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1. Introduction
2. Who is Song Kosal?
3. Youth Against War Treaty
4. Why India and Pakistan?
5. Find out more
6. Take action
7. Contacts
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1. Introduction
Are you interested in campaigning against landmine use and promoting the ban on landmines? Are you ready to take action? Are you age 24 or younger? The ICBL and Mines Action Canada have an exciting new campaign for youth- collect Youth Against War Treaty signatures urging the governments of India and Pakistan to join the Mine Ban Treaty!
Whether you collect signatures from your friends or plan a large collection event in your community, every signature adds to the message we are sending to India and Pakistan- that youth around the world are against landmines! Join the ICBL, Mines Action Canada, ICBL Youth Ambassador Song Kosal and make your voice heard. All signatures will be jointly handed over to the governments of India and Pakistan on 5 February 2003.
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2. Who is Song Kosal?
Song Kosal lost her leg as a small girl in the town of Bavel, Battambang province Cambodia. She spoke at the UN podium at the Convention on Conventional Weapons meeting in Austria in 1995 when she was 12 years old and has promoted the ban against mines untiringly since. On a visit to Australia in 1998 she launched the Youth Against War campaign, which invites young people from around the world to build a mine free world for the next generation of children. Kosal has taken her message to Spain, Australia, Japan, Canada, United States, Thailand, Philippines, Malaysia, Mozambique, Morocco, Belgium, Switzerland and France. She has met with heads of states and dignitaries around the world including the King of Cambodia, Queen of Spain, Queen of Jordan, and the US Secretary of State. She was present at the signing of the Ottawa Treaty and presented the report at the first meeting of States Parties.
In 2001 Kosal was named ICBL Youth Ambassador. As ICBL Youth Ambassador, Kosal represents youth campaigners and survivors at events worldwide. Kosal has succeeded in putting a face to the many lesser-known child landmine survivors around the world. In her role as ICBL Youth Ambassador she continues to raise awareness around the world, while pursuing high school studies in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
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3. Youth Against War Treaty
During the December 1997 Ottawa Conference, Song Kosal and Canadian youth Lindsay Wilcox publicly launched the People's Treaty. People who sign the People's Treaty are invited to monitor government progress in areas of ratification, compliance, clearance and victim assistance, and they are encouraged to take part in advocacy campaigns to ensure that governments join the treaty.
Kosal participated in the 1998 Effects of War on Children Conference in Australia, where she decided it would be an excellent idea to have a youth version of the People's Treaty. The Kids Against War Treaty was launched at the Australian conference, where Kosal collected petition signatures during school presentations.
During the 3 December 1998 treaty signing anniversary celebrations, the Kids Against War Treaty was renamed the Youth Against War Treaty in order for it to appeal to a wider age range. Mines Action Canada agreed to work with Kosal to promote the Youth Against War Treaty worldwide.
From the 1999 Hague Appeal for Peace Conference in the Netherlands to the 2000 War Affected Children's Conference in Ghana, to classrooms, community groups, street corners and other places around the globe, Kosal and youth from 42 countries, including Thailand, Nepal, Mauritius, Afghanistan, Georgia, Brazil, Australia and Canada, collected Treaty signatures and worked to gather support for a mine-free world. The ICBL also collected thousands of signatures on the ICBL youth web page. By 2001, because of this tremendous effort, more than a quarter of a million signatures had been collected.
In March 2001, the petition signatures were delivered to the United States government, urging the United States to join the Mine Ban Treaty. Kosal and youth around the world continue to collect signatures, pledging their support for a mine-free world.
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4. Why India and Pakistan?
India and Pakistan have been chosen as the new Youth Against War Treaty target countries. Both countries have used mines in three wars with each other and recently planted landmines along their shared border. The media has reported both civilian and military casualties from these newly planted mines.
These two powerful South Asian countries have the capacity to send a strong message to their neighbors in South Asia and indeed throughout the world by joining the Mine Ban Treaty. The ICBL has prioritized working to achieve universalization of the Mine Ban Treaty in South Asia by 2004.
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5. Find out more
A number of resources are available to provide you with background information about the landmine situation in India and Pakistan and how you can get involved with the Youth Against War Treaty campaign.
