Landmines are considered among the most insidious and ruthless weapons ever created, as they do not distinguish between armed soldiers, civilians, or children. Jody Williams made it her mission to officially forbid and clear anti-personnel landmines, with her establishment of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). She has lectured extensively on the dangers of these devices, publicizing the presence of tens of millions of unexploded land mines in more than 70 countries.
Her efforts would make her and her campaign co-recipients of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1997.
Williams attended the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (a division of Johns Hopkins University), earning a Master in International Relations. She also has a master of arts in teaching Spanish and English as a second language from the School for International Training (SIT) and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Vermont.
Williams’ political activism is also focused on defending human rights, particularly those of women. Prior to her involvement with ICBL, she spent eleven years in Nicaragua and El Salvador. She was a co-coordinator of the Nicaragua-Honduras Education Project and deputy director of Medical Aid for El Salvador.
Then, with the cooperation of six international organizations, Williams coordinated the launch of ICBL in October 1992. Her efforts came to fruition in 1997 when the Mine Ban Treaty was signed by more than 100 countries in Ottawa, Canada. 130 more countries would ratify the treaty during the following decade.
Williams is also the chair of the Nobel Women’s Initiative, which strives for sustainable peace with justice and equality. Since winning the Nobel prize, she has continued to be recognized for her contributions to human rights and global security.
When asked what “peace” means to her In a 2021 interview with Pressenza, Williams said, “Peace is not simply the absence of armed conflict. That is the baseline on which sustainable peace can be built. For me, sustainable peace is peace built on human security, not national security.”
Williams has authored several works, including the co-authored “After the Guns Fall Silent: The Enduring Legacy of Landmines,” her own book “Banning Landmines: Disarmament, Citizen Diplomacy and Human Security,” and her memoir “My Name is Jody Williams: A Vermont Girl's Winding Path to the Nobel Peace Prize.”