*Rumor: Remastered vinyl LPs from the Beatles to be released in March. Also, I have a few Beatles albums on my computer, so I can listen to them pretty much whenever. Super easy!

*Odor: M cologne is made from Michael Jackson’s DNA. I hope that’s not a euphemism. Do you know what I mean? If you don’t, please don’t look it up. [vulture]

*Food: Examine these ketchup packets that look like landmines. Wow.

*Drink: Tactical Nuclear Penguin beer has 32% alcohol content. I could not have conceived of a better name. Except possibly Vomit Gong. Or Ketchup Packet Landmines. (I don’t know where that came from; I just tried to channel my id.) [harper's]

*Fashion: “If Whitman wore jeans, he wore them because they were the clothes of the rebellious, not because they were the affordable uniform of the pretty.” Also, was that really Walt Whitman reading? I thought it was a dude from the Waltons. (I’m not being droll about that last part!)

*Social media: What this article calls “checkins” have previously been called pings or gestures. It’s all a part of the attention economy. Which is actually a system akin to a language. I’m sure you get it. I don’t have the patience to explain further.

*Twitter: If you haven’t seen these Twitter avatars drawn by @apelad, you should see them. Because they are awesome.

*Technology: Knocking is an iPhone app that allows you to see through other people’s iPhone cameras. WHAT? It’s mobile-to-mobile live sharing! (I took that last part right from their site as I tried to confirm what it actually did.) Also, it seems like perverts would love this. [coudal]

*Music: Golden Fiddle grabbed Zach Galifinakis’ iTunes playlist. Funny word, Galifinakis. Heh.

*Today’s links: F

Landmine awareness + ketchup packets = awesome/disturbing result.

The last few weeks have been tough, and tiring, and frustrating…hence radio silence on the blog for a while. After a rough day in the field the last thing I wanted to do was sit down and re-live the day by writing about it. It would probably have been slightly therapeutic but still not enough to motivate me to do it.

In all honesty more often than not (don’t read this part mum!) I hit the bottle! Ok so not seriously but sometimes a strong G+T is the only thing which hits the spot. Anyhow, its medicinal..well the tonic part is…and the gin just makes it taste nicer!

So having set up one new programme I thought setting up the second would be child’s play. A few things I failed to factor in however - the first time round I had a good support team…an accountant, an ops officer, a storeman, a logistician…this time round the accountant was…well…me! Oh yes and the ops officer, the storeman and logisitician all rolled into one.

This programme is meant to be just an extension of my existing programme but that’s easier said than done when the 2 programmes are 7 hours drive away (NOT on a good road!).

In the words of a journalist who recently interviewed me, I was running the programme out of “a rudimentary shelter serving as an office” (The devil is in the detail) so after a few weeks of hardship I was ready to start sleeping in a bed again surrounded by 4 brick walls.

On one of my last days in the field I had a wee chat with a couple of young children. Next to our camp was the local well, the water supply for hundreds of families, and each morning I watch the local women lining up to fill their jerry cans before starting their long walk back home to begin their chores.

To be honest the whole thing was quite amusing as this water hole was quite the local mothers meeting…all sorts of gossip was passed down the line as the women patiently waited their turn.

This morning 2 children turned up so I went over to speak to them. Although shy at first the older, slightly bolder of the two girls eventually gave me a small smile, told me her name was Maria and she was 10 years old. She had been sent with her little sister to collect water for the family.

Walking 2 kms to the well she fills up a 40 litre jerry can, hoists it on to her head and walks the 2 kms home (her little sister is ‘in training’ so only has to carry 20 litres!).

As I helped her hoist her dripping bright yellow container onto her head I asked her if she goes to school, she said sometimes. I asked her how often she has to collect water and she said every day. She is 10 years old!

Maybe my few weeks living in a tent and working from my ‘rudimentary office’ is not so tough after all!

Look how war can affect a family in Colombia. If Pablo Emilio Moncayo is not going to be liberated soon, he will celebrate his 12th anniversary as a hostage of the FARC within a few weeks. In the meantime his cousin David – also a militar – stepped on a mine which was probably also laid by the FARC. And shortly after a big conference on child soldiers in Bogotá Colombia’s daily El Tiempo published an article on ’strange recruiting of youngsters’ by the Colombian army.While Pablo Emilio’s liberation keeps being uncertain, his family is confronted with hostility. His father Gustavo complained to El Tiempo about the accusation of being a guerrillero.

And while David steps on a landmine, in Colombia’s colonial town of Cartagena, more than 100 countries talk about how mines can be banned. The problem is that a goverment can have the best intentions, but irregular groups don’t feel obliged to obey international treaties, like the Ottawa agreement on a minefree world. And the victims are the sons and of daughters of poor families, like David.

The strangest news however comes from the town of Montería, Northern Colombia, where the army recruited young people, some under the age of 18, i.e. child soldiers. They were obliged to get into a truck, to the surprise of the neighbourhood. It remembered them of the times the paramilitaries entered the neighbourhood to force youngsters to join their cause. The army defended its procedure and it appeared that almost all the boys could return to their homes. But one wonders if this is the way to do it and the worst thing is, that it’s always the poor people who suffer from these brutal ways of acting.

