Tribute for Rachel.
I want to pay tribute to Rachel’s
recent political activism, her feminism and our friendship.
The socialist choir played an important part
in Rachel’s life and she in it. Rachel was a committed
soprano, rumoured to be the only one who knew the words, a
“buddy” for new members and thoughtful and highly
responsible committee member and good friend to many.
Our friendship began through the
Socialist choir 2½ years ago. Sharing our passion for hill
walking, she shared her political passions – to work out
what are the underpinnings needed for peace - the alternatives to
war and violence. She had a keen interest in what sustainable
development could look like at local and global levels and in
understanding globalisation forces that are undermining it.
We shared many other things too. And I
learnt how her present passions were building on her previous
lived politics (she couldn’t remember a time when she didn’t
regard herself as a feminist). She had a deep regard for
her now dead father, Mike, a conscientious objector, mountain and
nature lover, and for her mother Barbara, with us today, a warm
compassionate woman who speaks from the heart. The seeds were
there for R’s passion for peace, compassion, intelligent
enquiry and self assurance – all of which are passed onto
Ruth.
It’s this self assurance that made
political integration with her life style more possible than for
many. No problem for her as a high powered executive to be seen
leaving Barnsley council offices donning trackies, trainers,
rucksack and leaping on her bike (always with bike helmet). She
enjoyed playing clarinet in our street band, Ragnorok, dressed in
glitter on the town hall steps. Her joy was in playing, an added
bonus if we played to support a political cause.
Her overt political activism restarted in
May 98 motivated by the Multi-Lateral Agreement on Investment
with her involvement with the Sheffield coalition opposing this
extension of multi-national companies’ rights. R worked out
what her particular contributions could be and worked on
them;
1.Through work; Barnsley Council was one of
the first councils in the Uk to pass a resolution expressing
concern about the MAI
2.Starting a correspondence with her MP.,
3.Making grass roots connections; I shared
meetings with Rachel with young environmental activists. Rachel
did not take over the meeting with her knowledge and power of
argument, but rather, warmed by their vision and energy, in a low
key way she provided funds for them to pursue their creative
campaigning.
Rachel’s anti war activism was shown
passionately last spring in response to NATO’s bombing of ex
Yugoslavia, and came together with other women in now what has
become Sheffield women against war group. She became a key
and core member. I and other women in the group share a
view of what characterized her style:
2. Secondly,
Her intellectual rigour she put to the task of presenting
alternatives to war. R read avidly and debated widely. On a coach
back from a demo in London and after a few hours sleep on a
friend’s floor she read “the history of the Balkans”
in small print and wanted a discussion! That week after heavy
work days in Barnsley she spent evening hours structuring her
arguments for alternatives to bombing.
3. (she was a self assured and good communicator.) She presented these ideas at a public meeting in a clear and straight forward way. “It does not have to be this way “ comes through from the ideas and sincerity. No hint of pomposity or status.
4. She was a
collaborator, not a status seeker. She was a feminist
practitioner enjoying ways women can creatively collaborate. She
offered a particular focused attentiveness. She was an attention
giver not an attention seeker in politics and in friendship.
Describing the loss of friendship is the
hardest.
What I can say is how she gave
quality attention to nurturing and valuing friendship. She
enthusiastically shared her interests and passions. She
engendered trust and safety - be it exchanging confidences or at
the end of a rope on a rock face. She asked wise questions
to help with life’s dilemmas. She had a zest for life
which included her keen competitiveness “allowed out”
on the sanctioned zone of the tennis court.
Rachel was an engager with others. Her loss
is enormous. She had qualities that sustained and empowered us
and others. She would want us to take these qualities forward.
“The Cost of Living” by Arundhati
Roy was enjoyed recently by R and discussed in our women’s
book group.. These essays describe the social and environmental
consequences of India’s big dam schemes and of it’s
nuclear bomb. This exstract is befitting for Rachel;
“There are other worlds. Worlds
in which recognition is not the only barometer of brilliance or
human worth.
“To love. To be loved. To never forget
your own insignificance. To never get used to the unspeakable
violence and the vulgar disparity of life around you. To seek joy
in the saddest places. To pursue beauty to its lair. To never
simplify what is complicated or complicate what is simple. To
respect strength, never power. Above all, to watch. To try and
understand. To never look away. And never, never to forget.”