Manual English

Survive the Peace

LANDMINE EDUCATION &COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT GUIDE

HumanityThe International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, born of a desire tobring assistance without discrimination to the wounded on the battlefield, en-deavours, in its international and national capacity, to prevent and alleviate hu-man suffering wherever it may be found. Its purpose is to protect life and healthand to ensure respect for the human being. It promotes mutual understanding,friendship, cooperation and lasting peace among all peoples.

ImpartialityIt makes no discrimination as to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or politi-cal opinions. It endeavours to relieve the suffering of individuals, being guidedsolely by their needs and to give priority to the most urgent cases of distress.

NeutralityIn order to continue to enjoy the confidence of all, the Movement may not takesides in hostilities or engage at any time in controversies of a political, racial,religious or ideological nature.

IndependenceThe Movement is independent. The National Societies, while auxiliaries in thehumanitarian services of their governments and subject to the laws of their respec-tive countries, must always maintain their autonomy so that they may be able atall times to act in accordance with the principles of the Movement.

Voluntary ServiceIt is a voluntary relief movement not prompted in any manner by desire for gain.

UnityThere can only be one Red Cross or Red Crescent society in any one country. Itmust be open to all. It must carry on its humanitarian work throughout its territory.

UniversalityThe International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, in which all societieshave equal status and share equal responsibilities in helping each other, is world-wide.

Fundamental Principles of theRed Cross and Red Crescent Movement

The Landmine Crisis ...........................................................................4Landmines and Canadian Youth .............................................................5Using the Guide ................................................................................5

BACKGROUND INFORMATIONLandmines: The Basic Facts ..................................................................8Questions and Answers .......................................................................9The Landmine Ban Treaty ................................................................... 11The Work of Demining ...................................................................... 12Mine Injury: More Than a Medical Problem ........................................... 13Mine Injuries: An Epidemic ................................................................ 14Nature of Mine Injuries ..................................................................... 14The Cost of Treatment and Physical Rehabilitation ................................... 15Conclusions .................................................................................... 15The Profiles of Three Victims of Anti-personnel Mines ............................. 16

LEARNING ACTIVITIESWelcome ........................................................................................ 20Participatory Learning ........................................................................ 20Using the Activities ........................................................................... 21I Thought We Could Play Here ........................................................... 21Where in the World are the Landmines?................................................ 22Design a Landmines Poster or Slogan ................................................... 23Just Try One Morning ........................................................................ 23Get to the Market ............................................................................. 24Essays by �Children of Landmines� ...................................................... 24 Essays ....................................................................................... 38Be an Inventor ................................................................................. 27A Call to the World .......................................................................... 27An Ordinary Day Video..................................................................... 28Landmine True or False Quiz .............................................................. 31What Would it be Like? � A Visualization Exercise ................................ 33Every 22 Minutes.............................................................................. 35Sample Landmines Public Session ........................................................ 42

TAKING ACTIONWhat Can I Do?............................................................................... 49Ideas and Action .............................................................................. 50Recommended Learning Resources ....................................................... 52Canadian Red Cross offices ................................................................ 53

Our thanks to theCanadian InternationalDevelopment Agencyand the Department ofForeign Affairs, MineAction Team: publicationof Survive the Peace hasbeen made possible withtheir generous financialassistance.

The Canadian Red Crosswishes to recognizethese contributions andto express its gratitudefor this importantsupport.

Table of Contents

Survive the Peace is aneducational publicationof the Canadian RedCross. Please addressquestions, commentsand contributions to:

Canadian Red Cross,National Office,170 Metcalfe Street,Suite 300Ottawa, OntarioK2P 2P2

Tel: 613-740-1802Fax: 613-740-1978E-mail:[email protected] Site:www.redcross.ca

CREDITS: George Chandler and David Pardoe, editors; Sylvie Michaud, design and layout;Marina Markoc and Brock Nichol, art and illustrations.

The red cross emblem and designation Red Cross are reserved in Canada by law for the exclusive use of theCanadian Red Cross and for the medical unit of the armed forces by the Geneva Conventions Act, R.S.C.,1985, C G-3.

81999 Canadian Red Cross ISBN: 1-55104221-5 03/01 revised

Surviving Landmines

4 Canadian Red Cross

Every day the doctors and nursesof the International Red Cross look intothe frightened eyes of men, women andchildren whose limbs have been shat-tered by anti-personnel mines, sickenedby the knowledge that they must per-form yet one more amputation.

Our physiotherapists look into theeyes of those who feel they have losttheir dignity because they can no longerprovide for their families. Far too of-ten, humanitarian workers from RedCross � and from other organizationsconcerned with the landmines problem,such as Mines Advisory Group, UnitedNations, Handicap International,UNICEF, Halo Trust � see fertile farm-land lie fallow while communities gohungry..

They have seen enough of the painand anguish these weapons inflict. Itwas their reaction to this seemingly in-terminable suffering that prompted thou-sands of organizations and hundreds ofthousands of individuals to join withgovernments to work for a total ban onlandmines.

In 1997, the involvement of Diana,Princess of Wales, in the landminesissue, and then sadly, her sudden death,brought increased attention to these in-visible, indiscriminate weapons. Theglobal ban treaty � signed in 1997 inOttawa by over 123 countries and now

binding international law as of March1, 1999 � is a major breakthroughwhich offers significant future hope forthe eventual worldwide eradication oflandmines.

However, still today throughout 70countries, there are more than 60 mil-lion landmines in the ground, patientlyawaiting victims. In many countries,after years of fighting, the conflicts arefinally over. But for the 2,000 peopleworldwide each month who step onlandmines � that is one every 22 min-utes � surviving the peace is as muchof a challenge as surviving the war.

The Canadian Red Cross is com-mitted to refocusing public attention onthe on-going humanitarian crisis causedby landmines, which have been rightlycalled �weapons of mass destruction ...in slow motion� � and on the role wein Canada have in helping to providelasting solutions.

The LandmineCrisis

Survivethe peace

No, no don’t look at thesky, they cannot do youany harm from aboveanymore.

Lower your head becausethe danger is in yourmother earth.

If you survived the war, tryto survive the peace!

— Melisa Dzanovic,14 years old, Bosnia

Introduction

Surviving Landmines 5

I am only 18. I havesomehow managed tosurvive this dirty war.

But I wonder whether Ihave really survived.

Should all my life bepermanently markeds withthe word MINE?

I want to run throughflowery fields with mygirlfriend, I want to pickthe first violet for her, toclimb trees in forests. Iwant to lie in the grassand watch the sky forhours. I want to dream.

— Admir Mujkic, Bosnia

This guide, consisting of threeparts, is designed for use by Red Crossstaff, volunteers, and educators who arelooking for some usable resourcesaround this issue.

The Background Information sec-tion has been designed to provide youwith a foundation on the landmines is-sue which will guide you in workingwith audiences.

The Learning Activities section con-tains ideas and activities, both fun andeducational. They are designated by agegroup but most can be adapted to suita wide range of ages and educationalgoals.

The Taking Action section tells howto involve students, schools and com-munities in addressing the issue andcontributing in a practical way to solu-tions, as well as how to gain access tothe wealth of available informationabout landmines.

Please call your local Red Crossoffice if you want some further ideas orassistance in promoting landminesawareness and community action op-portunities.

Of the more than 24,000 anti-per-sonnel mine related deaths and inju-ries each year, it is estimated by the Nor-wegian People�s Aid organization thatup to 30 per cent are children below15 years of age. The International RedCross estimates that at least 25 per centof the world�s mine victims are children.

Even if arms manufacturers denyallegations that some landmines are de-signed to look like toys, they surelycannot deny that some oddly shapedmines (such as the �butterfly mine�) at-tract children. Many poor children can-not resist the temptation to play withthese new �toys� even if they are awareof the inherent dangers. Also, childrencannot see mines like taller adults can,and they cannot read or recognizewarning signs as they stray off saferoutes while playing games or takingshort-cuts.

In most cases, even when it is onlysuspected that there are buried mines,the life of a child is severely restricted.The parents will stop sending their chil-dren to school and prevent them fromdoing their routines. This, in turn, of-ten leads to a loss of education andemployment skills training that puts theyouth at an economic disadvantagewhen they become adults.

At present, mine clearance andvictim rehabilitation efforts are happen-ing at a very limited and slow pace,although, since the signing of the Ot-tawa Treaty, the pace has started to in-crease somewhat. This is partly due toa lack of political will, but also becausenot a lot of money and resources areavailable for these activities. TheLandmine Ban Treaty came into being

in large part due to the actions of ordi-nary citizens from around the worldgetting involved and speaking with onevoice. Canadians were a part of thismovement and still have an importantrole to play in helping develop greaterpublic awareness and support for thebadly needed humanitarian solutions.

Youth, especially, can benefit agreat deal from becoming involved incommunity action campaigns � a senseof empowerment, increased confi-dence, and enhanced practical skills.

Landmines& Youth:What�s in it for them?

Using the Guide

Notes...

if there were no mines

I feel freedom in every moment, I feel it in my soul.Everything is so big, so free.I listen to murmuring streams and singing birds,and I feel the spring call me.Nature wants to grow and to love.And I love.I love my friends. I love my street. I love the sun and yellowdandelions scattered in the meadow...

And thenThe sun becomes dark, birds stop their song. Silence.A young man is walking down the street, without a leg.No, he did not lose his leg during the war. It happenedrecently. He was picking the first spring flowers.Maybe he was in love, a forgotten mine took away hisyoung dreams.

It is clearer to me now why my grandpa often says:How will I work in the field, there are so many minesplanted there?

My grandpa’s question steals away my spring dream.It brings anxiety.If there were no mines, everything would be so endlesslybig and free.

Haseda Suljanovic - 7th gradeSrpska kostajnicaRepublika Srpska

informationBackgrou

nd

Surviving Landmines


Landmines

the basic facts

Estimates vary, but we know that in 88 nations there are tens of millions of landminescurrently in the ground, along with countless unexploded ordnance (UXO).

More than 22 million antipersonnel mines have been destroyed in recent years by more than50 nations. However, it is estimated that more than 250 million landmines remain in thearsenals of 105 countries.

Landmines have a devastating effect on society. Most countries affected are poor countries inthe developing world with few resources available to cope with the social, economic andmedical consequences of this scourge.

Landmines can’t tell the difference between a soldier and a civilian – or between war andpeace. Civilian casualties caused by landmines during peacetime continue to account for asignificant portion of total landmine casualties. In some cases, the conflict ended re-cently; in many others, the conflict ended a decade or more ago.

Many of the landmines currently in the ground cost between US $3 - 30 to produce, but betweenUS $300 - 1,000 to remove. Humanitarian mine clearance is a slow, meticulous process.

More than two-thirds of the of the world’s nations have signed the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty,making it the fastest entry into force of any international treaty in human history–a clear indica-tion of the widespread international rejection of any use or possession of antipersonnel mines.

We have turned the tide in the battle against the use of landmines – they are no longer beingused on the scale of the 1970s, 1980s and early 1990s when millions per year were beingimplanted, and when mines were clearly being laid at a much greater rate than being removed.Still, anti-personnel mines are being used in approximately 20 current conflicts, involving 11governments and 30 rebel / nonstate actors.

The number of landmine producers has dropped in recent years from 54 to16. The 38 whohave stopped production include a majority of the big producers. We have even seen significantreductions among some of the 16 producing countries which have not signed the Ban Treaty,such as the United States, Russia and China. There have been no major shipments of minesdating back some five years.

Rates of injury / death due to landmines are declining as a result of the Ban Treaty andincreased demining activity. However, tens of thousands of people still living can countthemselves the victims of landmines worldwide. In some countries, 29% of mine victimslose one or both legs, while for other war casualties, the amputation rate is 2%. Each artificiallimb costs about US $150, but when all medical and rehabilitation costs are included, it cancost as much as $10,000 to provide adequate care for most survivors.

Between 1979 - 1999, the International Red Cross set up 51 projects in 25 countries for thephysical rehabilitation of war victims ... producing 198,000 artificial limbs, almost 10,000wheelchairs, and 200,000 pairs of elbow crutches.

Background Information

9Survive the Peace

How does the InternationalRed Cross Movement helplandmine survivors?

