Thankful Hussey Southwick

Overview

Thankful Hussey Southwick born Portland, ME July 3, 1792 (d. 1867). Co-founder of world's first nonviolent society, New England Non-Resistance Society Boston 1838; active abolitionist and suffragist Quaker; president of Boston Female Anti-Slavery Society.

Quotations

"We register our testimony, not only against all wars, whether offensive or defensive, but all preparations for war. . ." (Declaration of Sentiments, Sept. 20, 1838, in Wendell Phillips Garrison, William Lloyd Garrison 1805-1879, vol. II, p. 231, 1885; photo Mass. Hist. Society)

Amsatou Sow Sidibe

Overview

Amsatou Sow Sidibé born Dakar, Senegal October 14, 1953. Professor and politician. Law Professor and Director of Institute of Human Rights and Peace, Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Senegal. President of Rafet, the African Network for Promotion of Working Women. Advocated for nonviolent resolution of 30-year Casamance conflict, followed by truth and reconciliation. Pressed President Clinton on landmines, 1998. Peacemaker in 2007 election; mediated seafood strike, 2012. Presidential candidate, 2013. Nobel Peace Prize nominee, 2005.

Quotations

"Nothing lasting can be built without peace." (Peace Women Across the Globe: Sidibe; photo femmesdusenegal)

Annike Spalde

Overview

Annike Spalde born Sweden May 26, 1969. Swedish peace activist with Ofog (Mischief) DISARM group; arrested for break-in at Bofors arms plant 2008; jailed six months; protested arms for Indonesian use in Timor 1996; arrested in Bread Not Bombs campaign against Trident sub at Barrow 1998.

Quotations

“The [British] government has repeatedly stated a willingness to use NWs [nuclear weapons]. But, it’s important to see that these weapons are being used without being fired. It’s like if someone has a loaded gun and says that he or she is prepared to use it, then this person gets enormous power over other people. To threaten to use NWs is a form of international terrorism, threatening to use violence to secure one’s own interests.” (Preston Crown Court, Oct. 19, 1999; photo Kristen Vanster)

Anna Garlin Spencer

Overview

Anna Garlin Spencer born Attleborough, MA April 17, 1851 (d. 1931). Unitarian minister; suffragist. Co-founded American Anti-imperialist League, opposing Spanish American War, 1898. Co-founded American School Peace League for peace education, 1908. Early supporter of NAACP, 1909. Vice-chair and co-founder of Women's Peace Party against World War I, 1915. Opposed “Star Spangled Banner” on the grounds that it promoted war. Founding member and National Chair of WILPF, 1919-20.

Quotations

“As women, we feel a peculiar moral passion of revolt against both the cruelty and the waste of war.” (preamble to Women’s Peace Party Program for peace, Jan. 11, 1915, in Carrie Foster, Women and the Warriors, 1995, p. 12)

“[T]he time has come when women are tired of producing cheap cannon food. No man has a right to speak for himself and a woman on the question of peace. He can speak for himself, but he must let the woman speak for herself." (feminism101.com; photo bellstreetchapel.org)

Fanny Bixby Spencer

Overview

Fanny Bixby Spencer born Long Beach, CA November 6, 1879 (d. 1930). Pacifist poet, essayist, and playwright. Wealthy socialite; socialist; Tolstoyan Unitarian. Published pacifist works "Non-Resistance", 1917, "The Revolutionary Non-Resistant", 1919, and play "The Jazz of Patriotism", 1920. Blacklisted for opposing WWI.

Quotations

"[T]o exalt patriotism without exalting war at the same time is something like going out to swim without going near the water." (The Repudiation of War, 1922, in L.A. Times, Oct. 16, 1988)

Nancy Spero

Overview

Nancy Spero born Cleveland, OH August 24, 1926 (d. 2009). Feminist and antiwar artist. Works include “The War Series”, 150 pieces against Vietnam War, 1966-70; “Torture of Women” depicting events in Chile, 1976.

