You can read more about our program here.

Money set aside to clear landmines and remove arms from conflict zones is to be raided to pay a private defence contractor to keep Tornado jets flying in Iraq, according to a confidential memo seen by the Guardian. The Ministry of Defence plans to pay BAE Systems from the multimillion-pound Conflict Prevention Fund - which covers projects such as destroying weapons in Bosnia and landmines in Mozambique - to subsidise the £5m-£10m cost of servicing each of the six planes.

The move follows a cost-cutting plan which has backfired for the MoD because of increased military action in Iraq.

The memo acknowledges that the emergency measure is needed because the MoD has closed its own state-of-the-art facility for servicing Tornado jets as a way of saving £500m over 10 years. A scaled-back facility is still not fully equipped for the job. Memos sent to ministers reveal that the ministry has decided to make the request to BAE Systems because the alternative facility, at RAF Marham in Norfolk, has "insufficient capacity".

Read the rest of the article here.

Lobke Dijkstra, our Thailand Country representative, and I traveled to a remote refugee camp on the Thai border with the Shan state to observe New Year with many of the camp’s 2,000 residents.

The Shan lunar calendar puts the New Year in December, so we marked the occasion well before the end of our program year. But it didn’t seem too early to celebrate with some of our beneficiaries.

Last year was very successful for our Thai-Burma border initiative which has already served more than 500 landmine accident survivors since its inception in 2002. In 2007, thanks to Lobke’s tireless coordination, management and fundraising, we served 298 Karen, Karenni and Shan survivors in five different locations along the Myanmar border.

Most of our beneficiaries, 278, received new or repaired prostheses, plus we provided full-time nursing care to about 20 severely disabled survivors at a UNHCR refugee camp at Mae La. Forty-one technicians and medics received training and compensation for their aid activities from prosthetics fabrication to physical rehabilitation.

We received funding for this effort from the Dutch rehabilitation hospital Groot Klimmendaal in Arnhem, the Dutch charity Mensenkinderen, Bainbridge Community Endowment, Susila Dharma UK, Susila Dharma USA and Susila Dharma Netherlands, Grace Episcopal Church and Cedars Unitarian Church both on Bainbridge Island.

For its relatively modest budget of $53,000, the program has had great leverage in the field thanks to its volunteers, including Lobke and two prosthetics students from British Columbia, Duane Nelson and Jody Riggs, who spent their summer making 18 Monolimb prostheses for survivors at a Shan camp.

This year, we hope to expand the breadth of our services with income-generating projects, such as pig breeding, mechanics training and other skills instruction at or near two Shan border camps while we continue to support prosthetics fabrication, physical rehabilitation and full-time care for severely disabled survivors.

With our partners, the Mae Tao Clinic, the Karen Handicap Welfare Association, KNPLF (Karenni) and the Shan Health Committee, we expect to provide services to more than 400 survivors at seven locations along the border in 2008. Groot Klimmendaal, Lobke’s employer, has been encouraging its other employees to volunteer in the area. Neeltje Rosmalen, a psychologist and cognitive trainer helped train medics and counselors in psychological treatment of new and existing accident survivors.

GENEVA: The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) called on Wednesday for urgent conclusion of a global pact to ban cluster weapons even if big powers like the United States, Russia and China were not ready to join.

The Swiss-based humanitarian body's senior arms specialist, Peter Herby, told a news conference the ICRC hoped the text of a treaty would be approved at a conference in Dublin in May and be signed by many countries by the end of the year.

"We need a strong, legally-binding treaty urgently, in 2008, that would ban the use, development, stockpiling and transfer of inaccurate and unreliable cluster munitions," said Herby, who heads the ICRC's Arms Unit.

Herby discounted arguments from some producer states that the weapons -- which can spread hundreds of bomblets over a target area -- can be made to self-destruct or otherwise rendered harmless after conflicts in which they have been used.

Cluster bombs -- which campaigners say have killed or maimed thousands of civilians stumbling on them -- can never be made totally reliable, he declared.

Read more here.

On my first morning at the Mae Tao Clinic, I was greeted by what I know as the scent of northern Thailand: an odor that combines fish paste, mildew, sweat, and betel nut. Just past the clinic entrance, a crowd of people, each with a small bag of clothing, sat or stood in the courtyard hoping to receive medical attention, food, and temporary shelter. I soon learned that some of these people had traveled for days or weeks from inside Burma or from refugee camps on the border, often in danger of being caught and detained by border officials. As Lobke, the physical therapist who volunteers there, led me past the crowd and through layers of sandals scattered at the entrance of each small open-aired concrete building, she described the work in store for us in the inpatient, surgical, pediatric, outpatient, and prosthetics departments.

Over the next six weeks—from October to mid-November 2007— Lobke provided me with instruction and demonstrations on stump care and rehabilitation for patients with amputations, passive mobilization, and functional exercises. We then worked together to evaluate and treat patients. Taking into account patients’ circumstances and offering the therapy and advice that best met their needs was especially challenging because most of the patients came from precarious living situations, where they were dealing with extreme poverty; lack of food, water, and healthcare; and forced labor or relocation. Many patients also faced landmine hazards and other atrocities under the Burmese military’s ruthless control. By paying close attention to the patients’ behaviors and by being deliberate with my facial expressions and voice tones, I strived to offer patients some physical relief, encouragement, and a sense of being cared for.

What they gave back to me was immeasurable. For example, providing therapy to a woman who had fallen unconscious after a seizure and then exhibited neurological dysfunction was challenging, but also very satisfying. When we began treatment, the patient lay quite motionless, showing little awareness of her surroundings. Gradually, she improved and, after ten days of therapy and rest, she smiled, made eye contact, and walked with my support. Observing her progress and watching her confidence return reinforced my belief in physical therapy and my aspiration to join the profession.

My time volunteering at the Thai-Burma border strengthened my heart and mind, pushing me to grow and learn both as a person and as a physical therapy student. Experiencing the challenges first-hand of connecting with each patient and sorting out the most fitting treatment has deepened my understanding of what it means to be a physical therapist and has further prepared me for my future career. I hope to continue to volunteer with Clear Path, and I look forward to returning as a physical therapist to contribute to and learn from the Mae Tao Clinic.

One little-mentioned split occurred on a proposal to restrict Pentagon spending on cluster bombs, which explode and scatter thousands of tiny weapons over a vast area. Those small bombs are prone to going off years after a battle, sometimes killing and maiming Middle Eastern children who mistakenly trigger them. Israel came under fire from the UN and international human rights groups for its use of cluster bombs during its 2006 war with Hizbullah forces in Lebanon. In the autumn of that year, with memories of the conflict still fresh, several Democrats sought to limit US defence spending to cluster bombs that would not be used in civilian areas.

While they praised the moral case for shielding civilians from combat weapons, opponents argued that curbing spending on cluster bombs would tie the hands of US military leaders.