In 1994, having witnessed andworked to alleviate the extreme painand suffering felt by landmine survi-vors, the International Red Cross/RedCrescent Movement spoke out againstlandmines, calling for a total ban onthese indiscriminate weapons againsthumanity. The Landmines Must BeStopped campaign lent significant mo-mentum to the already existing Inter-national Campaign to Ban Landmines,and to the signing, in December, 1997,in Ottawa, of the treaty banning anti-personnel mines.

In addition to ongoing advocacyinitiatives , the Movement�s strategy inassisting landmine survivors is to savelives and reduce suffering. The Inter-national Committee of the Red Cross(ICRC):

n operates 50 emergency care andrehabilitation centres in 25 countries

n provides emergency medical assist-ance, including surgery andprosthetics, to landmine survivors.

n engages mine-affected communities,including vulnerable populations suchas children, in mine-awarenesstraining.

n employs ‘delegates’, such as doctors,nurses and prosthetic technicians, inmine-affected countries around theworld.

Canadianlandmine campaign

Red Cross

Questions& Answers

What is the LandmineSurvivors Fund?

The Landmine Survivors Fund wasofficially launched by the Canadian RedCross in November, 1997, as a way ofproviding funds for emergency care,rehabilitation (including the fitting ofprostheses) and re-integration programsfor landmine survivors. The Fund alsoexists to support mine-awareness pro-grams in countries affected by mines,and landmine education initiatives inCanada. The goal of the Landmine Sur-vivors Fund is to help victims becomesurvivors.

How does the Canadian RedCross help victims in mine-affected countries and raiseawareness about the dangersof landmines?

The Canadian Red Cross providesfunding and personnel directly to theICRC for its emergency care and or-thopaedic centres. Through generousindividual donor support, the CRC hasbeen able to provide the majority offunding, and a number of Canadiandelegates, to the joint ICRC / CRC /Tajik Red Crescent Society orthopaediccentre in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Thiscentre works to identify and treatamputees, providing them with func-tioning, well-fitting prostheses so thatthey can lead normal lives. It also aimsto address longer-term needs, such thedelivery of training on rehabilitationtechniques, improvement in hygieneconditions in the local village, andways of providing related services to

The global strategy toassist landmine victimsis to save lives andreduce suffering.

Removal of mines fromcontaminated areas isthe most effectivepreventive measure.However, once a personhas stepped on a mine,suvival becomes theprimary concern,considering that morethan 50% of victims diebefore they raechmedical care.

The goal of theLandmine SurvivorsFund is to help victimsbecome survivors.

The Landmine SurvivorsFund will exist as longas landmines continueto cause pain, sufferingand death.

Surviving Landmines


the amputee population, such as pro-duction of crutches and wheelchairs.

For more, visit our website atwww.redcross.ca/english/peace/claw.htm

Mine awareness in affected com-munities is an essential component ofthe Red Cross� efforts to save lives andreduce the suffering caused bylandmines. Mine awareness programsaim to reduce the risk of death andinjury by teaching people how to iden-tify mines and high-risk areas, and bypromoting safe behaviour to civiliansliving or travelling in mine-affectedcommunities. Currently, the CanadianRed Cross is supporting mine aware-ness programs in two countries insouthern Africa.

n In Mozambique, a mine awarenessproject will reach 1,200 landminesurvivors from 15 rural areas.

n In Angola, more than 126,000 peoplewill benefit from mine awarenessoutreach – approximately 50% ofwhom are children.

For more, visit our website atwww.redcross.ca/english/peace/h_workers.html

How does the Canadian RedCross involve Canadian com-munities in its landminecampaign?

In Canada, our Global Educationnetwork, comprised of staff and hun-dreds of volunteers, promoteslandmines education and advocacy ini-tiatives through the �Survive the Peace�campaign in schools and communitiesacross the country. Trained volunteers,many of whom are youth, raise aware-ness about the adverse effects oflandmines and promote the personalinvolvement of Canadians like yourselfin reducing and eliminating the suffer-ing caused be landmines. To learn moreabout how you can take action against

landmines in your community, contactyour local Red Cross and ask aboutGlobal Education, or visit our websiteat: www.redcross.ca/english/peace/volunteer.html

In 1997, in partnership with MinesAction Canada and the Department ofForeign Affairs and International Trade(DFAIT), the Canadian Red Crosslaunched the Youth Mine Action Am-bassador Program. This program, op-erating in many cities across Canada,is aimed at building a sustainable net-work of active, articulate Canadianswho will extend the reach of landmineseducation into local communities inorder to motivate, support and raisefunds for the global landmines crisis.

To find out how you can get in-volved, check out at www.redcross.ca/english/peace/ymaap.html.

How can I support the Cana-dian Red Cross LandmineSurvivors Fund?

The Canadian Red Cross, as amember of the International Red Cross/Red Crescent humanitarian family, ispart of the largest landmine survivors�assistance network in the world. Bycontributing to the Landmine SurvivorsFund, you can help to save lives, re-duce suffering and promote physicaland psycho-social rehabilitation amonglandmine survivors. Your contributionwill also support vital landmine edu-cation and advocacy in Canada, andin mine-affected communities aroundthe world.

When you contribute to theLandmine Survivors Fund, your dona-tion will go directly to supporting bothvictim assistance (including medical aidand mine awareness programs) in mine-affected countries, and to landmine edu-cation initiatives in Canada.

The landmine crisis is not over.People who have survived war nowhave to try to survive the peace. Fundsare needed now.

HOW CAN I MAKE ADONATION?

Call toll-free 1-800-418-1111 to donate by creditcard.

Mail a cheque or moneyorder to:

Landmine SurvivorsFundCanadian Red Cross170 Metcalfe Street, #300Ottawa, ON K2P 2P2

Visit our Landmineseducation website at:www.redcross.ca/english/peace/Isfund.html

Contact Megan Rock,National Coordinator,Training & GlobalEducation:Canadian Red Cross(at address above)email:[email protected]

Contributions areallocated 4:1, that is, forevery dollar donated ,75cents will go towardsvictim assistance inmine-affected countries;25 cents towardslandmines educationand advocacy efforts inCanada.

Thank You for

Your Support!


11Survive the Peace

From December 2 to 4, 1997, atthe invitation of the Canadian govern-ment, representatives from 150 nationsand hundreds of nongovernmental or-ganizations (NGOs) and internationalorganizations gathered in Ottawa toattend the �Convention Signing Con-ference� and �Mine Action Forum�. Atotal of 122 countries signed thelandmine ban convention, formallyentitled the Convention on the Prohi-bition of the Use, Stockpiling, Produc-tion and Transfer of Ant-Personal Minesand on their Destruction.

On March 1, 1999, the Conven-tion became binding under internationallaw after 40 countries ratified it, mak-ing it the fastest ratified internationaltreaty in human history. As of March1, 2001, it had been signed by 139countries and ratified by 110. Now thatthe treaty has entered into force, na-tions can no longer just sign it, ratherthey may become bound without sig-nature through a one-step processknown as accession. Still, some 55nations have not acceded to the treaty,so the work continues to pressure non-signatory countries to join the ban.

The Convention stipulates firm,unambiguous rules, with no exceptionsor loopholes. All signatories must:

n ban the use, stockpiling, productionand transfer of antipersonnel mineswithin four years of the Conventioncoming into force

n destroy (clear) minefields within 10years, unless they can justify anextension

The LandmineBan Treaty

n participate in and co-operate with acompliance regime (reporting,verification)

n destroy (clear) minefields within 10years, unless they can justify anextension

n where possible, provide assistancefor:

n mine clearance

n the care and rehabilitation,and social and economicreintegration, of mine victims

n mine awareness programs

Ongoing ChallengesDespite the success of the treaty,

there is still much to do; in many ways,the work has just begun. This is therecognition behind the Canadian RedCross Survive the Peace campaign.The movement to end the sufferingcaused by landmines is currently fo-cused on:

n expanding the number countries join-ing the ban

n educating and persuading nonstate ar-mies to follow the treaty

n establishing long-term programs for vic-tim assistance and rehabilitation

n demining affected areas

n developing appropriate technology toaid in mine detection and clearance

n creating mine awareness in affectedcountries

To see the completetreaty, go to the Depart-ment of Foreign Affairsand International Tradewebsite www.mines.gc.ca,or the InternationalCampaign to BanLandmines websitewww.icbl.org.

Surviving Landmines


What is the differencebetween humanitarianand military demining?

Landmines hinder development onevery level (socially, economically, in-fra-structurally and environmentally)and must be addressed accordingly.

Humanitarian demining involvesmaking a guarantee to local populationsthat land is 100% free of landmines� people must be able to use theirland safely and without fear.

Military demining, usually involv-ing armoured vehicles with special at-tachments to plough or churn up themines, is quick and effective from amilitary perspective. However, the de-struction rate is rarely over 80% � along way from the certainty of 100%with humanitarian demining � andthese kinds of vehicles don�t work wellin jungles, mountainous areas or onstony ground.

Effective results demand that hu-manitarian demining be undertaken asone element of a larger �mine action�program that includes mine awarenesseducation, minefield surveying, mark-ing and prioritizing of clearance.

The land cleared first should bethe land that is most important to thecommunity rather than that containingmost mines. This requires that all ele-ments of the program be planned andimplemented with the decisive partici-pation of community members from theoutset and throughout.

How is demining done?Deminers work in pairs. One uses

a mine detector to locate metal in theground. The detected metal is then care-fully unearthed by the second memberof the pair, using a long probe that ispainstakingly and repeatedly insertedat an angle. If scrap metal is found, itis removed. If a mine is found, it isdestroyed in place at the end of theday by detonating a small explosivebeside it. The locations of all minedareas are clearly marked with posts,tape and mine signs so that people candistinguish the dangerous land from theland that has been made safe.

What about newtechnology?

The above method, known asmanual mine clearance, is currently themost effective way to locate mines andguarantee that land can be returnedsafely to local communities. Designersof mine-detection systems are con-stantly exploring new techniques forlocating buried or hidden objects. Re-cent investigations have included theuse of impulse radars, radio frequen-cies, microwaves, and bio-sensors. Butit will take years to achieve tangibleresults that will permit more rapid andefficient clearance.

One of the challenges is to pro-duce a technology that is inexpensive,easily maintained, and suitable for awide variety of climates and geographi-cal situations. For the time being,deminers would much rather clear aminefield on their hands and knees,using a mine probe and a magneticdetector than trust in the effectivenessof the latest �magical� piece of equip-ment. Though manual demining is ex-pensive, it is not only the most techni-cally reliable method available, but italso provides much needed employ-ment to people living in mined areas.

The Work ofDemining

For many people, thereality of life withlandmines continues,leaving them no choicebut to take risks inresponse to the eco-nomic pressures theyface.

Humanitarian deminingis not simply the removalof mines from theground, but rather itsaims are to eliminate thephysical, psychological,environmental andeconomic vulnerabilitiesof people forced to livewith landmines.


13Survive the Peace

Before addressing the subject ofassisting victims of anti-personnel mineinjuries it is necessary to paint a pic-ture of a country affected by the mineproblem.

This country is usually poor. Itssocial and economic infrastructure hasbeen torn apart by a savage civil war.

Educational programmes haveceased and people with professionalqualifications have long since left.

Military hardware is in the handsof armed gangs, poorly trained soldiersor even children.

Among the weapons that remainwhen the war ends there may be thou-sands, if not millions, of anti-person-nel mines. They can be found plantedin vast tracts of land in the remotestpart of the country. However, theirplacement is designed to cause maxi-mum harassment to those who live inor travel through the area. Thus, theyare usually laid in roads or tracks,around sources of clean water, nearfruit-bearing trees, in houses awaitingthe return of refugees and in the fieldsupon which the community is depend-ent for its livelihood.

Health care is largely dependenton a variety of foreign aid agencieswhose work is also hampered by thepresence of mines. One mine, or eventhe suspicion that there are mines, canclose a road for weeks. The cost ofbringing in aid may be multiplied by25 if all supplies have to be transported

by air. Some areas may simply be toodangerous for the agencies to visit orwork in.

Mines are a source of serious con-cern for United Nations peace-keep-ing operations, and the new genera-tion of military surgeons is not trainedin the general surgical skills needed totreat mine injuries.

When someone steps on a mine,that person�s medical needs are unlikelyto be met; anyone trying to bring helpis also immediately at risk from othermines. It may be hours or even days tothe nearest medical facility, even aprimitive one.

