Now more than ever, people are interested in the devastating landmines problem in Afghanistan and elsewhere and what they can do to help. You can provide them with an easy opportunity.

The United Nations Association's Adopt-A-Minefield program, a Steering Committee member organization of the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines, is organizing "NIGHT OF A THOUSAND DINNERS." The idea is for people like you throughout the country to host dinners on or around November 30 that raise much needed awareness and funds for banning and clearing landmines.

You can organize this event in your community as big or small as you'd like. Click for tips on how to make the event a success!

Make it a potluck or a sit-down dinner, invite a speaker or show a video, charge a specific amount or ask for optional donations, make it an actual dinner or a wine/chocolate-tasting event, provide sample letters to the President or petitions to your Senators, have entertainment or keep it low-key, host it at your home or at your church -the choices are all yours! The timing is ideal because so many people are focused on the landmines crisis in Afghanistan and how US troops and innocent civilians might be affected in the coming months. The timing is also politically right because the White House is conducting a formal review of its landmines policy. Now is the time for people to make their voices heard. Here's the process:

• You contact us to let us know that you might be interested in hosting a dinner.

• If you agree to organize a dinner, we send you a "How To" kit that includes helpful tips on getting good turn-out, raising the funds, providing an advocacy activity (like writing letters or signing petitions), etc. You can also download the "How To" by clicking here. For the latest action alert that you may want to distribute at your event, click here.

• You sign up to host your own dinner at www.1000dinners.com. When you click on "Host a Dinner" you register and "affiliate" your dinner with USCBL-Physicians for Human Rights. This affiliation will ensure that 85% of the proceeds you raise will go to U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines activities and 15% will go to global mine clearance programs coordinated by the United Nations Association, the Canadian Landmine Foundation, and others.

• Click here for a sample invitation.
  Click here for a sample RSVP form (three to a page).

• You host the event between November 30 and December 4 (the fourth anniversary of the signing of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty) and have participants donate proceeds to Physicians for Human Rights (with "USCBL dinner" in the memo of the checks so we can ensure that your funds are directed to the right place). The USCBL will then give 15% of the total proceeds we bring in to the United Nations Association's Adopt a Minefield Program.

This is a perfect way to educate your community, provide people with an opportunity to make their voices heard on this vital issue, and help people's donations count in banning and clearing landmines.