Jody Williams - Long Biography

Current Professional | Background | Education | Presentations/publications | Examples of some speaking engagements | Examples of some conferences and seminars | Examples of some honors/awards | Examples of some papers and publications | Examples of Professional Associations

Ms. Jody Williams received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for her work to eliminate antipersonnel landmines. She is only the tenth woman in its one hundred and one year history to be awarded the Peace Prize; she is the third woman from the US to be so honored. International organizer and activist, teacher and writer, Williams is an eloquent speaker on human rights and international law, the role of civil society in international diplomacy, and individual initiative in bringing about social change.

Current Professional:

Since February 1998, Williams has served as a Campaign Ambassador for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), which she helped create, speaking on its behalf all over the world. She is also a member of the Coordination Committee of the Campaign, which carries out the strategies and action plans of the ICBL. She also serves as senior editor for its 1000-page annual Landmine Monitor Report, a groundbreaking system that monitors the implementation and compliance of the Mine Ban Treaty.

Ms. Williams is also Distinguished Visiting Professor of Social Work and Global Justice, in the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Houston for academic years 2004-2007, having served in that capacity during academic year 2003-2004.

Ms. Williams is also one of ten Nobel Peace Prize Laureates to work with Peacejam, which describes itself as “an international education program built around leading Nobel Peace Laureates who work personally with youth to pass on the spirit, skills, and wisdom they embody. The goal of PeaceJam is to inspire a new generation of peacemakers who will transform their local communities, themselves, and the world.”

Background:

Ms. Jody Williams was recognized, along with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), with the Nobel Peace Prize for her role as the founding coordinator of the ICBL, which was formally launched by six non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in October of 1992. In that capacity, Ms. Williams oversaw the growth of the ICBL to more than 1,300 NGOs in over eighty-five countries and served as the chief strategist and spokesperson for the campaign. Working in an unprecedented cooperative effort with governments, UN bodies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the ICBL achieved its goal of an international treaty banning antipersonnel landmines during the diplomatic conference held in Oslo in September 1997.

Prior to beginning the ICBL, Williams worked for eleven years to build public awareness about U.S. policy toward Central America. From 1986 to 1992, she developed and directed humanitarian relief projects as the deputy director of the Los Angeles-based Medical Aid for El Salvador. From 1984 to 1986, she was co-coordinator of the Nicaragua-Honduras Education Project, leading fact-finding delegations to the region. Previously, she taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in Mexico, the United Kingdom, and Washington, D.C.

Education:

Williams has a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (Washington, D.C., 1984), a Master’s Degree in Teaching Spanish and ESL from the School for International Training, (Brattleboro, Vermont, 1976), and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Vermont (Burlington, Vermont, 1972).

Presentations/publications:

Jody Williams has written and spoken extensively on the problem of landmines and the movement to ban them, as well as on other political and human rights issues. She has spoken in various fora, including at the United Nations, the European Parliament, and the Organization of African Unity. Ms. Williams co-authored a seminal study, based on two years of field research in four mine-affected countries, detailing the socio-economic consequences of landmine contamination. She has written articles for journals produced by the United Nations and the ICRC, among others. In recognition of her expertise on the issue, Ms. Williams was invited to serve as a technical adviser to the UN’s 1995 Study on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children, led by Ms. Graca Machel, former first lady of Mozambique. Williams participates in conferences and seminars around the world dealing with issues ranging from arms control to human rights to international peace and security.

