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Come on and join author Melissa Bradley as she sets off on her latest adventure...

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If you are not 18, please exit stage left. While there is normally nothing naughty here, I do write and review erotica so there are links to spicy stuff and the occasional heated excerpt.

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

M And N Are For...

Happy Thursday! Still plugging along on the Big A to Z.  I am loving being back in the swing. What a great time this is as the home stretch looms near. Hope you are meeting and visiting some of the other awesome participants. You can find them by clicking here

M is for Wangari Maathai, an environmental and political activist from Kenya. In 2004, she became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Wangari was also the first East African woman to earn a PhD when she was awarded her doctorate from the University of Nairobi in 1971. Inspired by the environmentalists she saw here in the States, Wangari founded the Green Belt Movement in 1976. This is a community development organization that helps Kenyan women in poor rural areas plant trees to combat deforestation, restore their primary source of fuel, generate an income and stop soil erosion.

Maathai's activism led her to seek political office and she ran unsuccessfully for the Kenyan Parliament in 1997. However, she returned for another try in 2002 and was elected. The following January she was appointed Assistant Minister in the Ministry for Environment and Natural Resources, where she served until 2005. She used this time to found a political party to support environmentally minded candidates.

She continued to teach and to work for women's rights in Africa until her death of ovarian cancer in September of 2011.

N is for Sarojini Naidu, Indian independence activist, poet and child prodigy. In a country known for its disdain of girl children, Sarojini is a standout. She was the first woman governor of Uttar Pradesh state and only the second woman to ever be elected president of the Indian National Congress. Her political activism began after she joined the Indian National Movement and from 1915-1918, she traveled throughout India lecturing on social welfare, the empowerment of women and nationalism. She helped to found the Women's Indian Association and was chosen to go to London to speak to the Joint Select Committee to present the case for giving women the vote.

She counted Mahatma Ghandi amongst her friends and played a leading role in the Civil Disobedience Movement. She was arrested along with Ghandi on several occasions. 

Fluent in five language, Naidu was a child prodigy. She attended King's College London at sixteen and later studied at Cambridge. She fell in love with poetry and wrote about contemporary Indian life and culture, attracting a large Indian and English following. Some of her most well-known works include The Golden Threshold and The Bird of Time.

Fun Fact:

Sarojini was such good friends with Ghandi, she called him  "Mickey Mouse."

21 comments:

  1. It's funny to think of anyone calling Ghandi "Mickey Mouse."

    These women you feature are truly amazing. I'm glad to have the chance to learn about them.

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    1. I know! I was stunned when I read that. Ghandi? Mickey Mouse? I guess great people have their teasing friends, too. Makes him seem more human.

      I'm really glad you are enjoying the posts. I'm learning a lot myself this month.

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  2. Mickey Mouse? Funny!
    I'd read about Wangari Maathai before. Winning the Nobel is quite an accomplishment.
    Still unpacking?

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    1. Hey Alex, yep I'm still unpacking. Who would have thought one person could accumulate so much stuff? Arrgh...

      It is cool to think of a great man like Ghandi having his friends who joked with him.

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  3. The Indian culture can be confusing. I used to work with several Indians who traveled to the US together for work outside of India for the first time. There were so many cultural quirks that I'd never have expected to see. For example, all in all, a culture that prizes politeness moreso than most, at the same time, sometimes the guests would forget that women were people too and slam doors in their faces around the office.

    It would be like a SNL skit or something. Except without it being funny.

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    1. Wow! What an experience. That must have been hard to watch. Thank you for sharing the experience.

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  4. Hope your move went smoothly!

    Saroljini called him "Micky Mouse?" Really? They must have been close friends.

    Kenya and India have a long way to go when it comes to women's rights.

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    1. Thank Jay! It did and now I have to unpack all that stuff. I am so disorganized still. :)

      The Mickey Mouse got me, too. How fun to have been able to tease someone like Ghandi that way.

      I agree with you. There are a lot of places with a long way to go as far as women's rights are concerned, too.

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  5. those are some brave women, Melsy!

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    1. Hi Dez! They sure were. I'd love to be a little more like them. :)

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  6. Wow, both are so inspiring it's hard to know what to say. Very funny too about Mickey Mouse! It makes historical figures feel more human to learn fun little things like this. :)

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    1. Hey Julie, I know exactly what you mean. These women just left me completely speechless and yet, wanting to go out and do more.

      I loved learning about the Mickey Mouse nickname. It does make Ghandi seem a bit more human.

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  7. The world definitely needs more of these type women! LOL, he did resemble the mouse didn't he?! :)
    Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow

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    1. Hey Jules! I agree, the world could certainly use more women like Wangari and Sarojini. And LOL Ghandi did look like the Mouse.

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  8. Melissa, it's sad that I've never heard of the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. Another great spotlight.
    - Maurice Mitchell
    The Geek Twins | Film Sketchr
    @thegeektwins | @mauricem1972

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    1. Thank you Maurice. I'm so happy you and so many others are loving reading about these amazing women.

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  9. Mickey Mouse? That's wild! These women are incredible roll models :)

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    1. I missed you! Glad that you are getting settled in, Melissa. I've enjoyed reading about your last 4 women choices; you do outstanding work, you know.

      Kathy M.

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    2. HI Jemi! I could not believe the achievements of these ladies. I am thoroughly humbled by them. The Mickey Mouse thing got me, how fun that Ghandi had a friend who could tease him like that.

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    3. Hey Kathy! Thank you so much for always stopping by with a wonderful comment. Your words put a huge smile on my face today.

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  10. I sound like a broken record on most of these posts - but again - I am woefully unread on too many important and cool women - but here are two I've now heard of thanks to you!

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