Jody Williams facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jody Williams
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Williams in 2001
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| Born | October 9, 1950 |
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| Known for | 1997 Nobel Peace Prize |
Jody Williams (born October 9, 1950) is an American activist who has worked hard for human rights. She is especially known for her efforts to ban landmines around the world. Landmines are dangerous weapons that can harm people long after wars are over. For her important work, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997. She also works to protect the rights of women and to help people understand what true security means for everyone.
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Her Education
Jody Williams studied at several universities. She earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Vermont in 1972. Later, she received a master's degree in teaching Spanish and English from the School for International Training in 1976. In 1984, she earned another master's degree in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University.
Fighting for Change
Jody Williams is famous for her work against anti-personnel landmines. These are hidden bombs that can explode when someone steps on them. They often hurt or kill innocent people, even after a war is over.
Leading the Landmine Ban
From 1992 to 1998, Williams was the first leader of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). Before this, she spent 11 years working on projects related to wars in Nicaragua and El Salvador. She did important and sometimes dangerous human rights work during the 1980s.
Williams helped the ICBL grow from just two small groups and herself into a huge international movement. It included 1,300 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in 90 countries. She worked with governments, the United Nations, and the International Committee of the Red Cross.
Achieving the Landmine Treaty
Williams and the ICBL worked towards a global treaty to ban landmines. Their hard work paid off in September 1997. A special meeting in Oslo led to the Ottawa Treaty, which banned anti-personnel landmines.
Just three weeks later, Jody Williams and the ICBL received the Nobel Peace Prize. She became the tenth woman and the third American woman to win this award in its nearly 100-year history.
Supporting Women for Peace
In 2006, Williams helped start the Nobel Women's Initiative. She became its chair. This group brings together women who have won the Nobel Peace Prize. They use their influence to support other women working for peace, justice, and equality around the world.
Speaking Out for Justice
Jody Williams believes that real peace requires hard work and understanding. She once said that thinking peace is just about "singing and looking at a rainbow" is not realistic. She means that achieving lasting peace means facing the world's difficulties head-on.
In 2019, Williams called for a treaty to end violence against women. She supports the Every Woman Coalition in this important effort. She also urged the Chevron Corporation to pay for cleanup costs in the Lago Agrio oil field.
Teaching and Recognition
Since 2007, Jody Williams has been a professor at the University of Houston. She teaches about peace and social justice.
Williams continues to be honored for her work in human rights and global security. She has received 15 honorary degrees. In 2004, Forbes magazine named her one of the 100 most powerful women in the world. Glamour magazine also recognized her as a "Woman of the Year."
See also
In Spanish: Jody Williams para niños
- List of female Nobel laureates
- List of peace activists
- PeaceJam