By Rainer Hachfeld, Neues Deutschland, Germany

Click here to see the original post on TruthDig.

To read my Op-Ed in The Guardian on Obama’s landmine policy, click here.

Since reutning from Leticia, the office has been hectic. Today, however, Thursday, the office is almost empty. Most people have gone to Cartagena, and I am going tomorrow morning early and I am so very excited! The Conference starts on Sunday and runs for 6 days. Let me give you some statistic-like facts: 156 countries have signed, 127 governments are registered to attend the conference, 50 ‘high level’ representatives are coming (ie Ministers of governments etc), 1000 delegates will be there, representatives from several non-state parties will be there – including the USA, despite them announcing onWednesday that they will not be changing their policy. 35 youth representatives from 25 countries will be attending the parallel youth forum, and there is also a parallel victim assitance forum.

The past three weeks I have translated many many documents, these days mostly into Spanish, and often for the press. Plus I have been working with the Colombian youth delegates, via Skype, to improve their English and work on the presentations they will be giving at their forum, and with Carlos who works in the office as I will be interpreting his presentation, (he’s a landmine survivor - his story is a sad one. But he’s doing so well for himself. Shall I write it? Yes. In 2002, when he was 14, he was playing with his friend, their football rolled away and his friend went to get it. An explosion. Carlos couldn’t hear or see and stumbled towards home. Someone helped him and from then he doesn’t remember anything until he woke up 1.5 months later from his coma. He was told his friend had died and he may not be able to walk again. 9 hard months of  recovery passed, and then he walked again. His brother heard about the campaign, they moved to Bogota and Carlos had 42 surgeries. He missed the one-year deadline for compensation from the state so has to pay for it all himself. He now works in the campaign and goes to school in the evenings. He wants to be an economist.) I’ve tranlsated so many stories like this one I fear they no longer seem real. But his does. You can see the scars on his face.

Anyway, enough of that. It’s been great in a bustling and slightly stressed office, everything is leaning towards this conference. Yesterday the quarterly Colombian anti-mine action bulletin was published, and more importantly, it was the launch of the 2009 Landmine Monitor, collated by ICBL* and facilitated by CCCM**. We all went to the launch in one of the universities in the centre of Bogota and I, along with Laura C, welcomed the press and took their details so they can  be registered for Cartagena. We heard speeches from Alvaro (head of CCCM), Camilo (researcher for CCCM), Sylvie, (executive director of ICBL) and several other people and although only 25 people came, it was good. Unfortunately somewhat overshadowed in the press however by the USA’s announcement that they won’t be signing next week.

So I am excitedísimo because a) the Caribbean again! b) this is an important conference and I’m going to see it first hand c) Everyone from the office is going and we’re going to have a great time together d) There will be so much going on and I will have an actual role e) I am going to go to the press conferences and the UN meetings and work out my future career path! Well, get some ideas anyway. Because recently I have been thinking a lot about what I want to do and the fact that I am so excited to go to the press conferences and meet journalists makes me wonder if that’s what I should be doing… but then again the UN and all these NGOS are so mega interesting and do good work. So really how am I supposed to decide. And really,a dn maybe unfortunately, it’s the governments who have the real power to change things, so maybe that’s where I should be aiming.

Amidst this flurry of activity, there has still been time to make the most of being in Colombia. I’ve been to a few more salsa classes, and tried but failed to avoid aguardiente, drink of the devil (mentiras, it’s just not very nice and leaves you with an un-paracetamol-able headache), spent time in the Candalaria and browsing markets, cursed the time spent in traffic jams, had my purse stolen, then delivered back to me sans cash, and the weekend before last was a puente (long weekend) so Laura and I took off to San Gil, adventure capital of Colombia.

It is such a lush little town. Its main square is an actual hub of activity, where during the day children play and old folk meet and chat, occupying the benches beneath the trees, and as dusk falls the youth take over and it is a veritable party until 11pm, when everyone relocates to the out-of-town clubs. And that’s when the witches come out. They’re somewhat superstitious in the pueblos of Colombia and Laura and I met a guy in the main square who told us all about the warning signs we should look out for. Then a woman who obviously lived on the streets ran across the square and his eyes bulged and he pointed a shaky hand toward sher, whispering “She’s a witch!” The next day we were in the square again, with a girl we had met the day before and the woman appeared again, this time with a massive bag of flour. She stopped near a big group of people and started hurling flour in all directions. The crowd ran screaming. and the woman ran towrds them and she chased them around the square, throwing flour as she went. Then she put it down and someone ducked to pick it up and run away with it. She chased them fiercely until she came upon an empty bottle, then ran to the fountain to fill it up, where someone pushed her in. And that’s when everyone stopped running away, and the atmosphere returned closer to normal. But she was not done. She went back to her flour, where it had been left by the tormentor, and began her rampage once again. And I was laughing so much at the crowd’s reaction, and the fear that everyone had of this poor woman. But when she came towards us with her flour I swiftly backed away… Crowd mentality took over!

