Women peacemakers born today

1626 Christina, Queen of Sweden born Stockholm (d. 1689). Patron of the father of international law, Hugo Grotius; major influence on Peace of Westphalia, which ended Thirty Years War, 1648; held Swedish throne, 1644-53; student of Islam.

1878 Marie Mattingly Meloney born Bardstown, KY (d. 1943). Editor and journalist; decorated by governments of Belgium and France for postwar relief; contributor to Why Wars Must Cease, 1935.

1903 Zelma Watson George born Hearn, TX (d. 1994). Musician; sociologist; African-American delegate to UN General Assembly, 1961; attendee African Ban The Bomb conference, Ghana, 1963; recipient of Dag Hammarskjöld Award, 1961; recipient of Dahlberg Peace Award, 1963; early advocate of UN.

1916 Bernice Fisher born Punxsutawney, PA (d. 1966). "Godmother of the restaurant 'sit-in' technique." Civil rights activist and labor organizer. Socialist; Baptist pacifist; Gandhian nonviolent resistance advocate. Head of Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR), Chicago chapter. Founding member of Committee of Racial Equality (CORE), 1942.

1930 Dorothy Granada born Los Angeles, CA. Nonviolent Filipina/Chicana nurse; 40-day international fast for life against nuclear weapons, 1983; part of group to protest disappeared Guatemalans, 1985; "lived on the tracks" of Concord weapons depot in Nuremberg protest, 1987; awarded FOR Peace prize, 1997; decade-plus efforts for Nicaraguan women.
1960 Helga Schmid born Dachau, Bavaria, Germany. Top German and European diplomat. Executive Secretary-General of the European External Action Service, 2010-current. Credited by UN women's report with successful nuclear treaty with Iran, 2015.
1981 Cécile Lecomte born Épinal, Vosges, France. French environmental advocate and anti-nuclear activist. Called “The Squirrel” for climbing trees and bridges to protest and “air-aerobatics against nuclear transport.”

Women's peacemaking on this day

1941 Jeannette Rankin was the only member of Congress to vote against war with Japan. "As a woman I can't go to war, and I refuse to send anyone else."

1977 Nine members of the Mothers of La Plaza del Mayo kidnapped and disappeared.

2008 Jestina Mukoko released after abduction and three months of torture at the hands of Zimbabwean agents.
2011 Abigail Borah interrupted conference, speaking for US, calling for climate treaty at Durban.
2014: Women’s Tribunal heard Nepali women's stories of wartime abuses.