"In an extreme situation, the commander must be able to use all options to shape the battlefield to protect our forces and those allied with us," Republican senator Ted Stevens said at the time.

"Restricting the deployment of cluster munitions could severely hinder aviation and artillery capabilities and reduce the commander's capability to wage war successfully," he added.

Obama voted in favour of limiting use of the bombs, while Clinton and 69 other senators opposed the spending limits, defeating the proposal.

Read the rest of this article here.

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the mines were spread across about 4,000 minefields left across Iraq after the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War, the first Gulf War in 1991 and the 2003 U.S.-led invasion to topple Saddam Hussein.

"We have been busy with the biggest threat against our existence, which is terrorism ... so the many mines did not get the attention they deserved," Dabbagh said at a conference with United Nations officials in Baghdad on the problem.

"For every Iraqi citizen there is a mine that could kill him at any moment," he said.

Iraqi Environment Minister Nermeen Othman said she had been appointed by the government to lead efforts to clear Iraq of land mines.

"Because of the contamination by land mines, Iraq has lost access to thousands of hectares of farm lands and been unable to invest in its oil fields," Othman said.

David Shearer, U.N. deputy special representative for humanitarian, reconstruction and development in Iraq, said the heavy contamination of land mines had many different effects.

"The importance of this explosive material is not just about the damage it can do to ordinary people, it also impacts the economic development of Iraq itself," he said.

Read the rest of this story here.

Most victims are males aged 1-26, largely from the insurgency-affected southern provinces where the worsening security situation has hampered de-mining activities.

The number of people killed by landmines and other explosive remnants of war saw a 13.2 percent increase in 2007 over 2006 but the overall casualty rate (the combined number of dead and injured) dropped by over 29 percent, UNMACA's findings indicate.

Landmines, UXOs and AXOs killed 124 and wounded 697 Afghans in 2006.

Read the rest of this article here.

Please listen to the spot below and let us know what you think in the comments section.

It is our hope to get this played on radio stations, so if you are in radio, or know of someone who is, please help us get this on the air! If you have ideas, please email us at info@cpi.org.

Listen to the ad here or right click on this link and save it to your computer!

Download the .Wav file (for radio) here.

But the recent presentation to CPI of the Certificate of Merit from the Provincial People’s Committee of Quang Tri was different to me. It was a real milestone in our seven-year history as a humanitarian mine action organization.

It was a chance to stop climbing for a moment, turn around and look down to see how far we’ve come with the commitment of our donors, the dedication of our staff and the unwavering support of our local partners, in particular the Quang Tri PC.

Vietnam is where we started and it’s still by far our largest program. Quang Tri, the central province most heavily affected by the war in Vietnam, is where it all began.

The Certificate of Merit recognizes international organizations for their assistance to Vietnamese people in need. In Quang Tri, we’ve served 3,204 beneficiaries and spent nearly $860,000 on survivor assistance programs. Next year, we’ll serve 1,040 in the province.

In Vietnam as a whole, we’ve served 4,664 people impacted by ordnance accidents and their family members in 14 provinces since 2001. They are people such as Do, a log trucker from Hue who lost part of his right hand and eyesight when he tried to free his truck from a muddy road two years ago and an unseen piece of ordnance war-era ordnance exploded.

Clear Path paid for his eye operation and glasses, then gave him a $250 grant to start raising rabbits in a narrow space behind his family’s house where he built a roof and cages for the breeding project.

Do’s wife is the main breadwinner, making and selling a local noodle product. But Do’s rabbit sales, which are still modest but expected to grow quickly each year, boosts the couple monthly’s income by 20 percent and strengthens the shy survivor’s self esteem.

“I feel I am contributing to my family,” he told me. “I feel useful.”

In 2001, our first full year of survivor assistance, we served 199 people. This year, we’ve served 1,428. Our assistance to new accident survivors expanded quickly to most of central Vietnam, while our comprehensive medical and socio-economic support to existing survivors (injured since the end of the war in 1975) extends to beneficiaries in four districts north and south of the former Demilitarized Zone.

Besides the growing financial backing from many grassroots donors each year, we’ve secured steady funding from the United Nations Association’s Adopt-A-Minefield campaign, the U.S. State Department and the McKnight Foundation.

Recently, we signed an agreement with the International Trust for Demining & Victims Assistance in Europe for their support in Vietnam. ITF International Relations Director Iztok Hocevar is traveling with me to Vietnam and Cambodia to see our work first-hand. He attended yesterday’s ceremony.

In 2008, we’re planning to double the number of districts where we serve existing accident survivors and families. The new districts will be Dong Ha in Quang Tri, Quang Ninh in Quang Binh, A Luoi in Thua-Thien Hue and Dai Loc in Quang Nam – all heavily affected by accidents with wartime explosives.

Our core Vietnamese staff of five – Toan, Chi, Phuong, Nhi and Duc – have done an incredible job building our program in a country where the accident victims are as scattered throughout the countryside as the ordnance that was dropped and fired during the war and where the typhoon season can make project implementation very challenging. First they worked under the direction of Kristen Leadem, then Hugh Hosman and now on their own.

What started as a small project to help a few people has blossomed into large-scale effort to serve the innocent victims of the war’s destructive legacy. Yesterday’s ceremony was an occasion to take stock in that and realize that all of us linked to CPI – donors, staff and partners – are helping nearly 5,000 people recover and get on with their lives in this country.

And that’s the reason why I am writing about the Certificate of Merit. The recognition is for all of us.

Congratulations.

On 19 November, 13-year-old Saw K'Tray Soe detonated a landmine while gathering bamboo soot leaves to make a roof for his family's house. The mine blew up in his face, severely injuring his eyes and throat. His 8-year-old sister was nearby and was also injured by the explosion. The children are from Lay Kee village, on the border of Toungoo and Papun Districts, northern Karen State.

The mine was laid by the SPDC two months ago during their activity in the Ta Ler Ker Ko and Kaw Daw Ko areas. On 16 August, 2007, Burma Army division 88 entered Lay Kee village, burned down one house, and laid landmines, one of which eventually injured Saw K'Tray Soe and his sister.

Warning: The following link with the rest of the story contains very disturbing photos:
http://freeburmarangers.org/Reports/2007/20071205.html

Read about Clear Path International's work with Burmese landmine survivors here.

An anti-landmine activist/traceur (one who practices parkour) working with the Dangerous Ground Project tried to cross all 50,000 square metres of central London without touching the ground. The resulting video is part parkour excitement, part chilling reminder of the risks that people all over the world face from the landmines that surround their homes, schools and places of work.

Check out the video here: http://www.dangerousground.org/kbps.html

The below is a release from the International Campaign to Ban Landmines:

TOO MANY STATES NOT ON COURSE TO MEET MINE CLEARANCE DEADLINES

GENEVA, Switzerland – 12 November 2007 – Many states are not on course to meet their Mine Ban Treaty mine clearance obligations, according to Landmine Monitor Report 2007: Toward a Mine-Free World. The International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) releases the 1,124-page report at the United Nations today.