Examples of some speaking engagements include:

• Keynote Speaker, 6th International Security Forum, sponsored by the Swiss Center for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces, Montreux, Switzerland, 4-6 October 2004.
• Speaker, International Symposium on New Tactics in Human Rights, Ankara, Turkey, September 2004.
• Commencement, Pennsylvania State University, 14 August 2004.
• 2003-2004 Francis X. Cheney Lectureship on Religion and Ethics at Franklin Pierce College.
• Dinner Speaker, Cisco Systems Chief Information Officer (CIO) Summit, Orlando, Florida, 21 October 2003.
• Commencement, Wesleyan University, Ohio, 25 May 2003.
• Commencement, Franklin Pierce College, Rindge, NH, 18 May 2003.
• 2003 Distinguished Visiting Lecturer for the "James Farmer Visiting Professorship in Human Rights,” Mary Washington College, Fredericksburg, VA, 22 April 2003.
• “A Nobel Evening,” at the Connecticut Forum, Hartford, Ct, 20 March 2003. Panel discussion with Elie Wiesel, Jody Williams and Oscar Arias, moderated by Juan Williams.
• Lecture, Annual Conference, American Anthropological Association, New Orleans, LA, 23 November 2002.
• Second Annual Jenkins Distinguished Lecturer, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Houston, 14 November 2002.
• Virginia C. Guildersleeve Lectureship, Barnard Center for Research on Women, Barnard College, NYC, 24 October 2002.
• Keynote Speaker, Public Relations Association of Puerto Rico Annual Convention, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 4 October 2004.
• Speaker for 2002 Sagan National Colloquium, Ohio Wesleyan University,
• Delaware, Ohio, 4 September 2002.
• Lecture, Aspen Institute Summer Series, Aspen, Colorado, 20 August 2002.
• Keynote speaker, ”Building a Peaceful Future for Afghanistan: A Total Ban on Anti-Personnel Mines,” International Conference Cosponsored by the ICBL, the United Nations and the Government of Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan, 28-31 July 2002.
• “Ethics and the Culture of Solidarity” Lecture Cycle, Pedro Barrie de la Maza Foundation, A Coruna, Spain, 25 June 2002.
• Commencement Address, Royal Canadian Military College, Kingston, Ontario, Canada, 17 May 2002.
• Keynote Speaker, “National Day of Dialogue,” convened by Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, as part of her “World of Women for World Peace” initiative, 9 May 2002.
• "A Disarmament Agenda for the 21st Century,” an international conference cosponsored by The United Nations Department for Disarmament Affairs and the People’s Republic of China, Beiging, China, 2-4 April 2002.
• Panel of Nobel Peace Prize Winners, Nation's Capital Distinguished Speakers.
• Series sponsored by the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives, 11 June 2001. Panel included: Betty Williams, Oscar Arias, Lech Walesa, Jody Williams.
• Keynote speaker, “Fifth Annual Summit on International Managed Care Trends,” American Institute of Health Studies, International Conference, Miami, Florida, 4 December 2000.
• ”Spectrum 2000 Awards” Keynote Speaker, Red Cross Dinner, Philadelphia, 8 November 2000.
• 11th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Chicago, 9 August 2000.
• Lecture, Cleveland Council of World Affairs, Cleveland, Ohio, February 2000.
• Keynote Speaker, ECSSR Fifth Annual Conference, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 10 October 1999.
• 1999 L'Hommedieu Visiting Lecturer, Douglass College, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 15 September 1999.
• State of the World Forum, Monterrey, Mexico, 11 January 1999.
• Speaker, “Brave New Worlds Series,” Milk International Children's Festival of the Arts, Toronto, Canada, May 1999.
• Lecturer, First Annual Richard H. Dent ’46 Forum, St. George’s School, Newport, Rhode Island, 23 October 1998.
• Panelist, Media Symposium to Mark the 120th Anniversary of the Asahi Shimbun (newspaper), Tokyo, Japan, 12-13 September 1998.
• Commencement, The University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 17 May 1998.
• Baccalaureate Address, Marlboro College, Marlboro, VT, 16 May 1998.
• Lecture, Chicago World Affairs Council, Chicago, IL, 13 April 1998.
• ”Encounter of Nobel Laureates of the Americas,” to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the Organization of American States, Washington, DC, 5 March 1998.
• Opening Convocation, Smith College, Northampton, MA, 26 January 1998
• Muriel Ford Lecturer, Briar Cliff College, Briar Cliff, Iowa, 12 January 1998.
• Peace Appeal, Nagano Olympics, Nagano, Japan, 1998.

