the values of other nations will never be chauvinists, will never think of themselves better.” (antiwar novel Hanka, in Katja Poniš, “Slovene Writers,” p. 38)