If the victim survives the mine in-jury, what awaits him or her with asevere disability in such a country? Evencrutches may be too expensive. Travel-ling to a limb-fitting centre may be amajor undertaking for the whole fam-ily.

Who is going to pay for the pros-thesis if it is not fitted and manufac-tured free of charge by one of the agen-cies? Employment is unlikely; beggingon the streets may be the surest formof income. Divorce and social ostra-cism may be added to the insult andindignity of being handicapped in sucha country.

Mine injury

More than aMedical Problem

SOMALIAWhen refugees returnedto Hargeisa in northernSomalia, in 1991, 75% ofthose who triggeredmines were children.

GEORGIA80% of mine victims in1994 and 1995 werecivilians.

QUANG TRI PROVINCE,VIET NAMThree thousand hectaresof agricultural landcannot be cultivatedbecause of mines, yetthis land could employand feed 35,000 people.

THAI-CAMBODIANBORDER1990-199362% of woundedpatients in the ICRChospital had beeninjured by mines.

CAMBODIAOnly 27% of malesinjured by mines inCambodia were involvedin military activities.

Surviving Landmines


The term �epidemic� has fre-quently and correctly been used to de-scribe the number of mine injuriesaround the world.

Although providing assistance forvictims of landmines is a major focus,managing the epidemic must go be-yond treating the individuals affected.Preventive measures must be taken.Thus we can regard assistance for vic-tims of anti-personnel mines as treat-ment; preventive measures take theform of mine-awareness programmes,mine clearance and, of course, a totalban on the production, stockpiling,transfer and use of mines.

All of us familiar with the mineproblem recognize that the solutiondoes not lie solely with any one ele-ment of treatment or prevention; it isto be found in a comprehensive ap-proach combining assistance with pre-ventive measures. We must not losesight of this.

An Epidemic

There are three patterns of injuryseen in those victims who survive forlong enough to reach the hospital. Thefirst relates to stepping on a buried anti-personnel mine; there is usually trau-matic amputation of the foot or leg withsevere injury of the other leg, genitaliaand arms. This first pattern tends to bethe most severe.

The second pattern is seen whenthe victim triggers a fragmentation mine.If he or she is not killed immediately,there are wounds similar to those fromany other fragmentation device. Suchwounds can affect any part of the body.

The third relates to accidentaldetonation whilst handling a mine; itis seen among mine clearers, thoseplanting mines or curious children whopick up or play with mines. This pat-tern inevitably involves severe woundsof the hands and face. Some mines, bydesign, kill the person who triggersthem; this is the case for the boundingmines which explode at waist height.Therefore, the proportion of woundedwho die or who suffer amputation de-pends on the type of mine.

AFGHANISTANIn Afghanistan one adultmale in ten has beeninvolved in a mineincident.

CAMBODIA61% of mine victims gointo debt to pay theirmedical expenses.

AFGHANISTAN84% of mine victims gointo debt to pay for theirtreatment.

AFGHANISTANAdult male Afghans whoare injured by a mine areten times more likely tobe unemployed in thelong term.

PATTERNS OF INJUIRYIN 720 PATIENTS INICRC HOSPITALPattern 1 30%Pattern 2 50%Pattern 3 5%Unclassifiable 15%

The buried anti-personnel mines (inflicting a pattern 1 injury) are most likely to re-main long after a conflict and are most difficult to detect.

Nature of MineInjuries

a) Diagram showing how an injury, apparentlyconfined to the foot, is associated with proximalcompartmental muscle damage.

b) Diagram of explosive injury with traumaticamputation of the lower leg. Themechaism of proximalcompartmental injury with skinand gastrocemius preservationis shown.

c) Diagram showing how, whenthe skin has returned to position,the extent of proximal damage ishidden.


15Survive the Peace

The Cost ofTreatment andPhysicalRehabilitation

The costs vary from country tocountry. Factors leading to higher costsinclude the need to import all materi-als, the need to use expatriate workersand the need to transport personneland materials by air. All expenses arehigher in the initial phase.

Surgical costs

The cost per patient per day in anICRC (International Committee of theRed Cross) hospital is around US$120.This includes transport costs but notthe salaries of expatriate staff. A mineamputee stays in hospital on average30 days. Therefore, the cost of treatinga mine injured patient in the basic fa-cilities provided by the ICRC is be-tween US$3,000 and $4,000.

The cost of providingartificial limbs

Each artificial limb costs betweenUS$100 and $150. There may be agreater variation when a partner or-ganization is involved.

For a young active person the arti-ficial limb may need replacing everytwo years. Thus the lifetime needs mayamount to thousands of dollars. Thecost to the ICRC of fitting one person,including lodging during the fitting andmanufacture, salaries of the workers,logistics, machines, equipment, etc.,is around US$1,000, which includesthe cost of the expatriate personnel.

The equipment for the manufac-ture of the polypropylene components,including an injection moulding ma-chine, costs US$25,000.

COLOMBIAThe ICRC organized atechnical assistanceprogramme for theCIREC foundationworkshop in Bogota,Colombia from 1992 to1994. Following theintroduction ofpolypropylene technol-ogy, it was possible toreduce the price of atranstibial prosthesis(for below-knee amputa-tion), including thenecessary treatment,from US $473 to US$212.

VIET NAMFrom 1989 to 1995, theICRC supported the HoChi Minh City rehabilita-tion centre and intro-duced its own technol-ogy. During this period,more than 11,000amputees were providedwith polypropyleneartificial limbs.

Since the ICRC’swithdrawal, the centrehas produced prosthe-ses for nearly 5,000amputees with a manu-facturing cost ofbetween US $38 to US$64 per prosthesis.

Only a small proportion of the im-mediate needs are met by Red Crossand other agencies because:

n there is a serious lack of funding forprojects already under way;

n the specific constraints encountered inany given country affected by the mineproblem may be insurmountable;

n there is no comprehensive and co-ordinated long term approach toassistance aimed at dealing with themine problem.

There are four immediate goals forimproving assistance to mine victims andmine-affected communities:

n all mine victims should have access tosurgical care and rehabilitation thatmeets the standards established bythe surgical hospitals and rehabilita-tion centres of the ICRC;

n the psychological and social needs ofthose injured and disabled by minesshould be addressed;

n the impact that the presence of mineshas on the economy and developmentshould be measured;

n increased efforts must be made toremove the existing mines andconduct mine awareness pro-grammes in order to reduce the risk ofdeath and injury.

However, it is not enough to striveto meet these assistance goals alone ifwe wish to bring more and higher qual-ity assistance to mine victims in thelong term. Any concrete action in mine-affected countries must include both as-sistance and prevention. Any solutionto the mine problem will invariably in-volve a coordinated approach bringingtogether inter-governmental coopera-tion, emergency aid, development edu-cation and considerable funds.

Conclusions

Surviving Landmines


The ICRC surgical database which commenced in 1991 has more than 26,000patients registered from five independently functioning ICRC hospitals. Of these,27% are mine victims. From these databases, and numerous testimonies fromboth victims and health workers, profiles of victims can be established whichshow both their injuries and their needs. Three such profiles are presented here.

The soldierA soldier, 20 years of age, was leading a routine patrol of six others through some grass-

land. His boot caught a trip wire which triggered a fragmentation mine; the mine was hidden ina small bush about two metres away from him. Although at least ten fragments of the mine hithim, the biggest wound was in his right thigh with a 10-cm entry and a fracture of his right femur.Another small fragment hit him in the abdomen but he was not aware of this at the time.

The other soldiers were carrying some bandages which they put around his thigh. Theymade a stretcher out of some long sticks and a hammock and carried him five kilometres backto the camp. From there a truck took him to the nearest government hospital which was a six-hour drive. One of his friends was allowed to accompany him to the hospital. By the time theyarrived, he had lost a lot of blood, was dangerously dehydrated, and was nearly unconscious.

The hospital itself had little in the way of supplies. There was only one doctor and threenurses for the 50 patients in the ward. There were no pain-killing drugs. There was no qualifiedsurgeon or anaesthetist at the hospital. The doctor put up an intravenous infusion of liquids andgave the soldier an injection of antibiotics. He was put in bed with neither sheets nor a blanket.A dressing and a splint were put on his thigh. After an hour the dressing was soaked in blood andhis thigh was very painful. His friend tried to find some pain-killing tablets in the local market, butthese were too expensive; he could not afford to buy food for both of them and the medicine.

After 24 hours the wounded soldier had become feverish and delirious and his abdomenbegan to swell. He began to vomit. The doctor said that maybe a fragment of the mine had tornhis intestines and that there was nothing that could be done. Anyway, it was months since theyhad any supplies and the only surgeon had left town when the rebels had attacked it a yearbefore. After two more days the soldier slipped into a coma and died. His friend buried him in ashallow grave marked only by a small pile of stones.

The profiles of three victimsof anti-personnel mines

THE ICRC REGISTRY OFMINE INCIDENTSUp to November 19969,384 casualties wereregistered1,568 were killed3,999 were civilians 125 were aid workers

MINE INJURED IN ICRCHOSPTIALSPotenial “combatants”

males 15-50 years 68.7%chldren<15 yers 19.8%women 7.3%males>50 years 4.2%

EVACUATION OF MINEVICTIMS TO ICRCHOSPITALSOnly 25% arrive withinsix hours of injury; 15%travel for more thanthree days to reach thehospital.


17Survive the Peace

The childA ten-year-old boy arrived at an ICRC first-aid post in a taxi hired by his father. Ten hours

earlier, he had stepped on a small buried anti-personnel mine which had shattered the wholeof his left foot. The boy told the staff at the first-aid post that he had been out collecting firewood.He had in fact been looking for unexploded mortars and shells to sell in the local market. Heknew that there were mines in the area.

In the first-aid post he had a dressing put on the remains of the foot, had an infusion put upand was given both pain killers and antibiotics. He was put in an ambulance and was taken toan ICRC hospital. The journey took five hours. The father was surprised to hear from theambulance driver that he did not have to pay for the transport and even more surprised to hearthat the treatment and the food for both of them in the hospital would be free.

When they arrived at the hospital, a surgeon examined the foot and explained via aninterpreter that the leg would have to be amputated below the knee. The father explained thatthis was his only son and that he could not possibly be of use to the family if he had only one leg.The surgeon and the hospital staff who spoke the local language explained that it would bedangerous to wait and that the boy would be able to walk again with an artificial limb. The fatherrefused to give his permission for the amputation. The boy was confused and frightened andbegan to cry again.

The following morning the boy had a fever and a bad smell was coming from the dressingon his foot. The father decided to find an old uncle who lived about four hours away by bus andto ask his advice. That evening the father and his uncle arrived at the hospital. They had anotherdiscussion about the amputation with the staff in the hospital. The following morning, thesurgeon told them that he could do nothing more without their permission to amputate the legand that there was no point in the boy staying in the hospital.

The anaesthetist assured the father that the boy would be asleep throughout the opera-tion. One of the locally employed nurses rolled up his trouser leg and showed that he too hadstepped on a mine six years previously and that he was able to work with his artificial leg.

The father then agreed to the operation. Two hours later, the boy was back on the ward; hehad a below-knee amputation under a general anaesthetic and there was a blood transfusionrunning. His new stump was resting on two pillows in a big dressing and he was allowed to eatlater that day.

The following day, a physiotherapist started to move the knee joint gently above the ampu-tation. Four days later he was taken back to the operating theatre to have some skin flaps of theamputation stitched together, which required another general anaesthetic. Five days later, thedressing was taken off for the surgeon to have a look at the stump. The boy saw for the first timehow his leg ended in a stitched stump. This was a great shock to him and he began to cry onceagain. His father also cried.

Over the next two weeks, he had a lot of physiotherapy and learned to walk on crutches.There were many other amputees in the hospital; some had both legs missing. The boy’s fatherdonated blood to the hospital blood bank. After a month, the boy was transferred to the ICRC

In a group of 201patients with pattern 1injury, 210 lower limbswere lost.

25% of people withpattern 3 mine injuryhave associated eyeinjury.

Surviving Landmines


limb-fitting centre where he received an artificial leg made out of a plastic material. He couldwalk quite well with this though it was more difficult over uneven ground. Three weeks later hewas able to go home with his father.

