Ordinary Women Shaping Extraordinary Times

The world watched in horror and outrage as the Russian military defied international law and invaded the sovereign nation of Ukraine. The world also watched with awe and reverence as ordinary women defied norms and expectations and rose in defense of their values, families, friends, and country.

One such woman stood alone before a heavily armed Russian soldier, and with defiance said,

Take these seeds and put them in your pockets, so at least sunflowers will grow when you all lie down [die] here.”

Like Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi, whose similar courage and resolve ignited the global Black Lives Matter movement, or Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, Amelia Earhart, Shirley Chisholm, and Sandra Day O’Connor before them, ordinary women become extraordinary when the moment in history beckons.

2022 Women’s History Month Events

We are pleased to provide the following offerings to the CIIS community in honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day.

WSE Associate Professor, Alka Arora, will present at the Dawn of Interspirituality: Women’s Spiritual Leadership for the 21st Century. Her panel “Awakening to the Divine Feminine” is on Friday, March 4, 2022 – 10:30 to 11:40 AM Pacific Time.

The conference is free of charge. Information and registration can be found here.

**

March 8 is International Women’s Day. To honor the day, WSE is proud to host independent scholar and feminist historian, Max Dashú, who will present “Rebel Shamans: Women Confront Empire.” This visual presentation will show how indigenous women draw on their cultural traditions to resist colonization… [making] the spiritual political.

Mar 8, 2022 – 1:00 to 3:00 PM Pacific Time 
For video recording of this event, please contact wse@ciis.edu

**

KPFA – Women’s Magazine interview. Professor Emerita and WSE co-founder, Mara Keller, and current WSE chair, Annette Williams, were interviewed for KPFA’s radio program Women’s Magazine by the show’s founder and producer, Lisa Dettmer. Women’s Magazine is a weekly hour of programming devoted to womanist/feminist perspectives on news and culture.

Sunday, March 13 at 7AM Pacific Time and Monday, March 14 at 1PM Pacific Time – KPFA (94.1 FM in Berkeley, CA) 
Listen to the interview 

**

Book Talk – Return of the High Priestess. Author Lynne Edwards will be in conversation with Annette Williams about her thrilling and intriguing mystery novel whose main characters are seemingly unbound from time. Dr. Edwards will also discuss dreams, dreaming consciousness, and the implications of dreams for everyday life and reality.

Mar 29, 2022 – 12:00 Noon to 1:00 PM Pacific Time 
Watch the recording of the book talk