Landmine Monitor reports on the global landmine situation and scrutinizes the implementation of and compliance with the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. Landmine Monitor Report 2007 is the ninth annual edition of the report.

Time is running short for 29 countries with treaty-mandated clearance deadlines in 2009 or 2010. Despite a treaty provision allowing 10 years to complete mine clearance, 14 states are almost certain not meet their 2009 deadlines: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Chad, Croatia, Mozambique, Niger, Peru, Senegal, Tajikistan, Thailand, the United Kingdom (for clearance of the Falkland Islands/Malvinas), Venezuela, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.

Even more seriously, despite having almost eight years to initiate clearance, France, Niger, the United Kingdom and Venezuela have failed to even begin clearance operations.

“Some countries that should have met their clearance deadlines will probably not be able to do so,” said Mr. Stuart Casey-Maslen of Norwegian People’s Aid, Landmine Monitor’s Mine Action Editor. “Both donors and mine-affected countries must work harder to ensure that countries live up to their obligations under international law.”

Demining programs in 2006 cleared 140 km2 of mined areas and 310 km2 of battle areas. A significant increase in battle area clearance was recorded over 2005, primarily in Iraq. Afghanistan and Cambodia alone accounted for over 55% of all mined area clearance in 2006. Operations resulted in the destruction of 217,000 antipersonnel mines, 18,000 antivehicle mines and 2.15 million explosive remnants of war (ERW).

Government use of antipersonnel mines declined further, with only Myanmar/Burma and Russia continuing to lay new mines. Non-state armed groups in at least eight countries used antipersonnel mines or improvised explosive devices, which is also a decrease.

A total of 5,751 mine and ERW casualties were reported in 2006, a decrease of 16% from 2005, although Pakistan, Myanmar/Burma, and Somalia recorded increased casualty rates due to conflict. Lebanon noted an approximately tenfold casualty increase. Three-quarters of recorded casualties were civilians, and 34% of civilian casualties were children. Worldwide, 473,000 survivors were identified as of August 2007.

Only 11 of 24 states with significant numbers of survivors have made substantial progress towards their 2005-2009 objectives for improving the provision of assistance and ensuring survivors’ rights. Funding for survivor assistance comprises only 1% of total mine action funding. Progress toward meeting the needs and rights of survivors should be regarded as insufficient.

“Mine-affected countries and international donors must give greater priority to the physical and economic rehabilitation of survivors, as their needs are not being adequately addressed,” said Katleen Maes of Handicap International, Landmine Monitor’s Victim Assistance Editor. “These people must not be forgotten.”

Mine risk education reached approximately 7.3 million people in 63 countries in 2006-2007. Although this is an increase from 2005-2006, 13 countries urgently need to improve their mine risk education efforts. No mine risk education was recorded in 36 countries and one area affected by mines or ERW.

Of the 20 largest mine action donors, 15 provided more funding in 2006 than 2005. Funding for mine action was US$475 million in 2006, an increase of some $100 million from 2005, and the highest level ever recorded by Landmine Monitor. Much of the increase was due to emergency funding for the clearance of explosive remnants of war in South Lebanon.

“While donor states responded quickly to ERW contamination in Lebanon, what is needed is multi-year funding by national and international donors,” said Mr. Anthony Forrest of Mines Action Canada, Landmine Monitor’s Mine Action Funding Editor. “Funding levels in 2006 have set a new standard for the global commitment to mine action, against which future funding levels will be judged."

Antipersonnel mines face increased international rejection, as four more countries joined the treaty (Indonesia, Iraq, Kuwait and Montenegro), bringing the total to 155. “Ten years after the negotiation and signing of the Mine Ban Treaty, the stigmatization of antipersonnel mines continues to spread. Even those who have not yet joined the treaty are largely abiding by its core obligations,” said Steve Goose of Human Rights Watch, Landmine Monitor’s Ban Policy Editor. Seven more countries completed destruction of their stockpiles of antipersonnel mines; in total, 81 States Parties have destroyed nearly 42 million stockpiled mines.

“While overall compliance with the treaty has been impressive, there have been some disconcerting developments,” said Goose. These include a UN monitoring group reporting shipments of antipersonnel mines to Somali factions by two States Parties (Eritrea and Ethiopia, which strongly deny the accusations), two states missing their stockpile destruction deadlines (Afghanistan and Cape Verde, both of which have now completed the task), and Venezuela indicating that it continues to derive military benefit from mines laid around military bases—a potential treaty violation of the prohibition on use.

The treaty prohibits the use, production, and trade of antipersonnel landmines. It requires clearance of mined areas within 10 years and the destruction of stockpiled antipersonnel mines within four years. Landmine Monitor Report 2007 reports on landmine use, production, trade, stockpiling, demining, casualties, survivor assistance and mine action funding in 118 countries and areas.

Landmine Monitor is coordinated by an Editorial Board drawn from four organizations: Mines Action Canada, Handicap International, Human Rights Watch and Norwegian People’s Aid. It constitutes a sustainable and systematic way for NGOs to monitor and report on the implementation of a disarmament treaty.

Landmine Monitor Report 2007 and related documents are available at 08:00 GMT at www.icbl.org/lm/2007on 12 November.

For more information or to schedule an interview contact:

Ms. Jackie Hansen, Landmine Monitor Project Manager, Geneva (GMT+1), Mobile +41-76-222-6968 or +1-613-851-5436, email lm@icbl.org
Ms. Simona Beltrami, ICBL Advocacy Director, Geneva (GMT+1), Mobile +39-33-3714-2251, email simona@icbl.org

Our third annual Seattle fundraiser, generously underwritten by the law firm Marler Clark, brought in more than $50,000 for our direct assistance work. That amount is a 43 percent increase over last year’s $35,000.
For central Vietnam, the $50,000 will be doubled through a matching grant from the U.S. State Department and then doubled again by the International Trust Fund for Demining & Victims Assistance.

In short, the evening raised a total of $200,000!

With other fundraising efforts and grant requests made to private-sector donors, we now expect to easily raise the matching totals from State and the ITF for $400,000, allowing us to assist 1,700 landmine survivors in Vietnam by the middle of 2008.

Credit for the gala’s huge success goes to Clear Path’s new volunteer Special Projects Coordinator, Melody Mociulski, who worked tirelessly on the benefit since spring. She called around town for the best venue, procured new auction software, initiated outreach, recruited guests, procured auction items and managed the evening’s complex administration.

In preparations for the evening, she was supported by volunteers Sandy Schubach and Kathy Hashbarger. Sandy arranged the dessert auction that raised thousands of dollars and recruited volunteers, while Kathy recruited guests, procured auction items and assisted at the event.

