Dora Marsden

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Overview

Dora Marsden born Marsden, England March 5, 1882 (d. 1960). British feminist; suffragist; philosopher. Abused in prison for suffrage protests, 1910-11; opposed World War I.

Quotations

On the rush to war: “The verbal virtue begins where the living strength ends.” (Aug. 1, 1914)

On public cry for war: “‘Mumbo-jumbo, Law and Mesopotamia' can always be relied on to work all the tricks, and cloak all the spoof." (Egoist, Sept. 1914, in Times Literary Supplement, D. Hibberd, Jan. 18, 2004; photo Wikipedia)

Catherine E. Marshall

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Overview

Catherine E. Marshall born Harrow, England April 29, 1880 (d. 1961). British nonviolent feminist and suffragist, co-founded WILPF on her 35th birthday 1915; Secretary of No-Conscription Fellowship 1916; promoted League of Nations and UN.

Quotations

"When we think of our soldiers and sailors we think of what they suffer. . . But we should also think of the suffering we send them forth to inflict—not from choice of theirs, but because we have found no better way." (Nov. 1914, "Anti-War Suffragists." in Jo Vellacott, History, p. 62, 1977; photo spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk)

Ingela Mårtensson

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Overview

Ingela Mårtensson born Ström, Sweden August 19, 1939. Swedish politician and peace leader; Liberal member of parliament 1985-94; opposed militarization by NATO; President Peoples Movement NO to EU, with NATO tie; against Indonesian war in Timor 1993.

Quotations

“States should not be able to justify violations of human rights in the fight against terrorism.” (motion in Parliament, Jan. 25, 1994; photo riksdagen)

Harriet Martineau

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Overview

Harriet Martineau born Norwich, England June 12, 1802 (d. 1876). "Mother of Sociology." Abolitionist; feminist; historian; transcendentalist philosopher. Early advocate of care for battle-wounded.

Quotations

"It was my fixed resolution never to mortgage my brains."

"How did we become involved in an Afghan war, which cost us a deluge of blood and tears?" (British Rule in India, p. 301, 1857; photo spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk)

Alice Masaryk

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Overview

Alice Masaryk born Vienna, Austria May 3, 1879 (d. 1966). Czech humanitarian, sociologist; founded first national social work school 1928; “First Lady of Czechosovakia” 1922-35; nurse in WWI, of which she disapproved; imprisoned Vienna 9 months for treason, as daughter of Thomas Masaryk (first Czech President); first President Czech Red Cross 1919; exiled 1939-45, 1949ff.

Quotations

“Forget, for an instant, to think of yourself in order to find your real self in thinking of others.” (to Red Cross, July 15, 1921, Ruth Mitchell bio, p. 119; photo radio praha)

Muriel Matters

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Overview

Muriel Matters born Bowden, Adelaide, Australia November 12, 1877 (d. 1969). British militant suffragist; international speaker; actress and Montessori teacher. Organized English suffrage caravan, 1908. Imprisoned one month for chaining herself to ladies’ grille in parliament, 1908. Distributed pamphlet “Votes for Women” via balloon, 1909. Spoke against WWI with her speech “The False Mysticism of War”, 1915.

Quotations

“Love of humanity at large does not involve a denial of love to those nearest to us. Love international does not involve a denial of patriotism but really secures it. Some of us are convinced that humanity is above nationality.”

“Thus love is the liberator, war the enslaver.” (June 30, 1915; photo Muriel Matters Society)

Marie Mayoux

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Overview

Marie Mayoux (née Josephine Bourgon), Lesterps, Cherente, France April 24, 1878 (d. 1969). French Socialist internationalist and anarcho-syndicalist teacher's union organizer. Began first pacifist opposition to World War I; she and husband tried for inciting desertions, 1917, sentenced to 6 months prison, increased to two years on appeal.

Quotations

"Enough Blood!" (manifesto, July 1, 1917; photo ephemanar.net)

Rosa Obermayer Mayreder

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Overview

Rosa Obermayer Mayreder born Vienna, Austria November 30, 1858 (d. 1938). Feminist; musician and artist; opposed World War I; first chairperson of WILPF, 1919.

Quotations

"General military service, as it exists on the continent of Europe, is the worst form of slavery with which a free humanity has ever been burdened. Through it, all men become the bondmen of their State." (Survey of the Woman Problem, 1913, p. 102; photo Ariadne Projekt)

Mary McAleese

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Overview

Mary McAleese (née Leneghan) born Ardoyne, Belfast, Northern Ireland June 27, 1957. Second woman president of Ireland, 1997, who made her goal "Building Bridges" to create peace.

Quotations

"My own vision is a global vision—one of reconciliation of all classes and creeds—nonetheless, I know those words are meaningless unless we work one heart at a time." (Kennedy School Bulletin Archives, Spring 1999; photo Wikipedia)

Carolyn McAskie

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Overview

Carolyn McAskie born Glasgow, Scotland December 15, 1946. Diplomat. Canadian diplomat, High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and Maldives, 1986-89. Emergency Relief Coordinator, 1999-2001; UN Humanitarian Envoy for humanitarian crisis in Cote d'Ivoire, 2003. Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, 1999-2004; led UN Peacekeeping Burundi, 2004-06. UN Assistant Secretary General for Peacebuilding, heading new UN Peacebuilding Commission, 2006-08.

