Betty Williams
Great Lakes PeaceJam is thrilled to announce that Nobel Peace Prize winner, Betty Williams, will be our featured Laureate for the 8th Annual Great Lakes PeaceJam Youth Conference, April 17th and April 18th, 2010. Ms. Williams will also be giving a public talk on Friday, April 16th.
Betty Williams was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland on May 22, 1942. She was baptized a Roman Catholic, despite the fact that 3 of her 4 grandparents were not Catholic (two were Protestant and one was Jewish). When Betty was only 13 years old, her mother suffered a massive stroke. Betty dropped out of school to take on the role of caring for her mother and raising her younger sister. Like many families in Northern Ireland, Betty’s family was touched by violence. Her Protestant grandfather, a riveter in a Belfast shipyard, was thrown down the hold of a ship that was under construction simply because his son was marrying a Catholic woman. Her cousin Daniel, a pre-med student, was killed at the age of 18, when Protestant extremists shot him as he stood at the front door of his house, returning from his part-time job at the pub. They machine-gunned the shape of a cross into his back. Another cousin was killed when a booby-trapped car abandoned by members of the IRA exploded as he was driving past it. In Betty’s words, “So, the Protestants killed one of my cousins, and the Catholics killed the other.”She considered joining the Irish Republican Army in 1972. But, after witnessing a British soldier shot in front of her in 1973, she knelt and prayed beside him. She was criticized by Catholic neighbors for showing sympathy for “the enemy.”
On August 10, 1976, a runaway car driven by an IRA member, Danny Lennon, who had been fatally shot while fleeing from British soldiers crashed into a family of four who were out for a walk. All three children, Joanne, John, and Andrew, were killed. Their mother, Anne Maguire, was critically injured (and committed suicide in 1980, saying that she could not go on). Betty Williams had been driving home from visiting her mother, heard the crash, and was the first to arrive on the scene. After witnessing this senseless killing, Betty immediately began to circulate petitions against the violence and in less than forty-eight hours, had over 6,000 signatures. When Máiread Corrigan, the children's aunt, heard what Betty Williams had done, she invited her to the children's funeral. On August 13, 1976, the day of the Maguire children's funeral, Betty Williams and Máiread Corrigan met with journalist Ciaran McKeown, who joined the two women in co-founding the Peace People, an organization dedicated to nonviolence in Northern Ireland and throughout the world. Betty and Máiread organized a peace march to the graves of the children, which was attended by 10,000 Protestant and Catholic women. The peaceful march was disrupted by members of the Irish Republican Army, who accused them of being influenced by the British. The following week, 35,000 people marched with Williams and Corrigan to show their support for ending the violence in their country.
"It was anger that drove me to knock on the doors of women all over Belfast. I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote, ‘Peace Petition’ on the top. I banged on doors and somehow got more than 3,000 signatures in less than seven hours. I hadn't a clue what I was doing. I do not even remember most of that time because I was in shock. Then I called a newspaper reporter who printed a front-page story. That led to a TV interview, where I blurted out that I would hold a rally for Ireland's mothers the following weekend at the site where the tragedy occurred. I was afraid no one would come. But ten thousand people showed up! The time was right. The women of Ireland had had it up to here, and they were ready for peace at any cost."
In recognition of their extraordinary action to end the sectarian violence in Northern Ireland, and for their dedication to building a foundation for a peaceful future, Betty Williams and Máiread Corrigan Maguire were jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976. In her acceptance speech, Betty said, “That first week will always be remembered of course for something else besides the birth of the Peace People. For those most closely involved, the most powerful memory of that week was the death of a young republican and the deaths of three children struck by the dead man's car. A deep sense of frustration at the mindless stupidity of the continuing violence was already evident before the tragic events of that sunny afternoon of August 10, 1976. But the deaths of those four young people in one terrible moment of violence caused that frustration to explode, and create the possibility of a real peace movement... As far as we are concerned, every single death in the last eight years, and every death in every war that was ever fought represents life needlessly wasted, a mother's labor spurned." She also said that, “The Nobel Peace Prize is not awarded for what one has done, but hopefully what one will do.”
