| I believe it is possible for ordinary people to achieve | | | | I believe in both my right and my responsibility to work |
| extraordinary things. For me, the difference between | | | | to create a world that doesn't glorify violence and war, |
| an "ordinary" and an "extraordinary" person is not the | | | | but where we seek different solutions to our common |
| title that person might have, but what they do to make | | | | problems. I believe that these days, daring to voice |
| the world a better place for us all. | | | | your opinion, daring to find out information from a |
| I have no idea why people choose to do what they | | | | variety of sources, can be an act of courage. |
| do. When I was a kid I didn't know what I wanted to | | | | I know that holding such beliefs and speaking them |
| be when I grew up, but I did know what I didn't want to | | | | publicly is not always easy or comfortable or popular, |
| do. I didn't want to grow up, have 2.2 kids, get married, | | | | particularly in the post-9/11 world. But I believe that life |
| the whole white picket fence thing. And I certainly didn't | | | | isn't a popularity contest. I really don't care what people |
| think about being an activist. I didn't even really know | | | | say about me -- and believe me, they've said plenty. |
| what one was. | | | | For me, it's about trying to do the right thing even when |
| My older brother was born deaf. Growing up, I ended | | | | nobody else is looking. |
| up defending him, and I often think that is what started | | | | I believe that worrying about the problems plaguing our |
| me on my path to whatever it is I am today. | | | | planet without taking steps to confront them is |
| When I was approached with the idea of trying to | | | | absolutely irrelevant. The only thing that changes this |
| create a landmine campaign, we were just three | | | | world is taking action. |
| people in a small office in Washington, D.C., in late 1991. I | | | | I believe that words are easy. I believe that truth is told |
| certainly had more than a few ideas about how to | | | | in the actions we take. And I believe that if enough |
| begin a campaign, but what if nobody cared? What if | | | | ordinary people back up our desire for a better world |
| nobody responded? But I knew the only way to | | | | with action, we can, in fact, accomplish absolutely |
| answer those questions was to accept the challenge. | | | | extraordinary things. |
| If I have any power as an individual, it's because I work | | | | Jody Williams is the founding coordinator of the |
| with other individuals in countries all over the world. We | | | | International Campaign to Ban Landmines, which was |
| are ordinary people: My friend Jemma, from Armenia; | | | | awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997. Williams |
| Paul, from Canada; Kosal, a landmine survivor from | | | | previously did humanitarian work for people in El |
| Cambodia; Haboubba, from Lebanon; Christian, from | | | | Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Her interest in |
| Norway; Diana, from Colombia; Margaret, another | | | | advocacy began with a leaflet on global activism |
| landmine survivor, from Uganda; and thousands more. | | | | handed to her outside a subway station. |
| We've all worked together to bring about | | | | Reprinted from the book This I Believe: The Personal |
| extraordinary change. The landmine campaign is not | | | | Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women by Jay |
| just about landmines -- it's about the power of | | | | Allison and Dan Gediman, eds. Published by Henry Holt. |
| individuals to work with governments in a different | | | | (October 2006;$23.00US/$31.00CAN; 0-8050-8087-2) |
| way. | | | | Copyright © 2006 This I Believe, Inc. |