The Wisdom of the Elders

The Leadership Challenge

by Janet Chisholm

• “No, you can’t go to Selma --- it’s too dangerous.”
• “If you believe in Jesus Christ, support the war and stop the peace activities.” - a Bishop
• “Do you realize that all the inquiries for speakers are being passed to the men on staff?”
• He acts like he’s in charge when it is what you organized.”

I have been “protected” from opportunities, dismissed, treated as invisible, plagiarized, sidelined, and had my faith impugned by a Bishop, my activism impugned for working in the church, and my nonviolence training impugned for not specializing in civil disobedience. In peace groups, empowering others through teaching children, training teachers, organizing child care workers, developing housing subsidies and job training, and providing resources for people trapped in violent situations were not considered peace work.  Protesting nuclear weapons, militarism and war were valid. Many women face similar challenges when they feel called to leadership in the peace movement.   

Our occupations and volunteer activities may be viewed as unrelated to peace work and our styles as insufficiently aggressive and muscular.  One woman activist analyzes the situation this way:   “The U.S. culture made heroes of the men who went to war.  The peace culture made heroes of the men who didn’t.”  In the dominant culture we are frequently paid less than men, relegated to undervalued jobs, and objectified; we may be stereotyped as weak, fearful, overly emotional, too sensitive, and unreliable. In old age, we are depreciated goods.  The peace movement has maintained some of the destructive values, practices and stereotypes of the dominant culture. Both men and women in our organizations can do more to support the leadership of women for peace.

At times, I internalized some of the dominant culture’s negative messages and doubted my own  adequacy and value. Thankfully, I had assistance along the way: opportunities to learn to lead; a few men and women who invited me into leadership; spiritual resources and worshipping communities; brothers and sisters in other faiths; a home at EPF; and the inspiring writings of teachers and nonviolent activists who showed me how to empower others.  I realized I must find my own, different voice and style as a woman; I collected stories of women activists.  I needed to develop a conceptual framework consistent with my experiences as a woman.  More time in prayer and discernment were vital.  The Gospel accounts of Jesus, the peace activist, confirmed for me my own belief that protesting injustice and constructing a new culture are not mutually exclusive ---- and that Jesus affirmed the gifts of women leaders in His movement. 

During a particularly difficult period, a leading nonviolent activist offered me pastoral care and this direction:  

“Janet, you must do what I do.  Underline these Bible passages on fortitude, persistence and strength in the service of justice and peace. As a woman leader, I know you will be facing challenges like the ones I have faced as a black man. Reread them when you are discouraged and the journey is hard.”

Janet Chisholm became an activist in high school in 1956.  She has offered national leadership to EPF, the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the nonviolence training program “Creating a Culture of Peace,” and the Nevada Desert Experience. Her academic degrees are in religion and human development.