1950
Overview:
When given a choice about what we want to do in life, it is often too easy to look at those options that come with global travel, 5 star hotels and six figure salaries so long as it isnt too hard on the soul. To work in this area requires inspiration, dedication, an appreciation of people and a lot of sacrifices as well. It means working for others and not just ourselves.
Country:
United States of America
Type
of hero: Economic and Social Rights
Attributes:
Dedication, Selflessness, Humanitarian
Biography:
Jodi Williams was born in Vermont in 1950. From early on in life, she realised the importance of looking after others. This developed partly in response to witnessing the problems of her disabled brother who was picked on by other school children. She also grew up at a time when resistance to the culture of war was growing through recognition of the injustices of the Vietnam War. It was a time when many people began to be more aware of the problems in other countries as well as the need for some type of action if we were to bring about change.
Her understanding of the problems that effect many people in the world was enhanced when she took on a job teaching English as a second language in Mexico. It exposed her directly to the poverty that many people in the world experience. From then on, it seems that her life was one long quest for situations that could do with her expertise and talents. She continued to become involved in campaigns that required not only energy, but also, a great deal of resilience.
At Johns Hopkins University, she completed a master's degree in international relations in 1984. It is remarkable how many of us can go through life with little understanding of what is present in the countries around us. Once we have a better understanding of the mechanisms at work around the world, we are often able to better understand the problems that other countries face. In some ways, this is an argument for the extension of the study of International Relations in all schools today.
In 1991, she began working for the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation and was the founding coordinator of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL), which was launched by six non-government organizations (NGOs) in October 1992. The commitment has grown to over 1,000 NGOs in more than sixty countries. One thing in common with many other campaigns that individuals have been involved in the pursuit of ideals is that this has not come overnight. It took six years to build the momentum needed for the weapons to be banned. Many others would have given up hope. Like civil rights, this campaign was one that would need strength and a commitment to the final aim in this case, eliminating these dreadful weapons. Landmines unlike conventional weapons, stay around once the war is over they are indiscriminate in who they target. It has been argued that the reason for their prolific use is that they are cheap to manufacture and spread around. Their detection and removal however is nowhere near as easy. It has long been argued that the only way to effectively deal with the problem of land mines that target people is to ban their use completely.
A Nobel Prize was awarded to Jody in 1997 for her work against the use of land mines. Francis Sejersted, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee said: "There are those among us who are unswerving in their faith that things can be done to make our world a better, safer, and more humane place and who also, even when the tasks appear overwhelming, have the courage to tackle them...".
Yes, it is true that Jody Williams had a job to do and she did it well. She also showed that ultimately if we do the right thing in our work, and if we choose to work in fields that allow us the chance to move beyond our own backyard, we can all contribute to making the world a better place.
Citations
& References:
Links:
http://www.nobel.se/laureates/peace-1997-2-cv.html
http://www.eb.com/
http://gos.sbc.edu/w/jwilliams.html
http://www.boes.org/coop/lmines/jodyw1.html
http://www.aftenposten.no/alex/fakta/nr9803/jody_wil.htm
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