The Issue

Landmines injure or kill approximately 10,000-15,000 people in 90 countries every year. In some countries up to one third of victims are children, and many are civilians.

The ICBL (International Campaign to Ban Landmines) is an advocacy coalition composed of over 1400 human rights, mine clearance, humanitarian, children's, veterans', medical, development, arms control, religious, environmental, and women's groups in 90 countries. The ICBL calls for:

• An international ban on the use, production, stockpiling, sale, transfer, or export of antipersonnel landmines;
  
• The signing, ratification, implementation, and monitoring of the mine ban treaty;
  
• Increased resources for humanitarian demining and mine awareness programs; and,
  
• Increased resources for landmine victim rehabilitation and assistance.

Right from the start youth have been involved in the anti-landmine movement. Today, youth are an important part of the campaign. Each day more and more young people visit the ICBL website and decide to take action! Learn about the issue and take action, you are not alone. You are part of a huge global network of people who have the same goal- a world without landmines.

All too often adults refer to young people as the 'leaders of tomorrow.' From my experience with amazing kids all over the world, many of them are not waiting for 'tomorrow' -- they are already leaders today. And we have the great fortune to have many of these young leaders involved in the global effort to eradicate landmines. It is both a joy and a privilege to know and work with many of them. -Jody Williams