New Zealand Campaign Against Landmines (CALM)

NEWSLETTER

April 1997 [No 3 1997]


In this issue:

Mozambique 4th International NGO Conference on Landmines!


STOP PRESS STOP PRESS STOP PRESS STOP PRESS

The report on Mozambique by Brian gives some indication of the wide ranging discussions and the experiences he faced. He has much more to tell which is of significance to our Campaign.

COME and HEAR his personal report at SHELL THEATRETTE
100 The Terrace, Wellington 5.30.p.m. TUESDAY 6th MAY 1997

IAN KIDMAN, Executive Officer for the CAMBODIA TRUST has just returned from Cambodia and he will also be reporting on the activities of Cambodia Trust and the great needs of the people in that area.
Do PLEASE NOTE THIS IN YOUR DIARY NOW

 

MOZAMBIQUE 4th INTERNATIONAL NGO CONFERENCE ON LANDMINES

Brian Hayes, currently the Treasurer of the Campaign Against Landmines represented the New Zealand campaign at the 4th International NGO Conference on Landmines, Maputo, Mozambique from 25 -28 February 1997. There were two other New Zealanders present at the conference; Lt Col Greg Lindstrom, Chief Technical Adviser to the United Nations Demining Programme in the Southern Provinces of Mozambique, and Mary Wareham, former CALM Convenor, now based with the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) in Washington.

Brian reports on the emotional effects he experienced seeing at close quarters the terrible consequences to a region that is afflicted by Landmines. However he was heartened by the tempo and momentum that the conference generated for the campaign to ban Landmines. He was told by many African delegates that the presence of a delegate from CALM, as well as the generous support of New Zealanders via the NZ Government's financial support and the work of NZ army deminers, was a tremendous boost and source of inspiration to the African campaign.

CALM offers sincere thanks to those who made cash donations to the campaign which assisted Brian's attendance and to those who helped with the fund-raising ventures. Brian was able to donate US$ 90.00 to the Association for the Disabled, Mozambique on behalf of his co-workers, all staff of the Lottery Grants & Trusts, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington.

MOZAMBIQUE - CONFERENCE AIMS

  • To build on the momentum of the Ottawa Conference
  • To serve as an impetus towards the "ban" treaty signing in Ottawa this December
  • To focus International attention on the devastating effects of Landmines in the Southern African region and globally.
  • To strengthen existing campaigns in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Zambia and South Africa and encourage efforts throughout Africa.

Brian's opinion was that the conference clearly met all its aims and objectives. The organisers were overwhelmed at the attendance of over 400 delegates from more than 60 countries. The delegates represented a variety of groups and organisations dealing directly and immediately with landmine victims and affected communities. Some delegates from Cambodia, Afghanistan, Eritrea, Bosnia and many African countries were themselves victims of landmines.

Daily press coverage on front pages of newspapers, together with extended television and radio coverage added excitement and momentum to the many street parades, exhibitions, concerts and similar events that were organised in this bustling Capital.

As one delegate said " To attend to landmine victims and not seek an international ban is LIKE POURING WATER INTO A BUCKET THAT HAS HOLES IN IT

Demining Site visit

Brian visited a village about two hours drive to the West of Maputo. A New Zealand and Australian army officer were involved in assisting Mozambican defence personnel to demine this area. He observed a Mozambican army officer conducting a lesson to schoolchildren on the dangers in that area of landmines.

Workshop on Mobilising Religious Communities

Brian reported that this session was well attended and included Bishops and other leaders of large religious communities from Africa and Asia. Some salient points made by various speakers;
  • Africans want their land demined so that they can return to cultivate it.
  • Africa now has more people than Europe. They need the tools NOW to demine.
  • Landmines have sped up the process of people moving from country-sides to the cities. The cities cannot cope with the excesses. There are insufficient houses, there is no security of tenure, and no support mechanisms in place.
  • Many people are aware of the problems of landmines but the task of educating the world is difficult in those countries where people do not see victims.
  • Most landmine victims are in 3rd world countries. If the U.S. or the West had landmines a ban would be quickly instituted.
  • A plea was made to the 3rd world faith communities to call on their counterparts in the U.S. and Europe for help.
  • Angolan representatives spoke of the massive tasks facing them. Recent media attention to their plight has been helped enormously by the visit of Princess Diana.

Workshop -Trade Unions

This covered the efforts being made by a Trade Union in Northern Italy. They Union had launched a successful campaign in their area which resulted in manufacturers stopping the production of Anti Personnel landmines. However there has been recent pressure on the companies in the form of "we will have to lay off 40 staff" if we cannot make and sell landmines.