Volunteer prosthetic technicians Duane Nelson and Jody Riggs awed the audience with their deeply moving presentation about their three months providing artificial limbs to Burmese refugees in remote camps on the Thai-Myanmar border.

The evening was attended by West Coast board members Nancy Norton, Lori Trieu, Mark Kruse and Laura Willingham, and by Burma advisor Dr. Tao Shen Kwan Gett.

John Curley, MC and auctioneer, was better than ever, teasing and good-heartedly taunting the crowd of more than 110 into a bidding frenzy over dessert and items in the live auction, including a cruise donated by Holland America Lines (with roundtrip airfare from Alaska Airlines), a week at a farm house in Provence, a week at a ski condo in Whistler, lunch with Tom Robbins, a movie night at Yonder Theater and two tickets at the 103.7 FM Mountain Music Lounge.

The staff at the College Club could not have been more accommodating and fun work with before, during and after the event.

I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped make our 2007 Evening of Hope the highest netting fundraising event in our seven-year history:

Event sponsor:
Marler Clark, Llc.

Silk Circle donors:
Kom Consulting, Alan & Sarah Black and Michael Bryant Brown & Kayla Black.
Lotus Club donors: Virginia & Dusty Davison; Clyde & Lois Laughlin; Aroma Creations; Cascade DAFO; Gordon & Cathryn Sandridge, Margaret Roben, John & Veronika Geilfuss, Jane & Charles Ekberg, Mickie & Bob Stowell, Bryce & Sherry Holmes, Matt Kenney, Brent & Madeline Olson, Dan & Kathleen Huxley and David & Ann Bruce.

Table captains:
Melody & Michael Mociulski, Karen Fredrichs, Kathy & Rick Hashbarger, Keith & Lucia Ryan, Marcie Lagerloef, Margaret Connor and Laura Willingham.

Auction donors:
Holland America Lines, Alaska Airlines, Seattle Symphony, 103.7 FM The Mountain, Melody & Michael Mociulski, Geraldine Ferraro/Four Swallows/Barbara Jeantrout, Faces First, Greg Atkinson, Craig Freeman, Claire Henning, Karen & Mark Fredrichs, KUOW, Tom Robbins, Karen & Imbert Matthee, Island Fitness, Renew Day Spa, Kristen Leadem, Tom Lent, The Traveler, Lori Trieu, Bainbridge Police Department, Eagle Harbor Books, Pet Vacations, Rancho Winslow, John & Andrea Adams, Bainbridge Vineyards, Bellezza Dolce, Eleven Winery, Pam Wachtler-Fermanis, Alan Vogel Design, Woodleigh Hubbard, Cher Vrieling, Ten Mercer Dinner & Drinks, Cihan & Bonnie Anisogula, Old Mill Microcomputing, Erin Hults, Grace Harris, Blackbird Bakery, Town & Country Markets, Gene Juarez Salons & Spas, Bon Bon, Sonya Marinoni, Rick & Kathy Hashbarger, Frank Buxton, Bowie Salon & Spa, Arlene Johnson.

Volunteers: Melody Mociulski, Duane Nelson, Jody Riggs, Sandy Schubach, Kathy Hashbarger, Thuy Nguyen, Cezanne Allen, Mike Gormley, Ann Strickland, Keith & Lucia Ryan and Erin Hults.

No surprise, then, to see this recent report (link to a 2.1 meg PDF) from Human Rights Watch detailing the use of child soldiers in Burma (Myanmar).

An excerpt from a story on the report on Reuters is below.

Source: Reuters Alertnet | Human Rights Watch

NEW YORK, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Myanmar is filling the ranks of its depleted armed forces with children as young as 10 and may try to capture even more boys after the recent crackdown on pro-democracy protests, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.

The former Burma is so desperate to replenish its army after desertions and attrition that children are bought and sold by military recruiters. They are beaten and held as virtual prisoners while the government denies it is happening, the report said.

Myanmar's military government, under international scrutiny for its brutal suppression of the biggest pro-democracy protests in 20 years, insists that its armed forces are made up of volunteers over 18, the 132-page report said.

However, out of 20 former soldiers interviewed by Human Rights Watch, all but one estimated that at least 30 percent of their fellow trainees were under 18, the report said.

"The government's deployment of the army in September 2007 to attack Buddhist monks and other peaceful protesters may increase the vulnerability of children to recruitment even further," the report said.

"Even before the crackdown, young men were often reluctant to join the military ... The use of the army in the attacks, killings and detention of protesters may further discourage voluntary enlistment, and prompt recruiters to seek out even greater numbers of child recruits," the report said.

This video was shown on the 10th anniversary Celebration of Martha Hathaway's work with landmine and bomb survivors in Vietnam, Cambodia, Afghanistan and the Thai-Burma border.

The music is Natalie Merchant's "Kind & Generous" off of her CD OPHELIA and is used with permission.

It was shown (as a surprise to her) at on October 13th after a letter from the US Dept of State was read and before a speech by Senator Patrick Leahy and a performance by Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion.

Before the show, CPI honored one of its own... it was CPI executive Director Martha Hathaway's 10th year in mine action. In honor of this occasion, Senator Patrick Leahy spoke before Sarah Lee and Johnny took the stage and spoke to the need for a ban on landmines and praised the work of Clear Path International. He then presented Martha and me with a framed copy of comments he made about Clear Path that are now in the Congressional Record.

This was a great honor for Martha, Clear Path and me. Please see photos below and more pictures from the event can be found at this link.

Thank you Sarah Lee, Johnny and Senator and Mrs. Leahy!! I also especiallly want to thank John Goodrow from Leahy's office... he is truly an unsung hero... he fields so many calls for the Senator's attention and has done so much for so many. Thank you, John, for your good work for us and for many, many other causes. The photo below, with the Senator, was taken by John.

A special thank you to our sponsors for the event:

A Safe Place Self-Storage, Alchemy Promotional Products, Bickford Real Estate, Chandler 4 Corners, Dorset Union Store, Engel, Powell & Spivey, P.C., Express Copy Inc., Finn & Stone, Inc., Bob Gasperetti Furniture Maker, Gunterman Tennis Schools, H.N. Williams Store, The Inn at Manchester.Inn At West View Farm, Lisa Laberge Interiors, Long Ago & Far Away,Main Street Realty McWayne Jewelers, The Mountain Goat, New Morning Natural Foods, Northshire Bookstore, The Orvis Company,Perfect Wife Restaurant, Simple Coffee, Susan Sargent Designs, The Kitchen Store At J.K. Adams

Thank you to the great people at the WRA office who have helped CPI immeasurably... we could not do the work we do without their support...

Congratulations folks!!

