So you want to take action?

Youth in every region of the world have been taking action on the landmines issue in their communities. From collecting Youth Against War Treaty signatures in 42 countries, to holding a youth radio show in Georgia, selling holiday cards in France, performing awareness-raising theatre in India and holding fundraising dances in Canada, youth are actively taking a stand to ban landmines!

The 3 December anniversary of the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty signing and the 1 March anniversary of the 1999 entry into force of the Mine Ban Treaty are two important dates in the landmines calendar. Youth and adult campaigners around the world hold events to celebrate these two historic events.

Below are a number of action ideas. Read through them, get inspired, and get started!

Action Ideas!

Bell Ringing | Chalking | Community Resolutions | Exhibitions
Hold Hands Against Mines | Information Tables
Landmines and Global Issues Clubs
Landmine Awareness Days and Weeks | Letter Writing
Lobbying | Marches | Mine Awareness | Music and Creative Writing
Panel Discussions | Pickets | Presentations | Puppets
Shoe pile | Theatre | Town Hall Meetings and Public Forums
Vigils | Visual arts

Bell Ringing

Faith communities are important supporters of the movement to ban landmines. On 1 March 1999, to celebrate the entry-into-force of the Mine Ban Treaty, churches around the world rang their bells to show their support. Ever since, churches, schools, ships and other locations worldwide have rung their bells in support of a mine-free world.

• Find locations in your community that have loud bells. Approach the managers and inform them about the landmines issue. Request that they ring their bells at a particular time to show their support for a mine-free world. Leave them with information about the issue and publicity flyers.
  
• Confirm in advance when the bell ringing will take place.
  
• Plan presentations, information tables and other public events surrounding the bell ringing.
  
• Publicize the bell ringing in your community.

Chalking

Get a couple buckets of sidewalk chalk and decorate your school campus, playground or sidewalks! Use it to educate, advertise events, or put pressure on government officials.

• Chalk washes away when it rains, but even though it isn’t permanent, some cities and towns may not appreciate having their sidewalks covered in chalk. Ask permission before chalking on public property.
  
• Make chalking into a competition and award a small prize for the best sidewalk art.

Community Resolutions

Have your local government make a resolution declaring your region a mine-free zone or have a landmines awareness day or week proclaimed.

• Learn about your local government and how it is organized. Find out if any officials are supportive of the landmines issue.
  
• Request a meeting with a supportive official. Ask the government to pass a resolution and provide them with a draft text. Be sure to include why it is important for your community to make a resolution and pledge support for the issue.
  
• Follow-up with letters and meetings encouraging the government to pass a resolution.
  
• Publicize your campaign in the media. Having a resolution is great publicity for the issue and the local government. Refusing to issue a resolution is bad press for the government.

Painting by Chandreyi Nicaraguan Youth Drawing Contest, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Managua, Nicaragua, June 2001

Exhibitions

Paintings and photographs are powerful tools to convey the horror of landmines and the need for action. Host an exhibition of landmines-related artwork! Create your own artwork or contact the ICBL Resource Center at resource@icbl.org for more information about using ICBL art exhibitions.

• Secure a location for the exhibition and make sure that it’s an area with many passersby where the artwork will be safe from vandalism.
• Publicize the exhibition in your community.
• Make sure to have an information table at the exhibition.

Hold Hands Against Mines

Hold hands against mines; show solidarity with the movement to eliminate this weapon! The Thai Campaign to Ban Landmines (TCBL) held a "Hold Hands Against Mines" campaign throughout Thailand in the lead-up to the Fifth Meeting of States Parties (5MSP) to the Mine Ban Treaty, held in September 2003 in Bangkok.

For months leading up to the 5MSP, campaigners brought blank, white cotton banners and plenty of colorful paint to events all over the country. At information stands, presentations, community festivals and other activities they asked people to place their painted handprint on a banner to show their support for a mine-free world.

Over ten thousand handprints were collected from all over the country. They were displayed throughout the 5MSP to show visiting diplomats and campaigners the overwhelming Thai public support for the mine ban.

Click here for a downloadable action kit to help you start a hold hands against mines campaign.

Information Tables

Information tables placed in markets, public squares, musical events, theatre performances, religious centers, festivals, school hallways and many other places help to spread information about the landmines issue, collect petition signatures, publicize events, attract supporters and much, much more!

