Sunday is Mothers’ Day in Canada. On April 30, 1984, Council Chairperson Dolores Crane wrote the following letter to Premier Jim Lee, regarding the origins of Mothers’ Day:
Dear Premier Lee:
On behalf of the P.E.I. Advisory Council on the Status of Women, I am requesting that Mother’s Day May 13, 1984, be declared a “Day of Peace” within the Province of Prince Edward Island.
Originally, Julia Ward Howe initiated the idea of a Mother’s Day for peace. After her experience tending the wounded in the American Civil War, she started a two-year crusade to institute a Mother’s Day. Issued in 1870, her statement included the following: “In the name of womanhood and humanity I earnestly ask that a general Congress of Women, without limit of nationality, promote the alliance of the different nationalities, the amicable settlement of international questions, the great and general interests of peace.”
Today, we, as women, men, daughters, and sons, can reflect on this statement of peace; moreover, it is applicable within our own province and within Canada. Let us all acknowledge the alliance of individual personal differences, commit ourselves to the amicable resolution of our inter-provincial and international questions, and foremost strive to hold peace in our hearts as we become involved with humanity.
Dolores Crane remained very engaged in work for peace, as we can see in a photo from Common Ground in Nov/Dec 1985, where she is pictured in the centre. The photo is from a co-hosted event regarding international peace, with a guest speaker who, coincidentally, was Council’s first Chairperson, Beatrice Reeves. The brief article with the photo is headlined, “1985 – End Of Decade – Panel Explored Issues,” and it states, “Approximately 90 women turned out October 29 [1985] for a panel discussion on peace, development and equality issues organized by P.E.I. Women’s Network and the Advisory Council on the Status of Women. Panelists were: Beatrice Reeves, National W.I. President; Dolores Crane, A.C.S.W.; Maureen Larkin, Cooper Institute; Ann Sherman, Island Peace Committee. Chairing the panel was Margaret Joyce. The event was an opportunity to hear Mrs. Reeves’ account of her experiences at the End Of Decade conference in Nairobi. She was P.E.I.’s only delegate.”
The work for peace continues alongside the work for gender equality, worldwide. Our friend Susan Hartley brought together many messages of peace, including voices of other Prince Edward Island women, into a global chorus for her new book, Global Voices for Peace: An Introduction to Peacebuilders and the Hope They Bring https://www.globalvoices4peace.ca/
We also wanted to share this beautiful song by PEI singer-songwriter Emilea May, “Good Mother.” Listen, enjoy, share. https://emileamay.bandcamp.com/track/good-mother
A peaceful Mothers’ Day for all who mark the day for whatever reason, in whatever way they want to and need to.
