Nobel Laureate fights for peace

When Canada faltered under U.S. pressure during final negotiations on the treaty to ban landmines worldwide, Jody Williams boldly threatened the Canadian foreign minister.

"If your foreign minister sells out to the U.S., I'm going to rip him apart in public," Williams bellowed over the phone to the Canadian head of delegation.

Williams' relentless passion for positive social change compelled her to create the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). Initially a humble team of herself and two organizations, the ICBL rapidly expanded into an international treaty banning landmines. She received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for her efforts.

Since October of 1996, Canada claimed leadership over the campaign, directing in each process to prohibit landmines. But the United States opposed it, wanting to freeze the treaty's enactment for 10 years. During the final stages of negotiation, the United States pressured the Canadian government to promote its interests during conferences.

As U.S. demands swelled, the leaders in Canada began to waver. "They were ready to accept the positions of the U.S.," Williams said. Had the campaign's leader caved, European support would have shriveled, leaving the entire treaty to crumble.

Watching her plans begin to shatter, Williams challenged the Canadian leaders. "You're taking all the credit for being the world leader on this," she recounted. "If you sell out, you're going to pay."

However, Williams will never know if her courage made a difference, because the United States. walked out on final treaty negotiations anyway, so Canada signed without having to face the United States.

As the culmination of treaty agreements drew near, President Bill Clinton suspended all negotiations for 48 hours. As U.S. diplomats mounted pressure on leaders throughout the world, campaign supporters waited for two days, paralyzed.

On the third day, the final conference reopened and U.S. diplomats entered briskly, asking for the floor first. The American head of delegation rose and said, "Unfortunately we have not been able to get our people to see the wisdom of this package. Therefore we are leaving negotiations."

"They closed their books and left. The crowd went wild," she said.

A half hour later, the treaty concluded. The "wavering wimps" signed the treaty, and Canada emerged as the perceived world leader.

Williams visited Denver on Feb. 27 and 28 to speak at Central Presbyterian Church and to host a service project for local teens. During an exclusive interview with The Scribe, she said, "I do what I do because I believe it's right." She even remembers being "really fairly clueless" about the Nobel Peace Prize during her work for the campaign.

Williams stated that she never wanted to quit her work to ban landmines. In fact, she said, "It was such an easy movement, it still blows my mind." 156 member nations currently constitute the ICBL, and the campaign is still "vigorous and vibrant."

When asked to describe her favorite aspect of the campaign Williams remarked, "The landmine campaign is about a lot more than just landmines." She went on to say that though the 156 campaigns differ from one another, she appreciates the respect shared among all country campaigns. "We feel like it's a social, political activist family."

March 1, 2009 marked the 10-year anniversary of the treaty. Since receiving her peace prize, Williams has remained active in social work. She established the Nobel Women's Initiative, in which six female laureates use their access and esteem to "highlight the work of women working in different ways around the world for peace."

Williams adds to her work as chairwoman of the Nobel Women's Initiative by pushing to abolish nuclear weapons and by "revealing the lie" that nuclear power is a clean alternative energy source. "Working for peace is fun," she remarked, "sometimes."

In addressing the challenges emerging from the global economic recession, Williams said that this chaos will produce change. "If we can harness change in a positive way, we can make a really bright future."

But she warned, "Peace is not for wimps." Arguing that Americans are weakened by the constant flood of negative news, she highlighted the danger of becoming a "Stepford citizen" – one disempowered by the challenges around him.