BTW?
Women's role in war and peace...
"Not considered in the article by Kate Adie (Don't write first world war women out of history, 23 September) are those who travelled to The Hague in April 1915 to object to the war and to promote the radical idea that international disputes should be resolved by negotiation. As one organiser, Aletta Jacobs, said: "We feel that we can no longer endure in this 20th century of civilisation that governments should tolerate brute force as the only solution of international disputes."
Gary Kempston Illustration by Gary Kempston
Amid the carnage of surrounding warfare, 1,200 women from 12 countries met and elected five delegates to take their programme to end the war through mediation to European and US governments. The international team travelled back and forward across Europe and to the US during the summer of 1915, visiting 14 countries and meeting 24 influential leaders: prime ministers, foreign ministers, presidents, the king of Norway and the pope.
The women urged the political leaders to set up continuous mediation by neutral countries to end the war. Although each statesman declared himself sympathetic, not one would take the first step. However, US president Woodrow Wilson adopted many of their proposals in his "Fourteen Points" speech, which later laid the foundations for the League of Nations.
If Ms Adie includes the comments of the House of Commons about women politicians in 1917, she should also have quoted what the congresswoman Jeannette Rankin said: "I want to stand by my country, but I cannot vote for war."
To ignore the women who promote peace can still be a prejudice of war correspondents. However, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom continues to promote the idea that political leaders have the responsibility to use their expertise and skills to resolve international disputes through negotiation and mediation, thereby creating political solutions rather than promoting military destruction.
Helen Kay
Edinburgh"
And four others...
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/27/women-role-war-and-peace