True to those words, since receiving the Nobel Prize, she has traveled the world, working tirelessly with fellow Nobel Laureates throughout the world to where peace, and especially the safety and well-being of children, is at risk. Betty currently serves as the president of World Centers of Compassion for Children, whose mission is to provide a strong political voice for children in areas afflicted by war, hunger, social, economic or political upheaval, and to respond to their material and emotional needs by creating safe and nurturing environments. The WCCC has recently announced that the first center will be created in southern Italy
Recent History of Northern Ireland and Overview of Betty William’s life
Please note: Items pertaining to Betty William’s personal experiences are boxed.
· 1300’s – English barons gradually take over control over most of the land in Ireland.
· 1541 – King Henry VIII of England forces these barons to declare him kind of Ireland.
· 1649 – Oliver Cromwell leads an army to Ireland to end Irish revolts against English rule. His troops massacre a
· large number of Catholics at Drogheda as 'revenge' for the alleged massacre of Protestants in 1641.
· 1695 – 1728 – A series of Anti-Catholic laws are put in place, including measures prohibiting Catholics from buying land, entering in the legal profession, voting or serving as Ministers of Parliament or holding public positions.
· 1801 – The Act of Union abolishes the Irish parliament and unites Great Britain and Ireland as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.
· 1905 – Sinn Fein (translated as “we ourselves”) is formed as a political party to fight for independence for the entire island of Ireland from British rule.
· April 24th- 29th, 1916 – Easter Rising: Irish rebels led by Patrick Pearse and James Connoly seize the Dublin General Post Office on Easter Monday. British troops invade Dublin. Violence lasts five days and includes 200 deaths and 2,500 injuries. Rebels are forced to surrender. The participant of the Easter Rising went on to form the Irish Republic Army (IRA).
· 1920 – Policy of Partition is introduced, establishing two parliaments: one in Dublin to serve 26 southern counties and one in Belfast to serve 6 northern counties. The 26 southern counties are given some independence and are known as the Irish Free State. Unionists wanted to remain part of the United Kingdom and support Partition, Republicanists want complete independence for the entire island and do not support Partition.
· 1922 –British soldiers withdraw, violence breaks out between groups of Unionists and Republicanists. Violence is put down by the Provisional Government of the Irish Free State.
· May 22nd, 1942 – Betty Smith is born in Belfast, Northern Ireland to a Catholic mother and a converted Catholic father.
· December 21st, 1948 – After decades of violence and civil war, the Republic of Ireland was granted full independence from Britain. Six northern counties remain part of the United Kingdom.
· 1955 – Betty’s mother suffers a stroke, partially paralyzing her. At thirteen years old Betty takes over much of the housework and the care of her younger sister.
· 1958 – Betty experiences discrimination first-hand after she is turned down for a job because she is Catholic. She takes out her anger by kneading dough.
· 1963 – Betty is married to Ralph Williams. She will go on to have two children: Paul (born 1963) and Deborah (born 1971).
· January 1967 – The Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association is formed in an effort to repeal anti-Catholic measures.
· 1968 – Civil Rights protests take place, to demand equal treatment for Catholics. Some marches escalate into violence and tension builds between Catholics and Protestants. “The Troubles” begin.
· August 12th- 15th, 1969 – Battle of Bogside- Clashes erupt as a march by Unionist (pro-Britain) protestors passes a Catholic neighborhood. The Royal Ulster Constabulary is sent to intervene and is met by with violence. Riots break out in Belfast. The first British troops arrive. “No go” zones are established in some Catholic areas, barring British troops in order to prevent more bloodshed.
· Throughout this period in her life, Betty is not officially active in the peace movement but she does try to encourage her male acquaintances who are active in the violence to understand “the stupid and uselessness of what [they were] doing”. She succeeds in convincing several men to abandon violence.
· December 28th, 1969 - The Irish Republican Army (IRA) splits into two wings: the Ofiicial Marxist IRA, and the Provisionals.
· August 9th, 1971 – Civil rights marches and protests continue, despite a ban. The Irish Republican Army continues to attack British soldiers. The policy of internment is introduced and 350 IRA members are arrested and detained. Violent protests break out in response and in 48 hours 17 are dead, including 10 civilians. Protests against internment continue throughout the year.
· January 30th, 1972 – Bloody Sunday- A march erupts into violence. British paratroopers open fire killing 14 and injuring 13 others.
· July 21, 1972 – Bloody Friday: The IRA explodes 22 bombs in Belfast in 75 minutes, killing 9 and wounding 130.
