Betty Williams (peace activist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Betty Williams
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Williams in 1996
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| Born |
Elizabeth Smyth
22 May 1943 |
| Died | 17 March 2020 (aged 76) Belfast, Northern Ireland
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| Nationality | Northern Irish |
| Education | St Dominic's Grammar School for Girls, Belfast |
| Occupation | Activist, humanitarian |
| Known for | Receiving the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize Co-founder of the Nobel Women's Initiative |
| Spouse(s) | Ralph Williams (marriage dissolved) James Perkins
(m. 1982) |
| Awards | Nobel Peace Prize (1976) |
Betty Williams (born Elizabeth Smyth; 22 May 1943 – 17 March 2020) was a brave peace activist from Northern Ireland. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976 along with Mairead Corrigan. They received this important award for starting the Community of Peace People. This group worked hard to bring peace during a difficult time in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles.
Betty Williams also led the Global Children's Foundation. She was the President of the World Centre of Compassion for Children International. She often gave talks about peace, education, and understanding different cultures and religions. She also spoke about fighting against extreme ideas and protecting children's rights.
Williams was a founding member of the Nobel Laureate Summit. This meeting of Nobel Prize winners has happened every year since 2000.
In 2006, Williams helped create the Nobel Women's Initiative. She did this with other women who had won the Nobel Peace Prize. These women came from different parts of the world. They worked together to promote peace, fairness, and women's rights globally. Williams was also part of PeaceJam, an organization that inspires young people to become leaders for peace.
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Early Life and Peace Work
Betty Williams was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on 22 May 1943. Her father was a butcher and her mother was a housewife. Betty went to St. Teresa Primary School and then to St Dominic's Grammar School for Girls. After school, she worked as an office receptionist.
Her family was special for the time in Northern Ireland. Her father was Protestant and her mother was Catholic. Betty later said that this mix helped her learn to respect all religions. It also gave her a wide view of the world. This background made her want to work for peace. In the early 1970s, she joined a group fighting violence. This experience helped her start her own peace movement. Her movement focused on bringing together people who used to be enemies. They worked on building trust and creating peace from the ground up.
Starting the Peace Movement
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Betty Williams became famous after a very sad event on 10 August 1976. She saw three children die when they were hit by a car. The driver of the car was a member of the Irish Republican Army (IRA). He had been shot by a soldier. The car swerved and hit the children. Betty rushed to help, but it was too late.
This event deeply affected Williams. Just two days later, she collected 6,000 signatures on a petition asking for peace. This got a lot of attention from the news. With Mairead Corrigan, she started "Women for Peace." Later, with Ciaran McKeown, this group became the Community of Peace People.
Williams quickly organized a peace march to the graves of the children who had died. About 10,000 Protestant and Catholic women joined this march. Sadly, members of the IRA violently stopped the march. They accused the women of helping the British. The next week, Williams led another march in Ormeau Park. This time, 20,000 people joined, and it ended peacefully.
At that time, Williams shared an important message. It was called the "Declaration of the Peace People."
Declaration of the Peace People
Here is the main message from the Peace People movement:
- We want to live, love, and build a fair and peaceful society.
- We want our children to have joyful and peaceful lives at home, work, and play.
- We know that building such a society needs hard work and courage.
- We understand that many problems in our society cause conflict and violence.
- We know that every bullet and bomb makes peace harder to achieve.
- We say no to bombs, bullets, and all violent methods.
- We promise to work with our neighbors, near and far, every day. We want to build a peaceful society where past tragedies are just a bad memory and a warning.
Nobel Peace Prize
Because of her great work for peace, Betty Williams and her friend Mairead Corrigan won the Nobel Peace Prize. They received the prize for 1976, which was awarded in 1977.
The money from the Peace Prize was split between Williams and Corrigan. Williams decided to keep her share. She said she wanted to use it to help promote peace in other parts of the world, not just Ireland. In 1978, Williams left the Peace People movement. She then became a peace activist in other areas around the world.
Other Awards
Betty Williams received many other awards for her peace efforts. These include:
- The People's Peace Prize of Norway in 1976.
- The Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement in 1977.
- The Schweitzer Medallion for Courage.
- The Martin Luther King, Jr. Award.
- The Eleanor Roosevelt Award in 1984.
- The Frank Foundation Child Care International Oliver Award.
- In 1995, she received the Rotary Club International "Paul Harris Fellowship."
- She also received the Together for Peace Building Award.
Talks and Guest Lectures
Betty Williams often traveled to give talks and lectures. She spoke about peace and how important it is for everyone to work together. For example, in September 2007, she gave several lectures in Southern California. She spoke to students and the public about how "Peace in the World Is Everybody's Business." In 2010, she gave a lecture at WE Day Toronto. This is an event by WE Charity that encourages students to get involved in their communities.
She also spoke at the University of Bradford in March 2011. She talked about the importance of universities supporting their students. She believed it was important for young people to have someone they could talk to if they felt scared or unsafe.
Personal Life
When she won the Nobel Prize, Betty Williams was working as a receptionist. She was raising her two children with her first husband, Ralph Williams. Their marriage ended in 1981. In December 1982, she married James Perkins, a businessman. They lived in Florida in the United States.
In 2004, she moved back to Northern Ireland. Betty Williams passed away on 17 March 2020, in Belfast. She was 76 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Betty Williams para niños
- List of female Nobel laureates
- List of peace activists