• Find a location and obtain any necessary permits. Look for a space in a very visible area. Make sure to have a table for documents and chairs to sit on. Use posters and other visual resources to attract attention.
  • Bring copies of petitions, information pamphlets, flyers for upcoming events and other information for people to take with them.
  • Encourage people to take some sort of action, such as signing the Youth Against War Treaty, sending a postcard, donating money, buying a t-shirt, etc.
  • Have a sign-up sheet to collect the names and contact details of interested individuals.

Landmines Awareness Days and Weeks

Many community groups, faith organizations and schools hold landmines awareness days or weeks. This allows you to organize a whole series of events during the allotted time.

• Talk to your school principal or religious or community leader. Inform them about the landmines issue and how holding an awareness day or week shows support for the movement against landmines. Present an outline of the events you would like to hold. Leave the person with information about the issue.
• Enlist the support of an adult leader to serve as a liaison with the administration.
• Possible activities to include are:
  • Ringing the school bell every 30 minutes to show that approximately every 30 minutes someone somewhere in the world steps on a landmine.
  • Have landmine facts read over school announcement systems.
  • Hold an assembly or presentation and bring in speakers to discuss the issue.
  • Encourage teachers to include activities such as letter writing or Internet research in their classes.
  • Hold a landmines art contest- t-shirt design, story, poetry, music, dance or theatre are some possible categories.
  • Have students sign the Youth Against War Treaty.
  • Make a shoe pile in front of the school.
  • Raise funds to support mine action programs.

Be creative and brainstorm other creative ways to raise awareness in your school or community. Make sure to have resources to distribute and actions for your peers to take.

Letter Writing

"We could always tell when international protests were taking place… the food rations increased and the beatings were fewer. Letters from abroad were translated and passed around from cell to cell, but when the letters stopped, the dirty food and repression started again."
-Released prisoner of conscience, Vietnam

Writing letters is a powerful way to take action. The two main groups to write letters to are decision makers and the media.

Writing to Governments

• Write letters to treaty non-signatories encouraging them to join the Mine Ban Treaty, to signatories encouraging ratification, and to States Parties encouraging them to live up to their treaty obligations.
• Write to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Head of State, Defense Minister and foreign embassies in your country.
• Especially in countries that have not joined the Mine Ban Treaty, write to local decision makers, informing them about the landmines issue and encouraging them to make joining the treaty a priority for their government. Officials often don’t know about the issue and it’s important to let them know that this is an issue of importance to the community they represent.
• Don’t be discouraged, not all decision makers write reply letters. Keep writing asking for a response and action on the issue! The more letters the more likely the government is to take notice, respond and take action!
• Personal letters are the most effective. Write your own letters to governments. Encourage your teachers to include letter writing as a class assignment.
• Make copies of letters that interested people can sign. Either have people sign and mail the letters yourself, or have the person mail the letter on their own. Always include your address on the letter and envelope so you can be sent responses.

Writing to the Media

The media has the power to spread messages far and wide, increasing awareness of the landmines issue. Write letters to the editor of your local paper and national and international publications, expressing your opinions about the landmines issue and the actions you would like citizens and governments to take. Remember to include your return address and age. Often newspapers enjoy publishing letters written by youth.

Letter Writing Tips

• Make sure the letter short, no longer than one page.
• When writing letters, state your reason for writing in the first paragraph. Keep the message simple, such as a call for ratification or increased funding for victim assistance programs.
• In the next paragraph, describe in more detail why you are writing.
• Use updated and accurate information. Quote information from the ICBL’s Landmine Monitor for data on particular countries and issues.
• Re-state your reason for writing and the action you would like taken in the last paragraph.
• Read over the letter to check for spelling mistakes and to ensure that you are sending the desired message in the letter.
• Look for addresses in directories at your local library, telephone book, government office or ICBL website.
• Ensure you have the correct name, address and proper title (i.e. Sir, Honorable, Ambassador) for government officials.
• Be sure to include your contact information on the letter for responses.

Writing Together

Invite your peers to join you in a writing session at lunchtime or in the evening. Collect all the letters at the end and post them off on their behalf. Gather together to write your letters to decision makers and have fun!

Lobbying

Lobbying is a very important way for landmine campaigners to influence governments and usually involves meeting with officials to discuss issues that are important to you.

