This assemblage uses 16 Barbies (above the waist only), to remind the public of some brave women in our culture.  Here is some background information on the women that Our Miss Barbie admires:  Medea Benjamin is an anti-war activist from the Bay Area.  She founded Global Exchange, a membership-based international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic and environmental justice around the world and promoting anti-war initiatives. Amy Goodman is an American broadcaster and investigative journalist who has focused on coverage of the antiwar and anti-globazation movements and criticism of the corporate media.  In 1996 she co-founded the weekly radio program Democracy Now, the War and Peace Report to provide an alternative to the typical daily news media.    In the Bay Area she can be heard on KPFA-FM radio. Tiffanesha Jackson is my own creation, a composite from a lot of stories I know about African-American teenagers in America "Tiff is an Honor Student and basketball player at June Jordan High School in San Francisco.  While helping her mother and father care for her 4 siblings, she has developed excellent study habits so she can get a good education while being a star forward on her basketball team.  She plans to attend the University of California and study Political Science." Aung San Suu Kyi is a pro-democracy activist and leader of the National League for Democracy in Burma; she is a noted prisoner of conscience and advocate of nonviolent resistance. Suu Kyi won the Rafto Prize and the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 1990 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991. In 1992 she was awarded the Jawaharlal Nehru peace prize by the Government of India for her peaceful and non-violent struggle under a military dictatorship. Barbara Lee was the only member of the US Congress to vote against authorizing President Bush funds to wage war after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.  In addition to her anti-war work, she is committed to eradicating poverty, fostering opportunity, and protecting the most vulnerable in our society.  In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, she wrote the poverty section of the Congressional Black Caucus’ Gulf Coast reconstruction legislation and introduced a package of bills designed to make poverty eradication a priority for Congress. Barbara Lubin is Founder and Executive Director of the Middle East Children’s Alliance.  She is a life-long peace, justice and disability rights activist.  She lectures widely on the issue of Middle East politics and the plight of the children in the region. Wangari Muta Maathai is an environmental and political activist. In 2004 she became the first African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.  She holds a Ph.D. in Veterinary Medicine and is a member of the Parliament of Kenya. She is internationally recognized for her persistent struggle for democracy, human rights, and environmental conservation.  She was the first woman to attain numerous powerful positions in Africa. Barbara McClintock received the Nobel Prize in the Physiology of Medicine in 1983 for her work in Genetics.   In 1921 she took the only course in genetics that was open to undergraduate students in Cornell.  She received her Ph.D. in 1927 at Cornell University when few women were admitted to graduate programs. Rigoberta Menchu was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1992 for her work as a leading advocate for Indian rights and ethno-cultural reconciliation, not only in Guatemala, but also in the Western Hemisphere in general.  Born to a poor peasant family in Guatemala she later educated herself and became an activist for social reforms.  After the Guatemalan army killed her father, brother and mother she radically increased her work for peace, functioning outside of Guatemala to escape repression there. Maria Sinpapeles is a refugee from oppression in El Salvador, who came to the US for a better life.  She works two jobs while raising 3 wonderful children who attend SF Public schools, for which she is eternally grateful.  I have not used her correct last name here as she is awaiting her US Citizenship test and fears deportation.  Her daughter, Espeeranza, hopes to one day be a doctor.  Wislawa Szymborska was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1996.  Ms. Szymborska lives in Poland.  She has worked as a Poetry Editor and columnist in the Krakow literary weekly and has published over 16 collections of poetry.  Her poems have been translated in at least 12 other languages. Jody Williams was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for her work as founding coordinator of the International Campaign to Ban Land Mines (ICBL).  Prior to ICBL she worked for many years to build public awareness about US polity toward Central America.