Examples of some conferences and seminars where Ms. Williams has spoken:

• ”International Humanitarian Law and Disarmament: Recent developments and prospects for the future,” Roundtable of Government and Independent Experts, sponsored by the Canadian Red Cross, Ottawa, Canada, 17-18 March 2003.
• Keynote Speaker at Five Annual Meetings of States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty: in Maputo, Mozambique in May 1999; in Geneva, Switzerland in September 2000; in Managua, Nicaragua in September 2001; in Geneva, Switzerland in September 2002, in Bangkok, Thailand in September 2003, and Geneva in 2004.
• Peacejam Weekend Seminars with Secondary School Students: Kansas City, Missouri, 1999; with Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Guatemala City, Guatemala, July 2000; Capetown, South Africa, March 2001; with His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Dharmsala, India, April 2001; Denver, Colorado, February 2002; Memphis, TN, February 2003; Santa Fe, NM, April 2003; Kalamazoo, MI, March 2004; and with Shirin Ebadi in Nairobi, Kenya, December 2004.
• Barnard Center for Research on Women, Colloquium “Responses to Violence,” Barnard College, NYC, 25 October 2002.
• ”The Future of Humanitarian Mine Action: On the Fifth Anniversary of the 1997 Oslo Text Negotiations,” International Conference sponsored by international Peace Research Institute, Oslo Norwegian People's Aid, and the Norwegian Red Cross in cooperation with the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Oslo, Norway, 12-14 September 2002.
• McLaughlin Scholar, “Executive Seminar Asia,” The Aspen Institute, 18-23 August 2002.
• Global Reseachers Meeting, Landmine Monitor Report, Paris, France, 17-19 April 2002.
• Nobel Peace Prize Centennial, Oslo, Norway, 4-14 December 2001.
• ”Global Peace Forum: Making Peace in the Taiwan Straight,” 2001 Global Peace Assembly, sponsored by the Vice-President of Taiwan, H.E. Lu Hsiu-lien (Annette), 15-16 August 2001.
• Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR) Fifth Annual Conference: "2000: The Making of the Future," Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 9-11 October 1999.
• International Peace Conference of the Hague Appeal for Peace, marking the 100th Anniversary of the First Hague International Peace Conference, The Hague, Netherlands, May 1999.
• Nobel Peace Laureates Conference, University of Virginia, November 1998. Conference included: Betty Williams, Oscar Arias, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Jose Ramos Horta, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Jody Williams, 5-6 November 1998.
• “Sustainable Disarmament for Sustainable Development,” International Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Brussels, Belgium, 12-13 October 1998.

Examples of some honors/awards:

In addition to the honor of being named co-recipient of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize:

• Ms. Williams has been awarded honorary doctorates from: Pennsylvania State University in 2004; Franklin Pierce College and Wesleyan University in 2003; the Royal Military College of Canada in 2002; Regis University in 2000; Shenshu University (Japan) and Rockhurst Univesity 1999; from Williams College in 1998; and from Briar Cliff College, Marlboro College, and the University of Vermont in 1997.
• Named Honorary Distinguished Professor, Ewha Womens University, Seoul, Korea.
• Named in 2004 by Forbes Magazine one of the "100 Most Powerful Women in the World."
• Named in 2003 one of “The Fearless 50,” by AARP The Magazine, its list of “America’s most innovative people over 50.”
• Received the Humanitarian Award, presented at the Hollywood Film Festival, Hollywood, California, October 2002.
• Named Humanitarian of the Year, UN Association of the US, “Adopt-A-Minefield” Program, October 2002.
• Named “Peacemaker of 1999," by the Oldender Foundation, Washington, DC.
• Awarded in 1998 Clark University’s Fiat Lux Award, which Clark describes as taking “it's name from Clark's motto ‘let there be light,’ and honors individuals who have shown exceptional leadership in increasing humankind's understanding of issues crucial to the 21st Century.”
• Received from the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, Santa Barbara, California, its “1998 Distinguished Peace Leadership Award.”
• Named 1997 Vermonter of the Year.
• Named by Ms. Magazine as one of its 1997 Women of the Year; as one of Glamour Magazine’s Ten Women of the Year in 1997; one of Vanity Fair’s 1997 Hall of Fame and its 1998 ‘200 Most Influential Women in America’ series.

