Jeanne Alexandre

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Overview

Jeanne Halbwachs Alexandre born Paris, France February 14, 1890 (d. 1980). French feminist; integral pacifist and socialist; opposed World War I. Advocated laying on tracks to stop draftee trains; supported peace initiative that led to foundation of WILPF, 1915.

Quotations

“Women have come together [at the Hague] to demand their rights, but their claims are based on a more disinterested idea, the underlying feminism is the will to prevent war, for a just and better humanity.” (Cédric Weis, Archives du féminisme, Dec. 2004; photo BU-angers)

Lyudmila Alexeyeva

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Overview

Lyudmila Alexeyeva born Yevpatoria, Crimea, USSR July 20, 1927. Russian human rights activist; Soviet dissident; archaeologist and historian. Co-founded Russian human rights organization Moscow Helsinki Group, 1976; exiled and relocated to US, 1977-93. Returned to Russia after dissolution of USSR, 1993; chairperson of Moscow Helsinki Group 1996. Visited Chechnya in protest of war, 1996; organized nonviolent protests, Moscow, 2009; protested Russian annexation of Crimea, 2014. Awarded Palme Prize, 2002; Sakharov Prize, 2009.

Quotations

"I have said on many occasions and repeat that I am convinced the seizure of Crimea cast shame on my country. . . In the modern world it is shameful and stupid to be an occupier. You need to reach agreement, not fight." (Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group, Sept. 8, 2014; photo liviannamasso.wordpress)

Svetlana Alexievich

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Overview

Svetlana Alexeivich born Stanislau, Ukrainian SR May 31, 1948. Belorussian author. War’s Unwomanly Face about World War II, 1988; Zinky Boys portrayed brutality of Afghanistan war, 1992; Voices from Chernobyl, 1997. Received German Book Peace Prize, 2013; Nobel Literature Laureate, 2015.

Quotations

On Russian action in Ukraine: "It is occupation, a foreign invasion." (Reuters, Oct. 8, 2015)

"All that we know about Woman is best described by the word 'compassion.' There are other words, too—sister, wife, friend and, the noblest of all, mother. But isn't compassion a part of all these concepts, their very substance, their purpose and their ultimate meaning? A woman is the giver of life, she safeguards life, so 'Woman' and 'life' are synonyms.” (War’s Unwomanly Face, Introduction; photo greanvillepost.com)

Mirra Alfassa

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Overview

Mirra Alfassa born Paris, France February 21, 1878 (d. 1973). Follower of and successor to Indian spiritual leader Sri Aurobindo, dedicated to peace and global oneness. Known as The Mother by her disciples.

Quotations

“I belong to no nation, no civilisation, no society, no race, but to the Divine.” (Feb. 1920, Japan, in Words of Long Ago, vol. II, p. 166)

“[A]ll the nations are essentially one and meant to express the Divine Unity upon earth through an organised and harmonious diversity.” (Aug. 15, 1954, Words of the Mother, vol. XIII, p. 43)

Aruna Asaf Ali

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Overview

Aruna Asaf Ali (née Ganguly) born Kalka, Punjab, India July 16, 1908 (d. 1996). Socialist freedom fighter; "Grand Old Lady" of nonviolent independence movement; first mayor of Delhi; facilitated liberation of Goa; jailed in independence movement 1930, 1932, 1941; Nehru Peace Prize 1996, Lenin Peace Prize 1964.

Quotations

"I had decided we would not beg for freedom—we would fight for it."

Franghiz Ali-Zadeh

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Overview

Franghiz Ali-Zadeh born Baku, Azerbaijan May 29, 1947. Pianist and composer. Named UNESCO Artist for Peace for "her contribution to spreading UNESCO’s message of peace and tolerance," 2008.

Quotations

"I would encourage the youth to find purpose in their lives and to work hard to reach their goals. They should learn foreign languages." (Azerbaijan International, Winter 1999; photo donau-uni.ac.at)

Rose Allatini

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Overview

Rose Allatini born Vienna, Austria January 22, 1890 (d. 1980). British novelist. Published Despised and Rejected about pacifist conscientious objector and homosexual, 1918; book banned by government for deterring military recruitment.

Quotations

“[G]reater even than his repugnance to the 'great war game' as a whole; greater even than his revolt against the senselessness of it, and the pity of it; greater than any personal physical fear of death or wounds was his fear of being sent out to inflict death or wounds on others. . . " (Despised and Rejected; photo cyrilscott.net)

Donna Allen

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Overview

Donna Allen (née Rehkopf) born Petosky, MI August 19, 1920 (d. 1999). Labor economist; author and editor; historian; feminist; peace and civil rights activist; co-founder Women’s Strike for Peace; founded Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press (WIFP) 1972; opposed CIA intervention Guatemala, nuclear weapons, Vietnam War; arrested for protest against NATO Paris 1965; sentenced for contempt of House Un-American Activities 1966, then exonerated.

