ITHACA, N.Y. -- The ninth annual convocation of the Cornell Commitment, March 5, on the Cornell University campus will feature a public talk by Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Prize winner and founder of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL).

Williams will give an address titled "The Power of One: An Individual's Impact on Social and Political Change," during the convocation, which begins at 7:30 p.m. in the David L. Call Alumni Auditorium of Kennedy Hall.

The convocation is free and open to the public, but tickets are required and can be obtained at the Cornell Commitment Office, 103 Day Hall, or by calling (607) 255-8595. More than 600 community members and Cornell students are expected to attend. A reception will follow Williams' address.

As in past years, the convocation also will be the venue for announcing this year's recipient of The Cornell Tradition Debra S. Newman '02 Community Recognition Award. The award acknowledges the efforts of outstanding individuals who have gone "above and beyond" in service to the greater community and includes a $1,000 award to an agency of the recipient's choice.

Williams received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for her work in establishing ICBL. An eloquent and outspoken advocate for peace and human rights issues, she is one of only 10 women to receive the peace prize and only the third woman from the United States.

She has overseen the growth of the ICBL to more than 1,300 NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in over 85 countries and served as the chief strategist and spokesperson for the campaign. Working with governments, United Nations groups and the International Committee of the Red Cross, the ICBL achieved its goal of an international treaty banning antipersonnel landmines during the diplomatic conference held in Oslo in September 1997. Williams now acts as campaign ambassador for the ICBL, as well as serving as senior editor for Landmine Monitor Report , an annual publication documenting the progress of the mine ban treaty.

Williams also has written and lectured extensively on the problem of landmines and the movement to ban them. She has spoken in various forums, including at the United Nations, the European Parliament and the Organization of African Unity. She also co-authored a seminal study, based on two years of field research in four mine-affected countries, detailing the socioeconomic consequences of landmine contamination.

Prior to beginning the ICBL, Williams worked for 11 years to build public awareness about U.S. policy in Central America. From 1986 to 1992, she developed and directed humanitarian relief projects as the deputy director of the Los Angeles-based Medical Aid for El Salvador. In that capacity she developed a network of hospitals in 20 cities across the United States that donated medical care to Salvadoran children wounded in the war in that country. From 1984 to 1986, she was co-coordinator of the Nicaragua-Honduras Education Project, leading fact-finding delegations to the region. Previously, she taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in Mexico, the United Kingdom and Washington, D.C.

Williams has a master's degree in international relations from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (1984), a master's degree in teaching Spanish and ESL from the School for International Training (1976), and a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Vermont (1972).

The annual convocation is sponsored by the three recognition programs comprising the Cornell Commitment: The Cornell Tradition, Cornell Presidential Research Scholars and Meinig Family Cornell National Scholars. These programs reward outstanding Cornell undergraduates who demonstrate, respectively, excellence in work ethic and campus and/or community service, research experience, and leadership and academic achievement. Initiated in 1996 by The Cornell Tradition, the annual convocation is held to honor the achievements of the students in these programs, who are especially encouraged to attend.

All members of the Cornell and Ithaca communities are welcome at the convocation, and community agencies are invited to set up displays. For more information, contact the office of the Cornell Commitment at (607) 255-8595.