

LANDMINE UPDATE by Armand Matthew,OMI Oblate Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Office Slowly and steadily the news around the landmine issue is getting better. The global treaty banning the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines has had considerable success in its first year and a half, and this success is fueling a new atmosphere of optimism about the determination of the international community to achieve the goal of "zero victims" and a world totally clear of all landmines in "years, not decades." The Oblate Justice/Peace/Integrity of Creation Office offers sincere congratulations and thanks to the considerable number of Oblates throughout the U.S. Province who have become engaged, have kept their communities informed and involved and have collected many, many signatures supporting the landmine treaty. We urge Oblates who are not involved to become involved and to get as many others as possible involved. In this age of globalization (ready for it or not, like it or not, acccept it or not, globalization is here for the entire human family and it is here to stay), it becomes a moral imperative for EVERYONE to be informed on this issue and to be activeley involved in efforts to free the planet of the mindless and terrible destruction of live caused by these insidious devices. No one can responsibly be indifferent to the fact that every 22 minutes a landmine kills or maims another human being, the overwhelming majority of the victims being innocent, unsuspecting civilian women, men and children. THE GOOD NEWS: The treaty has been signed by 138 governements and ratified by 101 Since the treaty went into effect on March 1 of last year, 10 million stockpiled anti-personnel mines have been destroyed, bringing the total so far to 22 million. Trade in these devices has almost completely halted and no shipments of them were recorded this year or last. Deaths and injuries due to landmines are markedly down in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Cambodia and Mozambique. THE BAD NEWS: The United States has not yet signed the treaty, being one of only two NATO members (the other - Turkey) who have not done so and joining Russia and China in that deplorable omission Thousands of landmines continue to be used. For example, Yugoslav forces laid 50,000 during the Kosovo conflict and there has been heavy use of them in Chechnya 250 million mines remained stockpiled in 105 mations, the US being fourth among them with 11 million. New landmine victims have been recorded in 71 countries, more than half of them at peace. Since the treaty went into effect, landmines are likely to have been used in 20 conflicts by 11 governments and 30 rebel groups. The bad news is disheartening and we ignore it at our peril, but let us focus on the good news and be inspired to begin and /or continue the following actions: Write/phone/fax/email the President and urge him to sign the treaty NOW Write/phone/fax/email your Senators and Representatives and urge them to insist that the President sign the treaty NOW Continue to collect signatures and send them to the Oblate Justice/Peace/Integrity of Creation Office. Keep your communities informed and up to date on the issue, and urge and help them to begin and/or continue to be involved. Be a part of something honorable and noble and just. Together we can and will bring this obscene destruction of innocent human life to an end, and the entire human family will be very much the better for it.
Helpful Addresses President William Clinton The White House Washington, DC 20500 White House Comment Desk Ph202-456-1111 Fx 202456-2416 president@ whitehouse.gov Senators/Representatives: The Honorable (full name) United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 The Honorable (full name) United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Capitol Switchboard: 202-224-3121 Current status of a bill: 202-225-1772 Directory of e-mail addresses and web sites: www.senate.gov www.house.gov

LANDMINE UPDATE

by Armand Matthew,OMI

Oblate Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Office

Slowly and steadily the news around the landmine issue is getting better. The global treaty banning the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines has had considerable success in its first year and a half, and this success is fueling a new atmosphere of optimism about the determination of the international community to achieve the goal of "zero victims" and a world totally clear of all landmines in "years, not decades."

The Oblate Justice/Peace/Integrity of Creation Office offers sincere congratulations and thanks to the considerable number of Oblates throughout the U.S. Province who have become engaged, have kept their communities informed and involved and have collected many, many signatures supporting the landmine treaty. We urge Oblates who are not involved to become involved and to get as many others as possible involved. In this age of globalization (ready for it or not, like it or not, acccept it or not, globalization is here for the entire human family and it is here to stay), it becomes a moral imperative for EVERYONE to be informed on this issue and to be activeley involved in efforts to free the planet of the mindless and terrible destruction of live caused by these insidious devices. No one can responsibly be indifferent to the fact that every 22 minutes a landmine kills or maims another human being, the overwhelming majority of the victims being innocent, unsuspecting civilian women, men and children.

THE GOOD NEWS:

The treaty has been signed by 138 governements and ratified by 101
Since the treaty went into effect on March 1 of last year, 10 million stockpiled anti-personnel mines have been destroyed, bringing the total so far to 22 million.
Trade in these devices has almost completely halted and no shipments of them were recorded this year or last.
Deaths and injuries due to landmines are markedly down in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Cambodia and Mozambique.

THE BAD NEWS:

The United States has not yet signed the treaty, being one of only two NATO members (the other - Turkey) who have not done so and joining Russia and China in that deplorable omission
Thousands of landmines continue to be used. For example, Yugoslav forces laid 50,000 during the Kosovo conflict and there has been heavy use of them in Chechnya
250 million mines remained stockpiled in 105 mations, the US being fourth among them with 11 million.
New landmine victims have been recorded in 71 countries, more than half of them at peace.
Since the treaty went into effect, landmines are likely to have been used in 20 conflicts by 11 governments and 30 rebel groups.

The bad news is disheartening and we ignore it at our peril, but let us focus on the good news and be inspired to begin and /or continue the following actions:

Write/phone/fax/email the President and urge him to sign the treaty NOW
Write/phone/fax/email your Senators and Representatives and urge them to insist that the President sign the treaty NOW
Continue to collect signatures and send them to the Oblate Justice/Peace/Integrity of Creation Office.
Keep your communities informed and up to date on the issue, and urge and help them to begin and/or continue to be involved.

Be a part of something honorable and noble and just. Together we can and will bring this obscene destruction of innocent human life to an end, and the entire human family will be very much the better for it.

Helpful Addresses

President William Clinton
The White House
Washington, DC 20500

White House Comment Desk
Ph202-456-1111
Fx 202456-2416
president@ whitehouse.gov

Senators/Representatives:
The Honorable (full name)
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510

The Honorable (full name)
United States House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Capitol Switchboard:
202-224-3121

Current status of a bill:
202-225-1772

Directory of e-mail addresses and web sites:
www.senate.gov
www.house.gov