Elizabeth Hussey Whittier born Haverhill, MA December 7, 1815 (d. 1864). Quaker pacifist; poet; abolitionist; founder of Female Anti-Slavery Society, Boston, 1833; mobbed, 1835; sister of poet.
"Shall the Koran teach thee the Law of Love?
O Christian! Open thy heart and door"
(Charity in JGW Works 483; A.L.McPhail sketch from Pickard Life of JGW)
Barbara Wiedner born Superior, WI December 16, 1928 (d. 2002). Catholic opponent of nuclear weapons; repeated arrests for nonviolent civil disobedience; founded Grandmothers for Peace, 1982.
"I hope people will not think we are encouraging people to break the law, But our actions should teach people, and children, to scrutinize laws against human life, and they should be broken to prove a point." (May 11, 1982; photo http://bit.ly/yyxE6r)
Annabelle Wiener born New York, NY August 2, 1922 (d. 1999). Deputy Director of World Federation of UN Associations (WFUNA) 1991; ran philatelic program promoting UN; Special Adviser on International Women's Year.
"There was a mixture of idealism, combined with a healthy realism among these delegates as to the magnitude of the task in development of public opinion on the United Nations." (on founding of WFUNA, UN Chronicle, June 1993)
Laura Sue Wilansky born Bethlehem, PA January 9, 1952. Flautist “The Silver Nightingale”, poet, journalist, actor; created Nightingales 51 Peace Project 2003.
“With all that is going on in the United States and around the world, I want very much to do something to make a difference, to stop war and hatred. . . I want to do something big. Yet I feel so small, powerless to make a difference against the monumental forces at work in the world.” (silvernightingale.com, Jan. 9, 2003)
“Take the fences and put them around the White House and the Pentagon and Congress and the FCC and Homeland so-called Security and the Nuclear so-called Regulatory Commission to keep the inmates in and the rest of us safe!” (“Recycle Nuclear Plants!”, 2007; photo silvernightingale)
Emma Wheeler Wilcox born Johnstown, WI November 5, 1850 (d. 1919). American peace poet.
THE OLD CENTURY:
War's most hideous crimes
Besmirch the record of these modern times.
Degenerate is the world I leave to you,
THE NEW CENTURY: We shall talk more of love, and less of sin,
In this new era. We are drawing near
Unatlassed boundaries of a larger sphere.
(Meeting of the Centuries 1901; photo Wisc. History)
Laura Ingalls Wilder born Pepin, WI February 7, 1867 (d. 1957). American author.
"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. . . live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge." (comments on Romans XII in Wilder's Bible; photo Wikipedia)
Joan Wile (née Meltzer) born Rochester, NY July 17, 1931. Founder and historian of Grandmothers Against the War 2003; singer, lyricist, composer; weekly vigil at Rockefeller Center 2004; arrested for attempt to enlist Times Square 2005.
“[T]he United States invaded Iraq, a country that posed no threat and that had done us no wrong. The invasion was justified by then-President George W. Bush on the basis that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction which it was ready to launch against us. These lies ultimately led to the deaths, maiming and displacement of millions of innocent Iraqi civilians, and the deaths, maiming and mental breakdowns of thousands upon thousands of U.S.and allied troops engaged in this great folly.” (OpenEd News, March 22, 2010; photo C-Span)
Jemima Wilkinson born Cumberland, RI November 29, 1752 (d. 1819). Quaker pacifist; founded Universal Friends Society, 1775; utopian commune Lake Seneca, 1790.
"Do unto all men as you would be willing they should do unto you." (Notable American Women III:609; photo from David Hudson's History 1821)
Emma Hart Willard born Berlin, CT February 23, 1787 (d. 1870). Educator. Founded first women's seminary, 1814; proposed Universal Peace, one of the first plans for an international organization, 1820; one of the first to aid women abroad, Greece, 1833.
Frances Willard born Churchville, NY September 28, 1839 (d. 1898). "Saint Frances"; suffragist leader; first woman college president, Northwestern Female College 1871; international temperance leader 1891; Vice President of Universal Peace Union 1888; first president of the National Council of Women of US 1888; "Polyglot Petition" 7 million signatures against international drug trade 1883.
"We are one world of tempted humanity. . . the whole world is my parish and to do good my religion." (Ruth Bordin, Frances Willard: A Biography, p. 190,1986)
"The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum." (journal, 1860; photo Wikipedia)
Anita Parkhurst Willcox born Chicago, IL November 11, 1892 (d. 1984). American artist. Embraced pacifism after experiences entertaining World War I troops in France. Opposed World War II, Korean War, and nuclear weapons; promoted UN. Founded refuge from Cold War in interracial community Village Creek, Connecticut. Acted as Quaker representative at communist conference, resulting in confiscation of her passport, Beijing, 1952; overturned by Supreme Court, 1958.