This wasn’t the highlight of the weekend, merely a smalltown Colombia story tha tI wanted to remember. The highlights were many in fact. I went paragliding, which was so so much fun and actually not at all scary, and also white water rafting which I enjoyed lots, more than I expected after the last time when I did not enjoy falling in on grade 5 rapids, but this time they were grade 3 and it was ace. And we also went rappelling – abseiling down a waterfall, which was pretty amazing, although more difficult than I imagined – I had to hold on tight! Awesome weekend though. We also visited a cute colonial town where their traditional snack is toasted hormigas culonas – big-bummed ants. So I obviously had to try some, but I had to buy like 30. And I ate 2. They were actually not too bad, but the texture was bizarre, like soft but crunchy.

To completely change the subject, it’s very much nearly Christmas in Bogotá. There are so so many lights and a lot of them have been turned on. In the square in Usaquén, there are so many lights it’s almost daytime, but I LOVE it. There are loads of white trees, lit up, and it’s like walking through a glowing snow-covered forest, and between the trees, hundreds of stars are strung. And it’s making me so excited for Christmas, and therefore being in England, like rosy frosty cheeks and crunchy  icy pavements and coats and scarves and mulled wine and mince pies and carols and crossing the road in safety and things starting on time . But then I also realised that I’m really going to miss Colombia too – the people, the new friends, the mountains, the markets, the random fruits, the availabilty of fresh juice, the coffee, the salsa, patacones and the constant sound of laughter despite everything. But missing it means I had a good time right? And I have done. And there are more good times to come!

*International Campaign to Ban Landmines, champion of the Treaty - Nobel Peace Price 1997

**Colombian Campaign to Ban Landmines

Nature and Animal Conservation

 

     Preserving species and their habitats is important for ecosystems to self-sustain themselves. Yet, the pressures to destroy habitat for logging, illegal hunting, and other challenges are making conservation a struggle.

Visit : http://www.globalissues.org/article/1…

 What is Biodiversity ?

 

    The variety of life on Earth, its biological diversity is commonly referred to as biodiversity. The number of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms, the enormous diversity of genes in these species, the different ecosystems on the planet, such as deserts, rainforests and coral reefs are all part of a biologically diverse Earth.

   

    Appropriate conservation and sustainable development strategies attempt to recognize this as being integral to any approach. Almost all cultures have in some way or form recognized the importance that nature, and its biological diversity has had upon them and the need to maintain it. Yet, power, greed and politics have affected the precarious balance.

Does it really matter if there arent so many species?

Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play.

For example, a larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops; greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms; and healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters.

And so, while we dominate this planet, we still need to preserve the diversity in wildlife.

Who Cares?

  Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. For example, a larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops; greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms; and healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters.

And so, while we dominate this planet, we still need to preserve the diversity in wildlife.

Loss of Biodiversity and Extinctions

It is feared that human activity is causing massive extinctions. From various animal species, forests and the ecosystems that forests support, marine life. The costs associated with deteriorating or vanishing ecosystems will be high. However, sustainable development and consumption would help avert ecological problems.

 

  

Some more Change We Can Believe In coming from the Obama Administration:  The administration has decided not to join the rest of the world (literally – 156 countries, or about three-fourths of the world, have joined) in banning the production and use of landmines.

If this seems like a no-brainer to you, that’s because it is.  156 countries have signed this treaty because it’s a no-brainer.  Recognizing the uselessly destructive nature of landmines is as simple as recognizing the law of gravity.  Up to 20,000 people per year are either killed or maimed for life because of landmines, many of which have been made in the United States and exported to poor countries like Afghanistan, Rwanda, and Somalia.  Between 30 and 40 percent of the victims of landmines are children under the age of 15.  The rest of the world understands this;  in fact, the rest of the world understood this back in 1997 when the Mine Ban Treaty was formed.  The Clinton Administration promised that the U.S. would join in 2006, as long as “alternatives” to landmines (whatever that means) were found.  Then, in 2004, the Bush Administration rescinded Clinton’s promise and indefinitely allowed the U.S. to use landmines around the world.

And, despite the hopes of humanitarian organizations and the urging of NGOs, the Obama Administration will not change this sickening landmine “policy.”  Why?  What could the reasoning possibly be?  Well, according to State Department spokesman Ian Kelly:

We made our policy review and we determined that we would not be able to meet our national defense needs nor our security commitments to our friends and allies if we sign this convention.

Son of a bitch.  ”National defense needs.”  ”Security commitments.”  In effect, President Obama is saying to the thousands upon thousands of children who either lose their lives or have their lives ruined by U.S.-made landmines:  ”I’m sorry.  But take heart – you’re helping the U.S. meet its national defense needs and security commitments to its friends and allies.”  I’m sure the families that are destroyed as a direct result of the United States’ unwillingness to take a leading role in banning landmines are happy that they can at least contribute to the national defense needs of the United States.

Read more about the campaign to ban landmines.  The Obama Administration refuses to budge on this, but this isn’t something we can afford to give up on.

The blogger, Kristofer Paul, can be reached at bottomleftpolitics@yahoo.com.

