"Sowing Mines, Harvesting Death"
(Bogotá, 26 September 2000) With an impressive media coverage by all written, TV and radio media, the CCCM and Unicef Colombia launched the book “Sowing Mines, Harvesting Death”, yesterday, in the Fundación Gilberto Alzate Avendaño. The document shows the reality of one of the few countries where mines are still being planted and where civil population is in risk because of these indiscriminate weapons.
Sowing Mines, Harvesting Death, shows through the voices of landmine survivors in Colombia, certain relevant aspects of the situation, opening spaces for the systematic work that could lead to the eradication of landmines in the Colombian territory. According to the research conducted by CCCM, there are at least 100,000 landmines grounded in no less than 160 municipalities in 25 departments of the country. These figures represent about the 15% of the national territory. The document also makes proposals for the implementation of the Mine Ban Treaty, and calls the State, the NGOs, The International Organizations, the Military Forces and the Non-State Actors groups to unify forces in the commitment of a total eradication of landmines and its consequences.
The act was presided by the Canadian Ambassador in Colombia, Guillermo Rishchinsky, the Unicef Representative, Carel de Rooy and the Minister of Communications, María del Rosario Síntes. In its speech, ambassador Rishchinsky referred to the book as "the first research tool that will let Colombia adopt measures to implement the Ottawa Treaty". Talking about the appropriateness of the book, the ambassador added, "this is an impressive investigation that will serve the Colombian government, its militaries, friendly governments and even non-State Actors". Carel de Rooy, Unicef Representative in Colombia said that "the work in this book will lead us to start taking measures to prevent more children die or loose their futures because of mines. The Colombian Campaign Against Landmines has developed an incredible job that requires dedication and brave spirit, showing their commitment to the country".
Children of the School of Body danced in a magnificent performance for the assistants. The School of Body is a dance school based in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, whose objective is to introduce children to dance with an ethical perspective of body. The school is open to all children, but particularly to the less favored. Famous Colombian singer Juan Esteban Aristizábal, Juanes, also performed during the act, singing his recent song "Fíjate bien", in the one Juanes refers to the landmines tragedies. Also present was the well known dancer and choreographer Alvaro Restrepo, who danced for the first time his "small Requiem", in the memory of his dead sister.
Unicef, the Canadian Embassy and the Ministry of communications also presented the video "Colombia, a Mined Country" that shows the realities of the horror caused by mines. Narrated by its own protagonists, the video is an excellent advocacy and sensitization piece, not only for its unique quality, but also for its punctuality and responsibility. The video lets survivors to tell their stories, their pain, their sadness and fears to and audience that can't feel something different that the will to commit themselves in the fight for the improvement of the quality of life of these people and their communities. The video was directed by Lupi Herrera, and counted with the thematic consultation of the CCCM.
Among the assistants to the launching of the book written by Diana Roa, Coordinator of the CCCM, where high military officers, members of the diplomat bodies of different countries, ministers and viceministers, NGO members, landmines survivors and members of civil society, who left the event with the commitment to work to see Colombia free of mines.
The book is available on the web at CCCMs web site, http://www.cccminas.org.
For further information please contact the Colombian Campaign Against Landmines, Diana Roa or Andres Valderrama. Tel: 57.3.2855696, cccminas-at-cccminas-org , and diana-roa-at-cccminas-org