The below is a press release from their office:

10th Anniversary of Public-Private Partnerships to Reinforce Humanitarian Mine Action

The U.S. Department of State is pleased to mark the tenth anniversary of its Humanitarian Mine Action Public-Private Partnership Program, which enlists civil society support for clearing persistent landmines and explosive remnants of war, teaching mine risk education, and rendering assistance to survivors of landmine accidents around the world. Since its founding in October 1997, this Public-Private Partnership Program has grown to include 57 non-governmental organizations, civic associations, educational groups, and corporations. Working with the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs' Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, these partners have contributed resources that reinforce U.S. Government efforts to combat the global landmine problem. Recognizing that donor governments alone cannot solve the problem soon enough - even with the United States Government's more than $1.1 billion in mine action assistance since 1993 - these groups are speeding the pace at which affected countries can be freed from the humanitarian impact of landmines and other explosive hazards.

The U.S. Department of State thanks the following Public-Private Partners for their valuable contributions to humanitarian mine action:

Adopt-A-Minefield | Association of Volunteers in International Service | Center for International Rehabilitation | Center for Teaching International Relations | Children of Armenia Fund | Colombian Center for Integrated Rehabilitation | Clear Path International | C King Associates | Cranfield University | DanChurchAid | Danish Demining Group | DC Comics | Demining Agency for Afghanistan | Freedom Fields USA | Global Care Unlimited | Golden West Humanitarian Foundation | Grapes for Humanity | The HALO Trust | Handicap International France | Help Handicapped International | Health Volunteers Overseas | Humpty Dumpty Institute | International Eurasia Press Fund | Iraq Mine and Unexploded Ordnance Clearance Organization | Julia Burke Foundation | Kids First Vietnam | Landmines Blow! | Landmine Survivors Network | Lipscomb University | MAG | Marshall Legacy Institute | Medical Care Development International | Messiah College | Mine Action Information Center | Mine Clearance Planning Agency | Newsweek Education Program | One Sri Lanka Foundation | PeaceTrees Vietnam | People to People International | Polus Center | Prestige Health Care Technologies | Prosthetics Outreach Foundation | Roots of Peace | Rose Charities | Dr. Ken Rutherford/Missouri State University | Save the Children | Schonstedt Instrument Company | South Florida Landmine Action Group | Spirit of Soccer | Students Partnership Worldwide | Survey Action Center | United Nations Foundation | Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation | Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund | Warner Bros. | World Education | World Rehabilitation Fund

To learn more, visit the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement website at www.state.gov/t/pm/wra, click on "Public-Private Partnerships," and also see the Safe Passage newsletters at www.state.gov/t/pm/wra/partners/c14838.htm.

Congratulations guys!!

Villagers flee Myanmar’s deadly landmines

...In 2005, at least 231 people in Myanmar were killed or maimed by landmines planted by both the government and insurgent groups including the Karen National Liberation Army, the armed wing of the KNU, the report said.

People treating the victims in Thailand fear that the figure is rising.

Cynthia Maung, the founder of the Mae Tao Clinic, said the number of landmine victims has been growing since 1997 and thinks that it may double this year as the junta’s troops advance through Karen State.

“Every year we receive about 30 to 40 landmine victims,” she told AFP, adding that she’s seen nearly 50 cases so far this year.

Read the rest of the story here.

A landmine survivor is fitted at the Mae Tao Clinic in Mae Sot

"The celebrated Guthrie musical legacy appears to be in capable hands. This duo debut from Arlo's daughter/Woody's granddaughter and her singer-songwriter husband carries the family folk-music torch into rock and country territory with style and spirit to spare."

There are so many landmines in Afghanistan, the country is literally about to blow. But removing these mines is no easy task. An exclusive report from Kabul.

By Jeffrey Stern

A member of the United Nations mine-removal team in Afghanistan delicately holds the fuse from a soon-to-be detonated ERW.

KABUL, Afghanistan -- There is a landmine museum in Kabul. It’s a single poorly lit room with portraits on the wall of kids suddenly made asymmetrical by munitions left behind. Armies withdraw, but they don’t pick up after themselves.

Here, on display, are all the devilish devices men have dreamt up to disassemble one another. Claymores, rocket propelled grenades, rounds the size of your forearm. The cases are open, so you can reach in and pick the things up.

They have mines from America, China, Italy, Pakistan, Russia, Egypt; everyone seems to have buried relics somewhere in Afghanistan. The tags on the unearthed weapons are simple: “Russia; trip wire; operational pressure 250kgs; 1000 pieces chopped steel rod.” “Pakistan; claymore; electrical initiation; 600 6-millimeter steel ball bearings.” They’re less “improvised” than buried propane tanks wrapped in nails on roadsides, but the idea is the same.

And just like IED’s, they’re assigned sterile-sounding acronyms. The agencies deal in ERW’s and UXO’s -- Explosive Remnants of War and Unexploded Ordinance, respectively -- so they might talk courteously about these things that keep refugees from repatriating, rob families of their breadwinner, and don’t know an advancing soldier from a child fetching water, so that the kid giving you the thumbs-up when your armored SUV rumbles by will one day take a wrong step and be ripped apart by a six hundred steel ball bearings. Something like that happens twice a day in Afghanistan.

Read the rest of this article here.

September 11, 2007
By PATRICK McARDLE Herald Staff

DORSET - Clear Path International is continuing to grow its reputation as a force for humanitarian relief with new developments this year in Afghanistan and Slovenia.

For the first time, Clear Path is operating a program in Afghanistan in partnership with an American company and the Department of State.

Clear Path, which has offices in Dorset and Seattle, has also received a promise of almost a quarter million dollars from a nonprofit organization in Slovenia which will allow it to continue and expand their work in Vietnam.

Martha Hathaway, the executive director of Clear Path, said it was important for the organization to get the kind of wider recognition that leads to expansions like the one it has recently undertaken.

But Hathaway is much more interested in talking about the work Clear Path is doing and the need in the countries it operates than in congratulating Clear Path on its efforts.

In Afghanistan, Clear Path will be creating victims' assistance programs which has been part of its mission for some time.

Hathaway founded Clear Path in 2001 with her husband, James, Kristen Leadem of Dorset, and Imbert Matthee of Washington, as a land mine removal organization. Now, the group works primarily in assisting victims and raising awareness.

Kristen Leadem (left) and Martha Hathaway of Clear Path International in the Vermont office.

In Afghanistan, Clear Path will be working as a subcontractor to DynCorp International which has a contract with the Department of State's Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement. Hathaway said the Clear Path office in Kabul, which has been operating since April, is staffed partially by Americans, working to engage Afghanis in the process.

"The State Department is worried about projects that are not self-sustaining," Hathaway said.

Hathaway said because the government of Afghanistan already had a national strategy for helping victims of land mines, who not only have to deal with their injury but access issues and loss of income, Clear Path would look for ways the State Department can assist the local agencies. That is likely to include things like organizing a national workshop on victims' assistance or creating a system for building ramps and making schools accessible.

While Clear Path has already had some success with similar programs in Cambodia and along the Thailand-Burma border, Hathaway said that didn't necessarily make things easier when they expanded into a country like Afghanistan that has suffered greatly from the use of land mines.