Examples of some papers and publications include:

• ”The Role of Civil Society in Disarmament Issues: Realism vs. Idealism,” A Disarmament Agenda for the Twenty-first Century, UN-China Disarmament Conference, Beijing, China, 2-4 April 2002, DDA Occasional Papers, UN Department for Disarmament Affairs, New York, No. 6, October 2002.
• ”The Relevance of the ICC to Other Campaigns to Strengthen Human Security,” The International Criminal Court Monitor, Issue 22, September 2002.
• ”Women need a stronger role in global peace efforts,” (op-ed) The Ledger, Lakeland, FL, 24 May 2002.
• ”US Landmine Policy is Headed in the Wrong Direction,” (op-ed) The Record, Bergen County, NJ, 31 January 2002; and The Macon Telegraph, Macon, GA, 25 January 2002.
• ”Use Your Imagination,” LA Times Syndicate/Global-Nobel Column, 19 June 2001. (Piece about national security issues.)
• ”Politics Unusual: A Different Model of International Cooperation,” Harvard International Review, Fall 2000.
• "A Letter for My Parents," Girls Like Us: 40 Extraordinary Women Celebrate Girlhood In Story, Poetry And Song, Gina Misiroglu (ed), New World Library, Novato, California, 1999.
• "The International Campaign to Ban Landmines," Jody Williams and Stephen Goose, To Walk Without Fear: The Global Movement To Ban Landmines, Oxford University Press, Fall 1998.
• "Landmines: Dealing with the Environmental Impact," Environment & Security, 1997, Vol. 1. No. 2.
• "Landmines and Children," Report of the Secretary General on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children, Annex, UNGA, 1995.
• After The Guns Fall Silent: The Enduring Legacy Of Landmines, Shawn Roberts and Jody Williams, Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation, Washington, DC. 1995.
• "Landmines and measures to eliminate them," International Review of the Red Cross, July-August 1995. No. 307.
• ”Landmines and the CCW Review Conference,” UNIDIR Newsletter, UNIDIR, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland, May 1995.
• "Social Consequences of Widespread Use of Landmines," Paper presented at the Landmine Symposium, International Committee if the Red Cross, Montreux, Switzerland, April 1993.

Examples of Professional Associations:

• 2003-present: Advisory Committee, Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson’s “Women for World Peace Fund.”
• 2002-present: Lifetime Honorary Member, Royal Military College Clubs of
• Canada.
• 2002-present: Advisory Committee, Los Angeles Leadership Academy, a public Charter School for Los Angeles, CA.
• 2002-present: Advisory Committee, Hollywood Humanitarian Council of the
• Hollywood Film Festival.
• 2002-present: Honorary Advisory Board, Peace and Justice Association, a new association launched in 2002, which “combines the former Peace Studies Association and the Consortium on Peace Research, Education and Development with new members from related fields and constituencies.”
• 2001-present: Board of Directors, Roots of Peace, California.
• 2001-present: Advisory Committee, “Project Mine Free,” Tokyo Broadcasting System, Inc., Tokyo, Japan. A project to raise funds for mine action programs.
• 2001-present: Council of Honor, University for Peace, San Jose, Costa Rica.
• 2000-present: Advisory Council, Women Waging Peace, “a global initiative of Hunt Alternatives hosted by the Women and Public Policy Program of Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.”
• 1999-present: Honorary Committee, The Hague Appeal for Peace, New York and the Hague.
• 1998- present: Patron, International Peace Foundation, Vienna, Austria.
• 1998-present: Advisory Committee, Arms Division, Human Rights Watch.
• 1998-present: Advisory Committee, Code of Conduct on the Arms Trade, Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress
• 1997-present: Advisory Board, Glamour Women of the Year Awards.