Quotations

"[W]omen have a particular role in efforts to prevent war because women are naturally more concerned about the next generation." (Nov. 1, 1961 protest; photo WIFP)

Florence Ellinwood Allen

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Overview

Florence Ellinwood Allen born Salt Lake City, UT March 23, 1884 (d. 1966). Lawyer and judge; peace activist; poet. Active proponent of suffrage and human rights. First woman in the world to sit on a supreme court, state of Ohio, 1922.

Quotations

“Wars must cease because they put the world back centuries by abolishing the restraints, moral, social, ethical, built up in that fine but perishable process called civilization.” (Catt & Allen, Why Wars Must Cease, 1935, p. 118; photo Wikipedia)

Genevieve "Mickey" Allen

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Overview

Genevieve “Mickey” Allen (née O’Reilly) born Brooklyn, NY August 12, 1919 (d. 2008). Peace activist; nurse in WWII Italy; raised two activist daughters Jackie and Teri Allen; first arrested age 65; she and daughters arrested for chaining themselves to door of Hartford Federal Building to protest Iraq bombing with sign: “Inaugurate Peace”; Blocked gate to Groton sub base on Good Friday 20 years.

Quotations

“That first time I was scared to death. Scared to death! . . . But I just knew I was doing the right thing.” (Riegle, Doing Time for Peace, p. 230)

Shulamit Aloni

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Overview

Shulamit Aloni born Tel Aviv, Palestine December 27, 1928 (d. 2014). Israeli peace and human rights politician; founded International Center for Peace in the Middle East, 1982; worked with Peace Now, 1984; government minister, 1974, 1992-96; member of parliament, 1965-96; condemned apartheid, Gaza bombing and occupation.

Quotations

“[T]he state of Israel practices its own, quite violent, form of Apartheid with the native Palestinian population.” (Counterpunch, Jan. 2, 2007; photo Wikipedia)

Gila Altmann

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Overview

Gila Altmann (née Gisela Kowalke) born Wilhelmshaven, Germany May 22, 1949. Green Party member of parliament 1994; Deputy Minister for Environment and Nuclear Safety.

Quotations

"Equity—between mankind and nature, between generations, between all peoples and between all nations is the only solution to overcoming the hopelessness and despair that breeds crises and wars, violence and terror. Global equity is also a matter of security and peace." (June 17, 2001; photo motoport.de)

Soledad Alvear

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Overview

María Soledad Alvear Valenzuela born Santiago, Chile September 17, 1950. First woman Foreign Minister of Chile 2000 improved relations with US and Europe; first minister of Women's Affairs; as Justice Minister replaced colonial criminal code; tried to prevent Iraq War.

Quotations

On the Iraq War: "We advocate a solution that is consistent with international law and with the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations. This is the only source of legitimacy for our agreements and collective decisions.
· We emphasize the need to adopt collective measures to prevent and eliminate threats to peace.
· We strenuously seek every possible means of achieving a peaceful solution to problems. This is a principle that we have historically promoted and we are determined to continue to work towards its realization." (UN Security Council, Nov. 7, 2003; photo Wikipedia)

Barbro Alving

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Overview

Barbro Alving born Uppsala, Sweden January 12, 1909 (d. 1987). Pacifist; war correspondent; reported on Spanish Civil War, Finnish Winter War, Vietnam. Leader against nuclear weapons; jailed for refusal to participate in civil defense; WILPF member.

Quotations

"There are times in life when an action which apparently looks negative—a no—can be positive. The civil defense duty places me in such a situation as a woman, and as a pacifist." (1954 trial, Majken Jul Sørensen, War Resisters’ International, Jan. 5, 2011; 1951 photo Wikipedia)

Maria Alyokhina

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Overview

Maria Alyokhina born Moscow June 6, 1988. Russian journalist; member of punk protest collective Pussy Riot. Charged with “hooliganism,” arrested and sentenced to two years in prison for performance protest in Moscow cathedral, 2012. Protested Crimea invasion, 2014.

Quotations

"All you can deprive me of is 'so-called' freedom. This is the only kind that exists in Russia. But nobody can take away my inner freedom." (thewildmagazine, Aug. 17, 2012)

Christiane Amanpour

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Overview

Christiane Amanpour born London, England January 12, 1958. International journalist; critic of Iraq War.

Quotations

"All of the entire body politic in my view, whether it's the administration, the intelligence, the journalists, whoever, did not ask enough questions, for instance, about weapons of mass destruction. I mean, it looks like this was disinformation at the highest levels." (USA Today, Sept. 14,  2003; 2011 photo Wikipedia)

Isabelle Ameganvi

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Overview

Isabelle Ameganvi born Kpalimé, Togo September 3, 1961. Togolese lawyer, legislator, and human rights activist. Initiated Lysistrata-style sex strike for Let’s Save Togo campaign, followed by two women’s marches, 2012.

Quotations

"We have many means to oblige men to understand what women want in Togo. . . If men refuse to hear our cries we will hold another demonstration that will be more powerful than a sex strike, like fasting." (BBC, Aug. 27, 2012; photo ufctogo.com)