September 2

/

Women peacemakers born today

  • 1811 Mary Anna Longstreth (d. 1884). Quaker absolute pacifist headmistress who founded Quaker girl's school Philadelphia 1829 at age 18; ran it until 1877; promoted Hampton Academy for Indians and Blacks; co-founded world’s first Women's Medical College Philadelphia 1850.

  • 1903 Maria Chinchilla Recinos born Las Animas, Asuncion Mita, Guatemala. Girl’s school teacher; "the first martyr" shot to death by mounted soldiers 1944 in nonviolent protest in Guatemala City which led to overthrow of dictator Ubico; dressed in mourning, women called for end to bloodshed.

  • 1918 Claire Culhane born Montreal (d. 1996). Nurse; leading Canadian opponent of Vietnam War in "Enough/Assez" campaign; established hospital in Vietnam 1967; 10 day fast for peace 1968; opposed Cold War and atomic bomb; prison abolitionist.

  • 1978 Luz Méndez de la Vega born Retalhuleu, Guatemala (d. 2012). Leading literary figure, poet, writer, and actress; peacemaker: only woman negotiator final peace agreement, 1996.

  • 1966 Salma Hayek born Coatzacoalcos, Vera Cruz. Mexican actress and producer; leader in opposing violence against women, and UNICEF advocate promoting vaccination.

  • 1967 Nora Chengeto Tapiwa born Buhera, Zimbabwe (d. 2014). Zimbabwean community and labor organizer; exiled, 2002; leader of Zimbabwe diaspora; peacemaker in anti-immigrant riots Johannesburg 2008; Joan Kroc peacemaker, 2010.

Women's peacemaking on this day

  • 1925 Pattie Hockaday Field appointed first U.S. woman vice consul, Amsterdam.

  • 1936 Call to Women, Brussels; seven international women's groups called for women's voices in International Peace Campaign meeting Sept. 3-6.

  • 1941 First Conference of Institute of World Organization run by Prof. Laura Puffer Morgan, Washington DC.

  • 1983 Grindstone Conference on Women & Militarism, Ontario, Canada.

  • 1998 The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda found Jean-Paul Akayesu guilty of war crimes, including the first international conviction for sexual assault as genocide.

  • 2007 Peace mission to Chad to stop Darfur violence led by Mary Robinson.

  • 2009 50 Mindanao Women met to stop violence to civilians.

  • 2014 Ohio University student senate president Megan Marzec poured a bucket of fake blood over her head, protesting Israeli occupation of Gaza.