By DESMOND BUTLER (AP)
WASHINGTON — The Obama administration has decided not to sign an international convention banning land mines.
State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Tuesday that the administration recently completed a review and decided not to change the Bush-era policy.
“We decided that our land mine policy remains in effect,” he said.
More than 150 countries have agreed to the Mine Ban Treaty’s provisions to end the production, use, stockpiling and trade in mines. Besides the United States, holdouts include: China, India, Pakistan, Myanmar and Russia.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., criticized the State Department’s review of the land mine policy as “cursory and halfhearted.”
The senator described the decision to stand fast on the current policy as “a lost opportunity …. The United States took some of the earliest and most effective steps to restrict the use of land mines. We should be leading this effort, not sitting on the sidelines.”

Human rights groups had expressed hopes that the Obama administration would sign the treaty.
Stephen Goose, the director of Human Rights Watch’s arms division, said he was surprised by the announcement and called it disappointing. He said that his group had been pushing the administration to conduct a review of its policy but that the administration had given no indication that one was under way.
“If one was already completed, it was not very extensive,” he said.
Kelly said that the United States would send an observer group of mine experts to a review conference on the treaty in Cartegena, Colombia, next week.
A report this month by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines found that mines remain planted in the earth in more than 70 countries and killed at least 1,266 people and wounded 3,891 last year. More than 2.2 million anti-personnel mines, 250,000 anti-vehicle mines and 17 million other explosives left over from wars have been removed since 1999, the report said.
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Our last blog went over the NGOs and governments’ efforts in resolving the problem of landmines.  This post will be about the upcoming actions, mainly the review conference, and the shortcomings of the international community.

Every five years, a review conference of the Convention on the Prohibition of the use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of antipersonnel mines is held.  This year’s conference is being held in Cartagena, Columbia from November 29^th to December 4^th. The “Cartagena Action Plan 2010-2014: Ending the Suffering Caused by Anti-Personnel Mines” will be adopted.  This plan will express the signatories’ commitment to a world free of landmines. The plan covers things such as universalizing the convention by encouraging ratification at every opportunity, and commitment from all countries to help in the eradication of landmines, be it in their own country or helping outside of it. States who still have a commitment to destroy stockpiled landmines and clear mine fields will have a deadline to develop or update their national plans the next year’s annual meeting. In these action plans, a country can request and pursue assistance from the international community.

However, out of the 26 countries that face deadlines to clear mine fields by this year, 16 of them have declared they will not be meeting this deadline and need an extension.  Identifying and clearing mine fields is a very expensive task to take on.  The UN estimated that this project will cost over 33 billion dollars, and that number is not close to being met.

Some major countries have not signed the Ottawa Treaty, including the United States.  Though the US does play a big role in the demining process and donates large sums of money role, especially in Central America, it has yet to sign the treaty due to situations such as the “Korean exception” where the US uses landmines as a critical part of their military strategy in South Korea. Some signatory countries, such as Greece and Turkey, are violating the Ottawa Treaty by keeping their stockpiles of landmines.  If a super power like the US could pressure these countries to be in accordance with the treaty, things may change.

There is a sense of irony with the review conference being held in Columbia. Columbia is a country that is badly affected by landmines. The leftist guerilla group FARC is continually adding to the amount of landmines in the country.  They do not recognize the country’s participation in the Ottawa Treaty and do not believe they should put moral and humanitarian constraints on their war against Columbian armed forces.  UNICEF has appealed for 2.5 million dollars to help clear mind fields, yet the amount of landmines is only growing due to guerilla warfare.  Guerilla factions such as this one do not adhere to international treaties and global governance. This is a problem that the international community has yet to overcome. The international community is falling short in their attempts to remove landmines on a universal level and have little notion of what they can do to stop guerilla factions from continually using landmines.

Its been a *headdesk* day for me, or better yet a “Foot-in-Mouth” day.. maybe even a talking out of my ass day.  It all started with this tweet.

“Wonder if there’s a greeting card for this holiday? RT @avflox: Guess what, you guys! It’s International Quickie Day! http://bit.ly/1hBfON ” – by Harry Lang

I attempted to be funny in my own warped way of being:

“Oh no! Its the male Valentines day! RT @harrylang RT @avflox: It’s International Quickie Day! http://bit.ly/1hBfON ” – By Maruska

Which .. well then prompted this:

“International Quickie Day is “male Valentine’s Day”? @maruskamorena does quickies a gross disservice. What do you think?” – by Av Flox

Which prompted this post. If you’re a long time reader, you know I have a few sexual hang-ups. Most everyone does by this age anyway.

What I didn’t expect was just how bitter I found myself to be.  I don’t know if I’ve been repressing it or if its just something about today. (The ex somehow made it into my thoughts this morning.)  But as soon as I saw the tweet from Av Flox, I knew I needed to do some soul searching.

Why would I think that “quickies” were merely male desired? I, myself, am not that closed minded am I?

So I began to think about my past, which is really not a good thing to do sometimes, and I realized that based on my past history.. Quickies have never ever been a good thing.