United States Campaign to Ban Landmines, March 2001

• Decide who to target. Target someone who can influence government policy on the landmines issue. Find out what government departments are involved with landmines and then find individuals who would be good to talk to, i.e. someone from the Department of Defense, Department of Foreign Affairs, or committee on human rights or defense spending. Sometimes directly targeting your local government representative (i.e. member of parliament) is also very helpful.
• Select your message. Are you asking the government to increase funding for mine clearance or join the Treaty? Have a specific action that you would like the official to take, such as asking a question in parliament, adopting new legislation, etc.
• Schedule a meeting. Write a letter and/ or phone the official’s office to request a meeting. Be sure to include a meeting date, how many people will attend, where you are coming from and the purpose of the visit. It may take several letters and phone calls to schedule a meeting. Be flexible, you may not get your first choice of meeting times. Follow-up your letters and phone calls until you get a response. Be flexible, persistent and don’t get discouraged!
• Plan ahead of time. Go in a group to show that you have a wide-range of support for your concerns and select a group leader to introduce members to the official and guide the meeting. Plan your arguments, practice responding to difficult questions, and keep in mind that most meetings only last approximately 20 minutes.
• Reconfirm the meeting. Once you schedule a meeting, phone a few days before to reconfirm the meeting date, time and place.
• The meeting.
  • Be on time.
  • Be polite, even if the official is not receptive.
  • Bring information about the issue to leave with the official.
  • Ask questions- find out what the official knows about the issue and any plans the official has for taking action on the issue.
  • Don’t worry if you can’t answer every question the official asks. Let the person know you don’t know the answer, but that you will find out and get back to them. Remember to get back to them as soon as possible! Search the Landmine Monitor and other resources for answers, and if you have further questions contact a local campaign or the ICBL.
  • Thank the official for meeting with you.
• Follow-up. Write letters to officials thanking them for their time. Provide any information or arguments you missed in the meeting and any additional information requested. Send officials updates to let them know that this issue is still important to you and to encourage government action or follow-up to your meeting.
• Success? Some officials are supportive of the landmines issue and some are not. Encourage supportive officials to take action, but don’t lost faith in non-supportive people- they may change their minds, it just takes time, patience and persistence! Often building a relationship with them is the best way to win their support.

Virtual Lobbying

You don’t necessarily have to lobby officials in person! Organize a phone-in or email-in. Set up phones or arrange to have phone cards available, and encourage your peers to phone decision makers and voice their views on the landmines issue. Or, have computers set up in a public area and encourage youth to email decision makers. If it’s not possible to do this as a group activity, encourage your peers to phone or email decision makers independently.

Photo: John Rosted

Marches

Want to march in the streets spreading your message to the world? Organize a march!

• Get started early. The sooner you begin organizing for a march, the more participants you will have.
• Think about when you are going to hold the march. Consider important dates such as 3 December or 1 March.
• Have a clear, simple message you would like to convey to the public and actions members of the public can take.
• Make sure participants know the march is a peaceful, non-violent action.
• Plan a route that will go through as many high visibility areas as possible. High visibility areas may include areas with embassies or symbolic monuments, neighborhoods where you would like the residents to hear your message or busy public gathering places.
• Obtain permits to march in the streets if required.
• Designate a meeting place for the march to start. Plan the march route and organize an event at the end of the march such as a rally or petition handover.
• Publicize the march in your community and with the media.
• Have community leaders or organization heads lead the march if possible. This will add visibility.
• Design signs and banners with your message to carry during the march.
• Write slogans and chants to call out during the march.

Mine Awareness

Mine awareness programs with people in communities affected by landmines aim to raise awareness about the dangers of mines and how to stay safe. Some programs train youth in mine awareness to help teach their peers about the dangers of mines. Do you want to get involved with a child-to-child mine awareness program? If you do get involved, remember that it is important that people receive the most accurate information in the most appropriate form. So, only get involved in mine awareness under the supervision of and cooperation with an organization already involved in mine awareness. For more information contact your local mine awareness projects or the ICBL at youth@icbl.org.

Music and Creative Writing

Raise awareness of the landmines issue through music and writing!

• Organize a benefit concert with local musicians. Charge admission and donate the proceeds to mine action projects.
• Hold a competition for songs themed around the landmines issue.
• Organize a competition for essays, stories or poems about landmines. Have the winning entries published in local publications.
• Use your school newspapers and radio stations to voice your views about the landmines issue and encourage your fellow students to take action.

Panel Discussions

Holding a panel discussion helps to raise awareness of the landmines issue in your community. Invite landmines experts to your community to participate in a panel discussion about particular aspects of the landmines issue. Inviting speakers that represent a range of views about the Mine Ban Treaty and mine action can make the discussion quite interesting.

• Concentrate on a specific topic, such as why your country should join the treaty.
• Publicize the discussion in advance and invite the media.

Pickets

Picketing involves standing outside a location, holding signs, chanting and passing out information in protest of an action going on inside a facility. For example, people sometimes picket outside of mine production factories, the headquarters of mine producer’s parent companies or the embassies of countries that have not sign the treaty.

