Peacebuilders: Muriel Duckworth

Episode Summary

Muriel Duckworth was born in 1908 in Canada. She grew up on a farm and her family struggled to make ends meet. Muriel attended McGill University where she joined the Student Christian Movement, a progressive campus organization. There she met her husband Jack Duckworth. After graduating, they studied at Union Theological Seminary in New York City during the time of the Great Depression. Muriel volunteered with immigrant girls and was influenced by the Social Gospel Movement's teachings on aligning with the poor and powerless. The Duckworths moved back to Montreal where Muriel advocated for social causes. In 1947, they moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia where Muriel worked as a parent education advisor. Through her community work, she became involved in more social issues, especially peace activism. In 1960, amidst nuclear tensions, Muriel helped form a local chapter of the Voice of Women peace organization. As national president, she spearheaded anti-Vietnam War efforts. Even as she aged, Muriel remained dedicated to activism. She protested Canada's involvement in nuclear weapons testing and war preparations. In her 80s, she joined the Raging Grannies performance group that used humor and song to promote social justice. Muriel lived to 100 years old. The Canadian Voice of Women now presents an annual peace award in her honor. Muriel Duckworth worked tirelessly for justice and peace, founding and supporting many organizations over her long life.

Episode Show Notes

Muriel Duckworth (1908-2009) was a Canadian activist, feminist, and pacifist.

Episode Transcript

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At Morgan & Morgan, we've made it really easy. Anything that we need from you, you're able to do from the comfort of your home. You can just dial pound law and you talk to someone like me. SPEAKER_07: If you or any one of your family has been injured, call Morgan & Morgan, America's largest injury law firm. We've collected over $15 billion for our clients. It's easy. Visit forthepeople.com for an office near you. Hello, from Wonder Media Network, I'm Melte Mburak. SPEAKER_00: I'm the host and producer of the podcast SESTA. We aim to harness the power of arts and culture to foster conversation and build peace in Cyprus. I'll be your guest host for this month of Womanika. This month, we're highlighting peace builders. In times of conflict, these women have stepped in, bringing their creativity and insight to help facilitate peace across the globe. Today, we're talking about a woman who worked tirelessly for justice, both in her own communities and for other causes. She founded and worked with 17 organizations and integrated the causes of feminism and pacifism. She lived for 100 years and filled each day bettering the lives of others. Please welcome Muriel Duckworth. Muriel Ball was born on October 31st, 1901. Muriel Ball was born on October 31st, 1908, in Austin, Canada, about 18 miles east of Montreal on her parents' farm. She was a third of five children to Anna Westover and Ezra Ball. Farm life was difficult and not very profitable. To make ends meet, Anna ran a boarding house and Ezra sold lightning rods. Muriel grew up in a lively Methodist home. The family often had people over to gather and sing hymns or debate politics. Anna, Muriel's mother, turned their China cabinet into a community lending library. At age 16, Muriel entered McGill University in Montreal. At McGill, she joined the Student Christian Movement, a progressive and at times controversial campus organization. It encouraged students to explore the Christian faith radically and critically. For Muriel, that included opposing anti-Semitism on campus and helping raise money for student relief. Muriel later described it as the beginning of her adult search for truth. She called it unsettling, painful, and exciting. It was through the Student Christian Movement that she met her husband, Jack Duckworth. The couple was married in 1929, the same week as her graduation. Following her time at McGill, both she and Jack went on to study at the Union Theological Seminary in New York. There, they took part in the Social Gospel Movement, which emphasized that being Christian meant aligning oneself with the poor and powerless. Muriel began to internalize these teachings and at a pivotal time, less than a year into her time in New York, the stock market crash of 1929 plummeted the country into the Great Depression. The city was rife with opportunity to take the teachings of the Social Gospel into real life. Muriel spent her time volunteering with young immigrant girls in Hell's Kitchen. The following year, she and Jack returned to Montreal, where they raised their three children. There, she continued advocating for social causes and joined several organizations which promoted living wages, unemployment insurance, healthcare, affordable housing, and more. In 1947, the family moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia. Muriel quickly became a well-known face in her community as a parent education advisor for the Nova Scotia Department of Education. It was through her work in the thick of Halifax community that her eyes were opened to more and more social issues. Muriel's list of causes kept growing. Each issue she tackled made her commitment to social change and justice even more impassioned. Above all, Muriel was invested in peace at a time of acute tension across the globe. In 1960, the United States and the Soviet Union were on the brink of nuclear war. After hopes of peaceful compromise were dashed at the failed 1960 Paris peace talks, women across Halifax began phoning the only woman they knew would really champion the pacifist cause. Muriel heeded the call. 25 women huddled in her living room to organize around peace. Within a month of forming, the group had successfully blocked the United States from dumping nuclear waste off the Nova Scotia coast. This was just the beginning. Over the next few years, Muriel's chapter joined with women across Canada to become the nationally recognized peace organization Voice of Women or VOW. Muriel served as VOW's national president from 1967 to 1971 at the height of the Vietnam War. The Voice of Women publicly opposed the war and Muriel took it upon herself to spearhead anti-war efforts. She invited three Vietnamese women from the National Liberation Front to tour Canada, giving talks and meeting delegations of women working toward peace. She also protested Canada's involvement in nuclear weapons testing as she learned about its connection to the United States chemical warfare in Vietnam. In Halifax, Muriel also became involved in Quaker faith and found that many friends or members of the religion became active participants in Voice of Women. Though Muriel never faced incarceration for her peaceful protests, she did obtain a federal tax at age 80 for withholding 9% of her federal income tax over several years, the amount she had calculated the country was using for war preparations. Even as she aged, Muriel did not stop her activities in pursuit of peace. Muriel became a member of the lively Canadian geriatric group, The Raging Grannies, who used humor and song to bring awareness to social justice issues. While in her cottage, Muriel fell and broke her hip. She passed away at 100 years of age in Maga, Quebec. The Canadian Voice of Women for Peace now presents an annual award for peace activism in Muriel's honor. All month, we're talking about peace builders. For more information, find us on Facebook and Instagram at Womenica Podcast. Special thanks to co-creators, Jenny and Liz Kaplan for having me on as a guest host. As always, we'll be taking a break for the weekend. Talk to you Monday. SPEAKER_06: Until 2024 on approved credit. Over 15,000 satisfied customers on Google had a five star experience with Dibella. For your home improvement projects, check out the award-winning pros at iHeart.Dibella.us where quality begins at home. You're at a place you just discovered SPEAKER_01: and being an American Express Platinum card member with global dining access by Resi, helped you score tickets to quite the dining experience. Oh, okay, chef. You're looking at something you've never seen before, much less tasted. After your first bite, you say nothing because you're speechless. See how to elevate your dining experiences at americanexpress.com slash with Amex. Don't live life without it. Terms apply. 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