Five months later he broke the limb when he was playing soccer with his friends. He andhis father headed for the ICRC limb-fitting centre again and he was given a new leg. A year later,walking grew painful and he saw that he had developed an ulcer on his stump. Once again hereturned to the centre and was told that maybe he would need an operation to remove a pieceof bone that was still growing in the stump. The surgeon at the hospital examined him and theoperation was done two days later. The stump was now a different shape and so he had to haveyet another artificial limb fitted — his third in the 18 months since the mine blast.

The rice farmerA 32-year-old mother of three children was working in a rice field. A dark green object in

the mud caught her eye. She picked it up, not knowing that it was a mine; it was the kind thatexplodes either on pressure or when tilted. When the mine exploded it blew off her right hand;her face and eyes received multiple small wounds from the vaporized mine casing. Some otherpeople working in the rice field ran to her and tied a strip of material tightly around her forearmjust below the elbow. She was unable to see and was led out of the rice field. Someone went totell her husband.

Eight hours later she arrived at a local dispensary, which she had reached riding on theback of her husband’s motorcycle. The nurse in the dispensary put some disinfectant on herface and a dressing on the remains of her hand. There was no available bed at the dispensaryand she and her husband slept under a tree, it being too dangerous to travel at night becauseof bandits. The following day they made their way to a hospital. A doctor there looked at herarms and told her that the whole forearm was dead because of the improvised tourniquet andthat she would have to have an amputation through the elbow joint.

This treatment would be expensive and there were many other patients waiting for opera-tions. Fortunately, her husband had brought some money with him and was able to borrowmore in the market. She had her arm amputated the following day. Her eyes were now red andpainful and she was unable to open them. The doctor wrote a prescription for some eye dropswhich the husband was able to buy in the market. The next day her husband had to leave to lookafter the children.

Four days later the nurse told her that the amputation of her arm was infected and thestitches put in at the first operation were cutting out of the swollen skin. The infection andinflammation settled slowly over the following days. She remained in the hospital for threeweeks, sharing food with some of the other patients. Her eyes remained inflamed but sherecovered some sight in one eye; the other slowly became totally white. She eventually returnedto her village in the car of an aid-agency worker. Her husband told her that she would have to goand live with her mother as he was unable to feed her and the children if only he was working.Her mother informed her that she would have to beg to bring some money in.

AFGHAN-PAKISTANIBORDERIn 1992, refugeesreturned to Afghanistan.The number of mine-injured seen in the ICRChospitals in Pakistandoubled from 50 permonth to 100 per month.

The proportion ofwomen and children withmine injuries rose alsofrom 2% to 6% and from14% to 25% respectively.

activitiesLearning

...I want to run through flowery fields with my girlfriend,I want to pick the first violet for her, to climb the trees inforests. I want to lie in the grass and watch the sky forhours, I want to dream. I’m only 18. I have somehowmanaged to survive this dirty war. But, I wonder whetherI have really survived. Should all my life be permanentlymarked with the word “MINE”?...

Admir Mujkic IV/1Secondary SchoolVelika BrijesnicaDoboj - East

how to live with mines

Surviving Landmines


The Survive the Peace landminespackage is intended to be a referenceand resource for those who wish totake an active role in promoting publicawareness and community actionaround the landmines issue � includ-ing Red Cross staff and volunteers, andeducators.

The Canadian Red Cross has adeep commitment to students, teach-ers, and to the Canadian public to pro-vide programs, materials and experi-ences that help young Canadians be-come effective global citizens.

Our education programs are basedon three distinct components: knowl-edge, empathy, and action. Knowledgeabout the issues is the start to under-standing. Once participants have un-derstood the information provided, thenext step is to develop empathy andidentify with the people in question.After participants have developed em-pathy, the final step is to point towardsopportunities for them to take actionto help improve the situation.

Learningactivities

Welcome

The Learning Activities are basedon the methodology of the experientialor participatory learning approach,which fits extremely well with theseglobal education goals.

The suggested learning activities inthis package reflect a hands-on ap-proach, which combines education andfun. This approach seeks to fuse em-pathy with knowledge, as well as com-mitment and action with awareness.

In using these activities, the goalis to take the audience through a com-plete learning cycle. The initial focuson increasing knowledge comprises the�What?� of the learning cycle.

The next step in the process is toguide people through a flow of gener-alizing and making links concerning thereal human cost of landmines � thisrepresents the �So what?� stage.

Finally, the cycle finishes by help-ing people in applying the knowledgeand perspective gained through takingaction of some sort, or at least beingaware of the options � the �Nowwhat?� of the learning process. Wewant to help the audience emerge witha sense of a next step, either person-ally or collectively; to leave them witha genuine sense that they can make adifference around the landmines situa-tion.

ParticipatoryLearning

Learning Activities

21Surviving Landmines

I ThoughtWe CouldPlay Here

Each of the activities in this pack-age has been designated as suiting acertain age group (elementary, inter-mediate and/or secondary), but mostcan be readily adapted for either ayounger or older (including adult) au-dience.

Each activity includes a brief de-scription, the materials supplied orneeded, suggestions for the process tobe followed, and most come with

Facilitator Debriefing Prompts.These questions or points are in-

cluded as a tool to help foster a deeperanalysis of the situation arising out ofthe activity.

Survive the Peace can also be usedin conjunction with other Red Crossprograms and materials. Local Cana-dian Red Cross offices have additionaleducational materials (videos, slides,magazines, posters) that complementthis package.

In some areas, the local Red Crossoffice may also have a program thatcan provide trained public presentersto do landmines sessions.

Using theActivities

Set up several areas of the school or yard with reflective tape and �Danger:Landmines� signs. Make sure that these are places where students normally

walk, gather, or play. Observe how students react to the notices. Discuss thedifficulties caused by �shrinking� travel routes and recreation/play areas.

A complementary activity could be setting out everyday objects � pop can,child�s toy, pencil box, a ball ... anything that students might be curious about �before they arrive. They would then see these objects, perhaps be curious, andtouch or move them. You could also �booby trap� desks with coloured stickersor place them on heavily-used areas of the floor.

Facilitator Debriefing Prompts

n Ask how many people handled theobjects. They could have easily beenmines.

n Why would children in mine-affecteddeveloping countries pick up unusualplastic or metal objects? (Most toysare home-made from natural materi-als, many children work in fields.)

n Why would adults pick them up?(unaware of danger, selling scrapmetal)

n Imagine how it must be for children ina community full of landmines, alwayshaving to be on guard.

Activity 1

All levelsTime: 10 minutes

Surviving Landmines


Activity 2

MIDDLE EAST CENTRAL & ASIASOUTH AMERICA

Iran Colombia AfghanistanIraq Costa Rica CambodiaIsrael Cuba ChinaJordan Ecuador LaosKuwait El Salvador MongoliaLebanon Falklands/ MyanmarOman Malvinas PhilippinesSyria Guatemala South KoreaTurkey Honduras Sri LankaYemen Mexico Tajikistan

Nicaragua ThailandPeru Viet Nam

All LevelsTime: 30 minutes

Where inthe Worldare the

Landmines?

Give students a blank world map and ask them to locate and shade in thosecountries where landmines are present. The countries highlighted in bold

(included below) are those with more than one million landmines � in somecases, much more. For example, it is estimated that Angola and Cambodia, withpopulations of approximately 9 - 10 million each, both have more mines thanpeople.


n Why are there landmines in Austria,Belgium, Germany and other Euro-pean countries?From WW I and WW II

n In which countries on the list is the warover?Some examples: Central Americancountries, Iran, Kuwait, much ofEurope, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mozam-bique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, SouthKorea, Viet Nam (and many more).

n Which countries are still involved inconflict?Some examples: Colombia, Iraq,Lebanon, Angola, Liberia, SierraLeone, Myanmar, Russian Federation,Yugoslavia, India (and many more —up to 35 countries at any given time,most of which probably involve thelaying of landmines)

n Why are they almost exclusively indeveloping countries?Many civil conflicts; landmines cheapand easy to use; result of Cold Warstrategies of both USA and the USSR(1945 - 1992).

n Does a higher number of landminesmean a greater problem?Not necessarily. Although Egypt hasthe highest number of mines in theworld (estimated 20 million), manyfrom WWII, they have not caused largescale havoc because they are con-fined to sparsely populated borderregions — unlike, say Bosnia,Cambodia or Angola, where heavilypopulated areas have been mined.

AFRICA EUROPEAngola ArmeniaChad AustriaCongo (ex-Zaire) AzerbaijanDjibouti BelarusEgypt BelgiumEritrea Bosnia andEthiopia HerzegovinaGuinea-Bissau CroatiaLiberia CyprusLibya Czech RepublicMauritania DenmarkMozambique GeorgiaNamibia GermanyRwanda GreeceSenegal LatviaSierra Leone LuxembourgSomalia MoldoviaSudan NetherlandsTunisia RussianUganda FederationWestern Sahara SloveniaZimbabwe Ukraine

Yugoslavia

Ask students to explain the reasons for the presence of landmines in particularcountries.

COUNTRIES WITH LANDMINES

Learning Activities

23Survive the Peace

Design aLandminePoster orSlogan

Students are informed that they will start the day at school by trying to identifyand empathize with landmine victims. About 28% of mine victims lose one

or both legs. Students are given ropes or scarves which they use to tie their legstogether at ankle level; or to immobilize one leg somehow.

Other students are instructed to tie up one arm, go blindfolded or block uptheir ears to simulate the loss of an arm, eyesight and hearing. They then have tocontinue through their normal *morning activities with their sudden disability.After some significant time, discuss together the difficulties faced.

* This activity could be done for just a few minutes as well.


Activity 3

All LevelsTime: Open

n How would farming, wood gathering,water collection, etc. be with only oneleg or one arm?; without sight orhearing? Students could be asked towrite reflections on their morningexperience.

n If you lost a leg or arm suddenly, howdifficult would it be for you to re-learneveryday tasks and activities? Whatwould happen if your family was notable to afford an artificial limb?

n How might this disability affect thefuture of a landmine victim?

n Sarajevo, Yugoslavia was a modernEuropean city, not unlike Canadiancities in many ways. Yet, during thewar of the early 1990s, Sarajevobecame infested with landmines. Tryto imagine your city or town during awar. Where do you think landminesmight be laid? Which parts of yourcommunity might become danger-ous?

JustTry OneMorning

Activity 4

Grades 1 to 6Time: 20 minutes

S tudents can brainstorm different images and slogans that effec-tively convey the issue. Poster visuals can use symbolism or realism. Discusshow a hidden, subtle or even shocking message can make people think further

about an issue. For example, the Red Cross this year isusing the phrase, If you have survived the war,

try to survive the peace. The resulting workcan be displayed in the school, communityand/or sent to the Red Cross.

Compare and contrast the activities of a North American child or adolescentwith those from developing countries, where most mine victims live.

Surviving Landmines


Activity 5


Get tothe Market

This paper exercise, while not a full-blown physical simulation of a mine-af-fected community, can help convey at least a sense of the difficulties and

dangers posed by landmines.Give students a copy of the village map (next page). The object of this

exercise is to first draw a walking route in pencil from the house to the market.From there, each participant should try to reach the other destinations and arriveback home. Make sure they draw their routes distinctly. After the routes aredrawn, give out the second piece of paper with the landmines (following page),revealing the location of anti-personnel mines. If their routes overlap or touch amine, it means that they have detonated a mine and have been killed or maimed.


n Who made it through the villagesafely? (stand up)

n Why were you successful in avoidingthe landmines?

n What were the difficulties?

n What is the role played by luck andchance?

n Imagine how your daily lives wouldhave to change if your neighbourhoodwere mined in such a fashion.

n If it were, which risks would you cometo accept as just being a part of dailylife?

n Draw their attention to the facts on themap sheet, which demonstrate thedifficulties faced by people in mine-affected communities.

Have students read the essays written by Bosnian children and adolescents.There are four starting on page 40. Discuss life in war-torn countries as a

class or in small groups. Some sample questions:Activity 6

Grades 7 to 12Time: 1 hour

Essays byChildren ofLandmines

n What would life be like if you alwayshad to look down at the ground?

n What would you feel if you couldn’tsafely do ‘normal’ things with yourfriends?

After reading the essays, individual students could take on the role of one ofthe people and present their story to the class, or they could divide into groupsand prepare and dramatize an interview, with one student being a reporter andone the author of the essay.

n How would this change your perspec-tive on life?