Quotations

“Peace talks are nearly always amongst those who fought the war, whereas they should be among those who will build the peace, the peacebuilders; and women are an important component of that. Women also need to be represented in post-conflict planning and governance to make sure that women's issues are addressed. The basic concept here is that if women aren't at the table, the chances of their issues being addressed are very low.” (quote and photo SGI Quarterly, Jan. 2011)

Patricia McKenna

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Overview

Patricia McKenna born Castleshane, Monaghan, Ireland March 13, 1957. Irish internationalist politician. First Green Party delegate to European Parliament, 1994-2004. President of Europeans United for Democracy, 2010-present; advocated democratization of UN. Led boycott of products of Burmese junta; opposed American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; protested US use of Shannon Air Base for wars; opposed militarization of European community.

Quotations

“The oneness of this planet has been brought home increasingly to the world's population this century, with most of the latter half clouded by possible global annihilation from nuclear war. . . People power has never been so possible or so potent. We must organise and make common cause for our extraordinary common planet.” (Uniting for Peace, Feb. 2015; photo Europeans United for Democracy)

Priscilla Bright McLaren

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Overview

Priscilla Bright McLaren born Rochdale, Lancashire, England September 8, 1815 (d. 1906). British social reformer; Quaker abolitionist, suffragist, absolute pacifist. Vice-president of Peace Society, 1890; active in International Arbitration & Peace Association. Organized national Peace Conference to oppose Crimean War, Edinburgh, 1853. Promoted international suffrage movement and representation of British colonies.

Quotations

On the Boer War: “Satan is in great form everywhere.” (Christine Bolt, Sisterhood Questioned?, p. 22; photo wpclipart.com)

Violet McNaughton

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Overview

Violet McNaughton (née Jackson) born Borden, Kent, England November 11, 1879 (d. 1968). Canadian journalist; WILPF leader; farm women organizer.

Quotations

"We have taught the world that 'woman power' is about the cheapest power on earth. We never put a value on the labour which goes into this or that task." (Sask. Human Rights report 2004, p. 11; photo U. Sask.)

Monica McWilliams

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Overview

Monica McWilliams born Ballymoney, Northern Ireland April 28, 1954. Catholic professor, politician, and peacemaker. Involved in negotiation of Good Friday Agreement between Ireland and Northern Ireland, 1998. Head of Irish Human Rights Commission, 2005-08. Worked in Colombia, Palestine, South Africa, Timor Leste, and Uganda on conflict-related issues; trained women of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Quotations

"[The] whole point about human rights is that you are tested when you are defending the human rights of people you may not agree with." (March 24, 2009, LiveJournal; photo atangledweb.org)

Freda Meissner-Blau

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Overview

Freda Meissner-Blau born Dresden, Germany March 11, 1927. Austrian anti-nuclear activist. Led successful civil disobedience effort to save Hainberg Forest, 1984. Founder of Austrian Green Party, 1987. Chaired first International Human Rights Tribunal in Vienna, 1995. Received Nuclear-Free Future Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her work with UNESCO and the Atomic Energy Agency, 2007.

Quotations

“Nonviolence is the most radical form of resistance because it robs power of its aims.” (1989, in Rocheleau & Thomas-Slater, Feminist Political Ecology: Global Issues and Local Experience, 1996, p.92; photo Wikipedia)

Jeanne Melin

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Overview

Jeanne Mélin born Carignan, Ardennes, France September 7, 1877 (d. 1964). French novelist and poet; absolute pacifist and feminist; co-founder WILPF; opposed both World Wars and Cold War; founded Association for Peace through Law 1901; advocated peace education 1907; ran for President 1947.

Quotations

"Right to life, the base of human rights." (Dec. 13, 1936, in Isabelle Vahé, "Entre ombres et lumieres." p. 8, 2006)

"Down with war! This is the call of all the innocent victims." (April 25, 1915 to Aletta Jacobs, in Sandi Cooper, "French Feminists", Peace & Change, p. 23, Jan. 2011; photo univ. Angers)

Anne-Catherine Menétrey-Savary

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Overview

Anne-Catherine Menétrey-Savary born Aigle, Vaud, Switzerland January 29, 1938. Swiss antimilitarist politician; Green Party member National Council 1999-2007; author and psychologist; promoted abolition of army; supported conscientious objectors.

Quotations

On the Israeli bombing of Gaza: “This has to stop. It is necessary to stop this war, to lift the blockade of Gaza, to denounce the perpetrators of war crimes to the international criminal court. Above all, we must give back to the Palestinians the means to live, the prospects for the future, we must guarantee the recognition of their rights and justice, without which there will never be peace.” (Lausanne, Jan. 14, 2009, Ché Tafel, politique; photo RTs.ch)