December 23

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Women peacemakers born today

  • 1867 Madam C. J. Walker born Delta, LA (d. 1919). African-American tycoon; benefactor of NAACP Anti-lynching campaign.

  • 1918 Eleanor Jean Emery born Glasgow, Scotland (d. 2007). In 1973, became first woman to head a British diplomatic mission, to Botswana.

  • 1951 Mother Agnes Mariam of the Cross born Jounieh, Lebanon. Mother superior of Monastery of St. James the Mutilated, Qâra, Syria. Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize by Mairead Maguire in recognition of her work leading the Mussalaha (“Reconciliation”) movement, dedicated to finding a peaceful resolution to the Syrian civil war, 2014.

Women's peacemaking on this day

  • 1944 Marthe Dortel-Claudot had inspiration of Pax Christi.

  • 1948 Jane Addams Peace Assn. established in Chicago.

  • 1964 Six women on Quebec-Guantanamo Peace Walk arrested in Albany, GA.

  • 2000 Optional Protocol of CEDAW effective, giving women direct appeal to UN.