1972 – Direct rule imposed. The government of Northern Ireland is suspended and Britain takes over.
· 1974 – Throughout the course of the year, IRA bombs in the United Kingdom kill 28, injure more than 200.
· August 10th, 1976 – In the course of a car chase, British troops shoot and kill Danny Lennon, a young IRA militant during a stolen vehicle. Lennon’s vehicle goes out of control, striking and killing three young children and severely injuring their mother. Betty William witnessed the accident and was disgusted by the violence. She immediately began organizing her neighbors and friends and 48 hours after the accident she appeared on television with a petition of 6,000 calling asking the IRA for an end to senseless violence.
· August 13th, 1976 – Betty attends the funeral of the Maguire children, at the invitation of their aunt, Mairead Corrigan. Together, Betty and Mairead found Women for Peace, which would go on to become the Peace People when they joined with Ciaran McKeown.
· August 14th, 1976 – 10,000 women, from both Protestant and Catholic neighborhoods, march to show their desire for peace. When marchers approach the cemetery where the children were buried, they encounter the members of the IRA and violence. Some Protestant women were beaten.
· August – December 1976 – The Peace People coordinated weekly marches and rallies in cities across Ireland and the United Kingdom, uniting thousands of people against the violence in Northern Ireland.
· December 10th, 1977 – Betty Williams and Mairead Corrigan are awarded the 1976 Nobel Peace Prize (the 1976 Prize was awarded a year late).
· 1976-1977 – Violence begins to decline. The number killed drops from 297 in 1976 to 112 in 1977. Sectarian, tit-for-tat murders are abandoned by both sides. The killing of British army, police, and prison guards continue.
· 1978 – Betty Williams resigns from her positions of leadership in the “Peace People”.
· 1981 – Ten political prisoners begin hunger strike to protest the removal of their “special prisoner status”. Bobby Sands and nine others eventually die and are considered to be martyrs for the cause, thousands attend Sand’s funeral. Support for the political wing of the Provisional IRA grows.
· 1982 – Betty Williams moves to the United States.
· November 15th, 1985 – Anglo-Irish Agreement: Leaders of Britain and Ireland meet, agree to allow Ireland some control over Northern Ireland but agreement is never implemented because of pressure from Unionists.
· 1987 – Eleven civilians killed in an IRA bomb blast on Remembrance Sunday.
· December 15th, 1993 – Downing Street Declaration: Talks between the Prime Minister of Britain and the Irish leadership result in a declaration that the people of Northern Ireland should decide their own future and that representatives of various groups should meet for talks. Sinn Fien (the political wing of the IRA) is offered a seat as long as IRA violence stops. IRA and Loyalist groups declare cease fire in the summer of 1994.
· March-April 1995 – The British withdraws 800 troops from Northern Ireland; 17,000 British troops remain.
· 1996 – Peace Talks: U.S. Senator George Mitchell chairs multi-party talks which are stalled after Mitchell proposes the beginning of disarmament. IRA breaks its cease fire and violence resumes.
· 1997 – Betty Williams founds the World Centers of Compassion for Children International, in honor of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
· April 10th, 1998 – Good Friday Agreement: In 1997 the British government proposed resuming talks and invited Sinn Fein to participate on the condition that they uphold a six-month cease fire. The cease fire is declared in July 1997 and after months of deliberation an agreement is reached on Good Friday, 1998. The Agreement concluded that Ireland should not be united without the consent of the majority in Northern Ireland, that all people basic human rights, civil rights and equality, and established a multipart assembly to govern Northern Ireland, among other things.
· 1999 – IRA announces that it will enter disarmament talks. The British government transfers power back to Northern Ireland that had been held by London since 1972, in the form of a power-sharing cabinet in Belfast.
· 2002 – Betty Williams moves to the Republic of Ireland
· 2005 – IRA announces end to armed campaign, confirms disarmament.
· 2006 – Betty Williams joins the Nobel Women's Initiative with sister Nobel Peace Laureates Máiread Corrigan Maguire, Shirin Ebadi, Wangari Maathai, Jody Williams and Rigoberta Menchú Tum to support women's rights around the world.
· March 26th, 2007 – Protestant leader Reverend Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams of Sinn Fein that their two groups would form a joint administration work together after decades of hostility.
· 2006 – 2007 – Betty makes headlines by publically saying that she would like to kill George W. Bush. She later apologized for her remarks.