*Read the 2001 Landmine Monitor report on India at http://www.icbl.org/lm/2001/india and the Pakistan report at http://www.icbl.org/lm/2001/pakistan
*Read the Human Rights Watch backgrounder on the landmine situation in India and Pakistan at http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/arms/ind-pak-landmines.htm
*Learn more about the landmine situation in both countries, the Youth Against War Treaty and actions to take at http://www.icbl.org/youth/yaw/india_pakistan.html
*Download the India Action kit at http://www.icbl.org/youth/yaw/india_kit_eng.pdf
*Download the Pakistan Action kit at http://www.icbl.org/youth/yaw/yawpakistan.pdf
*Search for press articles in the ICBL media reports archive at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/icblmedia/messagesearch?query=india%20pakistan
*Download the Youth Against War Treaty flyer at http://www.icbl.org/youth/yaw/india_pakistan.html The flyer may be downloaded in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Serbian, Hindi or Urdu.
*Download the Youth Against War Treaty signature collection sheet in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Serbian, Japanese, Hindu or Urdu at http://www.icbl.org/youth/yaw/
*For more action ideas and information about how to organize and publicize events go to http://www.icbl.org/youth/action/
*For more information about the Youth Against War Treaty visit http://www.icbl.org/youth/yaw
*For a background on the landmine issue and actions being taken globally to end the landmines crisis visit http://www.icbl.org/youth/issue/
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6. Take Action
After you have learned more about the issue and are comfortable letting others know about the mine situation in India and Pakistan and how they can get involved then you're ready to take action! Your involvement in the Youth Against War Treaty campaign can take many forms. You can collect signatures, organize events in your country on the signature handover date (5 February 2003) or take other creative actions to urge India and Pakistan to stop using mines and join the Mine Ban Treaty.
Signature Collection
The goal of the Youth Against War Treaty campaign is to collect as many signatures as possible to hand over to the Indian and Pakistani governments on 5 February 2003. Collecting signatures is a fun and exciting way to take action. Please remember only to collect signatures from youth, that is, people age 24 or younger.
Where to collect signatures- Gather signatures where youth spend time in your community including schools, landmine awareness presentations, community centers, markets and shopping centers, sporting events, monuments, museums, bus and train stations, community festivals and public gathering places.
How to collect signatures-
*When collecting signatures, make sure you are prepared to answer questions about the landmines issue. Many youth will ask for more information before signing. Sometimes it helps to practice difficult questions beforehand.
*Decide ahead of time how you will approach people. Will you walk up to them and ask them to sign? Will you have the treaty on an information table?
What are you going to say to youth? Example: My name is Song Kosal, will you please join other youth around the world and sign this treaty calling for peace and a world free of landmines? Sometimes it helps to start by approaching family and friends first. Take a friend along for company and support.
*Put up a banner, poster, or wear a badge or t-shirt that will attract attention.
Have a pamphlet or fact sheet with information about the treaty and the landmines issue for people to take away with them.
*Be sure to clearly explain what you are collectins signatures for.
*It may be useful to ask people who sign if they are interested in helping to promote the treaty further . Make sure to bring paper to write down their names and contact details. This is an excellent way to build up your group of supporters!
What to do if people don't want to sign the treaty- Not everyone is going to sign the treaty. Some may not know enough about the issue to feel comfortable signing, and others may not agree with the treaty or may not be interested. You can try to encourage them to sign, but if they still refuse, don't take it personally.
*Try to engage them and find out why they do not want to sign.
*Try to counter their arguments. Let them know how landmines affect youth, how many people are affected by landmines, etc.
*Encourage them to take information about the issue with them. Perhaps they will read about the issue later and become more supportive.
*If youth still don't want to sign, then don't bother them. While changing someone's opinion on the issue feels wonderful, it doesn't happen all the time. Don't get discouraged!
What to do with collected signatures- Send collected signatures to:
Mines Action Canada
1 Nicholas Street, Suite 1210
Ottawa, ON K1N 7B7
CANADA
Tel. 613-241-3777
Fax 613-244-3410
Email: yaw@icbl.org
Signature Handover
On Wednesday, 5 February 2003, all Youth Against War Treaty signatures will be jointly handed over to the Indian and Pakistani governments in New Delhi, India and Islamabad, Pakistan by ICBL youth campaigners.
If you are located in India and would like to become involved with the signature collection or handover events please contact Dr. Balkrishna Kurvey at tel. +91-712-745-806, fax +91-712-743-664, email iipdep@nagpur.dot.net.in. To get involved with events in Pakistan please contact Mr. Faiz Mohammad Fayyaz at Tel. +92-91-5261088, fax +92-91-271-081, email pakistan@icbl.org.