Learning Activities

Get to the MarketVillage Map

FACT Landmines are found along roads, in fields andforests, beside power pylons, near wells and river banks,in homes and public buildings. As a result, they cancause economic paralysis by restricting movement inwhat are usually agriculture-based economies.

FACT What people were doing at the time of the mineinjury: working fields/fetching water 20%; travelling 15%;children playing with mines 8%; de-mining 4%; other non-military 38%; fighting 13%; no answer 2%

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Surviving Landmines

Get to the MarketLandmines

Learning Activities

27Survive the Peace

Landmine deminers take great risks in doing their job of helping to rid theplanet of these weapons. The technology of landmine construction is on the

cutting edge, but the devices used to detect landmines reflect, essentially, 1940stechnology. Deminers use a metal detector that is not much different than themetal detectors used by beachcombers to find lost money and jewellery. It isextremely labourious and dangerous work, which involves prodding the groundevery few centimetres with a metal probe or a bayonet, and hoping nothingblows up in your face.

Students are asked to be as creative and imaginative as possible in trying todesign specialized demining suits or in designing a machine which could searchfor and destroy unmarked mines. For example, an engineer in New Zealand hascome up with the idea of using technology very similar to the kind of microwavetechnology used by many of us to cook food. The way microwave ovens work isthat the food heats up because it contains water, but the container, which is dry,remains cool. Similarly, the demining machine would heat up the earth, whichcontains water, but not the landmine, which is dry. Using infra-red detectors, itis possible to �see� the buried mine, which appears as a cold spot on thesurface.


Be anInventor

Activity 7


n Why isn’t it possible to just drive a bigspecialized tank through the mine-fields and destroy all the mines?

n How would you feel if you were toldthat your backyard and neighbour-hood were 80 - 90% free oflandmines? Would you feel safe tocarry on your daily activities?

n Will poor societies be able to afford tobuy and maintain highly sophisticatedmine clearance technology?

n What is the highest priority — to clearthe land with the most landmines, orto clear the land that is the mostimportant to the community? Why?

After some activities and research on the landmines issue, present the studentswith this challenge: �You have been given five minutes of air time (radio or

television) to speak to the world and the world leaders about the importance ofstopping the use of landmines. Your speech will be broadcast to every countryand translated into many languages. You need to be very clear. No other personhas ever had this opportunity before.�

For older students, increase the complexity of this assignment by havingthem write in a persuasive style, anticipating the various arguments for thecontinued use of landmines. In their speeches, they can provide a rebuttal aswell as alternative points of view.

A Call tothe World

Activity 8

Grades 7 to 12Time: 1 hour

Surviving Landmines


Activity 9


AnOrdinary

DayVideo

There are seven people in this ten minute video, each of whom describes thecircumstances of an encounter with a landmine and the consequences on his

or her life. It is very workable to show only the first three scenarios (five minutes)in which the main consequences are highlighted.

Alert the audience to the fact that they will hear fairly loud explosions duringthe video, but assure them that there are no gory or bloody scenes. Facts appearin red printing on the screen, but for older eyes and larger audiences, it may benecessary to read out the captions. The script and the captions for the first threevictims� stories are provided in this section.


n What are your responses to this video?(It is important to allow people toexpress any immediate reactions tothe material before moving on toanalyse the information. It is notcommon, but there may be somepeople who have found it difficultwatching.)

n What were some of the effects oflandmines, based on the video youjust watched?

n A list of social, economic and medicalfollows (The Real Human Cost ofLandmines) as a guideline for thissection. There is not a lot of time toget into any detail (ten minutes!), soit’s important to give the audience anidea of the scope of the problem on ahuman level.

n You could write down the three mainheadings (social, economic, medical)as a starting point. No matter howmuch or how little the audiencemembers come up with, run throughthe highlights from the list on the nextpage to complete the analysis (in yourown words, of course!)

Learning Activities

29Survive the Peace

Social Implications

n In agrarian societies, amputees are unable to work, so they often becomea burden to their families.

n Often they are driven to beg on the streets of cities for a meagre living.

n If the person is unmarried before the amputation, especially a woman, thechances of marrying and having children are very limited due to culturaland religious stigma attached to persons who are no longer considered ofvalue.

The RealHuman Costs

of Landminesdebriefing ofAn Ordinary Dayvideo

Medical Implications

n Victims need twice as many blood transfusions as traditional battlefieldinjuries.

n Landmine patients need an average of four operations and spend 32 daysin hospital.

n Artificial limbs cost US$125 each; and children need a new one every sixmonths, adults every 3-5 years.

n Surgical care and the fitting of a artificial limb costs about US$3,000.

n There is usually little or no medical infrastructure available to aid victims.

n In some countries, more than one third of the victims are women andchildren.

Activity 9continued

Economic Implications

n National development is drastically affected.- farming and transportation services grind to a halt- reconstruction of damage is often impossible (rail and road networks,power lines, and waterways)

n Reconstruction of human services infrastructure is slowed.- minefields impede mobility of teachers, technicians, health-care workers

n Mines block access to vast stretches of usable land.- people are often forced to move on to ecologically vulnerable land,which can prove dangerous to them (floods, drought, etc.) or very unpro-ductive.

n The disruption of internal markets leads to high inflation.

n The decrease in agricultural production often leads to longer term depend-ency on international humanitarian assistance.

n These relief operations are made up to 25 times more expensive becauseof security measures that must be taken.

n Landmine clearance is very costly to a society trying to rebuild.

Surviving Landmines


Scenario #1 Alima, 19-year-old Angolan womanI was 19-years-old at the time. We knew that there were mines all around,

but the harvest had to be taken in, and the whole village was working in thefields. It was in the afternoon, and three of us girls were walking in single filealong a little path with our baskets full. [BOOM]

I wanted to marry and have children, a family. Now no man will marry mebecause I have lost a leg. So I went back to work as before. Many of the fieldshave had to be abandoned because of the mines. Some have been cleared, butaccidents still happen. I�m afraid, but what else can I do.

n There are more than 110 million mines in the world.(Ed. Note: revised estimate 60-100 million)

n Every year between two and five million new mines are laid.

n Every year between five and ten million mines are manufactured.

Scenario #2 Fazzudin, 8-year-old Afghani boyIt was just an ordinary day. Ever since I was quite small I have been looking

after sheep, and I had taken the flock out much earlier. That morning I hadsomething to do in the sheep pen. As soon as I went in, I saw a funny lookingobject on the ground. I wanted to know what it was so I picked it up. [BOOM]I have been nearly a year in hospital. They have told me that I can go home soon.But I know that I can never look after the sheep again.

n Every month 2,000 people are killed or maimed by mines.

n When they do not kill, mines cause brutal injuries, amputations or severe physicaldisability.

n It costs about US$3,000 to care for an amputee in parts of the world where the averageincome is US$12 a month.

Scenario #3 You Eng, 65-year-old Cambodian manI was asleep in front of the house when I was awakened by the sound of an

explosion and my son�s voice calling for help. My grandson was laying in theroad, his left leg shattered by the mine blast. My son ran off to seek help. I wasthere looking at Chun who was writhing with pain and took him in my arms.When I started to get up, I lost my balance a little and my right foot hit some-thing. [BOOM] My right leg was amputated at mid-thigh. My grandson�s left legwas cut off a little higher up. We still have to wait three months for the stumps toheal before we can go and see about artificial legs. A few years ago, my olderson and daughter-in-law were killed by mines. Now I can no longer feed myfamily, and this makes me ashamed.

n Most mine victims are civilians.

n Most accidents occur once hostilities are over.

n In some countries, more than one-third of the victims are women and children.

Script andFacts

(for the first 3speakers)

Activity 9continued

Learning Activities

31Survive the Peace

LandmineTrue orFalse Quiz

Activity 10


This activity usually works as a brief introduction to some of the basic factsunderlying the broad landmines issue. Even though the public has more

awareness than before, the answers to this quiz will still, no doubt, surprisestudents and capture their interest.this activity usually works as a brief introduc-tion to some of the basic facts underlying the broad landmines issue.

One way of doing it is to have students partner up. After asking a question,give them 15-30 seconds to think and discuss. Ask for volunteers to answer, thengive the correct answer, along with the amount of information you wish to revealat this time � again, it can be brief or lengthy, depending on your goals. Someof the answers may go into more detail than you might want to use in a quizformat. This is to help the teacher or facilitator with background knowledge.

1 There are more than 60 million landmines in the worldtoday.

TRUE This seems the low end of the current estimate. However, the exact numbercan never really be known with any certainty. We do know that there are landmines andother unexploded ordnance (munitions) in many countries – and the stockpiles in themilitary arsenals of 105 countries are estimated at 250 million.

More important than the number of mines is the location of the mines. Worldwideefforts are being made to identify and remove mines from the most critical and useableland, so people, communities and nations can begin to reconstruct their lives. Otherless critical areas can be marked and left until later.

2 Landmines are present in about 35 countries.

FALSE Landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) affect 88 countries in theworld today. Some of the most heavily infested countries are Afghanistan, Cambodia,Angola, Mozambique, and Bosnia.

Landmines are still being used in many places including Angola, the DemocraticRepublic of Congo, Somalia and Sudan in Africa; Colombia in the Americas; Afghani-stan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines in Asia-Pacific; Georgia, Russia and Turkey/Northern Iraq in Europe/Central Asia; and Lebanon in the Middle East.

3 Mines kill or maim an equal number of fighting personneland civilians.

FALSE Only 13% of those affected by landmines are fighting personnel.

Those who are killed or injured by landmines are usually ordinary people trying toget on with their lives as best they can: a seventeen-year-old boy describes being onhis way home from a birthday party on a sunny day when he was blown up; a twenty-one-year-old woman stepped on a mine her grandmother had put in the storage roomof their house, not knowing what it was.

The ICRC studied 26 recent conflicts and found that in not one case didlandmines play a major role in the outcome. Even worse, the study found that a land

Surviving Landmines


mine is ten times more likely to kill a civilian than a combatant. Mines are usuallyscattered indiscriminately, unmarked — on village paths, in agricultural fields, and ondirt roads which civilian men, women and children must use in their daily tasks offarming, tending livestock and travelling from place to place.

In some countries, between 30-40% of mine casualties are found among childrenbelow 15 years of age. Child amputees require new prostheses twice a year whilegrowing; adults once every two or three years for life, costing an average of US$10,000for each survivor.

4 The average price to manufacture a landmine is quite low,about US $100.

FALSE Some models cost as little as $3 to make, and others can cost up to $30.However, when it comes to clearing them, the costs rise to from $300-1,000 each.

5 It will take about 100 years to get rid of all the activelandmines in the ground.

FALSE As we saw from Question #1, we don’t need to remove all the mines in orderto solve the problem – we just need to focus on the areas where people live and work.Clearing of the high-priority areas could happen in decades, not centuries, if the worldcommunity has the will and the resources.

As recently as 1996, the estimate was 1,000 years, partly because we werethinking of removing all the mines, but also because we were laying 20 mines for everyone we removed – a situation the Landmine Ban Treaty has reversed dramatically.

6 About 100 countries have signed the 1997 Landmine BanTreaty.

FALSE In fact, many more have signed. – over two-thirds of the nations on earthhave joined the treaty process. As of March 2001, 139 have signed and 110 haveratified the Treaty. On March 1, 1999, the Treaty came into full force., making it thefastest ratified international treaty in human history.

LandmineTrue or

False Quiz

Activity 10continued

Learning Activities

33Survive the Peace

WhatWould itbe Like?A VisualizationExercise

Activity 11


This activity has been designed to help students empathize with victims oflandmines and appreciate the personal impact of landmines before introduc-

ing the information part of the issue. As you begin, remind students that althoughyou will be asking questions as a way of stimulating their imagination, they arenot to answer out loud. This is a silent, reflective activity.

NOTE: As the facilitator, it is important that you provide a long enoughperiod of silence (3-4 seconds) after each question/suggestion, in order to allowthe students to visualize that element before moving on to another one.

Ask the students to individually think of an activity they love to do. Encour-age them to do so without a lot of thinking � just �brainstorm� quickly withthemselves silently. Offer your own examples as a starter if necessary. Again, thisis not a discussion activity, but rather a personal reflection/visualization exercise.

Now ask everyone to close their eyes. (You might like to acknowledge thatthis is an usual request, especially if you are new to this group.)

