See Jane Do...

Top Twelve See Jane Do Stories of Extraordinary Women in 2009

"May the dreams of your past be the reality of your future"

In 2009 See Jane Do connected with everyday women who are fulfilling their dreams to create a better future for the planet and generations to come.  Despite a year of transition and change the women we met are consistent with their message; to persevere, to have hope, to connect with others, and to follow your passion.  

With over one hundred women we interviewed this year, we've shared our top twelve stories of everyday women who are doing extraordinary things for the planet and the lessons we learned from each of them.  We look forward to more stories and inspired action in 2010!

1.  Millions of people can come together peacefully to create change.

The See Jane Do team attended President Obama's inauguration and the Peace Ball in Washington D.C.  We also interviewed incredible women at the SYRCL's Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival

Extraordinary Jane's:  Woman's National Democratic Club, Multi-Racial book club, Rachel Barge of Campus in Power, Emma's Revolution, plus interviews with teachers, mothers, musicians, veterans, teen agers, soldiers, students, business owners, activists, and other concerned Americans.

2.  Renewing our relationship with food can also renew our community.

Extraordinary Jane's:  Wendy Van Wagner of In the Kitchen, Jo McProud of Riverhill Farm

3.  Sharing our stories can link generations and inspire a movement.

See Jane Do participated in Gather the Women's International Women's Day event.

Extraordinary Jane's:  Gather the Women and Jean Shinoda Bolen

4.  When you operate through your heart and passion, positive change is possible and others will join you.

Extraordinary Jane's:  Goldman Environmental Prize winners (four of which were women), Green Moms Carnival, Mable Yee, founder of Engage Her, Gloria Steinem  and Amy Goodman.

5.  I will not raise my child to kill another mother's child.

See Jane Do was invited to cover CODEPINK's annual mother's day peace event in Washington D.C.

Extraordinary Jane's: Medea Benjamin, Colonel Ann Wright, Iraq War Veteran and mother, Lindsey Cambpell, Women for Women Director in Afghanistan, Sweeta Nori, mother of Iraq Soldier, Cynthia Benjamin, Jodie Evans, actress and activist, Mimi Kennedy and many other incredible women.

6.  Our planet, our life, our health, our children are worth more than gold and coal.

See Jane Do features women who are taking planet earth off the market.  

Extraordinary Jane's:  Maria Gunnoe and Judy Bonds fighting Mountain Top Removal.  Lydia Olympic, tribal council member fighting open pit gold mining and preserving the largest salmon run.

7.  You're one click away from changing policy, sharing your story and connecting with community. 

See Jane Do attends BlogHer and features the pioneers of the online revolution.

Extraordinary Jane's:  BlogHer founders and Joan Blades, co-founder of MoveOn.org and MomsRising.org.

8.  The traditions of the past will support us in the future.  

Grandma Jane is rockin the world!   Standing up for conservation and peace these grandmothers are taking on multi-billion corporations to protect their health, the planet and their grandchildren.

Extraordinary Jane's:  Grandmothers for Peace, Alla Ivanovna Gafner and other participants of Pacific Environment.

9. We need to challenge assumptions that just because something has been done for many years (traditional school lunches), doesn't make it right.  One person has the power to create an impact (and kids love brown rice). 

We revisit school lunches that kids actually line up for and how the Slow Food movement can help.

Extraordinary Jane's:  Renegade Lunch Lady, Chef Ann Cooper, Aimee Retzler, Tania Carlone, and Erika Lesser, Director of Slow Food USA.

10.  With our purchase power we can change the world.

We featured women who are making the planet less trashy with less plastic.

Extraordinary Jane's:  Beth Terry of Fake Plastic Fish, activist and artist, Kathleen Egan, and educator Anna Cummins of Agalita.

11.  I want you to run for office!  Women might make up half the work force and half the population but we still don't have balanced leadership in the United States.

The United States is a long way from balanced leadership but we're half way to reaching the tipping point (30% representation is needed).  Numerous organizations have formed to train women to take the lead and run.

Extraordinary Jane's:  Marie Wilson, president and founder of The White House Project, Kristine Pagan, White House Project alumni and aspiring candidate, Mayor Reinette Senum, and Gloria Feldt, author, activist, and former CEO of Planned Parenthood.

12.  In order to have a healthy planet we must have healthy people.  

Women are taking their health into their own hands and putting the hope in healthcare.

Extraordinary Jane's:  Kim Robinson and Eileen Schnitger of Women's Health Specialists

Grandma Jane is Rockin' the World!

As team See Jane Do attempts to get back to the basics in our personal life; gardening, cooking, walking to town and connecting with our community, we can't help but think of the wise women, our grandmothers who often led this lifestyle long before Slow Food, organic, or free range became selected options.  

Nowadays with a disconnect from local community, genetically modified, processed foods, and ill-treatment of our land, It seems the lessons grandma taught us and the wisdom they can offer us are more important than ever.

We met a handful of grandmothers that are taking the grandmother archetype of a sweet old lady, sitting on her porch in her rocking chair crocheting doilies and turning it upside down.  In fact, one of our guests from Nevada County Grandmother's For Peace organization suggest that while they might not be rocking in chairs they are rocking the world to create a peaceful planet for the generations to come.

These women are proving that activism and community involvement doesn't end in one's golden years, but rather with the knowledge and patience that comes from years of lived experience, can be a powerful asset when taking on multi-billion dollar corporations that threaten our health and environment, teaching back to the basics, spreading messages of peace, or that change is always possible.

In this segment of See Jane Do listen to the stories of Alla Ivanovna Gafner, a community leader and grandmother from an area near Sakhalin-II, the world's largest integrated oil and gas plant located on Sakhalin Island in Eastern Russia.  Hear her incredible story of holding these massive global corporations accountable to the people and the environment.  Alla was traveling with a group of mothers and grandmothers who were participating in a workshop led by Pacific Environment.   Program Associate, Audrey Wood translates their stories.

Shirley McDonald and Mary O'Brien of the Nevada County Grandmothers for Peace share their experiences as grandmothers trying to find different ways to bring peace into people's consciousness. 

Poet and teacher Molly Fisk reads a poignant essay about her grandmother and how it is possible for people to change their mind and ways; you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Plus hear everyday women sharing their own stories of what they learned from their grandmothers.

Please continue to share your stories with us at [email protected].

Click here to listen to their stories.

Elisa and Jesse