Workshop -Technology update

This workshop covered a lot of the modern technologies being used for mine clearance including the use of dogs.

New Zealand /Australia Campaign - Action Plans

Representatives from this region met to discuss the Sydney conference in July 1997 and the workshop to be held at Linton Camp, Palmerston North New Zealand in late April 1997. Discussion centred on the need to give financial support to campaigners in those areas in the Pacific who have to not only meet the cost of their campaigns but also the costs of dealing with the problems of landmines. Suggestion was made by New Zealand as to the possibility of having a "stockpile destruction day" exactly six months to the date before the Ottawa signing. Australia suggested that Australian and New Zealand groups send a letter to all national leaders throughout the Pacific and Asian regions seeking support for the Ottawa Conference. OTHER INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL NEWS

Sydney Colloquium

We can confirm that it will be held at International House, University of Sydney from the 14th to 17th July. Anyone involved with our campaign in this country is welcome to attend. We are seeking funding from New Zealand organisations to assist with the Colloquium administration and also helping to fund representatives from the Pacific, - a real educational need - if we are serious about a "mine-free" Pacific.

Australian Politics

We welcome a recommendation from the Australian Parliament Joint Standing Committee on Treaties that Australia destroy its stockpile of anti personnel landmines and that Australia supports the Ottawa Treaty and at that treaty meeting, propose an International timetable for the destruction of landmines. The Australian Campaign is in agreement with our campaign suggestion which recommended a "stockpile destruction day" to be held six months prior to the signing of the Ottawa Treaty - to reinforce the commitment of nations to the reality of the ban. (Albeit unlike Australia, we have no stockpile of landmines to destroy.)

NZ -Australian Campaigns

Our two countries have not always worked in close liaison on landmine issues. Australia ratified the UN Landmine Convention in 1983, New Zealand ratified it ten years later and then, only after some "advice" from our campaign. Then there was a period when both countries agreed that a total ban was unrealistic and progress should be negotiated, one realistic agreement at a time. New Zealand politicians changed direction and supported a global ban on the 13th October 1995. Australia made a similar decision six months later. At the same time, following their recent election, Australia suspended the use of anti personnel mines but made no statement about destroying their stockpiles of perhaps one million landmines. On the 22 April 1996 New Zealand renounced future use of landmines by our armed forces and the joint Ministerial Statement made it clear that we do not have stocks of landmines - except those needed for training purposes. So we are looking forward to the time when Australia will renounce the use of landmines and destroy its stockpiles. The Australian campaign to ban landmines got off to a fractured start with a number of NGO's working independently. In this country we were fortunate that in 1993 CALM was able to draw all major concerned NGO's together and establish a concerted programme.

Diplomatic Activity

Canada, together with countries such as New Zealand is working hard to bring together as many countries as possible to sign the Ottawa Treaty in December. Further to our report in our last newsletter, The Conference on Disarmament (CD)has agreed that their agenda should be the same as last year and Chile, Finland and Poland have asked that an investigator be set up to recommend whether or not landmines should be on the CD agenda. Let John Head know if you want further information.

Britain. In our last newsletter we drew comparisons between the landmines policies of the major political parties in the UK. The Labour Party manifesto just published makes an emphatic statement that;" Labour will ban the import, export, transfer and manufacture of all form of anti personnel landmines. We will introduce an immediate moratorium on their use."

Landmine Seminar - Linton Military Camp

You will have seen in the media various reports of this Seminar organised by the New Zealand army and Ministry of Foreign affairs for the ASEAN regional forum. Forty representatives from sixteen countries attended, and the week-long seminar showed the high international status of our army demining teams. Laurence Carter (See next Item) also attended. CALM did send a small gift to the leader of each delegation. We are endeavouring to get Lt Col Lindstrom to address a public meeting in Wellington.

World Vision Grant

We welcome the grant of $14,500 to Lawrence Carter of Auckland University to enable him to continue his research into quickly locating plastic mines. Thanks.

Finally my thanks to Brian for a full 32 page report on his expedition to Maputo. I must thank all donors who made his tour possible. It is very important that New Zealanders are able to make their presence felt at the International Field, and at Maputo, the New Zealand contribution was obvious. Thank you Brian

CALM (New Zealand Campaign Against Landmines)
c/- 6 John Sims Drive, Broadmeadows, Wellington
Phone (04) 478-1828, fax (04) 384-2112,
E-mail: jhead@i4free.co.nz


CALM is the New Zealand Campaign Against Landmines.
CALM is a member of ICBL, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines which was co-winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in December 1997.