October 6

Women peacemakers born today

  • 1800 Sarah Pugh born Washington DC (d. 1884). Quaker educator; nonviolent suffragist; abolitionist; delegate to world's first antislavery convention, London, 1840; co-founder Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society, 1833; responded to mob burning their hall with nonviolent linking arms with black sisters, 1838.

  • 1902 Elizabeth Gray Vining born Germantown, Philadelphia, PA (d. 1999). Quaker; tutor to future emperor of Japan, 1946-50; committed civil disobedience against Vietnam War and Apartheid.

  • 1917 Fannie Lou Hamer born Ruleville, MS (d. 1977). Civil rights activist; organizer of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, 1962; nonviolent trainer for Mississippi Freedom Summer, 1964.

  • 1922 Betty Blaisdell Berry born Providence, RI (d. 2007). International economist of Middle East; NOW Family Relations Coordinator, 1968-73; American Arbitration Association, 1977-87.

  • 1979 Ermira Mehmeti born Skopje, Yugoslavia. Albanian member of Macedonian Parliament; peacemaker in postwar reconciliation. Nobel Peace Prize nominee, 2005.

Women's peacemaking on this day

  • 1789 French women won king's assent to constitution and bread.

  • 1913 Two Muslim women arrested for civil disobedience in South Africa.

  • 1932 Gandhian follower Ellen Hørup organized International Conference for India, Geneva.

  • 1983 Philadelphia women protested US missiles in Germany at celebration of 300th anniversary of German immigration.

  • 2002 Three Dominican nuns arrested for protest at missile silo in Georgetown, CO.

  • 2003 Valerie Amos headed British House of Lords.

  • 2006 Irom Chanu Sharmila arrested in Delhi for attempted suicide in fast to death protest against army massacre in Manipur.

  • 2011 “October2011” protest for peace, environment and health created by Dr. Margaret Flowers.

  • 2015 Dr. Margaret Flowers arrested for protest of US bombing Afghan hospital at Senate Armed Services hearing.