Greta Langenskjöld born St. Petersburg, Russia February 6, 1889 (d. 1975) Finnish author and poet; Quaker pacifist; headmistress; biographer of Nicolay, the Christian youth leader; early member of Finnish Fellowship of Reconciliation; aided Russian war refugees in Finland. (photo Geni)
Deborah Norris Logan born Philadelphia, PA October 29, 1761 (d. 1831). Quaker chronicler of her husband Dr. George Logan’s peace missions to France, 1798, England, 1808. The first succeeded in freeing US ships but brought about the Logan Act, barring private peacemaking; the second failed.
On the War of 1812: “A war [could] have been prevented, which (not to count the treasure expended) has cost the lives of many brave and faithful citizens, and destroyed the hopes of many families, besides leaving the bloody footprints of hatred and revenge, which it will take years of peace and philanthropy, to obliterate.” (Memoir of Dr. George Logan, p. 116; portrait wikipedia)
Josephine “Effie” Shaw Lowell born West Roxbury, MA December 16, 1843 (d. 1905). “Grand Dame of the Social Reformers.” Civil War widow; leading woman opponent of US imperialism and Spanish-American and Philippine Wars. Vice-President, Anti-Imperialist League.
“When the people of the United States consent to deprive another people of its rights and liberties, they strike a terrific blow at the foundations upon which stand their own rights and liberties. . . We paid a bitter price to free ourselves from the sin of slavery, and the nation will again pay a bitter price to free itself from the sin of empire, if, driven by fear of financial distress or lured by hope of wealth, it now deserts its ancient ideals.” (John E. Hanson bio. in Social Welfare History Project; photo Wikipedia)
Mary Lampert born Milton, MA April 7, 1942. Anti-nuclear activist. Arrested for trespassing, 1988. Founded Pilgrim Watch opposing Plymouth nuclear plant, 2004. Received Peace Abbey Award, 2015.
“Better active today than radioactive tomorrow!’’ (Boston Globe, April 6, 2008; photo Patriot Ledger)
Eleanor Leacock born Weehawken, NJ July 2, 1922 (d. 1987). Anthropology professor; peace researcher. Antiwar, anti-imperialist, feminist, pro-indigenous rights, disarmament advocate. Humanist Marxist. Founded Anthropologists for Radical Political Action (ARPA), 1972.
“Humanity did not evolve from an innately aggressive forebear as postulated by Thomas Hobbes. By hindsight it is clear that it could not have done so. The basis for the successful evolution of human beings was the group life that both required and made possible cooperative patterns. In turn, cooperation led to and became dependent upon the development refined tools and utensils, and the elaboration of language.” (Gender in Egalitarian Societies”, online Washburn Univ; photo upclosed.com)
Divina Levrini (née Carin Anelli) born Sweden June 24, 1979. Swedish singer; human rights activist. Seized, beaten, and deported by Israel on Boat to Gaza Al-Awda (“Return”), 2018.
“There is a genocide going on by an apartheid regime and the world must act, even if it happens in small acts like these.” (Albawba News, Aug. 5, 2018; photo freedom flotilla)
Yvonne Logan (née Westrate) born Holland, MI December 8, 1919 (d. 2017). Peace activist. President, US WILPF, 1981-85. Co-founded St. Louis Peace Center, 1975; it later became World Community Center, where she served as director. Led Baby Tooth Survey of nuclear fallout, 1958; AFSC draft counselor in Vietnam War. Multiple arrests for antiwar protests.
“I just got this conversion moment that I was going to spend my life on this issue, and I have.” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jun. 28, 2017; photo legacy.com)
Gyrithe Lemche (née Ellen Gyrithe Frisch) born Copenhagen, Denmark April 17, 1866 (d. 1945). “Moses of the Women’s Cause.” Danish novelist and suffragist. Danish delegate to Women's Peace Congress, 1915. Campaigned with women’s association for peace, 1916, and for League of Nations, 1918. Founding member of WILPF forerunner Women’s Peace Chain, 1917.