Ask each person to see themselves doing the activity they thought of:

n �Picture yourself doing thisactivity.�

n �Who is with you?�

n �Are you good at this activity?�

n �How do you feel?�

n �How much fun are youhaving?�

Now ask them to picture what this activity would be like with their dominantarm missing. Ask the questions in the present tense to establish empathy withthe personal implications of such an injury. For example:

n �How difficult is this activitynow � or is it even possible?�

n �How long will it take to learn

to do this without the arm?�

n �Does it hurt?�

n �How do you feel?�

Now ask them to imagine doing this activity with one of their legs missing.

n �How does this injury changethis activity for you?�

n �How is it more difficult now?�

n �Is it even possible?� �... orsafe?�

n �How do you feel about yourfuture?�

n �How do you feel about yourself?�

Tell them they lost their arm or leg while going about their daily business �working in the fields, fetching water or firewood, going to market, walking toschool, playing ...

Bring them back to the image of being fully able bodied and enjoying theirfavourite activity for a few moments. Then have them open their eyes slowly.

Surviving Landmines


Lead into another activity by stating that what they visualized is the reality forthousands of people whose lives have been suddenly changed forever bylandmines.

n How many people felt that theirfavourite activity was affected signifi-cantly by the arm injury?

n How many felt their activity wasaffected by the loss of one leg?

n What kind of effort would be requiredto retrain yourself to do this activity?

n Which feelings came up for you as yourealized the injury had affected yourability to do this activity? (e.g. sad-ness, loneliness, anger, fear, a senseof unfairness)

n What if you were not able to receive anartificial limb? Would you, or couldyou, continue to do this activity?


What Wouldit be Like?


Learning Activities

35Survive the Peace

This is a series of related activities designed and implemented by students atArgyle Secondary in North Vancouver, B.C., during a landmines awareness

week in February 1999.

Extended Awareness Campaign (day or week-long)1 Arrange with the school administration to ring the school every 22 minutes.

Nobody will understand what it means at first, but after the third ringing, itis announced that each sounding of the bell symbolizes someone some-where in the world stepping on a landmine.

If you can get the administration on board, keep ringing the bell throughoutthe whole day, accompanied by a brief landmine fact over the public ad-dress system.

2 Use some of the landmine victim scenarios included in this section, orcreate your own from the package materials. Attach each scenario to acorresponding coloured ribbon (e.g. wounded red, dead black, indirectlyaffected yellow). Every day after school, tape the scenarios with their match-ing ribbon under 20 or so desks (at least one scenario per class), in prepara-tion for the next day.

The next morning, after the landmine fact is read on the announcements, allthe students are instructed to look under their desks to see if and how theyhave been affected. If the teachers are willing, have them generate a briefdiscussion about how this person and their family will be affected by thelandmine injury.

Those that are affected are asked to wear the ribbon around their arm inrecognition of the victim they represent. If they are seen wearing the ribbonthroughout the day, they are given a prize. It won�t take long for this tocatch on � at Argyle Secondary, students wouldn�t even wait for the an-nouncements to look under their desks.

The organizers mentioned that it was neat to see how, by the end of theweek, the majority of students knew at least one landmine fact and knewthat there was an anti-landmine campaign going on in the school � andsome people who they didn�t expect to have any social conscience wereseen wearing ribbons around school.

3 You could put up posters (from Red Cross, Foreign Affairs, Mines ActionCanada, as well as creating your own) all over the school. Each postercould contain one landmine fact, and every day on the announcements adifferent fact can also be read.

4 Fundraising - Cut out a bunch of paper landmines and tape them to a largebanner. Behind some of the landmines is written a �prize� they have won(donated by local businesses). For every loonie (or twoonie) donated bystudents, they could symbolically remove a landmine from their �landminefield�. You could also use the Survive the Peace fridge magnets and stickersto produce a fundraising minefield.

Every 22Minutes

Activity 12


Surviving Landmines


5 Within an Awareness Session - If you only have a one hour session, thisactivity can be adapted for a one-time only situation. Put one colouredribbon and scenario under one desk in each row. Set a timer or alarm clockto go off after 22 minutes. When the alarm goes off, explain the significanceof the 22 minutes. Ask people in a particular row to look under their desks(quickly resetting the timer again for 22 minutes!), then have the �winner�read out the scenario to the rest of the class.

Ask some questions about the consequences for the victims, their familiesand communities. Continue the session, and when the alarm goes off 22minutes later, repeat with a scenario from a different row.


Facilitator Copy (with debriefing questions)Indirectly Affected (Colour: Yellow )

I am a child living in Mozambique. As usual, my mother woke up early thismorning to tend her small farm. While gathering dry grass, she felt a strange object.She took a hoe and beat the land to remove the object. It exploded, throwing herbackwards. She was unable to stand. Help came after hearing the explosion and mymother�s cries for help. However, she died on the way to the hospital. Because ofthe explosion, my two brothers and sisters and I are now orphaned�our father haddied previously during the war, which ended five years ago.

MineVictim

Scenarios

n Who will look after the children? How?

n When is the war really ‘over’?

Killed (Colour: Black)

I live in Cambodia with my wife, where we farm a small patch of land. At8:00 this morning, we found a mine buried in the land where we were plantingrice. At first, we thought it was a pot. My wife advised me not to touch it, sinceshe had learned in mine awareness sessions that mines or explosives oftenresemble pots. I insisted and began to uncover it. It exploded seriously injuringboth my legs. After two hours with no medical assistance, I died.

n How do landmines make earning aliving a dangerous activity?

Injured (Colour: Red )

I live in Bosnia-Herzegovina and support my three children by making pottery.One day, I activated a mine while gathering clay at the edge of the river, which wasnot supposed to have landmines. I awoke two days later in the hospital with norecollection of the incident. I lost my right leg and right arm but I continue to makepottery, helped by my children and friends who gather clay. My husband left me tolive with another woman and I am often alone. Once, I even thought of suicide butcould not bear the thought of abandoning my children.

n What will become of the elderly wife?

n Why did it take so long to get help?

n What happens if people are too afraidto farm the land?

n Who will provide for the physical andpsychological needs of this victim?

n How can landmine injuries particularlyaffect women?

n When is an area completely safe from landmines?

Learning Activities

37Survive the Peace

I am a child living in Mozambique. As usual, my mother woke up early thismorning to tend her small farm. While gathering dry grass, she felt a strange object.She took a hoe and beat the land to remove the object. It exploded, throwing herbackwards. She was unable to stand. Help came after hearing the explosion and mymother�s cries for help. However, she died on the way to the hospital. Because ofthe explosion, my two brothers and sisters and I are now orphaned�our father haddied previously during the war, which ended five years ago.

I live in Cambodia with my wife, where we farm a small patch of land. At8:00 this morning, we found a mine buried in the land where we were plantingrice. At first, we thought it was a pot. My wife advised me not to touch it, sinceshe had learned in mine awareness sessions that mines or explosives oftenresemble pots. I insisted and began to uncover it. It exploded seriously, injuringboth my legs. After two hours with no medical assistance, I died.

I live in Bosnia-Herzegovina and support my three children by making pottery.One day, I activated a mine while gathering clay at the edge of the river, which wasnot supposed to have landmines. I awoke two days later in the hospital with norecollection of the incident. I lost my right leg and right arm but I continue to makepottery, helped by my children and friends who gather clay. My husband left me tolive with another woman and I am often alone. Once, I even thought of suicide butcould not bear the thought of abandoning my children.

I am 14 years old, living in El Salvador. I was going to collect maize (corn)with my family along a main road near our village. I was seated in an ox-drawncart while my mother and sister walked behind, when one of the oxen trod on anantipersonnel mine. I was injured � lost a foot and an eye � and both animalsdied instantly.

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MineVictimScenariosMaster Sheet


Injured (Colour: Red )

I am 14 years old, living in El Salvador. I was going to collect maize (corn)with my family along a main road near our village. I was seated in an ox-drawncart while my mother and sister walked behind, when one of the oxen trod on anantipersonnel mine. I was injured � lost a foot and an eye � and both animalsdied instantly.

n Will the family be able to afford the medical costs?

n What effect will the loss of the oxen have on the family?

n How will this “accident” affect the child’s career and future?

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Surviving Landmines


First award,Melisa Dzanovic, VIII/2

First elementary schoolGracanica

Bosnia-Herzegovina


Survivethe peace

No, no don�t look at the sky, they cannot do you any harm from above anymore.Lower your head because the danger is in your mother earth.If you have survived the war, try to survive the peace!The enemy is in the earth and is scattered everywhere around children�s innocence.Be careful, my friend, they watch every move you make, they know what you will step on, they are waiting for you, tricking you...Mines!Stop! Don�t touch them! They are very sensitive to touch.If you accidentally step on or pull their thin hair, which is everywhere around you, they will not cry.You are the one, my friend, who will cry for them! Or your mother!They are not your toys.They are the toys of war, which is gone, and you make sure that they go along.And don�t say: �I know how to handle them�, because nobody knows how to handle them,they are an eternal school, and you are allowed to make only one mistake.Do not look for them in the meadows and forests, because carelessness, your constant companion, will lead you straight to them, to their kingdom that will take a part or the whole of your young life.Therefore, my friend, do not look at the sky, do not count the stars, do not look at the yellow moon, because in a split second it (your world) can become bloody.It only takes one wrong step, so lower your head, my friend, your enemy is in the earth!It has surrounded you with a thick wire...Remember, there is something worse than a war: survive, my friend, the peace!

Learning Activities

39Survive the Peace


If therewere nomines

Haseda Suljanovic - 7th gradeSrpska kostajnicaRepublika Srpska

How tolive withminesAdmir Mujkic IV/1Secondary SchoolVelika BrijesnicaDoboj - EastIII Award

I feel freedom in every moment, I feel it in my soul.

Everything is so big, so free.

I listen to murmuring streams and singing birds, and I feel the spring call

me.Nature wants to grow and to love.

And I love.I love my friends. I love my street. I love the sun and yellow

dandelions scattered in the meadow...

And thenThe sun becomes dark, birds stop their song. Silence.

A young man is walking down the street, without a leg.

No, he did not lose his leg during the war. It happened

recently. He was picking the first spring flowers.

Maybe he was in love, a forgotten mine took away his young dreams.

It is clearer to me now why my grandpa often says:

�How will I work in the field, there are so many mines planted there?�

My grandpa�s question steals away my spring dream. It brings anxiety.

If there were no mines, everything would be so endlessly big and free.

Night. Snowy, cold and quiet. I�m in bed and reading. Suddenly adetonation, somewhere outside. All of us in the house look at eachother, exchanging thoughts with our eyes. There is no voice. The war isstill in our hearts, souls, and in our memory. Somebody says: �Mostprobably an animal stepped on a mine over there in the field�. Wecontinue to rest. And I�m thinking. Spring will come soon, warm nightsfull of temptation to go out for a walk. We have had enough ofsmoke-filled cafes. But, where to go? Mines are all around us. Ourfields, meadows, forests are most probably covered with mines. Andthat could probably ruin my life, or somebody else�s life, youth, beliefs,love. I want to run through flowery fields with my girlfriend, I want topick the first violet for her, to climb the trees in forests. I want to lie inthe grass and watch the sky for hours, I want to dream. I�m only 18. Ihave somehow managed to survive this dirty war. But, I wonderwhether I have really survived. Should all my life be permanentlymarked with the word �MINE�? Mines are all around us. The enemyplaced warnings on every corner. Instead of posters announcing rockconcerts, sport competitions or fashion shows, my school is coveredwith posters �MISLI MINE�. How long will it last for? I want to walkfreely, to be free, to once and for all forget the words: WAR... DAN-GER... MINE... FEAR. I�m demanding, I�m asking all those who canhelp to clear our meadows from mines, replace them with ants, rabbits,crickets, couples in love, children�s play. Because, remember, it is notonly one life in question, one arm or a leg, but it is thousands andthousands of cases. That is why I�m asking you to help us and Bosnia.

Surviving Landmines



How minescan ruinmy life

Nebojsa Djukanovic6th Grade

Petrovo

The war is over. No more hissing of the shells, strong detonations andthe sound of sirens that make your knees weak and give you that sickfeeling in the stomach.

Freedom and games in the fields, that were almost empty during the war,are so great.