Just because you may not be in India or Pakistan on 5 February 2003 doesn't mean you can't become involved in the signature handover! Youth are encouraged to hold events on 5 February in solidarity with campaigners in South Asia who are handing over the signatures. Here are a few ideas:
*Arrange a meeting with the Indian or Pakistani High Commission in your country and let officials know that you are calling on them to join the Mine Ban Treaty. Let them know that signatures have been collected from youth around the world and are being presented that day to their government, urging them to stop using mines and join the Mine Ban Treaty. For more information about how to set up a meeting with government officials please visit http://www.icbl.org/youth/action/take.html#Anchor-Lobbying-44867
*Hold a vigil or protest outside the Indian or Pakistan High Commission in your country in solidarity with your peers in India and Pakistan who are presenting signatures to their governments. For information about organizing vigils visit http://www.icbl.org/youth/action/take.html#Anchor-Vigils-51540 and for information about holding protests visit http://www.icbl.org/youth/action/take.html#Anchor-Pickets-23522
*Organize a youth march through your community, ending at the Indian or Pakistan High Commission. For information about how to organize a march please visit http://www.icbl.org/youth/action/take.html#Anchor-Marches-33869
*Write a press release and send it to your local media (television, radio, print). Let the media know about how you and your peers collected signatures in your community and how they will be handed over to the Indian and Pakistani governments. For information about writing press releases please visit http://www.icbl.org/youth/action/publicize/press.html
*Write a letter to the editor of your local paper, letting your community know that youth in you took action to end landmine use in India and Pakistan and that on 5 February your actions are being taken to the governments in each of the two countries, showing that youth around the world are against landmines. For a sample letter to the editor visit http://www.icbl.org/news/2002/159.php
*If you live far away from an Indian or Pakistani High Commission, write them a letter instead, letting them know about the Youth Against War Treaty, your involvement and the 5 February handover date. Information about writing letters is available at http://www.icbl.org/youth/action/take.html#Anchor-Letter-35326
Other Actions
Your actions to urge India and Pakistan to join the Mine Ban Treaty are not limited to signing the Youth Against War Treaty. Here are some ideas for other actions you may wish to take:
*Raise awareness of the landmine situation in India and Pakistan with the South Asian community in your area.
*Hold presentations in your classes about the landmine situation in India and Pakistan and encourage your peers to take action.
*Organize information tables at public events, shopping centers and other visible locations to raise awareness and encourage others to take action. For more information visit http://www.icbl.org/youth/action/take.html#Anchor-Information-14210
*Do a school project, such as writing a paper, about landmines in India and Pakistan.
*Write letters to the Indian and Pakistani governments urging them to halt their use of mines and join the Mine Ban Treaty. Sample letters can be found at http://www.icbl.org/news/2002/156.php
*Raise funds to support the Indian and Pakistan Campaigns to Ban Landmines.
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7. Contacts
Indian Government Contacts:
For a list of Indian High Commissions around the world visit http://www.nriworld.com/embassies/embassies.asp
Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Rashtrapati Bavan
New Delhi 110004
India
Tel. +91-11-301-8939/ +91-11-301-1156
Fax +91-11-301-9545/ +91-11-301-6857; +91-11-972-2-664-838
Mr. Yashwant Sinha
Minister of External Affairs
South Block 11
New Delhi 110 011
India
Tel. +91-11-301-2318
Fax +91-11-301-0700
Mr. George Fernandes
Minister of Defense
3, Krishna Menon Marg
New Delhi 110 011
India
Tel. +91-11-301-7172/ +91-11-301-6035
Fax +91-11-379-3397
Pakistan Government Contacts:
For a list of Pakistani High Commissions around the world visit http://www.forisb.org/pakmissions.html
General Pervez Musharraf
Office of the President
Constitution Avenue
Islamabad
Pakistan
Fax +92-51-811-390/ +92-51-920-3938; +92-51-920-1968
Email ce@pak.gov.pk
Mr. Abdus Sattar
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Constitution Avenue
Islamabad
Pakistan
Tel. +92-51-921-1942/ +92-51-920-5494
Fax +92-51-920-7217/ +92-51-920-2518
Email pakfm@isb.sdnpk.org
ICBL Contacts:
For inquiries about the Youth Against War Treaty campaign email yaw@icbl.org
Indian Campaign to Ban Landmines
Dr. Balkrishna Kurvey
tel. +91-712-745-806, fax +91-712-743-664, email href="mailto:iipdep@nagpur.dot.net.in">iipdep@nagpur.dot.net.in.
Pakistan Campaign to Ban Landmines
Mr. Faiz Mohammad Fayyaz
tel. +92-91-5261088, fax +92-91-271-081, email pakistan@icbl.org
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