• Ensure you have permission to use the space where you will picket.
• Design colorful signs and banners and have chants to call out and information to hand out.
• Invite the media to cover the event.

Presentations

Many youth hold presentations in schools and with community and faith groups to raise awareness of the landmines issue. Click here for more information.

Puppets

Puppets can be both entertaining and informative

• Write a script creatively incorporating information about the landmines issue.
• Make puppets out of wood, cloth, paper maché or other materials.
• Hold performances in schools, community centers, markets, parks, sidewalks and anywhere else where you will attract an interested audience.

© Handicap International

Shoe Pile

In September 2000 a 6-meter tall shoe pile was constructed underneath the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Similar shoe piles have been made in cities around the world. Building a shoe pile in your community is an excellent way to raise awareness of the landmines issue in your community by symbolically representing the limbs and lives lost to landmines.

Building a shoe pile in your community can be an effective way to generate publicity and participation in the landmines issue. Build your pile in the most visible public space possible (community hall, public square, park, school, etc.).

• Develop a poster advertising your event.
• Find a location for the shoe pile.
• Make sure to have resource materials to hand out.
• Have a shoe drive. Ask your classmates, community groups, religious group or other youth to participate in gathering shoes.
• Go door-to-door in your neighborhood asking for shoes.
• Ask local stores and business for shoe donations.
• Include other actions with the shoe pile- hold a mine clearance demonstration, street theatre, information table, etc.
• Have an action that people can take, i.e. signing a petition, writing a letter, throwing a shoe on the pile.
• Donate the shoes to a local charity.

Indian youth performing awareness-raising theatre Indian Institute for Peace,Disarmament & Environmental Protection

Theatre

Write a play about the effects of landmines or use a script such as BOOM, which is available from Mines Action Canada at macinfo@web.ca. Ask your drama teacher or local theatre company to perform the play in your community.

Take theater to the streets! Design a simple dramatic work and perform it in parks, markets, school campuses, sidewalks or other visible locations.

• Make sure your message is simple and clear.
• Keep speaking to a minimum as people watching will not necessarily be able to hear what you are saying.
• Create costumes, signs and other materials to help convey your message.

Town Hall Meetings and Public Forums

Sometimes politicians hold meetings to discuss issues of importance to the community. This provides an opportunity to show that local youth care about the landmines issue and demand government action.

• Contact local government offices to see when the next public meeting will be held.
• Bring a group of supporters and information to distribute at the meeting.
• Ask the official questions, i.e. what is your position on the Mine Ban Treaty, do you support increased funding for mine action programs, what are the government’s plans for removing mines in our community/ country?
• Try to talk to officials after the meeting and provide them with information to read.
• Follow-up with letters thanking them for their time and requesting support.

Vigils

Vigils are gatherings held by activists to show support for people around the world who are suffering. Landmines campaigners in the US state of Minnesota have been holding vigils at Alliant Tech, a manufacturer of landmines, every Wednesday night for years. Here are some tips for organizing a successful vigil.

• Decide what message you want to convey in advance. Most landmines vigils address either the horror of landmines or are held in honor of the victims of landmines.
• Select a location that will be highly visible and publicize the event as much as possible in advance.
• Remember that vigils are usually solemn events
• Use an item such as candles for visual effect. Have extras on hand for interested passersby.
• Be sure to have information that you can hand out to anyone that is interested. Make sure to include your contact information.
• Have a few volunteers to help you with the event.
• Prepare a brief statement that explains what the purpose of the vigil is. Read this speech aloud after a good size crowd has gathered so that you will be sure to address as many people as possible. Make sure your statement accurately reflects the pre-determined purpose of the gathering.
• Bring information to distribute.
• Be sure to find out if you need a permit to hold a vigil.

Visual Arts

• Hold a landmines drawing contest. Make the winning design into a poster or t-shirt to distribute or sell.
• Find a public space in your community and ask if it can be used for a mural. Work with other youth to design and paint the awareness-raising mural.
• Have your peers express their feelings about landmines by designing quilt squares and then sewing them all together. Put the finished product on display in your community.
• Create banners with mine ban messages. Find places around town where these banners can be displayed.
• Hold a postcard competition. Have youth create slogans and draw pictures expressing their opinions about the landmine issue. Give a small prize for the best overall, or for best pictures or slogans. Then send them off to the government officials from countries that have yet to join the Mine Ban Treaty.
• Hold a sticker design competition. Have the winning design printed and distributed around town to raise awareness.