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U.S.
Campaign to Ban Landmines Email Newsletter In this edition. . .
Afghanistan to Hold Conference On Banning Landmines Amended Media Alert from the International Campaign to Ban Landmines WHAT: An international meeting, "Building a Peaceful Future for Afghanistan: A Total Ban
on Anti-Personnel Mines"
It is hoped that the Government of Afghanistan will announce plans to accede shortly to the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (or Mine Ban Treaty). The conference also promises to boost mine action activities in Afghanistan, which is still one of the most mine-contaminated places on earth. Roots of Peace, a California-based group that raises funds and awareness for demining and that sits on the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines Steering Committee, will hand over a check for $57,000 to Halo Trust. Halo Trust will use the funds for demining in Afghanistan. There will be approximately 100 participants from Afghanistan and abroad including experts on the Treaty, deminers, landmine survivors and representatives from several Government Ministries and Departments, the United Nations, international organisations, donor countries and States Parties to the Treaty. For more information, contact:
Link(s) to more information on Landmines and Afghanistan: The USCBL will issue a news release at the start of the event regarding this conference and its relation to US landmine policy. Photographer To Document American Landmine Survivors Italian photographer Giovanni Diffidenti has taken powerful photographs of landmine survivors for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines in Cambodia, Mozambique, Angola, Afghanistan, Kosovo, and elsewhere. He is now touring the United States to photograph and document the stories of U.S.-based landmine survivors who have been injured by mines through military service, peace-keeping, humanitarian work, and other kinds of travel in mine-affected countries. Giovanni would like to show these photographs in the U.S. and elsewhere as a way to demonstrate the fact that Americans are personally affected by this issue. Do you know of landmine survivors who may be willing to be photographed by Giovanni? Do you know of any galleries or other venues that may be interested in showing Giovanni¯s photographs some time next year? If so, please contact Giovanni at gdiffidenti@hotmail.com and cc the USCBL Coordinator at landmines@fcnl.org. Action Alert: Contact Your Senators About Victim Assistance Legislation Contact the Members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to ask them to cosponsor legislation that will help landmine victims. This bill, if passed, will help thousands of landmine survivors worldwide with medical and rehabilitative care. In order to attract new supporters in Congress, it is to our advantage NOT to mention the Mine Ban Treaty or the current U.S. landmine policy review when contacting Senators about this bill. See sample letter below. To find your Senators¯ contact information, visit www.senate.gov. For a full action alert, including in printable PDF format, visit www.banminesusa.org. Sample Letter of Support in Favor of Landmine Victim Assistance Bill Date Dear Senator (name): I write to ask you to cosponsor the "International Disabilities and Victims of Landmines, Civil Strife and Warfare Assistance Act of 2001" (S.1777). Today, innocent civilians are threatened by up to 80 million landmines buried in over 80 countries. Thousands of Americans have been killed or maimed by these weapons. It is estimated that 15,000-20,000 people, many of whom are women and children, are annually maimed or killed by this weapon. While the Federal Government invests over $120 million in landmine-related activities annually, primarily for demining, less than ten percent of these funds are directed toward addressing the human suffering among those injured by mines. S. 1777 expands authority at the USAID and the Department of Health and Human Services to provide assistance to individuals with disabilities, including victims of landmines and other victims of civil strife and warfare. Such assistance includes medical and rehabilitation services, research, prevention, public awareness campaigns, and peer support. Thank you for considering this important humanitarian issue. Sincerely, (Name and Address) See www.banminesusa.org for more information. Britain
to Pay Kenyans Hurt by Explosions of Its Weapons Britain said today that it would pay about $7 million in compensation to more than 200 Kenyans who were victims of mines and abandoned weapons left on their land by the British Army. In a landmark agreement, the Defense Ministry said it accepted some liability for what happened during a 50-year period. "We accept a limited liability," a spokeswoman said. "We do not accept that it was our percent." Martyn Day, a lawyer for the Kenyans, said he was "absolutely delighted" with the accord and praised the ministry for its quick cooperation. "My clients will ensure that they can now start to live halfway decent lives," he added. Mr. Day was acting for members of the Masai and Samburu tribes, which sent representatives to London for mediation of the issue. Beatrice Lelekong, who was badly injured in an explosion in 1981 when she was 14, said the agreement was "a great relief." "I am hoping to now be able to afford to have surgery in South Africa on my hands and feet," she said. The maximum individual payment will be about $400,000, depending on the severity of the injuries. About 90 percent of the Masai and Samburu killed or seriously wounded by the blasts in the last 50 years were children, Mr. Day said. The explosives were found in areas where people lived and herded goats. A total of 228 victims will benefit from the award, agreed to after two days of negotiations between the British Defense Ministry and representatives of the tribes. The Kenyans accused the ministry of failing to properly clear old training grounds used by the British Army since the 1950's. Britain will continue to use the grounds, a government spokeswoman said, adding that improved security measures and cleanup techniques would limit the risk of futher accidents. James Kaipoi Ole Legei, program officer for Osiligi - the Kenyan organization that led the fight for compensation - said the cash award would be met with delight back home. "A lot of victims are still suffering problems," he said. "Now they will be able to receive proper medical care." Canadian
Major Calls For Military Compensation For Losing Legs On Duty Major Bruce Henwood was given a peacekeeping medal in 2000 by Gov.-Gen. Adrienne Clarkson. He would also like to be given compensation. A campaign is growing to force the government to compensate an Armed Forces major who lost both his legs during a 1995 peacekeeping mission in Croatia. Major Bruce Henwood's legs were blown off below the knee by a land mine while he was on patrol as a United Nations observer. He was shocked to discover he would receive nothing from the Department of Defence after his injuries ended his 23-year career. "This is a moral issue the military has to deal with," said Maj. Henwood, 45, who lives in Calgary with his wife and three children. "The last thing any commander would want is his soldier, in the back of his mind, thinking, am I going to be taken care of if I get injured? Is my family going to be OK?" Art Hanger, the former Alliance defence critic, has lent his support to the cause, as have the Royal Canadian Legion and the War Amps of Canada. Retired Colonel Don Ethell, a highly decorated and retired Brigadier-General Joe Sharpe, also have voiced their support for Maj. Henwood. Though Maj. Henwood has been lobbying the government since 1998, the issue, mired by complex insurance regulations, has received little attention. However, public sympathy towards the military has warmed since four Canadian soldiers were killed and eight injured by a U.S. bomb in Afghanistan. "The vast majority of people have been, shall we say, educated, with these events. They now understand what military personnel go through," says retired Major General Lewis Mackenzie, who commanded the UN troops during the siege of Sarajevo in 1992. Maj. Henwood assumed his injury would entitle him to an award from the Service Income Security Insurance Plan (SISIP), the department's mandatory insurance scheme. Instead, he discovered his Forces pension and disability benefits, about 75% of his military income, cancelled access to SISIP benefits. He is asking the government to overhaul SISIP, bringing the dismemberment benefits in line with most private-sector plans. He wants a lump-sum payment that recognizes his injury has diminished his earning potential. Maj. Henwood says organizations such as the Royal Bank or Dalhousie University pay severely injured employees a lump sum of several times their annual salary as compensation, in addition to disability benefits. Even members of Parliament are entitled to a lump sum payment of $250,000. "I'm not an insurance expert. I'm just a guy that got blown up," Maj. Henwood said. "But losing your legs should be worth something."
For more information about the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines or to donate on-line, please visit www.banminesusa.org
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