Ruth Sivard

Overview

Ruth Sivard (née Leger) born Queens, New York November 25, 1915 (d. 2015). American sociologist, economist, and arms expert. The Nixon administration discontinued her official reports on arms for US Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, leading to her resignation, 1971. Founded World Priorities non-profit organization, which published “World Military and Social Expenditures”, 1974-96; “Women. . . a World Survey”.

Quotations

“The accumulation of destructive force in the name of national defense has itself become the major threat to international stability and human security.” (quote and photo New York Times, Aug. 28, 2015)

Monica Sjöö

Overview

Monica Sjöö born Härnösand, Västernorrland, Sweden December 31, 1938 (d. 2005). Swedish radical anarcho-feminist, ecologist, author, and painter. Active in anti-Vietnam War movement. Joined 100 Greenham Peace Camp women in pilgrimage to Stonehenge, 1985.

Quotations

“When we look around today at the world generated by the male Gods of patriarchal rule, we see warfare, degradation, suffering, and sadism on a scale such as earth has never seen, nor will ever see again—for of course if we don’t end it, it will surely end us.

"This perpetual success of war and failure of peace is then said to be 'the human condition'—but it is only the condition of humans under patriarchy.

"We must become beings who do not wish to control life, but only to listen to its music, and dance it. . . But it is our only alternative to mass death—whether by war, or by total global mechanization. The patriarchal God has only one commandment: Punish life for being what it is. The Goddess also has only one commandment: Love life, for it is what it is.” (The Great Cosmic Mother; photo Green Woman Stores)

Åse Gruda Skard

Overview

Åse Gruda Skard (née Grude Koht) born Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway December 2, 1906 (d. 1985). First Norwegian woman to obtain psychology degree; pioneering child psychologist. Only woman on Norwegian delegation to the founding of the UN, San Francisco, 1945. Women's rights advocate. Supporter of UNESCO, promoting its “world-mindedness.”

Quotations

"It hastened all work for international co-ordination. . . It is a matter of building such a strong sense of unity in the world that the next war is not going to happen." (1949, in Psychologi, 2005; photo Wikipedia)

Torild Skard

Overview

Torild Skard born Oslo, Norway November 29, 1936. Psychologist and second-generation peacemaker, daughter of Åse Skard. Chair of UNICEF, 1988-89; as UNICEF Director for West and Central Africa, rescued children of war, 1994-98. Deputy to Permanent Secretary of Foreign Affairs, 1986-94. First woman president of the Lagting, the upper house of parliament.

Quotations

On female conscription: “Forcing women to do military service to legitimize it is completely untenable. . . The result is that women are militarized, and the military is essentially not changed. . . [I]n today’s world it is more important to increase the focus of both women and men on disarmament, non-violent conflict resolution, peacekeeping, peace negotiations and the reconstruction of communities than to broaden the basis for military activities.” (International Alliance of Women, March 24, 2015; photo psychologitidscrif)

Inger Skjelsbaek

Overview

Inger Skjelsbæk born Oslo, Norway September 26, 1969. Norwegian psychologist and peace researcher specializing in sexual violence in war. Deputy Director, Peace Research Institute, Oslo, 2009-15.

Quotations

“Working towards greater equality is therefore not only important in its own right, but also because it might also weaken the basis for rape to make sense to male perpetrators in war settings.” (“The Elephant in the Room: Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War”, 2010, p. 45; photo prio.org)

Holly Sklar

Overview

Holly Sklar born New York, NY May 6, 1955. Journalist and author who opposed US militarism, war on Nicaragua 1988, Iraq War.

Quotations

"Imagine a country where violence against women is so epidemic it is their leading cause of injury. . . Imagine a country whose military budget tops average Cold War levels although the break up of the Soviet Union produced friends, not foes. This nation spends almost as much on the military as the rest of the world combined and leads the world in arms exports. . . It’s the United States." (Z Magazine, June 2007; photo PBS)

Alice Slater

Overview

Alice Slater born New York, NY April 16, 1938. Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation; anti-nuclear activist; attorney; president of Global Resource Action Center for the Environment (GRACE); co-founder of Abolition 2000; opposed NATO bombing Kosovo, and Libya War.

Quotations

"We must begin serious negotiations on a treaty to eliminate all nuclear weapons and call for a moratorium on the building of new nuclear reactors as we close down the old ones. Now is the time to embrace a new paradigm of nuclear abolition that frees the planet from the threat of nuclear holocaust once and for all."(http://bit.ly/Q50P9D)

"Surely the most sensible way to deal with Iran’s nascent nuclear weapons capacity is to call all the nations to the table to negotiate a treaty to ban the bomb. That would mean abolishing the 20,000 nuclear bombs on the planet." (Common Dreams, Aug. 28, 2012; photo wagingpeace.org)

Louise M. Slaughter

Overview

Louise McIntosh Slaughter born Lynch, KY August 14, 1929 (d. 2018). "Most liberal" Democratic congresswoman 1987; opposed Iraq War; favored impeaching president for deception; opposed missile defense and landmines.

Quotations

"I'm not happy about expanding the [Afghanistan] war. It's the kind of war where you know no one's going to surrender, so I don't know how they'll ever going to decide they won. It's like this open-ended [war] that could just go on forever." (Dec. 29, 2009; photo democratandchronicle.com)

Cora Ann Slocomb

Overview

Cora Ann Slocomb, Countess of Brazza, born New Orleans, LA January 7, 1862 (d. 1944). American-born wife of Italian Count of Brazza; president of International Postal Union, 1897. Defended immigration; organized earthquake relief; saved a woman from capital punishment; lectured on peace and international arbitration; invented the yellow, purple and white peace flag later adopted by the International Peace Bureau.