Don’t get me wrong. I love sex. I enjoy casual sex and commitment sex. I like good sex and great sex.. and sometimes even bad sex is better than no sex.. sometimes anyway.

But I’ve never had a good quickie.  Oh sure the quickie itself was fine. It was what happened after it that wasn’t.

There were the “I’d like some quick sex, but I’m going to break up with you right after.”  or the “I can’t wait til after the party, I have to have you now.. followed by a night of completely ignoring me in public” or many variations of that.  Quickies in my past have all been “Lets get this over so I can ignore you.” or “I’ve already got the sex today so I don’t need to even try anymore.”

As I’m typing this, I realize just how completely sad that is.  How wrong it is, and how much crap I put up with without a single complaint.

I really really hate finding those emotional landmines in me. I hate that they’re there.  But in discovering them, I am now aware of them and can heal them. In time anyway.

In Time.

…aaaanndd we’re back!

- If you live in Florida and you care even a little bit about letting responsible adults choose for themselves whether or not they feel that marijuana, a completely naturally occurring plant that has yet to kill a single person in the history of mankind, would be an effective treatment for their ailments, sign this petition sponsored by People United For Medical Marijuana for a constitutional amendment that “gives patients the right to grow, obtain, purchase and possess medical marijuana under a doctor’s supervision.” Pharmaceutical companies have been gouging the American public for decades, and have spent untold millions, if not billions, fighting the legalization of marijuana for anyone, and especially those who could use it, because the idea of a easily grown multiple-use panacea like marijuana is anathema to their entire business plan. Fight it.
- I would imagine choosing the 15 hottest big-breasted Japanese gravure models is something like figuring out who the best 15 NBA players are, or what the best types of candy are – no matter what, everyone comes away satisfied.
- Jessica Alba getting spanked. Just…wow.
- This is really pathetic: out of the top 30 grossing films of this decade, two weren’t remakes or sequels or adaptations of established properties, “Finding Nemo” and “Kung Fu Panda”. That’s it. I wonder when people are gonna be so over all of it that they go back to books.
- Miss Universe Japan 2008 Hiroko Mima. Miss Universe Trinidad & Tobago 2008 Anya Ayoung-Chee. Oh, and Anya’s boyfriend. Together, naked in a hotel room with a video camera. What’s the worst that could happen?
- “Men suck at eating pussy; not because they don’t like it, but because it’s really fucking hard.” Oh, internet – you never disappoint, do you?
- Back when Arizona State University decided against giving President Barack Obama an honorary degree when he delivered a speech there, a lot of people asked, “What does ASU have going for it?” Well…
- It may be considered contemporary art, and it may only reach 20 mph when it’s all said and done, but damn turning an old-school SEGA Outrun arcade game into an actual working vehicle? That’s so fucking cool.
- I don’t watch “Dancing With The Stars”, but the fact that Joanna Krupa and Mya were on this season almost pulled me in. Especially Mya; I’ve been checking for her since she was making songs with Silkk the Shocker.
- “Sir! The Romulans have launched a bevy of photon torpedoes across our starboard bow, reducing our shields to 23% and…is that fucking R2-D2?”
- Look – we’re all nerds, OK? It’s just that some of us don’t know what type of nerd we are; that’s where this handy quiz comes in.
- Some people out there can’t stand the Wii. They say it’s not a real console, it’s meant to gouge the pockets of gullible families, blah blah blah. If you think that way, check this collection of videos out, and let me know if you still feel the same.
- Sigh…honestly? If you’re gonna fuck around with a C-string, just don’t wear panties at all. Seriously, at that point underwear’s just more trouble than it’s worth.
- Everyday I hear about something that brings a smile to my face, because it reminds me that despite all the crap going on in the world, I’m living in “the future”, where the miracles of science are limited only be the bounds of human imagination. Today? “Scientists create bacteria that lights up around landmines.”
- Slayer and Megadeth are on tour with Testament, and tickets are only $10! It’s 1991’s “Clash of the Titans” all over again!
- On June 12, 1970, San Diego Padres pitcher Dock Ellis pitched a no-hitter. An impressive feat, but not all that historically noteworthy…until it came out that Ellis was massively tripping on LSD the whole time. This is his story:

Country’s actions in sync with global trend to curb use of mines, cluster munitions
By Dalila Mahdawi
Daily Star staff
Monday, November 16, 2009

BEIRUT: Despite not signing the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, Lebanon has made considerable progress on mine clearance operations in recent years and appears to be moving closer to signing the treaty, a report by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) has said. “Landmine Monitor Report 2009: Towards a Mine-Free World,” released Thursday at the UN, said that although Lebanon was continuing to carry out mine-clearance activities, these efforts were facing significant set-backs because of a lack of funds.

Lebanon’s actions were in sync with a global trend to curb the use and effects of mines and other unexploded remnants of war, the 1,253-page report said.

“The norm against mine use is firmly taking hold,” said Steve Goose of Human Rights Watch, Landmine Monitor’s Ban Policy editor. “Antipersonnel mines have been stigmatized as an unacceptable weapon globally, including by countries still outside the Mine Ban Treaty.”