Life and struggle to survive go on. Most of the families are familiar withcrisis and lack of money.

Marko was a fifth-grade pupil. His family was faced with the sameproblems. They had to work hard to survive. Even the children had towork.

That day, Marko went with his father to get some firewood from theforest, so that they could use it during the winter. They had to wake upearly, because the forest was pretty remote. The forest that was close totheir house had been cut down. The horse kept stopping, and only thesmacking of the whip would keep it moving. Traces of battles during thewar could still be seen as they passed by trees with broken branches andcuts. They found a convenient place to leave their cart. Soon, the soundof a saw and an axe could be heard. Sweat was soaking their clothes asthe pile of wood was becoming bigger. They concluded that they had cutenough wood. They put away their tools. Father sat on a tree-stump andenjoyed his cigarette. Marko brought the bag with food.While he waited for his father to finish his cigarette, Marko saw a littlegray rabbit. Marko wanted to pet it. He carefully stepped toward it, butthe rabbit quickly disappeared in the thin fern. Marko ran after it. But therabbit was moving away quickly. He lead the boy further and further.Something exploded beneath his feet. �Is it lightning or thunder?What was it?�

He was sick with pain. Somebody called his name.�Is that my father�s voice?�

As if looking through the mist, he saw his father�s fixed stare.�Why is my father worried? Why is he crying? I�ve never seen tears onmy father�s face.�

He was trying to tighten something around Marko�s leg. There was bloodeverywhere. Pain was becoming stronger. The only sound was his fa-ther�s heavy breathing. And then, heavy darkness.It has all been forgotten.

At the soccer match my attention is attracted by a boy with crutches.One leg of his trousers is hanging empty. My heart trembled. It�s Marko.

Learning Activities

41Survive the Peace

Dervisa�s house on the outskirts of Sarajevo was badly damaged in the

war. During a visit to the ruined house on 18 August 1996, Dervisa

was picking plums in the garden when she stepped on a blast mine.

Neighbours who witnessed the accident rushed to her rescue. Hearing

the explosion, her husband, who was in the house at the time, told his

son: �Don�t worry; it isn�t your mother. I walked that way yesterday and

there are no mines.�

Fully conscious, Dervisa applied her head scarf to her leg as a tourniquet

and shouted over to her neighbours, �I�ve lost my leg.� They rushed her

by car to the nearest health centre where she received first aid. She was

then transferred by ambulance to Kosevo hospital in Sarajevo, where she

was operated on within 20 minutes of her arrival. Her lower leg was

amputated. After four days her wound was closed and within two

weeks she left hospital. She received no further treatment, rehabilitation

or therapy.

In May 1997, Dervisa bought an artificial leg from a prosthetics company

in Sarajevo. Having tried unsuccessfully for months to get a prosthesis,

she was eventually promised one through a personal contact. However,

it soon became clear that it would cost her $US 1,200. Dervisa and her

husband turned to friends, relatives and former colleagues to raise the

necessary funds.

Her artificial leg has changed her life. At first, she found it painful to

wear, but now she declares that she couldn�t live without it. Shedoesn�t suffer from anyflashbacks or night-mares, but she doeshave terrible phantompain in her leg when it

rains. At times, theyare so bad she cannotstop crying.

Prior to her accident,Dervisa used to work a

lot in the garden and the

fields. Now she can no

longer participate. She

receives a disabilitybenefit of US$9 a month.

She feels strongly about

the use of mines in her

country; �They must all

be removed. I�ve beeninjured but othersshouldn�t be. If I could, I

would pay deminersmyself to remove them all.�

Profileof a minevictimName: Dervisa CovicAge: 51Gender: FemaleStatus: Civilian and displaced personPlace of Injury: Grivici, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Surviving Landmines


GlobalEducatorTraining

LandminesPublic

Session

Part I Introduction

Options:• What would it be like? visualization exercise, Pg. 33• Get to the Market village map activity, Pg. 24• Every 22 Minutes scenario, Pg. 35• I thought we could play here, Pg. 21• Just try one morning, Pg. 23• An Ordinary Day video vignette, Pg. 28

• Presenter background (What you do, your role with Red Cross / yourorganization, your motivation)

• Topic of session: Landmines and Survive the Peace• we have made a lot of progress around the landmines issue• this worldwide problem persists even after a conflict is over

Purpose

To increase public awareness concerning the humanitarian crisis caused bylandmines throughout the world, and encourage involvement in ending the dam-age and suffering caused by these weapons

Objectives

By the end of the session, the participants should be able to:

n identify the true human cost of landmines (social, economic and medical).

n recognize both the substantial steps being taken by the world community tosolve the problem and the significant challenges that we face right now.

n understand how to take some personal practical action towards ridding theworld of these weapons and assisting mine-affected people and communities.

Session OutlineOne-hour

Sample

Part I Introduction 10 Min.

1. Opening exercise2. Introduction of presenter(s) and topic3. Red Cross, International Humanitarian Law

and the landmines issue

Part II Activities and Debriefing 40 Min.1. Setting the Stage ( 5 min.)2. Background Knowledge (10 min.)3. The Real Human Cost (15 min.)4. The Four-Step Solution (10 min.)

Part III Conclusion 10 Min.1. Taking Action (7-8 min.)2. Closing remarks (2-3 min.)

Facilitator Notes

OpeningExercise

Introduction toSession

Learning Activities

43Survive the Peace

• we could actually solve this problem in the next decade• this session will contain both the �bad� and the �good� news

Why is Red Cross [or your organization] involved in the landmines issue?

• origins of Red Cross (assistance and protection, neutral intermediary)• Red Cross promotes Humanitarian Law / Geneva Conventions

• 2 laws concerning protection of civilians are violated by mines• 1997 Global Ban Treaty

• recognized that treating victims alone wasn�t enough• need to ban weapons first• Red Cross took on role of advocate

• part of international movement to end the suffering caused by landmines

Part II Activities and Debriefing

• Ask: �What can you tell me about landmines and the landmine problem?�[NOTE: Although this sounds obvious, please ensure at the outset thatthe audience knows what a landmine is ...]

• The Landmine True or False Quiz (Pg.31) can be used to draw out thegroup�s existing knowledge,while providing some basic facts.

Options:• Man-made Epidemic video (9 min.)

This video, available from the Red Cross, gives a solid overview of thelandmines issue and can also set up the next section. Be sure to provide agentle warning about the amputation scene.

OR

• Slide show (10 min.) [Available from many Red Cross offices.]Follow the script provided with the slides (50), trying as much as possible tomake the script reading as �conversational� as possible. Let the audienceknow that the first 5-6 slides show some of the devastating impact of landmineson the human body ... they can close their eyes or look away if they find ittoo intense. But also let them know that these images also represent the needfor the world to do something now.

OR

• An Ordinary Day videoThe first three vignettes (5 min.) are sufficient. See page 28.

This is where we direct participants towards the examination of the fullconsequences of landmines on individuals, families, communities andnations.• Ask them to work in groups to brainstorm these consequences under either

the medical, economic or social headings.• In a class of 25-30 students, you could form six groups, two working on

each heading.

Red Cross andLandmines

Setting the Stage

BackgroundKnowledge

The Real HumanCost

Surviving Landmines


• Ask one group with Medical Consequences to give three items, then askthe second group. Put these ideas on the board inside of a large oval. Thenmove on to the Economic and Social Consequences in like manner.

See the An Ordinary Day video activity (Pg.28) for details � it is not necessaryto watch that particular video in order to do this activity. Enough knowledgecan be gained from either the Man-made Epidemic video or the Slide Show toprovide participants with fuel for this activity.

NOTE: One of the Every 22 Minutes scenarios could be inserted 22 minutesinto the session, and then again at 44 minutes (see Pg. 35)

• �What SHOULD be done?�Ask audience members, �Overlooking all obstacles for a moment, whatshould be the human response to change and improve the situationthroughout the world?�

Some suggestions that will come up:• stop producing mines • raise money • increase public awareness• stop using mines • broaden ban treaty • help the victims• punish violators • clear the present mines • new demining technology

Draw a second oval outside of the one in the above exercise. In the outsideoval, write in the four steps i.e. Ban Treaty, Mine Clearance, Mine Awareness,and Victim Assistance. Put one in each of the �north/south/east/west� quad-rants, as they will together address the problems identified in the previousgroup exercise. The other items not included will likely come out duringTaking Action section of the Conclusion.

• �What IS being done NOW?�Now give the audience an update of these solutions as they are actuallybeing applied, building on the ideas they provided during the brainstorm� and be certain to leave them with a clear sense of the four main actionsbeing taken:

Brief Details1. the progress of the global ban treaty*2. the demining activities and challenges

• At the present time, mine clearing operations are still happeningat a limited and slow pace.

• There is a major difference between humanitarian and militarydemining.

• Not enough money, resources, and research and developmentare being provided for these demining operations.

• Several humanitarian organizations as well as military forces areassisting with mine clearance and training, respectively.

The Four-stepSolution

The Real HumanCost continued

Learning Activities

45Survive the Peace

3. assistance to victims, including:• medical and rehabilitation services (including trauma recovery)• economic reintegration• social reintegration

4. mine awareness programs in mine-affected countries

*It is important to place the international response to landmines in a largercontext of humanitarian law:

• the banning of other weapons in the past (exploding bullets, poison gases,chemical weapons, biological weapons, blinding laser weapons) or in thefuture (cluster bombs)• the process to create an international criminal court (ICC) to prosecutethose who commit war crimes (genocide, crimes against humanity, rape,violations of humanitarian law) � including the three current tribunals:• former Yugoslavia (Croatia, Bosnia, Kosovo)• Rwanda• Sierra Leone• the worldwide focus on protecting and assisting children affected by armedconflict and banning the use of child soldiers

Part III Conclusion

• Ask the audience: �What can we do?�• Using handouts, talk about the options available for continued learning and

taking action to make a difference.

• Encourage them to pick up any information sheets available or to contact thelocal Red Cross office, or the Youth Mine Action Ambassador if there is onein their area (at the Red Cross office or at another organization) if they needinformation, want to volunteer, or want to help raise funds.

• Options:• The 2-minute video �How Landmines Have Ruined My Life, featuring an

essay and art work from Bosnian children, is very effective with highschool and adult audiences.

• Or, you could read out a brief segment from another of the children�sessays included in the landmines package.

• Ask audience members to reflect what their life would be like if theirneighbourhood or community were mined and dangerous. Use placesfamiliar to the audience � a park, the school yard, a main street, anearby commercial area, and so on � in an effort to bring the issuehome.

• You could remind them that Sarajevo, Yugoslavia was a highly-developedcity, similar in some ways to Greater Vancouver. They hosted the 1984Winter Olympics, but in the early 1990s Sarajevo was a battle ground,full of landmines.

• Link back in some way to an opening activity or something during thesession that was meaningful.

Taking Action

Closing

Notes...

profile of a mine victim

...Her artificial leg has changed her life. At first, she foundit painful to wear, but now she declares that she couldn’tlive without it. She doesn’t suffer from any flashbacks ornightmares, but she does have terrible phantom pain in herleg when it rains. At times, they are so bad she cannotstop crying.

Prior to her accident, Dervisa used to work a lot in thegarden and the fields. Now she can no longer participate.She receives a disability benefit of US$9 a month. Shefeels strongly about the use of mines in her country; “Theymust all be removed. I’ve been injured but others shouldn’tbe. If I could, I would pay deminers myself to remove themall.”...

Name: Dervisa CovicAge: 51Gender: FemaleStatus: Civilian and displaced person

actionTaking

Notes...

Taking Action

49Survive the Peace

The support of every Canadian willbe needed if the landmines crisis is tobe solved within a reasonable time.Even if as of today, now, suddenly amiracle happened and there are nomore new victims, there are still morethan 300,000 direct victims oflandmines since the mid-1980s andmillions of indirect victims (family mem-bers, communities, the educational sys-tem et. al.). The truth is that thelandmines crisis will be with us for along time to come.

We must maintain public interestin the issue and public concern. In thisway, and in this way only, will a longterm solution be possible. Canadianseverywhere must ensure that their gov-ernment and non-governmental organi-zations know how important thelandmine crisis is to them personallyand how important it is for Canada tostay at the forefront of nations seekingto find the most humane and rapid so-lutions to the crisis.

