"Action indeed is the sole medium of expression for ethics"
These words, said by Jane Addams, embodies the sentiment which drove a life of social, political, domestic, and international activism. Addams commenced her crusade in Chicago, Il, in 1889, when she opened Hull House in order to aid and educate the impoverished immigrants of the South Side. However, Addams did not stop her work in the slums of Chicago, but established herself as an advocate for women’s suffrage, welfare reform, and international peace. In response to World War I, Addams founded the Women’s Peace Party in 1915, the first such organization created entirely of women, and helped organize the first Women’s International Congress for Peace and Freedom, held in the Hague in April 1915. The organization sought to discuss and create solutions to male aggression in war, offering various mandates throughout the years in order to weaken the political and military structures which propelled nations to fight one another. In 1931, Addams was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her dedication to the struggle for peace.
In the presentation speech from Halvdan Koht, Koht praises Addams for her collaboration with other women and her unwavering devotion to the peace movement which continues to inspire feminist activism almost eighty years later.
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1931/press.html
No comments:
Post a Comment