Betty Williams Quotes

We have to create a world in which there are no unknown, hostile aliens at the other end of any missiles, and that is going to take a tremendous amount of sheer hard work. The only force which can break down those barriers is the force of love, the force of truth, soul-force.

To say that on a daily basis you can make a difference, well, you can. One act of kindness a day can do it.

Governments do not have the answers. Indeed quite the reversal. A lot of times they not only do not have the answers, they themselves are the problem. If we are committed to helping our world’s children, then we must begin to create solutions from the bottom up.

I’m trying to show by my actions that you can make a far better world if you just care enough. That’s all you have to do. It’s no big deal. One act of kindness a day can do it.

The voice of women has a special role and a special soul force in the struggle for a nonviolent world.

In a world that we know can feed itself, upwards of 40,000 children die very day from conditions of malnutrition. Surely we must question why we are allowing this carnage to continue

Turmoil is everywhere, and the whole world is waiting for solutions to come from the top down. That’s not how it works – community change from the bottom up makes a real difference.

War has traditionally been a man’s work, although we know that often women were the cause of violence.

Peace in the world is everybody’s business, no matter where you live or what you do.

We dedicate ourselves to working with our neighbors, near and far, day in and day out, to building that peaceful society in which the tragedies we have known are a bad memory and a continuing warning.

We want for our children, as we want for ourselves, our lives at home, at work and at play, to be lives of joy and peace.

I’m not sexist in any way – sexism is another form of violence, and there are many great men in this world.

Two-point-seven percent unemployment equates to — everybody who wants to work is working. It equates to full employment.

We need to assure that we are nurturing our children and meeting their every need in this violent world.

When all else fails, take a vacation.

The Nobel Peace Prize is not awarded for what one has done, but hopefully what one will do.

Compassion is more important than intellect in calling forth the love that the work of peace needs, and intuition can often be a far more powerful searchlight than cold reason.

When I received the news of the Nobel Peace Award, I could not believe it. I told my father, ‘I think they have the wrong name, Dad. Please, can you talk to this man on the phone? I’m busy cooking!’

There’s nothing women can’t do. There’s absolutely nothing we can’t do. We’re far stronger in a lot of ways than men. Way, way stronger than men. And that’s my message to any woman I meet – that includes you – there’s nothing you can’t do, and you know that.

We want to live and love and build a just and peaceful society.

We want to live, love and build a just and peaceful society. We dedicate ourselves to working with our neighbors day in and day out to create this peaceful society.

Nonviolence is the weapon of the strong.

I’m so grateful that God allowed me to go through that because it’s made me.

But without painful experiences, we dont grow

The thing that started the peace movement in Ireland was anger – my anger. It wasn’t anger; it was fury.

I can assure you I’m quite sane and have proof that dialog ‘works.’

John Irwin became one of the greatest peace workers in Northern Ireland.

There is no use talking about the problem unless you talk about the solution

Governments do not have the answers – indeed, quite the reversal. A lot of times, they not only do not have the answers, but they themselves are the problem. If we are committed to helping our world’s children, then we must begin to create solutions from the bottom up.

The voice of women, the voice of those most closely involved in bringing forth new life, has not always been listened to when it pleaded and implored against the waste of life in war after war.

Peace is not wimpy. It’s about sitting down and negotiating with people you hate. Ultimately, all occupation ends, and you have to deal with the enemy.

Men, once enemies, are now jointly governing in Northern Ireland. And although there have been several hitches, by and large it’s working well.

Fear’s contagious, but so is courage.

God doesn’t start wars. That’s the greatest load of nonsense. Mankind starts wars. But then we bless armies to go and kill in God’s name. Somebody’s got to blow that myth out of the water.

I always say that non-violence is not the weapon of the weak. It is the weapon of the strong.