Southern African Workshop Announcement

Dear friends

The International Development Research Centre's Mines Action Programme (MAP) together with the South African Campaign to Ban
Landmines (SACBL) and the Namibian Society for Human Rights (NSHR)
are organising a regional workshop in Namibia from the 15th to the 16th of March 1999. The meeting will bring together representatives of anti-personnel landmines campaigners in Southern Africa, that is SADC countries.

The participants will discuss the problem of, and solution to, anti-personnel mines in each of their countries vis-a-vis the Ottawa Process.

IDRC, SACBL and NSHR will be inviting two members of SADC national
campaigns to attend the two-day meeting in Namibia. The organisers
will sponsor the travel and accommodation. The two members of each campaign should be active in ensuring government's compliance
with the Ottawa Convention and should be committed to the strengthening of each national campaign.

The Windhoek seminar offers the opportunity to widen our understanding
of the anti-personnel mine problem, in particular as it relates monitoring and implementation of the Convention by civil society.
This
seminar will also enable us to build the capacity of NGOs to sensitise
public opinion regarding landmines and to find viable solutions including the ability to work together in a strong regional network of civil society promoting the objectives and obligations of the Ottawa Convention.

This meeting could also play a crucial role in not only galvanising civil society but in providing an important impetuous for governments
from the SADC region to both attend and positively contribute to the
First Meeting of States' Parties that will be held in Maputo in May.
The meeting will also be crucial to the Landmine Monitor project.

DATE: 15th to 16th March 1999

CONFERENCE & ACCOMODATION VENUE:

Windhoek, Namibia

CONFERENCE LANGUAGE:

While the conference language is English, translations will be provided in Portuguese.

Interested international development NGOs, mine-clearance operators,
organisations involved in victim assistance as well SADC National Campaigns are invited to contact Richard Sherman for further information.

Richard Sherman
Tel: + 27 11 403 7666
Fax: + 27 11 403 7563
email: rsherman-at-gem-org-za

Yours sincerely

Noel Stott
SACBL

Noel Stott
Community Agency for Social Enquiry
PO BOX 32882
Braamfontein
2017
South Africa
FAX: 27 - 11 - 4031005
Phone: 27 - 11 - 4034204
*** A Landmine Incident is No Accident ***