September 25

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Women peacemakers born today

  • 1839 Mina Kruseman born Velp, Gelderland, Netherlands (d. 1922). Pioneering Dutch feminist and pacifist; militant feminist; concert singer named "Oristorio di Frama"; grew up in Dutch East Indies; author, including book on marriage in Indonesia (1872); daughter of military officer, she opposed Franco-German war 1870 and First World War.

  • 1867 Fannie Fern Andrews born Margaretville, Canada (d. 1950). Pioneer in American peace education. Internationalist teacher and pacifist; author, lecturer, and organizer. Founded American School Peace League, 1908; co-founded Women’s Peace Party, 1915; WILPF founding member.

  • 1867 Katharine Glasier born Stoke Newington, Middlesex (d. 1950). British labor activist and speaker. Christian Socialist and Theosophist; later became a Quaker. opposed World War I as editor of anti-war Labour Leader, 1916-21.

  • 1883 Serafina Dávalos Alfonze born Ajos (now Coronel Oviedo), Paraguay (d. 1957). Pioneer feminist; first woman lawyer, Supreme Court justice 1908-9; professor and founder university; founded Committee of Women for Peace 1904 trying to prevent civil war.

  • 1895 Elsa Triolet born Moscow (d. 1970). French leader with Aragon in Resistance to Nazis; peace activist denouncing war and violence; first woman winner of Prix Goncourt 1944.

  • 1946 Gila Svirsky born Iselin, NJ. Israeli peace activist. Co-founded B'Tselem, working for human rights in occupied territories; co-founded Coalition of Women for Peace, 2000. Has maintained a 26-year vigil since 1988 for Women in Black holding sign "End the Occupation."

  • 1950 Edit Schlaffer born Stegersbach, Burgenland, Austria. Social scientist. Founded Women Without Borders, 2002, SAVE (Sisters Against Violent Extremism), 2008.

Women's peacemaking on this day

  • 1839 Lucretia Mott delivered "eloquent and impressive" speech on nonviolence at meeting of Non-Resistance Society at Chardon Street Chapel, Boston.

  • 1900 Mother Jones led 15-mile march of 2000 miners' wives, McAdoo to Coaldale, PA.

  • 1920 In Philadelphia, one month after the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, Katharine Ruschenberger's niece rang the Justice Bell, a bronze replica of the Liberty Bell designed to remain silent until American women won the right to vote.

  • 1991 European Peace Caravan organized by Sonja Lokar departed Trieste for Balkan war zone with 400 activists.

  • 2010 Nasrin Sotoudeh began four-week fast in prison thru Oct. 23.

  • 2014 Code Pink held a candlelight vigil at the White House, calling on President Obama to return his Nobel Peace Prize.