Quotations

“It’s horrific, trying to show the insanity and brutality of war. I couldn’t do it in a realistic fashion, so it got kind of surreal. Even though I was responding to Vietnam, all these grotesques—these surreal images—are my response to war. That was my subject matter, and it still is. For the most part, one wouldn’t realize it was about Vietnam. You know, as they say, 'It’s art because I say so'—so, it’s Vietnam because I say so, or Iraq because I say so.” (quote & photo Art21)

Emma Sproson

Overview

Emma Sproson (née Lloyd) born West Bromwich, Staffordshire, England April 13, 1867 (d. 1936). British suffragist, twice imprisoned 1907 for suffrage protests; leader of nonviolent Women's Freedom League; twice jailed 1911 for refusing to license her dog, as protest against tax without vote.

Quotations

"[W]hat differentiates the true reformer from the false is the true sacrifices—all, if need be, not caring for consequences." (The Vote, June 24, 1911; photo wolverhamptonhistory.org.uk)

Laila St. Matthew Daniel

Overview

Laila St. Matthew Daniel born Lagos, Nigeria February 14, 1953. Lebanese-Nigerian psychologist. Led Nigerian Women Mourn protest against Boko Haram killings, 2014.

Quotations

“This is a peaceful non-political, non-tribal protest. . . We just say stop the killing, stop the persecution, stop the genocide.” (All Africa Report, March 8, 2014; photo news.naij.com)

Germaine de Stael

Overview

Germaine de Staël (née Anne Louise Germaine Necker) born Paris, France April 22, 1766 (d. 1817). Liberal Swiss philosopher and author; exiled opponent of Napoleon 1804; early (1813) advocate of abolition of slave trade.

Quotations

On Napoleon: "None of the arts of peace at all suit Bonaparte; he finds no amusement but in the violent crises produced by battles." (conclusion of 10 Years in Exile, 1821; photo fr.Wikipedia)

Susie Stageberg

Overview

Susie Williamson Stageberg born Badger, IA January 30, 1877 (d. 1961). “Mother of the Farmer-Labor Party.” Took anti-militarist stand, 1922. Opposed World War II and Korean War.

Quotations

“It is heartbreaking to think how slowly we emerge from the jungle morass of mass violence. Men seem so definitely inclined to that type of prowess that we often wonder if one of the most effective cures for war will have to be the placing of the so-called 'weaker sex,' the mothers of the world, in the places of national authority and international diplomacy.” (Louise Tilly, Women, Politics and Change, 1993, p. 450; photo mnopedia.org)

Jill Stallard

Overview

Jill Stallard born Wales September 24, 1952. Welsh nonviolent anti-nuclear activist; National Secretary CND Cymru; organized Chernobyl child aid; protested Gulf War environmental hazard 1993; supported Palestinian defense of olive trees, protested Israeli wall; sent 103 Welsh busloads to London against Iraq War.

Quotations

"[T]he attack upon Iraq was a crime against peace and would add that taking violent military action, killing people and destroying their environment is also a crime against humanity." (WalesOnline, Oct. 14, 2003)

"Nuclear power is past its sell by date, unsustainable and not the way forward for a nuclear-free Wales for the future of our children and our children's children." (Greenpeace, April 25, 2001)

"Women see party politics as patriarchal, aggressive, bullying and tribal." (BBC, April 29, 2004)

Dorothy Stang

Overview

Dorothy Stang born Dayton, OH July 7, 1935 (d. 2005). Catholic sister won UN Human Rights prize posthumously after murder by rancher who opposed her protection of poor in Amazon rainforest.

Quotations

"The death of the forest is the end of our life." (translation of motto printed on her t-shirt; photo Wikipedia)

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Overview

Elizabeth Cady Stanton born Johnstown, NY November 12, 1815 (d. 1902). Suffragist; abolitionist; co-founder of Seneca Falls Convention, 1848.

