Sustainable Peace And Development Organization

Landmines: "SPADO and Landmines"

Addressing the Issue of Landmines:

SPADO is the member organization and official point of contact for the International Campaign To Ban Landmines (ICBL), laureate of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize in Pakistan. Being a member of ICBL in Pakistan SPADO is actively involved in awareness, advocacy and research work on the issue of landmines in Pakistan.

LANDMINES: "Awareness and Advocacy"

Landmine Monitor Release:

Sustainable Peace and Development Organization (SPADO) released Landmine Monitor 2004 report in Peshawar during a press conference held in Peshawar Press Club. The release event was reported by nearly all leading international and national dailies that include daily

“ The Statesman”, “ The Frontier Post”, “DAWN”, “Ausaf”, “Naway Waqt”,” The News”, “Mashiq”, “Jang”, “Aaj”, “ The Nation”, “Pakistan”, “Express”, “Khabrain”etc. Mr. Raza Shah Khan, Execuitve Director of SPADO briefed the audience.

2. Sports Events:

Two sports events (Soccer tournaments) were arranged in the month of September 2004 in order to make the general public aware of the hazards caused by landmines and to get their support for the campaign against landmines. The first tournament was arranged in Khyber Agency a Federally Administered Tribal Area (FATA).
During the tournament the banners with anti landmine slogans were displayed and the commentary on loudspeakers was an effective tool to educate the audience about landmines. In the event 28 teams of Khyber Agency took part. In all the matches commentary against landmines was used and banners were displayed. The final match was between the teams of two tribes, Afridis and Shinwaris. About 7 to 8 thousands peoples were present on this occasion. After the final match speakers urged the local people to help SPADO in achieving its noble objectives. SPADO gave the trophy to the winning team and distributed various prizes to outstanding performances of the series.

Another soccer tournament was arranged in Batkhela, the main city of Malakand Agency. Before this event not a single activity has been carried out in this area regarding the issue of landmines. SPADO carried out a comprehensive campaign and involved local organizations. More than 20 teams from all over the Malakand Division participated in this event and in every match the nterest of spectators was excellent. During the tournament banners were displaced carrying various campaign messages against landmines. At the same time in every match commentary was carried out to make the people aware of landmines and to get their help and support in the campaign against landmines.

In the final match influentials of the area including Minister for Environment, representatives of local governments, leaders of political parties and businessmen were present. SPADO Executive Director briefed the audience about the objectives of the tournament and urged the local communities to join hand with SPADO to eradicate landmines and help survivors. There were about 10 thousands spectators present for the final match.

3. Community Gatherings:

The literacy rate in the rural areas of Pakistan is very low and the people are even unaware of the development issues. In case of the tribal areas, which are one of the most mine affected areas in Pakistan, there is a greater need to keep aware the local communities about the issue of landmines and the potential role they can play to get rid of this pernicious device. Eleven community gatherings were held in different parts of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) with the objective to get the support of the grass roots, calling for a ban on landmines. The local communities listened carefully to SPADO messages and asked questions on various issues. They pledged to work for eradication of landmines from their respective communities and assured SPADO for their support and cooperation in its struggle for a total ban on landmines.

4. Religious Scholar’s Workshop:

Workshop of religious scholars of different school of thoughts, media representatives and NGO workers was organized on January 13, 2005 by SPADO in wake of its awareness activities in collaboration with Canadian Landmine Fund. The theme of the workshop was “Landmines in the perspective of Islam”. The renowned scholars and media men attended the workshop. Dr. Qibla Ayaz a prominent scholar and academician and dean of faculty of Islamic and Oriental Studies University of Peshawar, Dr. Gulam Sarwar Khan, Psychologist and Ex. Director Population welfare department and famous scholar, Maulana Amanullah and Maulana Hafiz Abdur-Rauf, Amir Jamiat-i- Ulema Islam (JUI) Peshawar and member of provincial general assembly who was also the chief guest of the workshop were among the speakers. The event was reported by leading newspapers like “Speakers at one-day workshop here Thursday have stressed for more and organized efforts against fatal weapons of landmines causing numerous hardships to innocent human beings through out the world. The speakers lamented that children and innocent people working in the fields usually become victims of landmines making them disabled for ever and said there should be a complete ban on the use of anti-personnel mine. At a religious scholars workshop organized by Sustainable Peace and Development Organization (SPADO) a member organization of International Campaign To Ban Landmines (ICBL) the participants strongly condemned the inhuman use of landmines around the globe.

