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Administrator User <webmaster@icbl.org> .
Tuesday 24 January 2012
October 1992: The Common Call to Action signed by all six founding member organisations of the ICBL
This year is the 20th anniversary of the creation of the Nobel Peace Prizewinning International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) - a momentous time for our many global members, partner agencies and the governments who have worked with us over the years to achieve our aim of a world free of landmines.
Throughout 2012, the ICBL will use our anniversary to bring the landmine problem, the Mine Ban Treaty and its achievements, as well as the success of this unique global movement, back into public attention.We want to highlight that although much has been achieved, much more still needs to be done to bring a full stop to the devastation mines still cause.
September 1991:"The Coward`s War", the first extensive report on the humnitarian impact of landmines.
We will continue to challenge the international community to reinvigorate its commitment to reaching a mine-free world, and to act to achieve this aim within years, not decades. But we also want this anniversary to celebrate the power of civil society as a driving force to make a real difference in the world, and promote the model of partnership between NGOs, governments and international organizations as the most effective catalyst for change.
Resources
We want our anniversary to be a call to action - for civil society, governments and partners – to keep working together to make our shared achievable goal – a world without mines – a reality.
We encourage all our campaign members and partner agencies to use our 20th anniversary logo on your websites and social media networks, your newsletters and any other publications in the coming months. Please link back to this page, which we will be updating throughout the year.
Here you will find clear guidelines on how to use the logos. You can also download the logos in JPEG format - both high resolution and websized - here.
History
The foundation of this unique and unprecented campaign lies with six concerned NGOs who had been documenting the devastation anti-personnel landmines were causing to civilians all over the world and had decided enough was enough – the humanitarian community had to act and stop the terror this weapon was causing.
1993: Time Magazine Cover story shows growing momentum on the issue
In October 1992 leading representatives from Human Rights Watch, Handicap International, MAG (Mines Advisory Group), Physicians for Human Rights, medico international and VVAF (Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation) met at Human Rights Watch's New York offices with a view to beginning a movement to ban this terrible weapon.
This is how the ICBL was born. Jody Williams, Nobel Laureate, who was co-recipient of the 1997 Peace Prize, was appointed co-ordinator of the campaign, oversaw its growth to include hundreds of national and international NGOs from around the world.
Today, the ICBL has dedicated national campaigning organisations in some 100 countries and across many disciplines: human rights, children’s rights, development issues, refugee issues and medical and humanitarian relief. Right from the beginning the diversity, expertise and flexibility of the ICBL’s global campaign were its biggest strengths, and within just five years of being founded it had successfully lobbied for a global ban on the use, manufacture, stockpile and transfer of anti-personnel mines.