"Every country impacted by land mines is different but we can take the bits and pieces of institutional knowledge we've gained over the years and apply it where it makes sense," she said.

According to Clear Path, an average of 90 people are injured by land mines or explosive remnants in Afghanistan every month and about half die before they can be treated.

The grant from the Slovenia-based International Trust for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance also presents new opportunities for Clear Path.

Under the agreement, the trust will raise $230,000 from among its 27 government and private-sector donors to match what Clear Path raises from the United States government and donors.

Hathaway said this is the first time Clear Path has received funds from the trust and marks the trust's first efforts in Southeast Asia.

The trust was founded about 10 years ago to assist people in the Balkans but Hathaway said as land mines became less of a threat in Europe, charitable organizations there have begun to look at ways they can help victims in other places.

According to Hathaway, Clear Path will use the money to assist ongoing efforts in Vietnam through capital purchases and the hiring of new staff rather than to create new programs.

Despite Clear Path's successes, which have led to more contracts and funding, the need is still great and money remains an issue.

The problem of land mines, especially those which remain after a war is over and injure civilians, gained international attention more than 10 years ago through the support of several well-known figures, primarily England's Princess Diana.

Land mine removal is expensive, however, and organizations like Clear Path, which assist with rehabilitation and the development of resources so victims can earn their own living, are in it for the long-term.

"Donor fatigue is a real problem," Hathaway said.

While Clear Path is raising more money than it has in the past, it comes from fewer donors, primarily the large donations like the ones from the trust, rather than the numerous pledges of $50 or $100 they received in the past.

Clear Path also has the disadvantage of being based in Seattle and out-of-the-mainstream Dorset, far from the significant donors based in New York City or Washington, D.C.

Clear Path has raised money through benefit concerts and a music CD. Its next concert will be on Oct. 13 at the Long Trail School in Dorset with performers Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion, introduced by Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.

For more information on Clear Path on the Internet, visit its Web site at www.cpi.org.

Contact Patrick McArdle at Patrick.mcardle@rutlandherald.com.

We were visiting the almost-vertical Qalat minefield, part of a minebelt that meanders for tens of miles across the harsh terrain of the Kurdish mountains.

Why, I wondered, did MAG choose to clear Qalat, instead of any of the countless other bits.

Fkry and I continued our inspection of the perimeter of the minefield, which was marked by a line of red-painted sticks, about 30cm (12 inches) high, running vertically up the hillside. A 2-metre (2.2 yards) wide path had been hacked out alongside them, to give the deminers access to their working lanes.

Just as importantly, the path allowed for casualty evacuation in the event of a mine accident. An ambulance stood waiting at the other side of the minefield and stretchers were dotted about in strategic locations. The highly trained medic tried to keep himself motivated, but it wasn't easy to sit around for seven hours a day hoping to have nothing to do.

Read the rest of this story here.

HANOI -- A couple and their three-year-old child were killed when an ammunition shell exploded in Vietnam's central Quang Nam Province, according to local newspaper Youth on Wednesday.

The explosion occurred at the victims' house in Duy Xuyen District on Tuesday afternoon when the 31-year-old man named Pham Van Thang was trying to break the shell for scraps. His wife, standing nearby, and the child held in her arms were killed on the spot.

According to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund of the United States, during the Vietnam War from 1965-1975, the US Armed Forces deployed more than 15 million tons of bombs, mines, artillery shells and other ordnance in the country, in which 10 percent did not detonate as designed.

Local scrap collectors often saw of unexploded ordnance (UXO) for metal and explosive, while small children play ammunitions by breaking them, resulting in hundreds of deaths and injuries annually.

Now, there are over 300,000 tons of UXO in Vietnam, estimated local officials

The below is an excerpt from a great article by Kevin Bonsor for the website Howstuffworks.com:

Mines are often laid in groups, called mine fields, and are designed to prevent the enemy from passing through a certain area, or sometimes to force an enemy through a particular area. An army also will use landmines to slow an enemy until reinforcements can arrive. While more than 350 varieties of mines exist, they can be broken into two categories:

Anti-personnel (AP) mines
Anti-tank (AT) mines

The basic function of both of these types of landmines is the same, but there are a couple of key differences between them. Anti-tank mines are typically larger and contain several times more explosive material than anti-personnel mines. There is enough explosive in an anti-tank mine to destroy a tank or truck, as well as kill people in or around the vehicle. Additionally, more pressure is usually required for an anti-tank mine to detonate. Most of these mines are found on roads, bridges and large clearances where tanks may travel.

...

Landmine detection is a slow, methodical process due to the danger involved in locating landmines. While location technology is improving, the following conventional techniques are still relied on heavily:

Probing the ground - For many years, the most sophisticated technology used for locating landmines was probing the ground with a stick or bayonet. Soldiers are trained to poke the ground lightly with a bayonet, knowing that just one mistake may cost them their lives.

Trained dogs - Dogs can be trained to sniff out vapors coming from the explosive ingredients inside the landmine.

Metal detectors - Metal detectors are limited in their ability to find mines, because many mines are made of plastic with only a tiny bit of metal.

Read the rest of this article here.

Below is a brief video on clearing landmines in Vietnam narrated by Clear Path International's executive director, Martha Hathaway.

Thanks, Brady!!

CPI: Clearing the Way for a Safer Future

By Brady Delander

Will and determination help expand worldly mission of Clear Path International.

James Hathaway was late for his flight—"of course," he says—when he saw his opportunity. Imbert Matthee was deep in the jungles of Vietnam when the purpose of his efforts crystallized. Such is the world of humanitarianism. Anything can happen at anytime? it usually does.

Hathaway and Matthee, along with Martha Hathaway and Kristen Leadem, are the co-founders of Clear Path International (CPI), an organization established in 2000 originally dedicated to the removal of unexploded ordnance—landmines, clusters bombs, etc.—in war-torn locations around the globe that now focuses on helping the victims of such explosions. "There is certainly no shortage of work," says Martha Hathaway, CPI's executive director and co-founder.

The bulk of that work is deadly serious. With programs in Vietnam, Cambodia, along the Thai-Burma border, and now Afghanistan, the realities of war—even wars that ended more than 30 years ago—could not be any more dramatic. Dealing with the everyday horror can be overwhelming, but Matthee recalls a moment that makes even the most trying days seem worthwhile.

Read the rest of this story here.

HANOI, Vietnam: A land mine left over from the 1970s exploded in northern Vietnam, killing three children and wounding six others, two seriously, state media reported Sunday.

The three children, all aged 10, were killed at the scene as they tried to extract scrap metal from the land mine on Friday in Lai Chau province, the Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper said.

Six other children, also the same age, were wounded and two remained in critical condition, the newspaper said.

Read the rest of this article here.