Lebanon is contaminated by land and sea mines laid by Israel during its withdrawal from South Lebanon in 2000 and during a 34-day war in July 2006, and to a lesser extent, by mines planted by Syria during the 1975-90 Civil War. Around 5 percent of the country’s agricultural land is affected by cluster munition contamination.

Some 80 percent of the world community has signed the Mine Ban Treaty, and though 39 countries, including Israel and the US, have yet to join, most are more or less in compliance with the treaty’s core provisions.

“Positive movement toward [Lebanon] joining the treaty in 2005 and 2006 was set back” by a war with Israel in 2006, ICBL said. Like Israel, Beirut has cited regional tensions as the reason why it can’t sign the document, although it appears to be slowly moving towards formal acceptance. “Lebanon’s signature of the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions has given rise to hopes it will also join the Mine Ban Treaty,” said the report, adding Beirut “appears generally committed to mine action.”

Although there are thought to be at least 2,720 mine and explosive remnants of war survivors in Lebanon, victim assistance programs fall short of expectations, ICBL said, citing a similar global trend.

“Victim assistance has made the least progress of the major mine action sectors over the last decade, with both funding and the provision of assistance falling short of what is needed,” said Stan Brabant of non-governmental organization Handicap International, a Landmine Monitor editorial board member. “Progress in the most affected states has been variable, with some countries actively engaged, and others hardly at all. Hundreds of thousands of people need more and better assistance, and they need it now.”

In Lebanon, the report found the cost of services and transport, insufficient psychological and financial support, and lack of awareness of services available were barriers to the rehabilitation of survivors. Risk education programs also needed improvement.

The ICBL report also noted that although Lebanon was the fourth top recipient of mine action funding in 2008, receiving some $28.2 million, donor fa­tigue has since led to serious cut-backs in clearance operations.

There were 64 mine-clearing teams operating in Lebanon in the months following the war in 2006, with Hizbullah volunteers also working to clear an unknown number of cluster submunitions. Today only 18 teams remain. But with seven deminers and peacekeepers killed and 12 injured since 2002, 352 people injured or killed by cluster bombs since the cessation of hostilities in 2006, and the fact that “areas contaminated by cluster munition remnants [in the agriculture-dependent South Leba­non] … are very difficult to mark,” clearance efforts are es­pecially urgent, the report noted.

ICBL used its annual report to encourage states that have not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty to sign up, and urge signatories to make greater efforts to protect their citizens from the effects of war. “The Mine Ban Treaty has led to lives and limbs saved over the past decade,” said Jacqueline Hansen, Landmine Monitor’s Program Manager. “In the next decade more countries must meet their clearance obligations and efforts to educate affected communities about mine hazards should be sustained to ensure no more people are killed or injured by these indiscriminate weapons.”

Pluck eyebrows in doorway of tent much to the bemusement of male Moz colleagues (remember Always be bothered? this is a classic example!)

Spend day driving through stunning mountains looking for minefields (ok so it’s a bit more technical than simply looking but trust me, not sufficiently interesting enough to write about!). End up finding mines in the middle of a village, a drunk policeman a bit too enthusiastic for the local hospitality (we usually accept a corn on the cob or a live chicken – he seemed to prefer a glass of bathtub-gin!) and giving a lift to a village leader and 2 boys tied together with rope on their way to the police station (these boys had been convinced by a local witch doctor to put traditional medicine on a man’s food which had subsequently killed him).

The police Commandante (remember him? Landmines & life) came over to welcome me to his patch of grass we had set up home on. I always get a bit nervous when I have to speak in Portuguese to an official and as he left he saluted then shook my hand.

For some reason I did the same!

I saluted him! What an idiot!

In an attempt to access one minefield we needed to rebuild an old colonial road in incredibly bad condition – even Red Wings struggled to make it through – so we walked the distance asking in the communities we passed if fit strong local men wanted to come and work for us rebuilding the road – literally knocking door to door or shouting from the footpath “hey you, want to earn some money!”

By the end of it we had a trail of 20 strapping young men snaking down the path behind us. It was a good feeling knowing we would immediately be able to put money into the communities we would later be able to hand back mine-free land to.

Did monthly accounts sitting in the shade of a mango tree in the police station front yard then in desperation of internet access to email accounts to HQ drove down to South African run fishing lodge in the valley. Ended up being invited on sunset ‘booze cruise’ with bunch of VERY outrageously behaved SA fishermen – whisky, tall tales from a day of sport fishing and lots of testosterone!

A most excellent and fun night! Left them to gorge on the obscenely large t-bone steaks and headed home to my wee tent-house.

Our last post discussed the terrible effects of landmines and how they permeate every aspect of a country’s functions.  This post will examine both Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) and governmental efforts to resolve the problem as well as multi-lateral treaties such as the Ottawa Treaty or Mine Ban Treaty.  NGO’s such as the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) played a crucial role in raising landmine awareness and were in part responsible for the treaty itself. Other non-state and state actors such as Princess Diana and Lloyd Axworthy will also be examined.