“It is not novel-writing ladies that the women’s cause needs. No, what we need are campaigners, women with intuition, prophets in women’s clothing.” (Tempeltjenere, Beth Johnson, “Moses of the Women’s Cause”, Dec. 19, 2001; photo pinterest.com)
Ulla Lindström (née Wollin) born Kungsholm Parish, Stockholm, Sweden September 15, 1909 (d. 1999). Swedish politician, school teacher, editor, and feminist. Successfully opposed acquiring nuclear weapons, 1955; Delegate to UN General Assembly, 1947-66, drafting Human Rights Declaration, anti-Apartheid; directed foreign aid “Sweden Helps”, 1953. Chair of Save the Children, 1971-89. Social Democrat only woman in cabinet, Minister of Family and Aid, 1954-66, resigned over foreign aid cut. As first minister for foreign aid, pioneered international family planning and technical assistance; nominated WILPF.
“Public opinion. . . is impatient with those paltry collection boxes at meetings about Congo refugees, lepers in Ethiopia and what-have-you. Why, it wonders, doesn’t the government give substantial aid, enough to really help? . . . The government has been sowing the wind. I have been sowing the wind. Soon we shall reap the storm.” (1960, in Tor Sellström, Sweden and National Liberation, p. 66; photo discogs)
Mia Leche Löfgren (née Ebba Leche) born Lund, Sweden October 10, 1878 (d. 1966). Swedish pacifist author and journalist. Biographer of famous pacifists Ellen Key and Carl von Ossietsky. Vice-President of Swedish Women’s Peace League. Delegate to Women's Peace Congress, 1915, chronicled in her At the Women’s Congress, 1917. Reported on the League of Nations in Federation of Nations, 1925. Co-founder of Committee for Prisoners of War in Siberia.
On the Hague Conference: “[F]or these women there did not seem to exist any national counterparts, they knew and thought as a world citizen. And from everyone's lips the words sounded: we do not want any other benefits for our country than those which can be won without the losses of other countries, for us exists no word for victory, as long as it means defeat to our neighbors.” (Inga-Brita Melin, Lysistrata’s Daughters, p. 145; photo wikipedia)
Helen Lauritzen born November 27, 1937. Founded Seattle Peace Choir in opposition to the Cold War, 1983. Friendship trips to USSR, 1985, 1988; Chile, 1995; Cuba, 1999; Venezuela, 2007.
“The Seattle Peace Chorus began in 1983. It was a time of growing concern about the nuclear arms race. Through our songs, we urged people to build a world of greater understanding and cooperation. . . it was obvious we both believed in the power of music to move the human spirit.” (1985 interview, Peace Song; photo Peninsula Daily News)
Tamara Lorincz (née Moday) born Edmonton, Alberta, Canada March 17, 1959. Canadian peace leader; member of national board Canadian Voice of Women, WILPF, Pugwash Group. Co-founded Vancouver Island Peace & Disarmament Network, 2016.
“NATO is a wrecking ball. . . a transatlantic alliance that violates international law and undermines the UN. Since the end of the Cold War, NATO’s military interventions have fueled instability and insecurity in Eastern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.” (Chronicle Herald, Apr. 25, 2019; photo Balsillie School)
Odette Laguerre (née Garin de Lamorflin) born Constantinople, Ottoman Empire November 7, 1860 (d. 1956). French secondary school headmistress; author and journalist. Militant suffragist; pacifist; antimilitarist. Founding Secretary, International League of Mothers and Teachers of Peace (LIMEP), 1928. Published “For Peace: Historical Lectures for Elementary Instruction”, 1905.
