[E-rundbrief] Info 1862 - Betty Williams - Nobel Peace Laureate - Dies

Di Mär 31 18:20:18 CEST 2020

E-Rundbrief Info 1862 - Nobel Women's Initiative: Trailblazing Nobel 
Peace Laureate Betty Williams Dies in Belfast, March 18 2020.

Bad Ischl, 31.3.2020

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Trailblazing Nobel Peace Laureate Betty Williams Dies in Belfast in 
March 18 2020.

March 23, 2020

Nobel peace laureate, Betty Williams, was a force of nature. She was 
awarded the Nobel peace prize in 1976 alongside Mairead Maguire for 
their work for peace in Northern Ireland. Betty once said, “Fear’s 
contagious, but so is courage.” Looking back on all that she has 
accomplished, it couldn’t have been more true.

Betty and Mairead met under tragic circumstances. Earlier that year 
Betty witnessed a horrible car crash. A runaway car driven by Irish 
Republican Army 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. Betty immediately sprung into action, circulating petitions. 
In the process she met the children’s aunt, Mairead Maguire.

Determined to use this tragedy to push for an end to the violence, 
Betty and Mairead organized a peace march. More than 10,000 Protestant 
and Catholic women came to show their support. The following week, 
35,000 people marched with Betty and Mairead, demanding an end to the 
violence in their country.

Alongside journalist Ciaran McKeown, the two women co-founded Peace 
People, an organization dedicated to nonviolence in Northern Ireland 
and throughout the world. In the thirty years since the award, 
Williams devoted her life to working for peace around the world, and a 
movement to begin a reversal of thinking on how we deal with the 
injustices, cruelty and horror perpetuated on the world’s children.

Betty was the head of the World Centers of Compassion for Children 
International, which was founded in 1997 in honour of His Holiness the 
Dalai Lama. She was also the Chair of Institute for Asian Democracy in 
Washington D.C. and a founding member of the Nobel Women’s Initiative. 
She was the recipient of dozens of honours, including the Schweitzer 
Medallion for Courage and the Eleanor Roosevelt Award.

Betty passed away on March 18 in Belfast. Her legacy and incredible 
work for peace in Northern Ireland, and the rights of children in war 
everywhere, will never be forgotten. She will be greatly missed. We 
send our deepest condolences, solidarity and love to her family and 
friends at this difficult time.

https://nobelwomensinitiative.org/trailblazing-nobel-peace-laureate-betty-williams-dies-in-belfast/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Monthly%20update&utm_content=Monthly%20update+CID_7e592abe42e908233289bdbb2d64684d&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=Read%20more%20about%20Bettys%20groundbreaking%20work

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Condolences from Fellow Laureates:_

“It is with the greatest sadness that I heard of the death of my 
friend and co-worker for peace Betty Williams. Betty was a woman of 
great courage with a passion for peace and a love and compassion for 
all children. Betty will be sadly missed but remembered lovingly by 
all of us who knew Betty. I felt privileged to know her as a great 
peace activist and friend.” – Nobel peace laureate, Mairead Maguire.

“Betty was a dynamo – a force of nature that left a big mark in the 
world. She will be missed.” – Nobel peace laureate, Jody Williams.