5. Seminar:

SPADO organized a Seminar in Islamabad on 9 February. The seminar was arranged in collaboration with the Department of Defense and Strategic Studies, University of Quaid-i-Azam Islamabad. The department is the only place in Pakistan offering subjects for Bachelors, Masters and PhD in Defense and Strategic studies. The main theme of arranging the seminar in this department was to show to the students and teacher the other side of landmines as such weapons were studied in the context of defense. SPADO invited speakers from different backgrounds to make aware the students, teachers, media and others present about the hazardous effects of landmines and update them on the ICBL role and current situation of landmines around the globe.
The speakers were Mr. Stuart Hughes, Deputy High Commissioner of Canada, Mr. Fredric Gouin, Coordinator for Communication Programs International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Dr, Qibla Ayaz, Dean Faculty of Islamic and Oriental Studies, University of Peshawar, Dr, Zafar Iqbal Cheema, Dean Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Quaid-i-Azam and Mr. Raza Shah Khan, Executive Director, SPADO. Apart from the speakers, SPADO also invited landmine victim’s children from the mine affected areas who told their stories about their lives before and after becoming mine victims. The seminar titling “Towards a Landmines Free World” was attended by a large number of students, teachers and youth. A reception and registration desk was arranged in front of the seminar room, which was managed by SPADO youth. It is worth to mention here that hundreds of students got the membership of SPADO and highly appreciated the SPADO role for a mine free world. The event was reported in the International English daily “The News as “Speakers at a seminar called for imposing ban on landmines that kill, maim and injure non-combatants and innocent people in conflict zones much after the restoration of peace”.

6. Exhibition:

SPADO organized an exhibition related to landmines in Sociology Department University of Peshawar on February 2, 2005. The main theme of this exhibition was to aware university students of hazardous effects of landmines and to involve them in campaign activities. On this occasion SPADO distributed and displayed various materials about landmines and ICBL. University youth showed keen interest in SPADO activities and agreed to support the organization in its activities.

Dr. Rasheed Khan (Chairman Sociology Department) indicated that in future the department of Sociology will plan to arrange grand seminars on landmines. He invited the students that being sociologists they must voluntarily join SPADO campaign to relieve miseries of poor and innocent landmine victims and for a comprehensive ban on antipersonnel landmines. At the end he said that the department will conduct research work (thesis) on landmine issue and will encourage students to select various topics on landmines for their research work.

On this occasion SPADO displayed films on landmines and answered questions of various youth interested in knowing about landmines and its impacts. The most important achievement of the exhibition was that SPADO youth actively participated and carried out youth memberships. A large number of students registered them in the membership campaign and urged to work voluntarily for SPADO whenever their services are required.

7. Posters Competition:

SPADO in collaboration with the Department of Fine Arts, University of Peshawar arranged a posters/sketches competition related to the issue of landmines in the month of March 2005. The department of Fine Arts is one of the famous institutions for such kind of activities and SPADO was already in contact with the department. Orientation sessions were conducted to provide first hand information to the students related to landmines and then different themes were developed for the contest. At the end the students developed very attractive posters related to landmines. These posters/sketches will be used in exhibitions and other activities related to awareness and lobbying. During this activity, SPADO also created and promoted awareness among university students and youth against war petitions forms were distributed and collected. A judgment committee was formed to decide the winners and then prizes were distributed among the prize winners. In the prize awards ceremony Mr. Simon Conway of Landmine Action UK, reporters of BBC, Dr. Qibla Ayaz (religious scholar) and university teachers participated. These posters are now under the printing process which will then be used in awareness and lobbying activities both at national and international levels.

