ISBN 978-3-89741-333-7 Biography can be ordered from www.ulrike-helmer-verlag.de
Welcome to the website of Monika Jaeckel. This site is maintained in honor and memory of her lifelong dedication and contributions to the empowerment of women/mothers throughout the world.
Monika passed on, at her home in Amsterdam, on Friday, November 6th, 2009, just after the sunset. You can find her last circular letters in the Personal section, along with a letter from her partner, Marieke. The site in maintained to respect Monika’s wishes and with the hope that other’s may also find the cause and inspiration to change the world, one step at a time — just as she did.
Tim Rease
Amsterdam, Nederland
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In Japan, my country of birth, it is said that after 60 it is about giving away all that you have built up until now. This website was given to me as a present by my dear friend, Tim , for my 60th birthday, as an incentive to document and make available what I have built up in my life. My soul sister Deborah from California has spent hours and hours helping to edit and fine tune it.
I have been actively involved in many of the social movements of my generation and have been a leading force and instrumental in develping concepts and instruments for social change and innovation. Under “Movements ” you will find first hand accounts of the student movement, the feminist/lesbian movement and the Mother Center movement as well as reflections on my personal contributions and on private and collective ownership in social movements. Under “Innovations ” you will find descriptions of the Grassroots Women’s International Academy (GWIA) and the Competence Audit.
In the section “Personal” you will find a short personal autobiography, decade by decade. Here you will also find samples of my music and links to photographs of highlights in my life, especially our 3-day long wedding in 2005 and my 60th birthday party, which we celebrated under the motto: “Living community.” This section also includes insights from my personal growth and spiritual development as well as documents of the intense communication and community support that has been unfolding since my cancer diagnosis in the fall of 2008.
In the section “Professional” you will find my professional development and achievements, as well as a description of “M&M –Coaching and Research in Social Innovation”, the company my partner and I founded to inspire social innovation in The Netherlands. This section also contains my CV, a list of my publications, as well as professional links.
You will find links to various essays and documents concerning the different topics in the thematic sections. Under “Downloads” you find all documents listed systematically with a one sentence description of each document. In this way this website comprises a selected library of documents from the different phases of my life.
I am very happy if this website inspires you in your own endeavours of making this world a better place to live in and if it can contribute to a truthful documentation of (personal) history.
On most pages of this website you will find a space for comments at the bottom of the page. Where this is not the case, (some texts open as documents), click on the back arrow of your browser to go back to a website page with comment function. If the back arrow function is not available because the document has opened in a new window, you need to close the window in order to get back to a website page with comment option. Please always make a clear reference to the document you are commenting on.
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We welcome your comments!
Hello Monika,
Thanks for creating this legacy of a life well lived.
I wish you a peaceful passing, surrounded on both sides by those who love you.
you are a shining light.
with love, barbara
Monica et al. What a piece/peace of work that is. Thank you for providing all the sights for our consideration. Very informative, up to par, elegant and fiery like the picture on the header, which by the way, is stunning.
Much love,
Nitsa
Dear Monika and Marieke,
Today is a beautiful summer-fall day here and I am listening to Madama Butterfly in the office - actually the 3 men I work with are a little stressed but I say - too bad. Life is beautiful.
I like this website!
With love,
Marnie
New on the website is music! You can listen to Monika singing while you browse the texts, look in the section “Personal” (http://monikajaeckel.com/wordpress/2009/06/22/monikas-music/)
Your new website is stunning, Monika! What a fine work. I am working on a simple site about my new book on personal transformation, (www.becomingthejourney.com) so I can appreciate what must have gone into yours!
What a rich life you’ve had, continue to have, and how courageously and graciously you’re dealing with what has now appeared.
Blessings and love, Jill
Hi Monika,
I graduated with Chris at CA and just knew you as a very adorable, very precocious little girl! And now, having been on your website, am blown away by your eloquence, your truth and your willingness to share of your deepest thoughts and feelings. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of your very personal journey. And thank you for showing us a way to live with such grace.
Much love,
Mary Helen
Liebe Monika, Du hast mich einst mit der Frage nach der Macht für Frauen konfrontiert – das verwirrte mich und machte mich sprachlos. Es war die Zeit des „keine Macht für niemand“!. Heute würde ich Dir antworten: Warum nicht? Schließlich leben wir jetzt ganz offensichtlich in der Agonie männlicher Allgewalt. Und, es sei nach dem Besuch eines Ost-West-Frauenkongresses hinzugefügt, einzig die offen lebenden lesbischen Frauen stellen das Machtmonopol der Männer in Frage, wenn sie durch ihre Abkehr deren Kompetenzen bestreiten.
Außerdem nanntest Du mich launisch und ich war es – aber unbewusst! Heute bin ich es – bewusst – denn, es vergeht einfach nicht. Jetzt kommt die Natur ins Spiel, meine Laune ist mir von Luna geschickt, sie hat mich fest im Griff.
Ich danke Dir für die Bewegtheit durch die Begegnung mit Dir. Ich werde Dich in Erinnerung behalten als streitbare Feministin und Schwester und auch als aufregende Sängerin der Flying Lesbians. In Freundschaft über diese letzte Grenze hinweg – Waltraud Schade
Dear Monika and Marieke,
I love your site - your ideas - your drive - you are true mentors!
I just heard about this movement! I started with Generations Ahead Family Learning Center Inc. in Saskatchewan a couple years ago and have dreamt of something bigger and wow there ya’ll are!
I believe in a Creator who teaches us to create in large, exagerrated strokes! I came from the streets, born to the streets - lioved the streets because I had been lead to believe in nothing more YET I felt the enormous love of my Creator that pull for more…I have done numerous videos on exploitation, addictions, etc..(Donna’s Story, Children of the Street and Hookers) and am always looking for more ways to send out my love! and seek those who have also known limits and been set free!
I have so much to say, to share…time enough!
I thank my Creator for finding ya’ll!
With love,
Donna