Quotations

"The evils of bad government fall ever most heavily on the mothers of the race, who, however wise and far-seeing, have no voice in its administration, no power to protect themselves and their children against a male dynasty of violence and force." (Hist. Woman Suffrage II:87; photo Freethought Almanac)

Starhawk

Overview

Starhawk (née Miriam Simos) born St. Paul, MN June 17, 1951. Pacifist anarchist witch. Trained and led numerous nonviolent protests and arrests at Diablo Canyon nuclear site, 1981; Livermore Weapons lab, 1982; WTO Seattle, 1999; anti-Iraq War, 2003; Republican National Committee, 2004; Israel's wall, 2008.

Quotations

"Life is moved by a power deeper than the power of the gun and the bomb." (Dreaming the Dark, 1982, p. 3)

"We need women’s actions. . . to assert that compassion is not weakness and brutality is not strength, to dramatize our support for nurturing and life affirming values." ("Why We Need Women's Actions." Jan, 28, 2003; photo Facebook)

Ellen Gates Starr

Overview

Ellen Gates Starr born Laona, IL March 19, 1859 (d. 1940). Socialist; labor organizer; social worker; artist. Organizer of women’s strikes. Co-founded Hull House with Jane Addams, 1889. Protected woman protestor from police.

Quotations

“As an American citizen, I protest against the arrest of this person, who is doing nothing against the law.” (New York Times, Feb. 11, 1940; photo janeaddamsproject.org)

Lutie Eugenia Stearns

Overview

Lutie Eugenia Stearns born Stoughton, MA September 13, 1866 (d. 1943). Quaker pacifist librarian who founded the travelling library; lecturer for world peace; promoted Peace Flag.

Quotations

"Another campaign I perpetually waged in 38 states was that for World Peace." (My Seventy Five Years, p. 283, 1959; photo wisconsinhistory)

Dorothy R. Steffens

Overview

Dorothy R. Steffens born NY May 5, 1921 (d. 1999) Quaker economist. Executive Director of US WILPF, 1971-77. Led peace delegation to Hanoi, 1971; headed delegation to Chile to investigate allegations of Pinochet regime's human rights abuses, 1973; led peace mission to Northern Ireland, 1974. Organized Women's Disarmament Conference at UN, 1975; attended Vietnam peace accord, Paris, 1975.

Quotations

"We witnessed the almost total destruction of this largest medical center in Vietnam. With 940 beds and 250 doctors, this teaching hospital was the pride of the Vietnamese. . . It is our hope that the American people will wish to make a tangible expression of reconciliation and good will to the people of Vietnam by rebuilding Bad Mai Hospital." (Westport Fairpress, March 7, 1973)

Mollie Steimer

Overview

Mollie Steimer born Dunaevtsky, Russia November 21, 1897 (d. 1980). Anarchist; opposed US involvement in World War I; sentenced to 15 years imprisonment; deported, 1921, by Russia and Vichy.

Quotations

"While one nation defies another—in most cases considers the others as competitive—we, the workers of the world, shall stretch out our hands towards each other with brotherly love." (Oct. 1918, P. Avrich in Lucy Parsons Project; photo c. 1918 Wiki pd)

Jill Stein

Overview

Jill Stein born Chicago, IL May 14, 1950. Physician and politician. Won 469,501 votes as Green Party presidential candidate, the most successful female candidate in history, 2012; ran strong antiwar campaign.

Quotations

“United States foreign policies have been based, unfortunately, on brute military force and wars for oil. Under my administration, we will have a foreign policy based on international law and human rights and the use of diplomacy. And instead of fighting wars for oil, we will be leading—as America, we will be leading the fight to put an end to climate change.” (Oct. 24, 2012, Third Party candidates in final debate; photo Wikipedia)

Gloria Steinem

Overview

Gloria Steinem born Toledo, OH March 25, 1934. Feminist editor and writer; pacifist; nonviolent activist. Bowles Fellowship in India, 1956-57; founding editor of Ms. magazine, 1972. Supported United Farm Workers; opposed Vietnam War with tax resistance, 1965. Active in nuclear freeze efforts; voiced early opposition to Iraq War.

Quotations

“From pacifist to terrorist, each person condemns violence—and then adds one cherished case in which it may be justified.” (1972; photo Wikipedia)