Borka Pavicevic

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Overview

Borka Pavićević born Kotor, Montenegro, Yugoslavia June 5, 1947. Pacifist dramaturge who opposed Balkan wars; newspaper columnist, playwright; founded Centre for Cultural Decontamination against "nationalism, xenophobia, intolerance, hatred and fear." 1994; co-founded Belgrade Circle opposing Serbian nationalism 1992.

Quotations

“The war was made because the parties in power wanted to suppress a democratic movement.  Creating that incredible hate—five years of it—that the other nation are idiots, that they want to kill us, that enormous xenophobia, all that was how the ruling regime was keeping itself in power. Then you are inventing enemies all over the world, enemies are other people. After the war that mirror is turning back. Now it is clear in the end that the regime is the enemy, because the war should never have been waged.” (Suzi Wesman interview, Solidarity, Dec. 6, 1996; photo ekapija.com)

Carolyn R. Payton

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Overview

Carolyn Robertson Payton born Norfolk, VA May 13, 1925 (d. 2001). Psychologist; first woman and first African-American to head US Peace Corps, 1977-78; resigned in protest.

Quotations

"It is wrong to use the Peace Corps as a means of delivering a message to particular constituencies in the US, or to export a particular political ideology." (photo feministvoices.com)

Claudia Paz y Paz

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Overview

Claudia Paz Y Paz Bailey born Guatemala June 7, 1966. Law professor and criminal and human rights lawyer. First Guatemalan woman Attorney General, 2010-14. Successfully prosecuted Rios Montt for genocide, 2013. Passed two laws against violence against women. Nobel Peace Prize nominee, 2013.

Quotations

“For the first time, the victims had the opportunity to tell what happened in the villages in front of the perpetrator. They could tell it in their own language, and by telling this, they recovered part of the dignity that was stolen when they suffered so many human rights violations. So when the judges said that he was guilty and that it was genocide and crimes against humanity, it was very important for the victims, but, I believe, also for all the country.” (Oct. 1, 2014 interview, Georgetown Institute For Women; photo panampost.com)

Josephine Preston Peabody

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Overview

Josephine Preston Peabody born Brooklyn, NY May 30, 1874 (d. 1922). Feminist, suffragist, pacifist, poet and playwright.

Quotations

I gave the breath to men,
For men to slay again;
Lording it over anguish, all to give
My life, that men might live,
For this.
You will be laughing now, remembering
We called you once Dead World, and barren thing.
Yes, so we called you then,
You, far more wise
Than to give life to men.

(“Harvest Moon”)

 

Warring together, great and small:—
. . . Yes, warring all!—
The very bread they struggled for, They spill and waste in war—
. . . War!

(“The Wolf of Gubbio”, end of Act II; photo Wikipedia)

Maria Pearson

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Overview

Maria Pearson AKA Hai-Mecha Eunka ("Running Moccasins") born Springfield, ND July 12, 1932 (d. 2003). Yankton Sioux militant peacemaker; "founding mother of native American repatriation"; Nobel prize nominee.

Quotations

"Warriors are capable of love, concern for their family; they help people. They have a readiness to help; they have gentle souls. They are also determined that justice is for everybody and they find ways to solve problems." (Colleen Kelley & Anna Eblen, Women Who Speak for Peace, p. 73, 2002; photo Ames Hist. Soc.)

Frances Peavey

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Quotations

Frances “Finley” Peavey born Twin Falls, ID August 16, 1941 (d. 2010). Peace activist and writer. Tax refuser against nuclear weapons. Held international show “Nuclear Comedians” about the absurdity of nukes. Promoted Ganges River cleanup. Led nonviolent protest on behalf of Filipinos expelled from International Hotel, San Francisco, 1977.

Quotations

“What angers me most about war is what it does to our confidence in our fellow human beings. War is the ultimate succumbing, the final failure of resolve to make things work out well for everyone involved.” (Heart Politics, pp. 116-7; photo pt.slideshare.net)

Priscilla Hannah Peckover

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Overview

Priscilla Hannah Peckover born Wisbech, England October 27, 1833 (d. 1931). Quaker; absolute pacifist; pioneering British peace leader; founder of Women's Local Peace Association, 1879; founder of annual Peace Sunday. Learned 16 languages to communicate peace.

Quotations

"It is the duty of all who love the King to work for peace, by substituting righteousness for violence, guile, or self-assertion in a national sense." (Peace To-day 25 April 1900; photo Danish Peace Acad.)

Helga Pedersen

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Overview

Inger Helga Pedersen born Tårnborg, Denmark June 24, 1911 (d. 1980). First woman judge of European Human Rights Court 1971; Chief Justice of Denmark; Delegate to UN 1958-9; UNESCO 1966, 1968, 1970.

