Peacemakers - 4

Woman Nobel Peace Prize Winner - Jane Addams. (1860-1935)

Second woman to receive the award, first American woman.

"Addams was born into a middle-class family in 1860 in Northern Illinois. She was one of eight children, but only four reached adulthood. Sadly, her mother died just two years after her birth, but Addams developed a strong bond with her father.  John H. Addams and Abraham Lincoln were her heroes and moral exemplars. Her father and Lincoln were, in fact, friends—her father was a Civil War veteran and local politician who advocated for abolition.

Certainly, these two inspired her, along with the historical context, to be a radical progressive social reformer. These efforts toward reform focused on women’s rights, aiding immigrants and the poor, and pacifism. This all came together in one of her biggest projects: the Hull House. The Hull House brought Addams to prominence for her involvement in public projects, something that was a rarity for women at the time. In 1889 Addams, along with some others (especially her close companion Ellen Gates Starr), leased this mansion in a predominantly immigrant neighborhood in Chicago to improve living conditions. In some ways, it was always a work in progress; she focused on listening to the needs of others and made changes where needed. It quickly grew into a massive enterprise—eventually comprising thirteen buildings—where the poor could thrive, especially immigrants and women.

Hull House in early 1900s.

In 1895, Addams published some results of what had been learned in and around the area in Hull House Maps and Surveys, where she put forward the argument for how the causes of poverty are environmental and social—not personal. Poverty, she argued, was not about laziness (certainly this is not the only reason), a pervasive position that is still widespread today as an unjustified and hasty generalization. When the conditions are ripe for poor housing, the easy spread of disease, and insufficient opportunities for work, these are the kinds of obstacles that prevent people from thriving and lead to economic hardship. The causes are plural and complex, so we need to stop rashly rushing to blame the poor for being poor, she urged.

In some cases, Addams maintained a very stern position, such as with her pacifism. In others, she attempted to find a middle ground, such as in between the industrialized world’s conflict between militant unions and unregulated corporations. She supported unions, but she was staunchly against any kind of violence, arguing that there could be no justification for it. Her focus was on cooperation. Her goal was solidarity—unions, for example, are comprised of diverse people who all share the same goal to improve working conditions. Broadly, she aimed to balance kindness with regulation.

Addams was also involved in several organizations, as generally, her project was one of social justice. She was part of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, the American Civil Liberties Union, the National American Woman Suffrage Association, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. She worked assiduously. Her committed pacifism resulted from her contention that violent conflict is a direct obstacle to all these efforts. Unfortunately, it would be only a few years after winning the Nobel Peace Prize that she succumbed to cancer in 1935.Her efforts had a pragmatic purpose: the improvement of society. Ethics are social, she argued; we are always existing with others, so we must learn to work better together. Each of our own needs is always somehow tied up with those of others. As we learn more about others and their needs, we generally gain a greater sense of sympathy for others, which, concisely stated, makes the world a better place. This is part of what she discusses in her important work Newer Ideals of Peace.

Despite this interdependency between humans, relations are highly inequitable—this, she urged, must be fixed. This seems so intuitive, yet all too often forgotten—we care about the well-being of our friends and family; why does it seem so hard to extend this compassion broadly? She believed that her Hull House project could be a roadmap and model for a more successful democracy not only in the United States but internationally as well—again, the goal is cooperation over unbridled competition. The resulting increasing sense of solidarity makes the world a more peaceful place.

This idealism brought her the Nobel Peace Prize—the first woman from the United States to win, and the second ever in history—but it also brought her conflict. She was not without some very staunch opponents, including her close friend and colleague, John Dewey.

 

President Wilson had tried to keep the United States out of the First World War, but between growing sentiment in favor of the war, and a final straw with the sinking of Lusitania with over one hundred Americans on board, Addams’s hopes for peace were dashed. But even during the war, she still endeavored with her efforts, going as far as establishing a program to send food to the needy in war-torn enemy countries. This, she argued, fulfilled ideal pragmatist ends to increase sympathy and solidarity internationally.

