“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
- Jesus
In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8, and in remembrance this month of the long, proud history of women across the globe, I offer a spotlight on a few women I especially admire for their work for peace.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
In 1990, Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy, were elected to lead Burma (now known officially as Myanmar). Yet nineteen years later she has never been allowed to claim her seat, and has spent more of that time under house arrest than free. Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her tireless efforts to represent her people’s wishes for democracy and peace, Suu Kyi has been the public face of the movement against the Burmese military dictatorship for over two decades, with no signs of stopping until her country sees the peace it so dearly longs for. For more information about Suu Kyi, visit www.dassk.org. For information about the struggle for democracy in Burma, please see www.burmaissues.org.
Rachel Corrie
Killed March 16, 2003, by Israeli tanks demolishing yet another home in Palestine, Washington-native Corrie was a young woman willing to risk everything for others, without resorting to violence. She could have easily stayed home and lived a normal 23-year-old’s life, but instead she reached out to understand and help a people half a world away. Her death has turned a spotlight on the injustices perpetrated on behalf of the Israeli government, and has witnessed to the power of solidarity that spans religious or ethnic identities. For more information about Corrie, see www.rachelcorrie.org.
Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan
Violence between the Irish Republican Army (IRA) and British soldiers had recently claimed the lives of three children when Williams and Corrigan entered the public square to lead peaceful marches that demanded an end to the killing. Protestants and Catholics alike marched and organized into “The Community of Peace People,” doing the slow, difficult work of living an alternative to violence. In 1976 they were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work. Read about these two peacemakers at http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1976/index.html.
Wangari Maathai
Another Nobel Peace Prize winner (in 2004), Maathai has worked for decades to unite eastern Africa under one sustainable roof. Her pan-African Green Belt Network has drawn the connections between economic development, national security, and ecology. Facilitating tree-planting as a way to sustain the land and its human inhabitants, she has shown the world that in the twenty-first century, peace activism must work hand in hand with environmental organizing. Read about her work and wisdom online at www.greenbeltmovement.org.
Jeannette Rankin
The United States’ first female Congress member would make any pacifist proud. Known for clever quips, her actions spoke as loudly as her words. Out of her opposition to all war, she cast one of few votes against US entry into World War I and was the lone voice of dissent against US military involvement in World War II. The Montanan declared, “the first time the first woman had a chance to say no against war she should say it.” Rankin was also a strong supporter of veterans’ rights, introducing the GI Bill to Congress. She also stated that (logically enough) “You can no more win a war than you can win an earthquake” and that “Men and women are like right and left hands; it doesn’t make sense not to use both.” Learn more about her at the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center, online at www.jrpc.org.
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I know that there are many, many more women out there making peace possible in this world (Thank God, because none of us could do it alone!). Who inspires you? Who’s not on this list but very well could be? Share stories of your own peace heroines on the comments section below!
