Edith Ballantyne

It is with deep sadness that we announce the death of our mother, Edith Ballantyne. She died peacefully in hospital on March 25, 2025, after a sudden infection. She would have turned 103 on December 10, 2025.   Edith was a strong, independent woman with a sharp mind and a fierce spirit that never waned.…

Despite living an ocean away, Edith was a huge presence in my life and the lives of all her grandchildren. From summer holidays in Geneva (where there would invariably be someone new staying with her) to her visits to Canada over Christmas (and all of the chocolate she’d bring with her), visits with Edith set…

Farewell Edith, beloved great grandmother, peace activist, friend and someone who just knew how to appreciate living. What an incredible 102 years you had. You fought for justice and human rights but could just as easily talk  about why you preferred Nadal to Federer. You were always happy to chat about small things in life…

Edith dear!  You will always be in our thoughts and evoked with admiration.   I met you while leading WILPF as Secretary General.  In many of the international meetings learned about your traveling, either in fact findings mission, expressing solidarity and networking.  Your ability to speak many languages, to embrace women from the Global South in…

Ricordando Edith Ballantyne, donna di pace di Ada Donno Mentre leggo le numerose testimonianze affettuose dedicate ad Edith Ballantyne,   mi ripasso nella mente le occasioni in cui ho avuto il grande privilegio di incontrarla. La prima volta fu nel maggio del 1984 a Milano, dove Edith era fra le relatrici al convegno nazionale delle donne…

Il y a des rencontres dans une vie qui marquent à jamais. Mme Ballantyne en fait partie. Avec elle, le lien s’est créé tout naturellement. Elle m’a accueillie avec une chaleur sincère et m’a ouvert les portes de son univers, de son quotidien, de sa famille. Et quelle famille… Ses enfants sont tout simplement formidables.…

My sympathies to the whole family. Edith had a long interesting life and let nobody indifferent. She was a mentor for me at UN: I was an NGO representative at Human Rights working group, rather ignorant. Edith trusted me and pushed me to go and speak at the HR Conference in Vienna. I’ll never forget…

Womens’International league for Peace and Freedom-Palestine Section منظمة المرأة العالمية للسلام والحرية-فرع فلسطين Edith Ballyntine The Exceptional Leader and the Human. A Tale of a Great Woman The Icon of Wilpf International. Talking about the special woman and thinker Edith Ballyntine,forms a tavestry of talk that is written with heart pulse and the “celtum”…

Edith was an international treasure. She was respected by those who worked alongside her and she was respected by those who disagreed with her positions. She was a powerful force for equal rights, against discrimination and racism, for international peace among nations and people. She stood up and spoke up on behalf of many peoples,…

I came home from the hospital where I said a final goodbye to Edith, and felt motivated to put figurative pen to paper, for her children and friends. Among her many qualities, Edith was never a person who thrived on being lauded. So, congratulating her on Saturday on her long and successful life seemed out…

OBITUARY Peace advocate Edith Ballantyne had unwavering faith in humanity SUE MONTGOMERY SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL Appropriately, Edith Ballantyne, a staunch defender of social justice, peace and equality, was born on International Human Rights day. She was a young Czech refugee in Canada during the Second World War when she first came into…

Three generations of our family have fond memories of Edith. The senior member of our large family, my father Dmitry Zavgorodny, has worked with her on a variety of political issues for many years. Their shared understanding of the world and the productivity of cooperation led to strong friendships that have lasted for decades. Once…

It’s rare to meet people in life who continue to inspire you. For me, Edith is such a person. I first met her when she turned 90. That same year, I had started working at WILPF, and the secretariat was flooded with calls from members insisting that we throw a party for Edith – so…

Edith and Aletta Jacobs: courageous women, working for peace and freedom.​ Edith attended the 100 years of WILPF conference in the Hague 2015 ​ She unveiled the bust of Aletta and she made a very inspiring speech.​ We, Wilpf working group NL thank her very much for her work.

I had the great privilege of meeting Edith through her very dear friend, Jeannie Vickers.  She really was one of the most inspiring people I ever met. I am glad to have known her, even so briefly. My sincere condolences to all the family

I first heard of Edith Ballantyne when I was doing my doctoral research at the University of North Carolina. I was seeking to understand better just how civil society organizations could play a role in the shaping of international policy. This led me to my study of the NGOs and the first UN Special Session…

I had the honor of accompanying Edith for a film project over the last 4 years and getting to know her better. I came across her through my film about the forgotten Swiss peace activist Gertrud Woker, who co-founded WILPF between the world wars. I searched for contemporary witnesses and came into contact with Edith…