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These are excerpts from a article originally Published: Nov 9, 2023

written by Marnie Binder, PhD Humankind and Thought in History

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Wikipedia information on Hull House and Jane Addams:

"In 1889 Addams and her college friend and paramour Ellen Gates Starr co-founded Hull House, a settlement house in Chicago.

Addams and Starr were the first two occupants of the house, which would later become the residence of about 25 women. At its height, Hull House was visited each week by some 2,000 people. Hull House was a center for research, empirical analysis, study, and debate, as well as a pragmatic center for living in and establishing good relations with the neighborhood. Among the aims of Hull House was to give privileged, educated young people contact with the real life of the majority of the population.

Residents of Hull House conducted investigations on housing, midwifery, fatigue, tuberculosis, typhoid, garbage collection, cocaine, and truancy. The core Hull House residents were well-educated women bound together by their commitment to labour unions, the National Consumers League and the suffrage movement. Dr. Harriett Alleyne Rice joined Hull House to provide medical treatment for poor families.

 Its facilities included a night school for adults, clubs for older children, a public kitchen, an art gallery, a gym, a girls' club, a bathhouse, a book bindery, a music school, a drama group and a theater, apartments, a library, meeting rooms for discussion, clubs, an employment bureau, and a lunchroom. Her adult night school was a forerunner of the continuing education classes offered by many universities today. In addition to making available social services and cultural events for the largely immigrant population of the neighborhood, Hull House afforded an opportunity for young social workers to acquire training.

Wikipedia gives us this:

An advocate for world peace, and recognized as the founder of the social work profession in the United States, in 1931 Addams became the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize; she shared the win with Nicholas Murray Butler. Earlier, Addams was awarded an honorary Master of Arts degree from Yale University in 1910, becoming the first woman to receive an honorary degree from the school. In 1920, she was a co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

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But wait a minute...

Who was this man who shared the Peace Prize with her, Nicolas Murray Butler?

Wikipedia says he was the president of Columbia University "for 43 years, the longest tenure in the university's history."

 As well as this:

"In 1919, Butler amended the admissions process to Columbia in order to limit the number of Jewish students; it became the first American institution of higher learning to establish a quota on the number of Jews admitted."

And this:

"September 1931, Butler told the freshman class at Columbia that totalitarian systems produced "men of far greater intelligence, far stronger character, and far more courage than the system of elections."

"In 1941, the Pulitzer Prize fiction jury selected Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls. The Pulitzer Board initially agreed with that judgment, but Butler, ex officio head of the Pulitzer board, found the novel offensive and persuaded the board to reverse its determination, so that no novel received the prize that year.

"According to historian Stephen H. Norwood, Butler failed to "grasp the nature and implications of Nazism... influenced both by his antisemitism, privately expressed, and his economic conservatism and hostility to trade unionism." Butler was a longtime admirer of Benito Mussolini. He compared the Italian Fascist leader to Oliver Cromwell and, in the 1920s, he noted "the stupendous improvement which Fascism has brought"

So why was he co-winner of the Peace Prize?

"From 1907 to 1912, Butler was the chair of the Lake Mohonk Conference on International Arbitration. Butler was also instrumental in persuading Andrew Carnegie to provide the initial $10 million funding for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Butler became head of international education and communication, founded the European branch of the Endowment headquartered in Paris, and was President of the Endowment from 1925 to 1945. For his work in this field, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for 1931 (shared with Jane Addams) "[For his promotion] of the Kellogg-Briand pact" and for his work as the "leader of the more establishment-oriented part of the American peace movement".

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Note: The Kellogg-Briand pact (1928) was a peace pact between various countries to not wage war. It didn't keep WW II from happening, but was the "legal basis for the concept of a crime against peace, for which the Nuremberg Tribunal and Tokyo Tribunal tried and executed the top leaders responsible for starting World War II." It is also echoed in the UN Charter.

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Last week I heard on the local news that people were canvassing Asheville neighborhoods, to obtain a count of the homeless.

