Fellow OandP’ers:
You can help in the struggle to end one of the biggest tragedies of our
times: the scourge of landmines. This is not a request for donations and
no calamity will visit you if you don’t pass the e-mail along to five
others. But a disaster already strikes a person out there every 22
minutes-in the time you spend browsing through five web-sites, one person
is unnecessarily killed or maimed by a landmine.
On 2 December, over 100 countries will gather in Ottawa, Canada to sign a
treaty that will impose a total ban on landmines. A number of key
countries, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, China, India,
Islamic Republic of Iran, Pakistan and Cuba, will not be there to sign
this historic treaty. Show your support for those who are signing and
send a message to those who are not by placing a ‘Total Ban’ banner on
your web-site for one day on 2 December 1997.
The banner can be copied or downloaded from:
http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/banmines/banner
” Sometimes I dream that I have two legs again. Hello! I am Song Kosol. I
am a little girl from Cambodia and I am twelve years old. Years ago,
when I was very small, I went to play with my friends close to my house.
All of a sudden ‘BOOM’, cries, terror. The whole of my right leg was
blown off…Until two years ago, I walked on one leg with crutches. One
day a car visited my village and they told me they could give me an
artificial leg. They took me with many other amputees to a prosthetic
center and there we received our new legs. I feel more comfortable with
my friend the crutch, so sometimes I leave my leg at home.”
This is not a rare testimony. Millions of active mines are scattered in
some 70 countries and an equal number are stockpiled around the world
waiting to be planted. Every month over 2,000 people are killed or maimed
by mine explosions. Most of the casualties are civilians who are killed
or injured after hostilities have ended. Buried landmines can remain
active for over 50 years. Landmines do not recognize peace treaties or
cease fires. Landmines do not discriminate. They do not distinguish
between the footfall of a soldier and that of a woman or child gathering
firewood. For every mine cleared, 20 are laid. In 1994, approximately
100,000 were removed, while an additional 2 million were planted.
Children, in particular, are most in danger from landmines. Their natural
curiosity makes it likely they will pick up strange objects. They often
cannot read the warning signs about mined fields. If a mine explodes near
a child, it will cause greater damage than to an adult, who is larger and
stronger. Children who are victims of mines are often from the poorest
segment of society.
Landmines are increasingly used as horrifying strategic weapons meant to
destroy food sources, create refugee flows, or simply cause terror.
Mozambique, one of the poorest nations in Africa, can not use whole
swathes of arable farm land because of mines. In Cambodia, an estimated
one out of every 235 people has lost at least one limb to an exploding
mine.
It can be stopped!
On 2-4 December 1997 representatives from the nations of the world will
meet in Ottawa, Canada to sign a treaty that will end the use,
stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines. But not all
countries will sign the treaty. Show your support for those who are
signing. Let those who are not signing know that their position is
morally indefensible.
For one day, on 2 December, place the ‘Total Ban’ banner on YOUR
web-site. You can copy the banner from:
http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/banmines/banner
Forward this e-mail to as many people, organizations, companies and
groups you know. Encourage them to support the ‘Total Ban’ banner.
Other things you can do:
1. Find out more about the landmine crisis: surf the web, hold a teach-in
or contact an organization fighting to end the use of landmines forever.
Information and links are available at the United Nations Demining
Database (http://www.un.org/Depts/Landmine) or the UN CyberSchoolBus
(http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/banmines/)
2. Find out who’s signing the Ottawa Treaty and who’s not at
http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/banmines/resources/signatories.htm
3. If your government IS NOT signing call, fax, or send letters to your
representative urging your government to sign.
4. If your government IS signing call, fax, and send letters to the
missions and representatives of nations who are not.
5. If you are part of a school community, join the Schools Demining
Schools project. For information on the project check:
http://www.un.org/Pubs/CyberSchoolBus/banmines/about.htm