 In Loving Memory of Edith We have known Edith since 2001—her Mongolian friends in Geneva, Nara and Tufshoo. From the moment we stayed with her for almost a full year in her Sécheron apartment, Edith became an inseparable part of our lives. At that time, I had just started working at UNICEF, a stone’s throw…

We are Erim and Yonca from Izmir in Turkey. We were introduced to Edith by our friend Nara during our visit to Geneva. Even if we spent only a limited time with her, she opened up endless horizons for us and the horizons she opened are unforgettable. We feel honored to have met her. A…

My deepest sympathies to Edith   I am Nene, the 14 year old son of Nara’s late nephew. I now live in Japan . I got to know Edith 5 years ago and we had a nice video chat once in a while. At that time, I genuinely believed Edith was in her mid-60s which…

Edith has been a guiding light, inspiration and laughing comrade for decades.  While she is physically gone, her spirit and the influence she’s had on countless humans across the globe will live on forever. I arrived to Geneva, young, enthusiastic and a bit naive to take up the job as WILPF’s Secretary General. Despite my…

​It’s way back in 2000, we friends visited Geneva for a Social Forum meeting.  We met Edith Ballantyne and Krishna Ahooja Patel.  It was a wonderful meeting and discussion with both legends of peace women. We wanted to start a WILPF section in India.  A WILPF section was existing in India in 1975.  Dr Sushila…

As members of the Dutch WILPF section we worked in our different roles together with Edith during many years. We learned very much during this time. Memorable was Edith’s visit to The Hague in 2015. Thank you for everything.

Dear Edith It was such a great pleasure to visit with you last in December 2024, before I left for Finnland, my home country. Maybe we both sensed it could be the last time to have a wonderful chat and exchange views – even if we didn’t always agree, in particular on the role of…

Nachruf Edith Ballentyne Noch vor 2 Wochen hat mir Edith in einem Telefongespräch erzählt, wie sehr sie der Genozid in Gaza und die ungebremste Gewalt des Israelischen Militärs gegen die Palästinenser bedrückten und was WILPF tun müsste um die Stimmen aus der Region für Frieden zu verstärken. Sie war immer am Ball und dachte aktionistisch.…

In the 90s Edith was President and I was Secretary General of WILPF in Geneva. A time where the bi-polar world, the Cold War time came to an end and the International community held a series of global conferences on human rights, on women, social common goods. Edith was very much connected within different NGO…

When I first arrived in Geneva in 1990 to take up my position as Secretary-General of the International Peace Bureau, Edith was one of the very first people I was taken to see. Her reputation had preceded her: I was somewhat in awe. But that soon dissolved when I realised what a welcoming, kind, and…

As many people have already written, Edith was a force. In 1977, she helped Indigenous Peoples of the Americas to have a gathering at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.  Despite the many attempts by various governments to stop the effort, she pressed ahead with the planning. She saw oppression and attempts to silence those…

I met Edith at the IB held in Madrid and from the first moment I realized that she was a great reference for WILPF. She was a woman with a great deal of experience and knowledge, but she maintained a discreet attitude, was open to listening and had a broad vision of peace linked to…

My daughter Lillian took this selfie during a visit to Edith a few years ago— I loved my visits to Edith apartment and treasure them. Edith was the most beautiful soul—wise, politically astute, and deeply, deeply kind. I am forever grateful for her vision, her truth, and the time she so generously gave. WILPF was…

I first met Edith in 1996 when I went to Geneva from Cambodia to  help organize a landmines review conference for the landmine campaign & she and Felicity let me stay in the WILPF house. A fleeting connection for a few months, but a huge impact on the course of my life and journey as…

Thanks for your support, Edith. Rest in Power.

Heartfelt Reflection on Edith Ballantyne’s Spirit I will forever hold onto the memory of visiting Edith Ballantyne in December 2022, just before her 100th birthday. Though nearing a century, she was full of warmth and energy—setting the table herself, placing the plates, and pouring the wine. Her grace and hospitality were remarkable, a true reflection…

I first met Edith when I was asked to organise WILPF’s 100th anniversary. While I felt the weight of this immense responsibility on my shoulders having only been with the organisation a year or so before, Edith immediately put me at ease. Rather than be terrified of disappointing everyone for whom WILPF and the 100th…

Edith was an inspiration and a guide especially for the young WILPFer I was when I met her 19 years ago, and throughout the years, we would try to find time to meet so I can get a bit of her wisdom and care around a bottle of red wine, cheese, charcuterie and salad, in…

Knowing Edith changed my life. I met her thirty years ago when I was 28 at the Helsinki WILPF Congress.  I heard so much about her before we met and didn’t believe someone could be so fabulous.  Then she made a speech leading to my first words to her: “I agree with everything you said…