Source: ThanNien News:

The agreement's first proposal commits ITF to raise $230,000 from among its 27 government and private-sector donors to match the funds Clear Path is raising from the US State Department and US-based private-sector.

ITF's funds would bring CPI's total Vietnam budget for the 2007 - 2008 fiscal year to nearly $500,000, making it possible to provide services to more than 1,700 survivors of accidents caused by landmines and other unexploded ordnances (UXO) in at least four central coast provinces.

ITF's funds would be used to provide direct medical and socio-economic support to survivors and support several projects expanding physical and rehabilitative services available to persons with disabilities in their communities.

Read the rest of this article here.

Clear Path International President, Imbert Matthee (left) signs new agreement to give hope to civilian victims of war with ITF Head of Department for International Relations Sabina Beber Bostjancic.

On May 10, 2006 in Que Son district, Quang Nam province Vietnam, a bomb left over from the US-Vietnam war exploded and severley injured two men. One suffered the loss of multiple limbs; the other, after several hours struggling against death at the district hospital waiting for an ambulance to arrive, died in the intensive care unit.

The survivor, Nguyen Dinh Vinh, the eldest of the four siblings, was born in 1982. However, Vinh had been raised by his grandmother since he was only five years old. His parents, who also live in the same village, do farm work to raise the other three children.

In October 2005, Vinh married a farm girl. The grandmother happily accepted a new member to her small house. The young woman took care of farm work, the old woman prepared meals for three while Vinh worked as a brick layer. At Vinh parent’s home, Thi, the next sibling and his parents were the main laborers. The last two siblings were students of secondary school. Life went on with its normal pace for everyone in the family.

Vinh sometimes went to big cities where there was more work available. A full day work’s wage would be VND 50,000 (equivalent to US $3). However, Vinh couldn’t save much. He had to return to the village for his wife was in the late month of pregnancy. There’s not much for him to do at home, but Vinh needed to stay around his wife and prepare for their first child to come. To everyone’s joy, a baby girl was born in late April 2006.

After returning home, Vinh made himself available for any type of work in exchange for cash. On May 10th, 2006, Vinh and his younger brother, Thi were reclaiming farmland in the forest. The two brothers had been hired for several days to work on that plot. The progress was good as they both were young and strong.

The accident occured at about 11:00 a.m when Thi was digging up a tree stump. In close distance, Vinh was bending down, pulling fallen branches away. A loud explosion woke up the quiet forest as Thi’s pick hit the ground. The ordnance was subsurface and thus, nobody knew what it was; but the powerful blast knocked two men down on the ground. Locals, guided by the explosion, arrived at the site and took them to the district hospital. They both were in critical conditions: Three out of four limbs on Vinh were badly crushed. Thi received injuries in his chest and abdomen. At the district hospital, the doctors decided to forward them to provincial hospital as they both need surgery as soon as possible. The next four hours passed in vain as the only ambulance of the district had already dispatched and the only thing they could do was just wait for another ambulance to come up from some 90 kilometers away to pick them up. Despite of his strength and youth, Thi died at the DaNang general hospital at 3 p.m.. He was taken back to the family within the same night.

The family was once again divided. One group stayed home preparing for the funeral, the other went to the hospital to take care of the injured. After 10 days of treatment, Vinh asked the doctors for permit to go back to the district hospital as the family’s money and energy was running out. The request was approved. Vinh stayed another month at the district hospital before release.

In March 2007, Vinh came to the Danang orthopedic and rehabilitation center for having prosthetics made. At the examine room he met Huyen, a CPI’s medical liaison here. The sad story was once again revealed. Vinh was then guided with procedures for reimbursement of expenses of the first treatment and assistance for his rehabs from CPI.

Based on the receipts sent by the family, CPI was able to reimburse all medical expenses for the two brothers along with nutritional and transportation supports as stated by its policy. The total amount for two was VND 5,586,971 (US $349.18). With this assistance, the family was able to pay back what they borrowed from their kind neighbors.

Vinh is now able to walk again. However, with the loss of his left hand, his working capacity is greatly reduced. At the time this narrative is being composed, Vinh stays at home to look after his daughter while his wife spends the morning selling vegetable at the local market and the afternoon on farm work.

Ian Whyte is senior researcher at South Africa's flagship Kruger National Park, which has an estimated 13,000 elephants within its boundaries

He said the animals may well be able to develop the ability to avoid mined areas. But exactly how they do it—whether it's by true learning or by an ability to detect the mines somehow—is a matter of conjecture.

"Maybe they are able to smell the mines," Whyte said. "They move about with their trunks right on the ground, and it could be that they pick up the scent in this way.

"But they are also intelligent animals which move in groups. Maybe they learn to avoid places where they see other elephants get blown up."

Read the rest of this article here.

Souce: Democratic Voice of Burma

Landmine death toll rises in Karen state

July 05, 2007 (DVB)—The number of people killed by landmines in Karen State has increased dramatically this year as tensions continue between rival Karen rebels, according to staff at the Mae Tao clinic on the Thai-Burma border.

Saw Eh Thamwe, the coordinator of the clinic’s mine victim department, said that the clinic had treated 16 people injured by landmines in June alone and that increased tensions between the Karen National Union and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army were to blame.

“This year has the highest number of land-mine cases due to intensified fighting. in previous years, there were as few as ten landmine cases a year but in the first six months of this year we had 30 cases,” Saw Eh Thamwe said.

Married couple U Pho Htin and Daw La Pyait from Maw Htoo Tha Lae village near Myawaddy were bought to the clinic yesterday after they were injured by a landmine while gathering bamboo shoots in the jungle in the early morning.

“The wife lost both of her legs and her husband has gone blind. Because their wounds were quite serious we have sent them to the Mae Sot hospital with the assistance of the [International Committee of the Red Cross,” Saw Eh Thamwe said.

See photos of our work on the Thai-Burma border here.
See previous blog posts on the Thai-Burma border here.

PINGXIANG, July 15 (Xinhua) -- His heart pounded as rivulets of sweat trickled down his face in the semi-desert heat. Wei Lianhai's hands, moist with perspiration, snipped the wire of a landmine laid in the Friendship Pass area, on the border between China and Vietnam.

"Hurrah!" shouted the 30 soldiers of the demining team of the People's Liberation Army (PLA). "Long live peace!"

The landmine Wei cleared on July 5 marked the end of more than 100 days of demining work, making the Friendship Pass zone a mine-free area.

"We've been working so hard to see this day," Wei said.

First constructed in the Ming Dynasty some 600 years ago, the Friendship Pass is situated in Pingxiang City in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

It has always served as a strategic border defense for the southern frontier of China. It was destroyed by the French invasion forces during the Sino-French war in 1885 and destroyed again by the Japanese during the Second World War.

In the late 1970s and early 1980s at least 10,000 landmines were laid within a three-kilometer radius of the Friendship Pass. The destructive devices were left behind since then.

Read the rest of this article here.