The Ottawa Treaty completely bans all anti-personnel landmines. 156 States have ratified the treaty and two have signed but not yet ratified.  37 nations have not signed the treaty, including China, India, Russia and the United States. Unfortunately some of those nations who have not signed the treaty continue to produce and stockpile large amounts of anti-personnel landmines today.

The ICBL is a coalition of NGO’s aimed at abolishing the production of anti-personnel landmines. From 6 groups with similar interests the ICBL coalition membership has grown to a network of 1,400.  Its greatest accomplishment was in 1999 when the Ottawa Treaty was implemented. Since then it has continued to lobby for more signatories and has remained devoted to the removal of anti-personnel landmines. Individuals such as Princess Diana and Lloyd Axworthy have supported the ICBL since its formulation.

Princess Diana was strongly opposed to landmines, she even walked through an Angolan minefield to rally media attention around the cause. She also visited Bosnia with the Landmine Survivors Network. Many believe that she directly affected the Ottawa Treaty. Lloyd Axworthy also played a significant role during his time as Foreign Affairs Minister.  Axworthy strongly supported Canada’s traditions of multilateralism and played a large role in the formation and negotiations of the Ottawa Treaty.

Other NGO’s dedicated to banning landmines include HALO Trust, APOPO and Mine Clearing Corp. HALO Trust is an apolitical, secular organization that employs over 7, 000 deminers. APOPO is an organization that is training Giant Pouched rats to detect landmines. This group works directly with the Belgian government. The Mine Clearing Corp. specializes in making a landmine detection mapping system which is critical to the demining process.

Landmines are still a serious global governance problem.  American intransigence is a huge stumbling block – the other great powers are unlikely to forswear a weapon that is still in the U.S. arsenal.  Former war zones like Bosnia that have a landmine problem are also likely to be places where the rule of law is relatively weak, allowing demining funds to be redirected to criminal networks or slush funds.  There is still much work to be done before we live on a mine-free planet.

References

“The International Campaign to Ban Landmines.” http://www.icbl.org/index.php/icbl/content/view/full/2 (accessed November 1, 2009).

“The HALO Trust” http://www.halousa.org/ (accessed November 1, 2009).

Rutherford, Kenneth. 2000. The Evolving Arms Control Agenda: Implications of the Role of NGOs in Banning Antipersonnel Landmines. World Politics 53:1: pp. 74-114.

HONG KONG, China – My recent interview with Aki Ra, a Cambodian dedicated to landmine removal after being forced as a child by Khmer Rouge to plant mines, reminded me of my own close brush with unexploded ordnance.

A Cambodian woman walks past a landmine awareness sign near the Thai border in July 2007.

I was on a reporting assignment in former Khmer Rouge turf in northern Cambodia.

After hours riding on a bumpy road, nature called. We were in an area that had just reportedly been cleared of landmines and the government was resettling military families there.

Some villagers came out to greet us. We asked for a bathroom but there was none. Instead, they pointed to a path that still had a sign warning about the presence of landmines. You can never be sure if the mines are all gone, they said, so just stay on the path and find a spot along the way.

There were no trees and I juggled modesty with safety as I hesitatingly inched down the path. I turned back a few times and saw the dozen or so villagers standing on the road, watching my progress.

I finally got my business done and briskly returned along the path to our car.

But I have never forgotten that moment. It made me think of the risks that Cambodians, and others living in such heavily-mined countries — Iraq, Colombia, Afghanistan — take everyday to go about their daily lives: Tilling a field to cultivate crops, walking to school, rounding up the family’s livestock or even finding a spot for a community outhouse.

As a reporter for an international news agency in the country for more than two years, I encountered many Cambodians — old and young — whose futures in one of the world’s poorest countries were literally hobbled by these weapons of war.

They all made do with their challenging situations in a country where physical fitness is part of daily survival, since many Cambodians are doing some type of farming or fishing to put food on the table.

Meeting Aki Ra, who has now started his own non-profit group to rid the country of mines, reminded me how much this sad legacy of decades of conflict will continue to linger on for Cambodians until the last mine is cleared. Read the article on Aki Ra

Kms count: 400
Minefields crossed: 1
Hours spent crossing border: 6.5
Days of stay cut short by strict immigration officer: 7

We had been warned. But the warning was given once we were already in Morocco and so we didn’t exactly have a choice…

The border crossing from Morocco to Mauritania is known for being tough, frustrating and potentially time-consuming. It also involves a 7km road in no man’s land across a minefield.

NB: Mum, dad, worriers amongst you: I took a decision not to mention any of this until now because I didn’t want to cause any unnecessary concern. And I think that i made the right decision. As it turns out the minefield really wasn’t a problem at all… read on!

So in preparation for this and mindful of the fact that the Mauritanian entrance closed at 4pm, we rose early and got on the road at 5:30am in order to complete the 400 or so kms to the border. After a few early checkpoints, we pulled up for a routine toilet break to find an incredibly beautiful bay (photos to follow) with sand-dunes which we promptly ran up and down for our morning exercise. (days of excellent food accompanied by days of sitting still on a bus means we have a surplus of energy…!)