The sweets at the bakery in my local grocery store, Saturday Feb. 14, 2026

It’s in that convergence of spiritual people becoming active and active people becoming spiritual that the hope of humanity now rests. -- Van Jones

Collected images

 

Some art from a feminist calendar first...

And from the internet....

And from a Documentary on "Nature," about Sir David Attenborough. It includes the difficulty getting the shots of the swan (goose?) flying right above him.

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Sharing with Saturday's Critters

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My blog about art (Alchemy of Clay)  has many more figurative sculptures in clay...like these...

By Alejandra Almuelle

It's all about LOVE!

Bad Bunny's halftime show at SuperBowl XV had this billboard to remind everyone what brings us together. (More later explaining what was happening)

Person attending the emergency demonstration in San Francisco the day Alex Pretti was murdered, with a sign that gets to the heart of the matter.

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A protest for peace - the  Bed-in by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, 1969.

From March 25 to 31, they stayed in the presidential suite, Room 702, at the Amsterdam Hilton, welcoming reporters every day from morning until evening.

When questioned afterward about whether the protest had achieved its goal, Lennon expressed irritation at the press’s skepticism, arguing that being dismissed was intentional: “It’s part of our policy not to be taken seriously. Our opposition, whoever they may be, in all manifest forms, don’t know how to handle humour. And we are humorous.” 

The first bed-in took place at the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam, followed by a second at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, at a time when public frustration over the war was intensifying.

Aware that their March 20, 1969 marriage would draw global media attention, Lennon and Ono decided to turn their honeymoon into a platform for peace activism.

SOURCE: https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/john-lennon-yoko-ono-bed-in/

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From stoic, Marcus Aurelius, in Meditations...

What we do now echoes in eternity...

Here is a rule to remember in future, when anything tempts you to feel bitter: not ‘This is misfortune,’ but ‘To bear this worthily is good fortune.’...

and

Never let the future disturb you. You will meet it, if you have to, with the same weapons of reason which today arm you against the present.

Thanks Jess Craven for sharing these quotes of the philosopher.

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FYI

The two federal immigration agents who fired on Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti are identified in government records as Border Patrol agent Jesus Ochoa and Customs and Border Protection officer Raymundo Gutierrez.

Any questions? Comments?

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My reaction to seeing they had Latino names was a bit "Hurumph, can this be real? Are they manipulating us again?" 
Second, I want justice for their actions in killing Alex Pretti. And not the "reassignment" kind. Real trial justice.

Third, as a confirmed but sometimes struggling pacifist, I want to move to forgiveness and love even towards those who have committed heinous actions. I am nowhere near feeling that way yet, but it's out there for consideration. It keeps me from being angry, mostly.

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Sharing with Sepia Saturday...

And an interpretation of what the meanings were for those who don't understand Spanish - Band Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime show:

FrLast night’s halftime show was amazing. If you understood it, you understood it. And if you didn’t… I took the time to summarize it, because the amount of hate, misinformation, and division over a damn 15-minute performance is honestly ridiculous.

"Bad Bunny opens in a massive sugarcane field. For those that don’t know, sugarcane was once one of Puerto Rico’s biggest economic drivers. It represents labor, history, survival. If you want the deep dive, Google it… because it matters.

As he walks through the fields you see workers, kiosks, piragua stands, domino players, nail tech hustle, food stands… everyday Puerto Rican life. Not glamorized. Just real. Because that hustle is part of our DNA.

Then he passes two Puerto Rican boxing champions, Xander Zayas and Emiliano Vargas, a reminder that boxing has always been a source of pride for the island.

Next thing you know he’s on top of a classic casita straight out of el campo singing some reggaeton bangers. Are they the most proper songs? No But he still had the tact to censor the bad words even though half the audience wouldn’t have known the difference anyway.

And let’s talk reggaeton for a second. That genre was born in the barrios and caseríos. It wasn’t always accepted. It was criticized before it went global. So when he says:

“Estás escuchando música de Puerto Rico, de los barrios, de los caseríos.”

