Jody Williams is a Nobel Peace Prize winner. Besides that, she is a simple Vermont girl. She has a disabled brother and is a loving, wonderful wife. Her strong character and great strategic skills helped Jody to develop her organizing skills that actually led her to the Nobel Peace Prize (Williams 9). This paper deals with the personality of Jody Williams, her part in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines and the results of her intense work.
Profession
Jody Williams’ career began with eleven-year working experience aimed at raising the citizens’ awareness of the US policies referring to Central America. She has also six-year working experience as the Medical Aid for El Salvador’s deputy director. Jody was a co-coordinator of the Education project on the territory of Nicaragua and Honduras. Jody also tried herself in the role of teacher of English as a second language in such countries as the United Kingdom, Mexico and in Washington, D.C. ("Jody Williams - Biographical" n.p.).
Now Jody Williams is a coordinator of the Campaign to Ban Landmines, its spokesperson and the chief strategist. She worked with the International Committee of the Red Cross, UN bodies and different governments. As an International Campaign to Ban Landmines coordinator, Jody Williams’ speeches were concerned with the landmines issue and a strong suggestion to ban the use of landmines. She organized the movement that advocated banning them. She was also a technical adviser to the United Nation’s study coordinated by the former Mozambique first lady, Graca Machel ("Jody Williams - Biographical" n.p.).
Education
Speaking about the educational background, Jody Williams graduated from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and obtained Master’s Degree in speciality International Relations in Washington, D.C. However, she did not stop with one diploma. In 1976, Jody graduated from the school for International Training with Master’s Degree that enabled her to teach Spanish and English as a second language. Her third degree is a Bachelor of Arts ("Jody Williams - Biographical" n.p.).
Presentations and Publications
As it has already been mentioned, Jody Williams was speaking and writing on the issue of landmines and the necessity to ban them. She spoke on the United Nation’s forum, in the European Parliament and the African Unity’s organization forum. Jody Williams researched the landmine contamination consequences, mainly socioeconomical. Her articles are published in the United Nations’ journals. She has written many papers and publications concerning the problem of landmines, the landmine impact on the environment and the environment security. In those papers, she suggested the measures to abolish the negative consequences of the landmine use ("Jody Williams - Biographical" n.p.).
International Campaign to Ban Landmines
The International Campaign to Ban Landmines was created in 1991. It is a peace movement intended to ban the use of landmines. According to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, landmines are the source of danger in the poor countries. There are nearly 100 million undetonated landmines in 60 countries all over the world, which remained after armed conflicts and 20th century’s wars. They were buried in order to kill soldiers, but now they simply kill civilians. Why do innocent people have to suffer? The answer is ‘They actually don’t have to suffer any injuries’. However, civilian population very often become the victims of those landmines. Statistics say that the landmines injure approximately 25,000 people every year ("International Campaign to Ban Landmines").
Jody Williams a Part of the Campaign
Jody Williams became a part of the campaign as its ambassador in 1998. Later in 1992, she launched the International Campaign to Ban Landmines under her coordination and with the assistance of many international organizations, such as Human Rights Watch, Mines Advisory Group, Medico International and some others ("International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL)" n.p.).
At the very beginning of the Campaign, in early 1992, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines consisted of only two non-governmental organizations and a very tiny staff in the face of Jody Williams. However, she managed to establish a close cooperation with 1,300 organizations all over the world, that is in 95 countries, which are working to deactivate the landmines in poor countries. The goal that Jody Williams set was reached when the international treaty which banned the use of antipersonnel landmines was discussed during the conference in Oslo in 1997 ("Jody Williams – Nobel Women's Initiative" n.p.).
With Jody Williams’ coordination, the funding for victims of mines assistance and the landmines clearance was increased greatly. The Mine Ban Treaty was signed in Ottawa in 1997, three months after the Oslo’s diplomatic conference, by 122 countries. This convention prohibited not only the use of landmines, but also the production of antipersonnel landmines and their transfer ("International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL)" n.p.).
Results of her Work
As a result of Jody Williams’ work, the Mine Ban Treaty was signed in December of 1997 by 122 countries. In the process of implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty, many programs were established which reduced the number of people who suffered from the landmines from 18,000 to 5,000. Therefore, before the International Campaign to Ban Landmines was created, 18,000 people were either injured or killed by the landmines every year ("International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL)" n.p.).
Thanks to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, many landmine victims learned their rights and got support from the states as well as from numerous non-governmental organizations. However, more funds are spent for the clearance of the landmines rather than for victims’ assistance, because the problem of landmines is constantly represents danger for civil population and put them at risk. As to the victims’ assistants, money is spent for their rehabilitation, surgery, and the provision of prosthetics ("International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL)" n.p.).
Nobel Peace Prize
In 1997, Jody Williams received the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. The Campaign itself received the Nobel Peace Prize the same year. At the time, she was only the 10th woman in the history of the Nobel Peace Prize to receive one ("Jody Williams – Nobel Women's Initiative" n.p.).
Jody Williams is an outspoken opponent of wars and armed conflicts. Her work is aimed at ensuring peace in the whole world. Thus, Jody is concerned with human security more than with national security. Everything she does is for the people. All her actions are directed at bringing peace ("Jody Williams – Nobel Women's Initiative" n.p.).
In 2006, Jody Williams participated in launching the Nobel Women’s Initiative, which used the prestige enabled by the Nobel Peace Prize to promote women’s rights. By the way, Jody Williams was the third American woman to be awarded with the Nobel Peace Prize ("Jody Williams – Nobel Women's Initiative" n.p.).
Conclusion
In conclusion, it should be said that Jody Williams is an amazing person. She is a loving wife and an effective activist for peace in the whole world. Human security is a major concern in her work. Jody Williams directs all her powers at ensuring peaceful living for all people. Since the problem of landmines annually takes lives and injures thousands of people, mainly in the poor countries, Jody Williams became a part of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines to be able to change the current situation. As a result of the intense work, she managed to do it.
Under Jody Williams’ coordination, the Campaign that began with only two non-governmental organizations and herself, rapidly spread all over the world, engaging many organizations that made the change for the better more possible. She closely cooperated with 1,300 organizations in 65 countries. The biggest achievement of Jody Williams is signing the Mine Ban Treaty. Initially 122 countries supported the treaty, but 10 years later, the number of countries amounted to 156. In the year of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines’ 10th anniversary, the significant accomplishments of the Campaign could be seen.
As the treaty was aimed at prohibiting the use of landmines, as well as the production of antipersonnel landmines and their transfer, the results of the treaty are great. The number of states that produce mine reduced from 54 to 13. States destroyed nearly 40 million of the stockpiled mines resulting in ceasing the trade in landmines, at least visual. Therefore, Jody Williams is a deserved Nobel Peace Prize winner.
Works Cited
"International Campaign to Ban Landmines". Nobelprize.org. Web. 23 May 2016.
"International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL)". Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 24 May 2016.
"Jody Williams - Biographical". Nobelprize.org. Web. 23 May 2016.
"Jody Williams – Nobel Women's Initiative". Nobelwomensinitiative.org. Web. 24 May 2016.
"Ms. Jody Williams | About Us | ICBL". Icbl.org. Web. 24 May 2016.
Williams, Jody. My Name is Jody Williams. Print.
