ICBL Ambassador Report 1998

ICBL Ambassador Report for 1998

Presented at Meeting of the CC, Ottawa, Canada 30 November

Jody Williams

On the occasion of the first anniversary of the signing of the Mine Ban Treaty in Ottawa, it seemed appropriate to write up this report for the ICBL and its CC, which will be meeting on 30 November in Ottawa. Below are various activities carried out in 1998. These activities have been carried out at no cost to the ICBL, nor has Williams drawn salary/benefits since new co-coordinators began work in February. The report closes with fundraising activities that Williams has supported, along with information about approximately $40,000 which she has donated to individuals and organizations in the ICBL.

January/February 1998

Jan 13: Speaks at Briar Cliff College (Iowa); media.

Jan 26: Addresses opening of semester at Smith College (Massachusetts).
Media interviews.

Jan 28-Feb 8: Japan and South Korea. Speaks at 2nd Tokyo NGO Landmine Conference and 3 other gatherings, two press conferences, meets with the Foreign Minister, Parliamentarians, and with Steve Goose represents ICBL at the opening of the Olympic Games, where the Peace Appeal is for a landmine ban and Chris Moon runs the final segment of the Olympic Torch in the Opening Ceremony.. In South Korea, meets with the Deputy Foreign Minister, the Deputy Defense Minister, Parliamentarians; speaks at three gatherings, two press conferences, and visits the DMZ. Much time is also devoted to building the Korean Campaign to Ban Landmines.

Feb.19-21: ICBL General Meeting in Frankfurt, Germany. Formally steps down as ICBL coordinator; named one of ICBL's ambassadors.

Feb.27: Panel session at American University Law School on lessons learned from the ban campaign.

March 1998

March 5: Participates on panel at Organization of American States in Washington, at events marking founding of OAS.

March 6-7: With others from ICBL, meets with Canada's Foreign Minister and Foreign Affairs staff in Ottawa to discuss cooperation in implementing and monitoring the ban treaty.

March 13-16: Speaks at 2 colleges and 3 high schools in Massachusetts about landmine campaign and U.S. policy; media interviews.

March 19: Addresses Vanderbilt University (Tennessee); media interviews.

March 21-24: Attends Mine Action conference in Ottawa, and attends ICBL Coordination Committee meeting.

March 26-28: Speaks at Regional Conference on Landmines in Budapest, Hungary, bringing together NGOs and governments from 19 nations from East Europe and FSU. Media interviews.

April 1998

April 4: Addresses annual event of Nuclear Age Peace Foundation in California; media interviews.

April 9: Addresses two dozen African U.N. missions in New York at meeting organized by UNICEF, OAU, Canada.

April 13: Addresses Chicago Council on Foreign Relations. Does presentation at MacArthur Foundation. Meets with Doctors Against Landmines.
Media interviews.

April 23: Speaks on panel with Steve Goose and Bob Lawson at Yale Law School.

April 27: Participates in meeting for funders organized by Open Society Fund.

May/June 1998

May 5-7: Participates in Vienna launch of national Austrian campaign for victim assistance, does media interviews, meets Austrian and UN officials, and NGOs.

May 15-18: Speaks at universities and high schools in Vermont; media interviews.

May 21: Attends dinner hosted by Secretary of State Albright at U.S.
Government Conference on Mine Clearance.

May 24-25: Trip to Kiev, Ukraine, hosted by Canada, to press for their signature of Mine Ban Treaty. Meets with the Foreign Minister, President's Chief of Staff, Parliamentarians, NGOs. Two speaking engagements, a TV show, radio and print interviews.

May 27-29: Participates in Moscow Conference and in meetings with the Foreign Ministry and Duma.

May31/June: Oslo for a half-day meeting with U.N. officials, full day meeting on Landmine Monitor initiative, and full day meeting of the ICBL Coordination Committee.

June 7: Speaks at Williams College (Massachusetts); media.

September 1998

Sept 10-14: Speaks at seminar in Tokyo; media.

Sept 14-19: Dublin for Landmine Monitor meeting and CC meeting.

October 1998

October 1: ICBL press conference at the UN in New York, other speakers include Queen Noor, Canadian For. Min. Axworthy, UnderSecGen. Frechette, Norwegian Amb. Kolby, and George Soros. The book To Walk Without Fear, with chapters by several in ICBL is launched. Meets with Hague Peace Appeal organizers to discuss ICBL participation.

Oct 5: Press conference and seminar in Palma, Spain.

Oct. 12-14: Speaks about landmine campaign perspective at meetings on small arms hosted by the Belgian government and by NGOs in Brussels.

Oct 20: Speaks at Goucher College (Maryland); media.

Oct 23: Speaks at a high school in Rhode Island; media.

Oct 30-Nov 2: Canada to support launch of fundraising initiative for mine victims and mine clearance (see below); media.

November/December 1998

Nov. 5-6: Participates in Nobel Peace Laureates Conference, at the University of Virginia, and in meetings to discuss possible Nobel Laureates Foundation to promote work of laureates. Media.

Nov. 13-21: Speaks at universities and other fora in Japan; meets with Foreign Minister and Deputy Foreign Minister; participates in fundraising concert for AAR/Japan and in launching of AAR holiday fundraising campaign; media.

Nov 30/Dec 6: Meeting of CC in Ottawa. Series of interviews/events marking first anniversary of Mine Ban Treaty in Ottawa. Landmine Monitor meeting.
Planning session for mine action and meeting in Mozambique.

Fundraising Activities

As earlier reported, I have also been able to participate in a variety of fundraising activities for the campaign and for mine victims and mine clearance. Below is that earlier report, with a couple of additions:

Korea: Donated speaking honorarium to KCBL.

Austria: As above, participated in launch of national fundraising campaign in Austria for mine for mine victims raised over $2 million dollars between its launch in May and the end of the summer.

Italy: "Song for Peace in the World" is an initiative to raise money for clearance operations and victim assistance; it is a 'competition' for songs about peace and the concert will be held in Rome in the summer of 2000.

Canada: From 30 October - 2 November, participated in launch of an initiative by classical musicians 'Consort Caritatis' to raise money for mine victims through a benefit concert of the Verdi 'Requiem.' and subsequent sale of the CD, which was launched with the concert. Money will go through MCC and World Vision Canada. CD's will behighlighted throughout the major music store chain in Canada. I was able to do several TV spots, radio and print, as well as a national Canadian talk show in support of this initiative. They anticipate being able to contribute $175,000 for victims.
All of the $125,000 production cost for the CD and the concert was donated money or in-kind by musicians

Other:

Asked to receive an award this year at the Kennedy Center for being a 'peacemaker' from a Washington foundation called the Olender Foundation, accepted because the foundation makes a charitable contribution in my name, preferably to an organization in this area. At the event on 2 December, they donated $25,000, on my behalf, to Human Rights Watch in Washington for its work on the landmine monitor.

Donated $10,000 honorarium for participating in the Nobel Laureates Conference for the production of the landmine monitor report.

Contribution through JRS in support of Tun Channareth.