8. Press Releases on March 01:

On the occasion of the 6th anniversary of the Landmine Ban Convention, SPADO issued press releases that were reported in the Media. “Sustainable Peace and Development Organization (SPADO) has urged more efforts to stop more casualties related to landmines. Director SPADO, Raza Shah Khan asked non-state parties to take positive steps and show their willingness to become a member of the convention banning antipersonnel landmines. “Sustainable Peace and Development Organization being a member of ICBL and point of contact for Pakistan strives for the universalization of the Ottawa Landmine Ban Convention and ask non-state parties to take positive interim steps that will help address humanitarian consequences of landmines and show their willingness to become member of the convention banning anti-personnel landmines.

9. Memberships:

The membership of SPADO is open to all individuals and organizations committed to the principles of SPADO and wishing to express solidarity with the objectives of SPADO. On the invitation of SPADO more than fifty NGOs and CBOs have got the membership of SPADO, besides these hundreds of individuals including students, teachers, doctors, engineers, environment and agriculture specialist and academia are the members of SPADO and are providing their services voluntarily to SPADO whenever needed.

10. Media Campaign:

The print and electronic media plays a significant role in creating and promoting mass awareness, delivering messages to civil society and exposing problems facing in the affected communities. SPADO has maintained good contacts with print and electronic media both at national and international level. For this purpose SPADO created a media sub-committee who draft the media strategy and various articles and letters were published in the leading national dailies. SPADO also took BBC, International Press Service (IPS) and DAWN (International Pakistani Newspaper) representatives to the mine affected of the tribal areas to provide them first hand information on the issue. They interviewed political administration, landmine victims, communities and SPADO team members. As a result the articles/features on the landmine issue were published and telecasted by the above mentioned media services.

11. Regional Networking:

As the South Asian countries are confronted with some common problems i.e. ethnicity, religious bigotry and Drug Mafia etc. all these issues have created unrest in the region. Moreover, the conventional and nuclear arms race has added fuel to the conflict. However, there are active national and regional campaigns but they need to establish a solid and strong network for regional coordination.

In this regard SPADO coordinates its activities with regional campaigns and strives to develop strong regional networks. This networking will pave the way for people to people dialogue to resolve the common issues of concern. The success of such networking ultimately helps the regional campaigns in achieving their goal and objectives.

Interaction with Administrative Authorities and Local Communities:

From the very beginning, SPADO has maintained regular contact with the concerned Government Departments, particularly, the Home department and the local administrations of the Tribal belt of Pakistan. To work effectively in the tribal areas of Pakistan it is necessary to have good relations and regular contacts with the political administration of the area. A visit permit it required for every foreigner visiting the tribal areas, which is issued by the Home Department. Keeping in view the facts SPADO remained in regular contact with these authorities and provided them all the necessary information. The authorities extended their full cooperation to SPADO in carrying out its activities smoothly. It is because of these good relations with the local administration and communities that instead of working in such sensitive areas and having an aggressive campaign against NGOs by religious people, SPADO is efficiently carrying out its activities.