Eleanor Smeal

Overview

Eleanor Smeal (née Cutri) born Ashtabula, OH July 30, 1939. Founded Feminist Majority 1987 supporting women's equality, reproductive rights and non-violence; President of NOW 1977-82; opposed Vietnam War and Iraq War 2002; arrested 1987 at protest at Vatican embassy DC; arrested at White House 1992 for abortion protest.

Quotations

"We have led peace efforts in Ireland and we can lead peace efforts in Afghanistan that bring about a permanent peace with democracy and restoration of full human rights for women." (CNN, Aug. 21, 1998; photo Wikipedia)

Mary Guillian Smieton

Overview

Mary Guillian Smieton born Cambridge, England December 5, 1902 (d. 2005). International personnel expert; UN Undersecretary, 1946; first Director of UN Personnel, 1946; board of International Civil Service Commission; UK representative to UNESCO, 1968.

Quotations

"As in Unesco itself, the wider effect is obtained when this concept of international understanding is deliberately brought in to inspire the teaching of all relevant subjects." (UNESCO meeting Cheltenham, Aug. 7, 1966; photo Nat. Port. Gal.)

References

• Obituary

Alys Pearsall Smith

Overview

Alys Pearsall Smith born Frankford, Philadelphia, PA July 21, 1867 (d. 1951). Quaker relief organizer; founding chair of Italian Refugees' Relief Committee 1927 aiding refugees from Fascist Italy; married Bertrand Russell in Quaker ceremony.

Lillian Smith

Overview

Lillian Smith born Jasper, FL December 12, 1897 (d. 1966). American writer and social critic. Author of best-selling anti-segregation novel Strange Fruit (1944) and essay collection Killers of the Dream (1949). Wrote FOR pamphlet “The White Christian and His Conscience”, 1945. Bayard Rustin credited her for getting him to teach Martin Luther King Jr. nonviolence.

Quotations

“Only through persuasion, love, goodwill, and firm nonviolent resistance can the change take place in our South.” (to Martin Luther King, Jr., March 19, 1956)

“[F]reedom is a hard thing, that change means inner as well as outer change, that nonviolence has to do as much with truth as with love.” (preface, Our Faces, Our Words, 1964; photo Wikipedia)

Mum Shirl Smith

Overview

Shirley "Mum Shirl" Smith born Cowra, New South Wales, Australia November 22, 1924 (d. 1998). Aboriginal Australian human rights leader; led 700+ women in anti-nuclear protest at Pine Gap, Nov. 1983.

Quotations

"NO MORE—WE HAVE HAD ENOUGH" (photo Koori Hist, website)

Patti Smith

Overview

Patti Smith born Chicago, IL December 30, 1946. Rock singer and songwriter; antiwar activist. Spoke and sang against Iraq War; outspoken critic of Afghan War. Memorialized Rachel Corrie in "Peaceable Kingdom", 2003; decried Israeli aggression in Lebanon in "Qana", 2009; railed against Guantanamo in "Without Chains", 2009.

Quotations

“When the cold war was escalating, and I was a child, I thought it was a totally stupid game. Then, when all that fell apart, we need a new enemy. Now we have terrorism. It's a state of mind, not a tangible enemy. It's just a game." (Simon Hattenstone interview, May 25, 2013)

“The people have the power
Vengeful aspects became suspect
and bending low as if to hear
and the armies ceased advancing
because the people had their ear
and the shepherds and the soldiers
lay beneath the stars
exchanging visions
and laying arms
to waste
in the dust”

(“People Have the Power”, 1988)

Samantha Smith

Overview

Samantha Smith born Houlton, ME June 29, 1972 (d. 1985). "America's Goodwill Ambassador" to USSR during Cold War; 10-year-old wrote to USSR leader.

Quotations

"God made the world for us to live together in peace and not to fight." (Nov. 1982 letter to Yuri Andropov; photo Wikipedia)

Susan Smith

Overview

Susan Smith born October 31, 1955. Created Center for Nonviolence, Claremont, CA. Anti-war, anti-nuclear activist.

Ruby Doris Smith-Robinson

Overview

Ruby Doris Smith-Robinson born Atlanta, GA April 25, 1942 (d. 1967). Early leader of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, 1960; original Freedom Rider, 1961. Only woman to serve as Executive Secretary of SNCC, 1966.

Quotations

Created policy: "Jail—No Bail!" (photo inyourfacewomen.blogspot.com)

Ethel Smyth

Overview

Ethel Smyth born Sidcup, Kent, England April 22, 1858 (d. 1944). British musical composer of operas, songs, chamber music, piano and organ music. Radical feminist; imprisoned two months for violent protests, 1911. Wrote suffragist anthem "March of the Women", 1911.

Quotations

"Firm in reliance, laugh a defiance,
(Laugh in hope, for sure is the end)
March, march, many as one.
Shoulder to Shoulder and friend to friend."
(final verse of suffragist anthem "March of the Women", 1911; 1901 portrait by Sargent)

Ethel Snowden

Overview

Ethel Snowden (née Annakin) born Pannal, Harrogate, Yorkshire, England September 8, 1881 (d. 1951). British suffragist, feminist orator and author; opposed World War I; led Women's Peace Crusade; founder WILPF 1915; Christian Socialist.

Quotations

"Feminism does not seek the extinction of strength and courage in men, nor of beauty and softness and tenderness in women, but the recognition that these fine and lovely qualities are the heritage of men and women alike—human qualities which all human beings have in germ, and which all human beings are entitled to cultivate and to use without question or reproof." (Feminist Movement, ch. 1, 1913; photo Spartacus Educational)