Send the message to world leaders gathered in Nairobi, Kenya that youth will not stop campaigning against landmines until all mines are removed and all survivors and their communities receive the assistance they need!
The Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World is the First Review Conference of the treaty banning landmines. Governments, international organizations and non-governmental organizations will all meet in Nairobi to look at the progress made in eliminating landmines and will adopt a concrete plan of actions to take in the next five years. Click here for more information.
More than 35 young people from all over the world are traveling to Nairobi for the In Our Lifetime: The 2004 International Youth Symposium on Landmines. The symposium, being held parallel to the Nairobi Summit, is organized by Mines Action Canada (MAC) and the Youth Mine Action Ambassador Program (YMAAP).
Symposium participants will be presenting a youth declaration to world leaders gathered in Nairobi. This is your chance to endorse the draft declaration and tell world leaders that youth are committed in the long-term to working towards a landmine-free world.
Here's how you can get involved!
1. Read the draft Youth Declaration (below). The declaration will be finalized by symposium participants in Nairobi and presented to governments.
2. Send the following message to iysSPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERdangermines.ca by 15 November.
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Subject: Youth Declaration Support
Message: I am writing to express my support for the Youth Declaration to be presented at the Nairobi Summit.
Signed:
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By sending this message you are committing yourself to continuing your work to rid the world of antipersonnel mines.
3. What's on your calendar? Find out if there's any upcoming youth or landmine-related events in your community. Use these opportunities to raise awareness about youth engagement in the mine ban campaign and encourage your peers to endorse the draft Youth Declaration.
4. Countdown Nairobi! Check out this action alert for more ideas of actions to take on the Road to Nairobi.
For more information contact iysSPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERdangermines.ca
Draft Text of the 2004 International Youth Symposium on Landmines
Youth Declaration to the Nairobi Summit on a Mine-Free World
Preamble
We, the youth (from # countries, including survivors, and youth from mine affected communities) hereby affirm our commitment to this Summit ('s vision of a mine-free world) as an opportunity to celebrate achievements in eradicating the scourge of landmines and to agree on a practical and ambitious plan of action to finish the task of building a mine-free world.
We acknowledge the work of mine action leaders and express our admiration and respect for their accomplishments.
We recognize both the responsibility, and the potential, that we possess as young individuals, and the necessity of our taking a leading role in this campaign.
Summative declaration
It is our challenge to maintain the momentum of the campaign and propel it into the future.
We declare our commitment to see that compliance with the Ottawa Convention becomes universal, that mine clearance and stockpile destruction obligations are met, that adequate assistance is provided for all survivors and mine-affected communities and that donor countries be encouraged to make bold pledges of assistance.
We declare our commitment to encouraging non-member states and non-state actors to support the treaty.
We declare our commitment to press forward with the fight to rid the world of landmines, and our determination to finish the job in our lifetime.
No more landmines. No more victims. In our lifetime. We are ready.