“[Feminism is] an impulse for justice that tends to equalize the rights and responsibilities of man and woman. . . feminism is not only an impulse for justice, but for liberty that marks the end of the reign of Man, or what Jules Bois calls anthropocentrism.” (What is Feminism?, 1905)
Yanghee Lee born Seoul, South Korea July 24, 1956. Korean human rights expert; psychology professor. Founded International Child Rights Center; Chair of UN Committee on Rights of the Child, 2007-11; Vice-Chair of National Committee for Peace Reunification; Special Rapporteur of UN Human Rights Commission on Rohingya, 2017.
“Time is of the essence ever more so in Myanmar now!” (to UNHRC, Oct. 30, 2017; photo UNICEF)
Mehrezia Maїza Labidi born El Meziraâ, Hammamet, Tunisia December 17, 1963. Tunisian politician. Vice-President, Tunisian Assembly, contributing to new constitution, 2011. Named Honorary President, Religions for Peace, 2015.
“The use of nuclear weapons and even their possession is not consistent with our religious values, moral principles, and the humanitarian law. We pray for us and for all humanity to find the wisdom and courage to banish for all time these instruments of destruction.” (Resource Guide on Nuclear Disarmament; photo Wikipedia)
Gerd von der Lippe born Norway November 16, 1942. Norwegian professor of sports sociology; feminist and journalist. Organized Gaza Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC); arrested by Israel in international waters aboard Al-Awda (“Return”), 2018.
“The UN has stated that the Israeli blockade is a 'violation of international law' . . . The most important work for the FFC is to end the illegal Israeli blockade of Gaza. Two million Palestinian people there are living in hell in the largest detention centre in the world. The Israelis are conducting a mass psychological experiment and this is a global crime, which the FFC continues to fight against in a non-violent way.” (Memo: Middle East Monitor, Aug. 28, 2018; photo twitter.com)
Yvonne Logan (née Westrate) born Holland, MI December 8, 1919 (d. 2017). Peace activist; President, US WILPF, 1981-85. Co-founder, St. Louis Peace Center; Director, World Community Center, 1975. Led Baby Tooth Survey of nuclear fallout, 1958. AFSC draft counselor in Vietnam War; multiple arrests for antiwar protests. (photo legacy.com)
Scarlett Lewis born Fayetteville, AK June 19, 1968. Founded Choose Love movement in response to murder of her 6-year-old son in Sandy Hook school massacre, 2012.
“My message has been the same for five years. This is what I’ve been doing consistently, since a few weeks after Jesse’s murder. It all started when I found a message that Jesse had left on the chalkboard in our kitchen. I found it a few days after his murder. He had written three words: 'nurturing healing love.' I knew immediately that if Adam Lanza, our shooter, had been able to give and receive nurturing, healing love, that the tragedy never would have happened. I knew it would be my mission in life to spread this message.” (The Atlantic, Mar. 28, 2018; photo Seattle Times)
Margaret Laurence (née Jean Margaret Weymss) born Neepawa, Manitoba, Canada July 18, 1926 (d. 1987). Canadian author and peace activist. Leader of Project Ploughshares & Operation Dismantle against cruise missiles; Director of Energy Probe on nuclear power 1982-85. Publicly rebuked Prime Minister Trudeau for US military overflights. Co-founded Arts for Peace; sympathetically portrayed life in Ghana and Somaliland.
And may we learn
We are one People
In our only home
Earth. Amen.
(“Prayer for Peace”; portrait by Lezley Davidson)
Belle Case La Follette born Summit, WI April 21, 1859 (d. 1931). Progressive lawyer, suffragist and journalist; co-founded Women's Peace Party 1917, WILPF 1915, Women's Committee for World Disarmament 1921, National Council for Prevention of War 1921; opposed US entry into World War I, conscription and Espionage Act.
To the Senate, citing Lincoln's words about the government of for and by the people: "Are not women people?" (1913; photo Wikipedia)
Women in Peace
is dedicated to highlighting the achievements of extraordinary, peacemaking women from around the world.