There are two basic approaches tomaintaining public interest. One ap-proach is to ensure that landmine in-formation is easily available to anyonewho wants it. Information on thelandmine issue is vast and changes rap-idly. More nations sign and ratify thetreaty. The landmine situation improvesin one country but deteriorates in an-

What can I do?

The Need to StayInvolved

other. New technologies are developedand tested. It is not a static body ofknowledge. To make intelligent judge-ments about any and all aspects of theissue, an individual has to stay abreastof all the changes and developments.

The other approach is related tothe first. It means making a personalcommitment to educating and sensitiz-ing others to the issue. This can be donethrough schools, community organiza-tions, or national and international or-ganizations such as Red Cross, and par-ticipation in community landmineevents. Personal commitment here inCanada translates into lives saved andsurvivors helped in mine-affected coun-tries. It�s that simple.

The list of ideas on the next pagesis intended to be a �starter� kit�, togive the essence of what it means to becommitted to the solution of thelandmines crisis and to answer the ques-tion �What can you do to help?� Trythe activities, if you like them or havesuggestions for improvements, let usknow. We are more than happy to dis-cuss them with you.

Contact the Red Crossoffice nearest you formore information aboutlandmines and for help inorganizing school andcommunity educationaland fundraising projects.

We’re happy to help in anyway we can.

IdeasAction

Find out more information on thelandmines issue (see the section onRecommended Learning Resources).It can help you navigate your waythrough the very complex body oflandmine information and answeryour questions.

Write to government and electedrepresentatives. Canada has taken aleadership role on the landminesissue, and our government is to becongratulated. Government officialsprobably do not receive many lettersof congratulations, so they would benoticed. But you can also write toencourage Canada�s on-going fundingof urgently needed mine clearanceand victim treatment and rehabilita-tion worldwide.

You can write to the Minister ofForeign Affairs, to your Member ofParliament in Ottawa, or to the localconstituency office in your riding. Nopostage is necessary if your letter isaddressed to: House of Commons,Ottawa ON K1A 0A6.

Organize a larger landmines aware-ness event in your school. This couldinvolve several classes, or it couldeven be made available to the entireschool. Contact your local Red Crossfor help or the Youth Mine ActionAmbassador in your area.

Join or start a Red Cross or globalissues club at your school. Get in-volved with other students who arecommitted to social justice anddevelopment. Contact your local RedCross office (see addresses on lastpage) to become a volunteer in theirlandmine campaign activities.

Get involved in raising funds foroperations in mine-affected countriesand communities: Red CrossLandmine Survivors Fund providesmedical and rehabilitation servicesand mine awareness programs. Manygood ideas exist already in schools,but a favourite over the years hasbeen the Starve-a-Thon, or 24-HourFamine activity.

Consider contacting all local mediasources regarding events you areholding around this issue.

You could also write letters to theeditor, contribute essays or even anyartwork or posters for possible publi-cation in your local newspaper. Shareyour knowledge, ideas and con-cerns.

&

organize anawarenessevent

get moreinfo

volunteer

write to thegovernment

raise money

contact themedia

You�ll find more informationon the landmines issue inRecommended LearningResources (page 50). It canhelp you navigate your waythrough thevery com-plex bodyof landmineinformation.

The Canadian Red Cross supports three overseas Mine Action projects and more may soon be developed:

Tajikistan...The reconstruction and re-equipping of the only orthopedic centre in the country located in the capital, Dushanbe, theCentre is completely financed by the Canadian Red Cross and a private donor. By the year 2000, it will be able to provideservice to the estimated 3,000 amputees in the country.

Nicaragua...The Canadian Red Cross has already purchased an emergency response vehicle — an ambulance — to be used toback-up the work of the country’s deminers and has provided funds for the “Nino a Nino” mine awareness campaign. Expansionof the project in the future may focus on providing long term assistance to the country’s amputees at the orthopedic centre inManagua.

Mozambique...Through a partnership with the Mozambique Red Cross and working in collaboration with the Spanish andSwedish Red Cross Societies, this project will locate individual mine victims in two provinces, conduct a personalized needsassessment, arrange for transportation to and from an orthopedic centre and provide support to the patient and his family whilehe/she is in the centre.

For high schools, consider staging the play Boom, which was commissioned by theCanadian Red Cross in 1997 as a tangible way for young Canadians to become in-volved in the solution to the global landmine problem. It is both an educational andfundraising activity that allows youth to contribute to Red Cross humanitarian pro-grams all over the world that help thousands of landmine victims to rebuild their lives.Boom is a fifty-minute play, with music, designed to be performed by young peoplewith a cast of anywhere from six to twenty actors. It addresses the important humani-tarian issue of landmines from the perspective of a friendship between two youngpeople � a Canadian teenager and a Croatian teenager. Contact a Red Cross officefor the Boom Kit containing the script and the production notes.

Support and volunteer for the Youth Mine Action Ambassador Program. The co-sponsors of the project are the Department of Foreign Affairs, Mines Action Canadaand the Canadian Red Cross. Each year, there are up to 12 Youth Ambassadorsworking in many cities across Canada. They can come to your school to give apresentation to your students or help in organizing a school or community-basedevent. In addition, the Youth Ambassadors have a series of planned events through-out the year:

n Celebrations on December 3 (anniversary of the signing of the Ottawa Treaty) and CanadianLandmine Awareness Week around March (anniversary of the entry into force of the Treaty).

n The Regional Youth Conference for secondary and university-aged students is a chance tocome together and get the latest information and programs from the experts.

n Various education forums, media events, and special events to raise both awareness andfunds throughout the year (sometimes including a Dance Without Fear event).

n For more information about how to reach the Youth Ambassador nearest you, contact theNational Office of the Youth Mine Action Ambassador Program (YMAAP) at (613) 241-4141 orFax (613) 244-3410 or e-mail: [email protected].

boom!

support theyouthmineambassadorprogram

Need to find out more about an aspect of the landmine crisis? Trying to answera tough question from a class, or a student, friend, colleague or family member?Developing visual materials for a display and need the latest landmine informa-tion? Want to become a landmine expert? If yes to any of the above, then go nofurther. The landmine literature is incredibly rich and varied. The resources listedhere are readily available from Red Cross offices, Youth Mine Ambassadors orfrom the Internet and represent only a small fraction of what�s available.

RecommendedLandmineLearning

Resources

Survive the PeaceMaterials

n NO COST 19" x 24" poster, newslet-ter, 50 page Campaign Education andCommunity Involvement Kit, post-cards, promotional stickers, magnets,magnetic bookmarks, tacky notes andBoom!/Pick Me Up coasters. ContactRed Cross for samples.

PublicationsFrom the International Committee ofthe Red Cross:

n ICRC Special Appeal “Assistance forMine Victim”

n Overview 1999: Landmines Must BeStopped

n Banning Anti-personnel Mines: theOttawa Treaty Explained

n Anti-personnel Landmines:Friend or Foe?

n The Silent Menace, Landmines inBosnia and Herzegovina

n Assistance for Victims of Anti-person-nel Mines...Needs, Constraints andStrategy

From Foreign Affairs:

n “Safelane” (quarterly periodical)

Books

n “To Walk Without Fear” The GlobalMovement to Ban LandminesM. Cameron, R. Lawson and B.Tomlin, editors, (Toronto: 1998,Oxford University Press)

n “Landmine Monitor Report" Annualsurvey of the landmine situation andtreaty compliance in every country of

the world. Various editors, availablefrom Mines Action Canada at 613-241-3777

Videos from the ICRCAvailable in French and English

n Cambodia: Moonwalking, 8 min.,British mine victim Chris Moon looksat the ICRC prosthetic program inCambodia

n Frontline Boys, 7 min., the lives ofteenagers in mine invested Bosnia

n A Man Made Epidemic, 10 min., a warsurgeon describes the horrible effectsof mines

n Danger: Mines, 8 min., mines inSouthern Africa

n Azerbaijan: Seeds of Death, 12 min.,1996

n Landmines in Cambodia, 15 min.,mine situation in Cambodia

n An Ordinary Day, 10 min., thelandmine crisis set in the context ofInternational Humanitarian Law

Other Videos

n From Foreign Affairs: In Years, NotDecades, 7 min., and One Step at aTime, 24 min., a quick survey of theprocess that led to the Ottawa Treatyin two different lengths.

n From the National Film Board: Thanin the Invisible War, 52 min., the storyof a landmine survivor, a Cambodianwoman and her struggle to rebuild herlife.

CD-Roms

n Ban Landmines (Foreign Affairs)

WEB SITES

These are only a few ofthe hundreds oflandmine Web Sites nowavailable

Canadian Red Crosswww.redcross.ca

ICRC: www.icrc.org

Mines Action Canadawww.minesactioncanada.com

International Campaignto Ban Landmineswww.icbl.org

Department of ForeignAffairs SAFELANEwww.mines.gc.ca

WESTERN ZONE

Zone OfficeCalgary, AlbertaTel: (403) 205-3448Fax : (403) 205-3463

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Lower Mainland RegionVancouver, British ColumbiaTel: (604) 709 -6600Fax: (604) 709-6675

Northern B.C./Yukon RegionPrince George, British ColumbiaTel: (250) 564-6566Fax: (250) 564-2688

Southern Interior OfficeKootenay/Thompson/Okanagan RegionKelowna, British ColumbiaTel: (250) 763-1859Fax (250) 763-6131

Coastal RegionVictoria, British ColumbiaTel: (250) 382-2043Fax: (250) 382-3420

ALBERTA

Southern RegionCalgary, AlbertaTel: (403) 541-6100Fax: (403) 541-6129

Northern Central RegionEdmonton, AlbertaTel: (780) 423-2680Fax:(780) 428-7092

Canadian Red Cross Offices

SASKATCHEWAN

Southern RegionRegina, SaskatchewanTel: (306) 721-1600Fax: (306) 721-1601

North Central RegionSaskatoon, SaskatchewanTel: (306) 668-0720Fax: (306) 668-0722

Northern/CentralSaskatchewan RegionPrince Albert, SaskatchewanTel: (306) 765-2600Fax: (306) 953-8381

MANITOBA

Western Region OfficeBrandon, ManitobaTel: (204) 729-4974Fax: (204) 727-0349

Winnipeg/N.E. RegionWinnipeg, ManitobaTel: (204) 982-7330Fax: (204) 942-8367

ONTARIO ZONE

Zone OfficeMississauga, OntarioTel: (905) 890-1000Fax: (905) 890-1008

Southwestern RegionLondon, Ontario,Tel: (519) 668-2711Fax: (519) 668-2390

West Central RegionHamilton, OntarioTel: (905) 522-6885Fax: (905) 522-2329

Metropolitan Toronto RegionToronto, OntarioTel: (416) 480-2500Fax: (416) 480-2777

Northern RegionSudbury, OntarioTel: (705) 525-1244Fax: (705) 525-0778

Central Lakes RegionOshawa, OntarioTel: (905) 723-2933Fax: (905) 723-9023

Eastern RegionOttawa, OntarioTel: (613) 560-7220Fax: (613) 657-6987

QUEBEC ZONE

Zone OfficeIle-des-Soeurs, QuebecTel: (514) 362-2929Fax: (514) 362-9991

Grand-Montréal/Estrie/Outaouais/Abitibi-Témiscamingue RegionÎle des Soeurs, QuebecTel: (514) 362-2929Fax: (514) 362-9991

Saguenay/Lac Saint-Jean/Chibougamau/North Chapais RegionChicoutimi, QuebecTel: (418) 690-3909Fax: (418) 690-3908

Quebec RegionQuebec, QuebecTel: (418) 648-9066Fax: (418) 648-1320

ATLANTIC ZONE

Zone OfficeSaint John, New BrunswickTel: (506) 674-6200Fax: (506) 674-6170

Saint John District OfficeNew Brunswick RegionSaint John, New BrunswickTel: (506) 674-6132Fax: (506) 674-6129

Nova Scotia RegionHalifax, Nova ScotiaTel: (902) 423-3680Fax: (902) 422-6247

P.E.I. RegionCharlottetown, P.E.I.Tel: (902) 628-6262Fax: (902) 368-3037

Nfld./Labrador RegionSt. John’s, NewfoundlandTel: (709) 758-8400Fax: (709) 758-8417

NATIONAL OFFICEGloucester, OntarioTel: (613) 740-1900Fax: (613) 740-1911

Surviving Landmines


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