That means:

“You’re listening to music from Puerto Rico. From the neighborhoods. From the housing projects.”

Translation? This global sound came from us.

Then comes the violin intro to Monaco and he introduces himself by his full name:

Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio.

Not Bad Bunny. Benito.

And he says:

“If I’m here today at the Super Bowl it’s because I never stopped believing in myself… and you should believe in yourself too. You’re worth more than you think.”

Goosebumps.

From there we transition into what looks like a full Puerto Rican wedding. And if you’ve ever been to one, you KNOW it’s basically a family reunion with louder music and better outfits.

Enter Lady Gaga in a light blue dress with a red flower, a subtle nod to the original colors of the Puerto Rican flag, singing “Die With a Smile.” A song about love, about choosing your person no matter what. But with a salsa twist and a live band… because nothing says celebration like live horns and percussion.

Benito says:

“Mientras uno está vivo, uno debe amar lo más que pueda.”

“While we’re alive, we should love as much as we possibly can.”

Then…

“Baila sin miedo, ama sin miedo.”

“Dance without fear. Love without fear.”

Kids dancing. Adults dancing. Just joy everywhere. At one point there’s even a little boy knocked out across three chairs… and every Latino watching laughed because we have ALL been that kid at the family party.

Then the shift.

Nuevayol.

New York.

La Marqueta. Corner store. Barbershop. People dancing in the streets. A love letter to the Puerto Rican diaspora and the communities that built culture far from the island.

He says:

“San Francisco, disfruta… que esto es por un momento solamente.”

“Enjoy this moment… because it won’t last forever.”

Then a cameo from legendary Toñita handing him a shot. If you know Caribbean Social Club in East Harlem, you know that’s real community history.

One of the most powerful moments? A family watching Benito on TV holding his Grammy… and then he walks into the scene and hands that Grammy to his younger self.

“Siempre cree en ti.”

“Always believe in yourself.”

Dream → reality.

Then comes another icon… Ricky Martin.

Straight into “Lo Que Le Pasó a Hawaii,” touching on themes of identity and cultural preservation before exploding into “El Apagón.”

And if you know Puerto Rico, you know an apagón is more than a blackout. It’s one of the island’s biggest ongoing struggles. But what happens when the lights go out?

People come outside.

Neighbors connect.

Music finds a way.

Resilience.

Out comes the massive Puerto Rican flag… pride on full display.

Then the party ramps all the way up.

“Todos quieren ser Latinos pero les falta sazón!!”

Everybody wants to be Latino… but the seasoning is missing

Suddenly flags from North, Central, and South America flood the field. As flags from every corner of North, Central, and South America flooded the field, the stadium lit up with one message across the screen: The only thing more powerful than hate is love. And honestly… that said everything.

He says God bless America… names countries across the continent… ends with:

“Y mi patria… Puerto Rico.”

My homeland.

Then a football that reads:

“Together we are America.”

And just when you think it can’t get bigger, he closes with “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” and turns the entire stadium into one giant celebration.

Listen…

The biggest stage in America had a jíbaro from Puerto Rico standing on it with class.

He brought history.

He brought struggle.

He brought pride.

He brought resilience.

He brought unity.

An American halftime show spoken largely in Spanish… showing that Puerto Rican history IS American history.

Connected to Latin America.

Connected to the diaspora.

Connected to each other.

Culture isn’t something you hide.

It’s something you carry.

Chest all the way out with pride last night.

Puerto Rico está bien cabrón.

Acho… PR es otra cosa.

Thanks Karrie Emmanuel Carrasquillo from FaceBook

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At George Washington University, Feb. 11, 2026
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I mentioned that I canceled my cardio stress test because of high – stress – to the extent I was nauseous.

When my doctor sent in an order for an anti-anxiety pill that’s what it was for just one pill. And my insurance doesn’t cover it. And I can’t take it before I start the test because they want me to be alert so they’re For when I’m in the MRI machine. Not sure what to do about the anxiety and nausea, but I have a month to think it over.