Quotations

"[T]he use of the five techniques in August and October 1971 constituted a practice of inhuman and degrading treatment. . . [T]here existed at Palace Barracks in the autumn of 1971 a practice of inhuman treatment." (European Court judgment on torture, Ireland v. UK, Jan. 18, 1978; photo electionsmeter.com)

Madeleine Pelletier

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Overview

Madeleine Pelletier born Paris, France May 18, 1874 (d. 1939). French internationalist and pacifist; anarcho-socialist, radical feminist; physician and pioneering psychiatrist. Opposed World War I; advocate of peace education. Founded magazine La Suffragiste, 1907. Died in asylum where she was held for giving abortions to poor women.

Quotations

"The natalists believe in a barbarian form of birth control—war." (Claudine Mitchell, "Pelletier", Feminist Review, Autumn 1989, p. 94; photo aphgcaen.free.fr)

Jetsun Pema

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Overview

Jetsun Pema born Takster, Amdo, Tibet July 7, 1940. "Mother of Tibet"; sister of Dalai Lama, Minister of Education 1991; President Tibetan Childrens Villages.

Quotations

"My dream is that all refugee children should be able to grow up as brothers and sisters and get lots of love from their house mothers." (Voice of Tibetan Women's Association, Jan. 2007; photo Wikipedia)

Ellen Fitz Pendleton

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Overview

Ellen Fitz Pendleton born Westerly, RI August 7, 1864 (d. 1936). President of Wellesley College who opposed firing of pacifist professor Emily Balch; mathematician; only woman juror for Bok American Peace Prize 1923.

Quotations

"The step [of cooperation] is an exceedingly short one, but it is the longest the American people are prepared to take." (Harvard Crimson, March 25, 1924; photo Britannica from Library of Congress)

Elizabeth Wanamaker Peratrovich

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Overview

Elizabeth Wanamaker Peratrovich born Petersburg, AK July 4, 1911 (d. 1958). Tlingit human rights leader who achieved Anti-Discrimination Act 1945.

Quotations

"No law will eliminate crimes but at least you as legislators can assert to the world that you recognize the evil of the present situation and speak your intent to help us overcome discrimination." (to Alaska Senate, Feb. 8, 1945; photo Wikipedia)

Frida Perlen

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Overview

Frida Perlen born Ludwigsburg, Baden, Germany April 4, 1870 (d. 1933). German pacifist, one of few German women leaders who opposed World War I; leader WILPF; cabled Kaiser to stop the war 1914; helped organize Hague women’s peace conference 1915, but passport was forbidden.

Quotations

“Therefore, women, do not enkindle hatred, but advocate reconciliation, Above national consciousness is humanity!” (Advocate of Peace, Dec. 1914, p. 267)

“[J]oin the peace movement in thousands, tens of thousands.” (Jus Suffragi, Dec. 1, 1914, p. 201)

Ruth Perry

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Overview

Ruth Perry born Grand Cape Mount, Liberia July 16, 1939. "Mother of Liberia", Muslim, First woman president of Liberia 1996 following civil war in which she refused to take sides, using a "mother's voice."

Quotations

On warlords: "I will treat them like a mother and, if necessary, that means discipline." (Colleen Kelley & Anna Eblen, Women Who Speak for Peace, p. 171, 2002; photo sahistory.org.za)

Vesna Pesic

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Overview

Vesna Pešić born Grocka, Serbia, Yugoslavia May 6, 1940. Serbian human rights activist and antiwar leader. Arrested for human rights protest, 1982. Founded Yugoslav Helsinki Committee, 1985; Yugoslav European Movement, 1991; Centre for Antiwar Action (CAWA), promoting nonviolence and negotiation, 1991. Received Sakharov Award, 1997.

Quotations

“It was the war which made some women aware of the need to stand up and voice their dissent. It was the war which made them organize themselves, learn to communicate between themselves, establish contacts with women's groups abroad, embrace the strategies for non-violent demonstrations against nationalism, militarism, repression, violence and abuse of human and, specifically, women's rights. It is only fair to say that the women played the leading role in practically all actions for peace, starting with the formation of the Center for Anti-War Action in Belgrade in 1991.” (Vienna, July 10, 1997, Gifts of Speech; photo blic.rs)

Alice Pestana

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Overview

Alice Pestana de Blanco (AKA Caïel) born Santarem, Portugal April 7, 1860 (d. 1929). Portuguese novelist, playwright, and poet; pacifist and feminist. Founded Portuguese League for Peace, 1899. National representative at the founding of the Women’s League for Disarmament, 1899. Delegate to Hague Conference, 1900.

Quotations

“We ask for the creation of Committees for the cause if peace in each country, so that in the XX century we may live in harmony, meaning peace, freedom, and justice.” (bloguiar “Portuguese Women Out of the Shadows”, Sept. 18, 2012; photo Bernardino Machado)

Anne Marie Petersen

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Overview

Anne Marie Petersen born Roskilde, Denmark September 1, 1878 (d. 1951). Danish missionary teacher, close co-worker and critic of Gandhi; founded her own ashram Seva Mandir and girl's school Porto Novo, Tamil Nadu 1921.

Quotations

"I can see she (India) has no other way to protest against being trampled down and crushed than non-cooperation." (Sept. 8, 1920 letter published by Gandhi; photo English.periamma.org)