We arrived ahead of schedule at the border at 12pm thinking that we were on course for a lunchtime arrival at Nouadhibou, Mauritania. After 3.5hrs on just the Moroccan side, we realised we’d been overly optimistic. Waiting around in 40C heat was slightly uncomfortable but the queue of truck, sardine lorries and Dutch cyclists (going from Paris to Dakar by bike) meant that there was a lot of waiting to do. And it was no worse than we expected.

Next it was time for the minefield and registering with the UN to make the crossing. The mines in Western Sahara were planted over 20 years ago and the vast majority of injuries have been caused by people crossing the field away from unofficial routes. Apparently the minefield is there to control the movement of people through Western Sahara as well as to limit the amount of drug and people smuggling that currently goes on.

The crossing at this site is safe except when there is a sandstorm which there hasn’t been since April this year. In addition to this, a Paris-Dakar rally of pre-1951 vehicles recently passed through this minefield at 80kms and so we had a good, clear track to follow. But the crossing is still nerve-wracking and harrowing. The sight of blown up vehicles just 20m away really makes you think about what has happened before and it definitely felt wrong to take photos of the wreckages that were left. Luckily we managed to stop Jon and Andy from traveling on the roof of the vehicle (“for a better view”) because the exposed track was too rocky to give them a smooth ride and we definitely didn’t want them flying off the vehicle in a place like that!

By the time we arrived in Mauritania we had limited minutes before the controls officially closed. However, having made it that far, they agreed to let us in and then took a further 3 hours to do the relevant stamping and approval of our passports. Unfortunately though we were only given 3 days instead of our required 10 so we will need to extend the visas in Nouakchott. They do this to allow them to make more money from you and without a visa in advance, it is difficult to get more than 3 days if you don’t have a bribe for an official.

Our first stop in Mauritania was Nouadhibou where, after a long drive, we felt too tired to cook (which was great cos it was my turn!) and so went next door to the campsite to a Chinese restaurant (of all places!). Another night of interrupted sleep ensued (I think it was the eggs that I ate the other day) and after my 4:30am toilet visit, I returned to the tent in time for the 5am call to prayer from the mosque facing onto the campsite. The caller didn’t sound too pleased to be doing it and was slightly out of tune, so that, interspersed with some heavy snores from Rich’s tent, kept me awake a little longer than planned. Oh well, c’est la vie – luckily i have been catching some zzzzs along the way in the truck so am not exactly short of sleep!

Thats all I have time for today – sorry again to have posted a boring account of the last few days. We have at least covered a lot of ground and will have more time to do things in the next fortnight. I will update with photos and more fun stories very soon!

The son of a former French president was convicted of trafficking weapons to Angola today.  He and other prominent Frenchmen were found to have smuggled nearly a billion dollars worth of weapons to Angola during the mid 90s.  This was after the UN had placed an embargo upon weapons sales to Angola.  Some people think they are badass because they sell some drugs, but these dudes are true badasses.  They provided the artillery that fueled a bloody civil war and most of the landmines left in Africa.

Full story @ Times.co.uk

Since as early as the 15^th century, landmines have been used in wars to protect soldiers, military bases, important areas of resources, and to prevent or hinder the advancement of enemy forces. Following WWII, landmine technology advanced incredibly. Smaller anti-personnel landmines were created, allowing more to be laid out in less time. More recently, this advancement included the creation of the self-destructive landmine which defuses itself after a given time period.

As landmine technology grew, so did the purposes behind the use of the weapon. Historically used against enemy troops and tanks, landmines have recently been used to “terrorize communities… [render land] unusable, and to destroy national infrastructures”.  Unfortunately, technologies to deploy landmines have not advanced as quickly as that of their creation- which is especially troublesome since most minefields have not been mapped since WWII.

It is estimated that 10, 000 people are killed or injured by landmines annually- most of these children. As many nations which are affected by landmines lack proper health care facilities, treatments for such injuries are limited, at best. Furthermore, landmines obviously create unsafe and undesirable living conditions, resulting in an increase in displaced persons. Since many landmine survivors are no longer able to work, economies of these affected nations suffer greatly, as well. The environment, too, is affected, as the landmine explosions scatter debris, quickening “water and wind erosion”. Throughout the years, as landmine technology has advanced and the weapons have had an increasing impact on civilians, this weapon has made post-war reconstruction an unattainable ambition for many communities.

After hosting a recent visit from a UN journalist we’ve just been sent a link to his photo slide show…pics 6 to 18 are all from my new location I’m currently setting up way up north in Moz (photo 7 is obviously by far the most stylish!)

Mozambique landmine story in pictures

Many people ask me if there really is still a problem with landmines in Moz, mainly because there are few accidents but this is only because people know where the mines are and so avoid the danger areas…

In the space of a week I’ve met 2 families whose lives have been irrevocably destroyed by landmines. One man introduced me to his wife and his son both of whom have been seriously maimed by landmine accidents and I met a young girl who not only was blinded by a landmine but the same accident killed her big brother. Speaking from first hand experience…trust me, there is still a landmine problem in Mozambique.

However there is also light at the end of the tunnel – Demining is not a never ending story