“Keep itching fingers away from nuclear push buttons!” (anti-Goldwater cartoon “We are Scared!”, 1964; self-portrait Wikipedia)
Carol Griffith Williams born Butte, MT February 3, 1943. Executive Director and co-founder Peace Links, a women’s organization to prevent nuclear war, to build peace, and find alternative ways to end conflict 1985-96; organized exchange with Russian women; promoted Russian pen pals; Montana legislator.
“[D]uring the Reagan years it became really clear that the build up of nuclear weapons was going to be something that was not only going to be very costly but was very dangerous. That really kind of captured women a little bit because on the surface of it most women understood. You didn't have to write a book about it for them. They understood that nuclear weapons didn't make them feel safer.” (David Brooks interview, June 18, 2002; photo healthunit.umt.edu)
Jody Williams born Brattleborough, VT October 9, 1950. Awarded Nobel Peace Prize for landmine abolition, 1997; advocates abolition of all nuclear weapons.
"It is immoral. It is unethical. It is unconscionable to me as a U.S. citizen that my country contemplates the possibility of use (of nuclear weapons)." (Japan Times online, May 10, 2010; photo wikicommons pd)
Mary Wilhelmine Williams born Stanislas County, CA May 14, 1878 (d. 1944). Professor of Latin American studies. Suffragist founder of California National Women’s Party; pacifist WILPF member. Feminist editor of Equal Rights, 1935-36.
On WWII: “This andro-centric, man-ruled world which is now destroying itself is a disgrace to all humanity. . . Women should. . . secure a partnership in world management on a fifty-fifty basis. . .” (Equal Rights, June 1942, p. 47, in Katharine Moreno, “Transnational Pan-American”, p. 78; photo novalynx.com)
Serena Williams born Saginaw, MI September 26, 1982. Tennis star named UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador 2011; supported Ghana health team 2006 and school in Kenya 2008; relief for Haiti earthquake 2010.
"I have just been blessed immensely, and as long as I can help others, to give back, I think that matters most." (Ghana, Nov. 6, 2006, Vaccination News)
Marianne Williamson born Houston, TX July 8, 1952. Founded Peace Alliance for U.S. Department of Peace; Unity church minister and spiritual adviser.
"Love is what we were born with. Fear is what we learned here." (A Return to Love, 1992; photo forbes.com)
Corinne Willinger born Bronx, NY October 17, 1927. Granny for peace whose 78th birthday present was protest at NY recruitment center 2005; led war toy protest at Toys-R-Us New York 2006.
“[T]he actions of this government have endangered us all, condemned innocents to prison, conducted persecution and torture, lied, trampled on our constitutional rights, and remained secretive about its functions. And how they committed the worst crime to justify these despicable actions: the invasion of a sovereign country thousands of miles from our shores.” (Granny Peace Brigade: Actions 2005-06; photo youtube)
Lillian Willoughby born Iowa January 29, 1915 (d. 2009). Quaker peace leader; tax resister. Founded Movement for A New Society, 1971; spent one week in jail for blocking Philadelphia courthouse in anti-Iraq War protest, 2003.
"I am approaching my 90th year. . . I had high hopes of leaving this earth confident that the people on it knew more about nonviolence and conflict resolution. . . Even after 9/11 we had a window of opportunity to do just that. By working with the United Nations and the World Court we could have helped build a stronger world community, a community of fairness and justice for all, where compassion, understanding, forgiveness, imagination, sharing and courage are valued and practiced." (to court Philadelphia 2004; Wiki bio; 2004 photo http://bit.ly/GObJdY)
Cairine Wilson (née McKay) born Montreal, Canada February 4, 1885 (d. 1962). First female Canadian senator, 1930-1962; president of Canadian League of Nations Society, 1938-44; first Canadian female delegate to UN, 1949. Opposed Munich Agreement, 1938; welcomed Jewish refugees.
"As women we wish to use our powers to redress existing evils and in every respect to promote legislation which will benefit the greatest number." (Nov. 6, 1930, Montreal Star, Scottish Canadian Politicians; photo Wikipedia)
Dagmar Wilson (née Searchinger) born New York, NY January 25, 1916 (d. 2011). Artist. Co-founded Women's Strike for Peace, organization that influenced Nuclear Test Ban and was one of first groups to oppose Vietnam War, 1961.
"[I] never bought the Cold War." (photo http://lat.ms/dXhU47)
Women in Peace
is dedicated to highlighting the achievements of extraordinary, peacemaking women from around the world.
