Kathy Kelly is an American peace activist, pacifist and author based in Chicago. In 1996 Kathy co-founded "Voices in the Wilderness" a group of pacifists who actively opposed the economic sanctions against Iraq. From the early  90s on Kathy and her friends travelled twenty-six times to Iraq, delivering lifesaving medicine, especially for children despite those imposed sanctions. The activists of "Voices of the Wilderness" have over time incurred thousands of dollars in fines, along with threats of imprisonment for their actions.

Kathy remained in the combat zones during both US-Iraq wars, witnessing the "Shock and Awe" bombardment in Bagdad in 2003 and trying to bring the sufferings of civilians in wars to the world's attention. Kathy supported several direct non-violent actions of the "Gulf Peace Team" on the border of Iraq to Saudi Arabia in Amman, Jordan, Bosnia and Haiti. 

For her whole life, Kathy has refused to pay federal income taxes as she wanted to prevent her taxes to fund weapons and wars. Hence, she donated most of the income she received as a teacher to non-profit charities. Throughout her life, Kathy has been arrested more than 60 times at home and abroad. In 1998 Kathy was arrested for planting corn on a nuclear missile silo near Kansas City as part of "Missouri Peace Planting". The symbolic action was intended to demonstrate the peaceful use of land. She had to serve nine months in federal prison for this action.

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In her book “Other Lands Have Dreams: From Baghdad to Pekin Prison.” (2005) Kathy processes her experiences in prison and tells about her conviction and values and why she believes that "we have the responsibility to try to create a world wherein it is easier to be good". Kathy has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times. Her recent work focuses on Yemen, Afghanistan and Gaza.