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LANDMINES: “The Global Problem”

Anti-personnel landmines are defined as a mine designed to be exploded by the presence, proximity or contact of a person and that will incapacitate, injure or kill one or more persons. "Mine" means a munition designed to be placed under, on or near the ground or other surface area and to be exploded by the presence, proximity or contact of a person or a vehicle.
Anti-personnel landmines are indiscriminate killers - they do not discriminate between a combatant and a non-combatant, child or adult, in times of war or during peace, after the wars are long over.
Once antipersonnel landmines are laid in the ground, they can remain active for decades. These "silent killers" that were used years ago are still claiming victims today in places such as Vietnam, Mozambique and Perú.
The presence or suspected presence of anti-personnel mines has devastating effects for the social and economic development of a country. Agricultural lands remain unused for fear of mines; schools, roads, other infrastructure are avoided if it is suspected that mines are present in the ground.
The effects of anti-personnel landmines disproportionately affect the poorest of the poor in underdeveloped countries - poor rural inhabitants of those countries where mines are or were used. Poor rural inhabitants are often forced by necessity to grow crops on lands that are known or suspected to be mines; they are often forced by necessity to clear mines themselves, lacking training and equipment to do this dangerous work. When a poor peasant survives an incident with wounds or shattered limbs, they likely will have minimal medical assistance and services available, if any; they may have to travel great distances for first aid and are likely unable to afford medical treatment, prostheses and ortheses.

THE OTTAWA CONVENTION BANNING LANDMINES

The formal name of the Ottawa Convention is The Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-personnel Mines and on their Destruction. It is also referred to as the Mine Ban Treaty.
Canadian civil society and the Canadian government were both instrumental in achieving the Ottawa Convention banning landmines. Canadians NGOs first met to discuss the global mine crisis in September 1994, and formed a coalition that was to become Mines Action Canada. Advocacy was carried out with the Canadian public, and MAC impressed upon the Canadian public and media the devastating impact of landmines and their dubious utility as a weapon of war. By May 1996, the Canadian government recognized the need for an international instrument that dealt specifically with landmines and announced that it would host a meeting in October 1996, for states and NGOs interested in further pursuing discussions on landmines. At that meeting, then Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy issued the challenge to the world to negotiate a treaty banning anti-personnel landmines, to be signed in Ottawa, by December 1997.
The Ottawa Convention was opened for signature on 3 December 1997 in Canada's capital city. By September 1998 forty countries had ratified the Convention, and it entered into force on 1 March 1999, becoming binding international law. This is believed to be the fastest entry-into-force of any major multilateral treaty in history.
According to the Landmine Monitor Report 2003, as of July 2003, 134 countries are States Parties to the Convention, and another 13 countries had signed but not yet ratified it. Thus 147 countries have legally committed to the core obligations of the Convention, over three-quarters of the world's nations. The chart below provides an up to date status of the number of countries that have joined the Ottawa Convention.
The success of the Ottawa Convention illustrates the success of the mine ban movement in the world: the prohibition on the use, production, or transfer of anti-personnel landmines has become an international norm; there is widespread international rejection of any use or possession of anti-personnel mines, and broad commitment to clear emplaced mines and provide assistance to survivors.

FACTS AND FIGURES

· Antipersonnel mines cannot be aimed: they do not distinguish between the footfall of a soldier or a child.
· They lie dormant until a person or animal triggers their detonating mechanism.
· Then, landmines kill or injure civilians, soldiers, peacekeepers and aid workers alike.
· Mine deaths and injuries over the past decades now total in the hundreds of thousands.
· It is estimated that there are between 15,000 and 20,000 new casualties caused by landmines and unexploded ordnance each year. That means there are some 1,500 new casualties each month, more than 40 new casualties a day, at least two new casualties per hour.
· Most of the casualties are civilians and most live in countries that are now at peace.
· Landmines deprive people in some of the poorest countries of land and infrastructure.
· Once there is peace most soldiers will be demobilized and give in their guns, mines however don't recognize a cease-fire.
· Assistance to landmine survivors can be an enormous strain on resources.
· Landmine casualties deprive communities and families of breadwinners.
· Mines also kill livestock and wild animals and wreak environmental havoc.
· Every region in the world is mine-affected.
· More than 80 countries are affected to some degree by landmines and/or unexploded ordnance.
Join SPADO to relieve miseries of poor and innocent landmines victims’ and for a comprehensive ban on antipersonnel landmines.