Decade after Diana campaign, few use landmines

Mon Jul 16, 2007 9:31 AM BST By Peter Apps

LONDON (Reuters) - Ten years after the death of Princess Diana and the first global treaty against antipersonnel landmines, experts say only a handful of rebel groups and perhaps one state dare use what has become a pariah weapon.

note from Clear Path: The one state is the state of Myanmar (Burma). Clear Path funds clinics to assist landmine survivors on the Thai-Burma border. You can read more here.

Landmine clearance agencies say it will likely take another decade to clear probably the world's two most affected countries -- Angola in southern Africa and Cambodia in Southeast Asia -- both the scene of long-running but now ended civil wars. Ongoing conflicts delay clearance in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere.

But fewer are now being laid and many activists have moved on to a campaign against cluster munitions in the aftermath of last year's Lebanon war, which left much of the country's south seeded with small unexploded bomblets.

"There is a global stigma attached to landmines now," said Paul Hannon, executive director of pressure group Mines Action Canada.

Read the rest of the article here.

This is not history! That is what continues to ring in my head. My name is Jody Riggs and I am a student prosthetist from Canada. The atrocities that I am reading about and the repercussions that I am witnessing are current events, happening just over those hills and across the Moei or the Salween river in Burma.

The victims of malnutrition, curable diseases, displacement from homes, forced labour, unfair imprisonment, landmine explosions are all around me. This is heart wrenching, though if we don’t keep faith how will these Burmese ethnic groups keep their faith?

Over the past four weeks I have been inspired to keep hoping and to assist in the solution. The work of international volunteers, representatives from various media sources and most importantly the Karen and other ethnic groups themselves do fill small voids but so much more needs to happen.

My life has been changed, my heart hurts each time I contemplate the depth of this situation. There needs to be more international awareness so that change can be brought to Burma. I encourage you to take a minute and look at this news article, my pictures and search topics like Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, Thai Burma Border Consortium, Free Burma Rangers, Clear Path International.

Choose to be aware…

This week I had the opportunity to see the contrast between two worlds that literally rub shoulders yet are essential separated by a great chasm. In one world, you are a citizen and have access to free healthcare and sanitation and technology, in the other world, you are an illegal refugee with nothing to your name.

The Mae Toa Clinic on the Thai-Burma border is founded and run by refugees. The prosthetics department manager is an astounding and committed man. He does not make money and will never be able to buy his family a truck, or a home, or a vacation. His workshop lacks government funding and only survives by donation and outside funds. His shop is built on rented land and therefore lacks stability and his limited budget doesn’t allow for expensive tools. They make do with their space and use what they have. They have no specific prosthetics grinding machines, no specialty tools, no ventilation extraction for harmful chemicals and dust, no glass windows, no waiting room, no casting room, no privacy for patients.

Despite these lacking luxuries they are a very productive shop effectively fabricating 200 prostheses per year free of charge, and training 10 new prosthetists in that same time.

Approximately 3km away there is another prosthetics work shop… at the Mae Sot Municipal Hospital. This is a Thai government funded facility. The manager here parks his beautiful new 4X4 out front and steps into his immaculate and polished lab. All the most specialized, advanced and brand name equipment line the walls. There is a ventilated grinding room, an outfitted casting room, a well stocked storage room, and a huge personal office with a solid wood desk, computer, and phone. This is a fantastic place to work for the manager; he’s got it made, life is good. Everything is funded by the government and the advanced prostheses are provided free of charge to Thai citizens. The only problem is, there is no work…he sits around all day… approximately only 50 prosthesis are made here in a year… because there is no need.

Unless of course, he could welcome landmine survivor refugees into his clinic. On his geographic doorstep lies one of the greatest volumes of prosthetic need in the world. But, he is forced to charge refugees up to 20,000 baht for a leg when most of them are lucky if they can afford a bag of rice.

Its kinda warped, this contrast of worlds. The ability to meet the needs in a greater way is right here, 3km away. I guess it’s the same question of "why do people still starve in today’s world when we all know there is plenty of food to go around?".

Its not often that I actually get giddy by someone firing up a big 'ol diesel powered generator, but that's the emotion I settled upon as the most appropriate description, when they cranked up the rice mill the first time for me. Its not often, come to think of it, that I would even recognize a diesel powered generator or any of the multitude of tools and metal appliances which go into making a rice mill. And, yet, throughout the last few months, I've become more familiar with all things rice related than I ever thought possible.

While I feel that I still have more questions than answers... I definitely can speak at great length and even somewhat intelligently on a host of rice related issues, including various ways to power a mill (alternative fuel is so trendy and appealing right now), by-products of raw rice and their individual uses, various qualities and types of rice, and actual outputs - like how much rice is produced from the raw format, and how quickly. I still consider my specific specialty to be the singular act of eating rice, which I'm quite good at, but I am learning.

The rice mill is a massive undertaking. It has been the focus of months of hard work by the folks at CVCD and CPI. It is part of a larger plan, which aspires to create a continuous source of revenue to fund ongoing programs targeting the landmine/UXO survivors in Battambang province, while simultaneously providing food security to many more. The rice mill will continue to make possible vocation training programs, micro credit availability, and other initiatives designed to increase the quality of life for these survivors.

With an average of 90 casualties from landmine and explosive remnants of war per month, Afghanistan is one of the world’s most “mine-affected” countries. Nearly half of all casualties die trying to reach a hospital. One in every 10 adult men is a victim of a landmine or explosive remnant of war. Women and children are also victims. Landmine and explosive remnants of war contaminate 27 of the country’s 29 provinces.

Clear Path’s subcontract with DynCorp International supports program design, led by long-time CPI consultant Kristen Leadem in Kabul, and survivors assistance services at least through 2008. It is part of larger humanitarian mine-action effort sponsored by the Department of State’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement.

”The intention of the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement program in Afghanistan is to complement existing efforts here and increase capacity in support of Afghanistan's national survivors assistance plan,” Leadem said.
Survivor assistance services range from medical care, physical mobility and rehabilitation to vocational training, income-generation, and sports activities. Capacity building services can include equipment, training and technical support to local hospitals, clinics and community-based rehabilitation centers.

Since 2000, Clear Path International has assisted nearly 4,000 survivors of accidental landmine and explosive remnants of war incidents in Vietnam, Cambodia and along the Thai-Burma border. It has also sent 65 containers of medical equipment and supplies to 25 countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America (www.cpi.org).

The Department of State’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (www.state.gov/t/pm/wra) is one of the world’s largest sponsors of mine clearance, risk reduction education and survivors assistance. It has directly funded Clear Path’s programs in Vietnam and Cambodia and some of the organization’s public awareness and fundraising efforts in the United States (www.abilitytrek.org).

DynCorp International is a U.S-based company that provides support services to military and civilian government institutions in such areas as aviation, infrastructure development, security and logistics (www.dyn-intl.com).