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A few of the SMSU students involved in organizing and/or participating in the shoe-pile event gathered for a mid-morning picture. c/o Ken Rutherford |
Introduction
Most U.S. citizens cannot even imagine the extent of the
landmine threat that exists worldwide, as it is one problem they will
probably never have to face. Assisted by the U.S. Department of State, a
variety of programs have been enacted to educate students about the global
landmine crisis. These programs not only help spread awareness to U.S.
communities, but they also get more people involved in mine action. Many
people believe that the youth of today hold the future in the palm of
their hands; these programs open a window of opportunity for students to
actively improve their future on a global level.
Southwest Missouri State University Landmine Studies
Background
In 2000, the political science department at Southwest Missouri State
University (SMSU) enacted a Landmine Studies Program that focuses on
demining and survivor assistance. This program is coordinated by Ken
Rutherford, a landmine survivor and co-founder of Landmine Survivors
Network (LSN). SMSU houses a number of resources that enhance Landmine
Studies, such as an extensive UN depository library, an excellent Model
United Nations group, and the Department of State’s Annual Muskie
Fellowship, which allows students and faculty from mine-affected countries
to attend SMSU. Aside from spreading awareness in and out of the
classroom, this program includes a variety of activities to directly
involve students in the mine action community and uses local television
and radio broadcasts to extend the word beyond campus.
On-Campus Activities
Landmine Studies at SMSU includes various activities on and off
campus. On-campus demonstrations have included a Shoe Pile Commemoration,
a Petition Drive, and a visit from guest speaker Jody Williams, of the
International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). The Shoe Pile
Commemoration demonstrated a landmine being detonated every 22 minutes.
Students began with a pile of shoes at 8:00 a.m. and added a pair every 22
minutes until they ended with 72 pairs—the average number of landmine
victims per day. In the meantime, the group passed out statistics to
fellow students and faculty. On February 27, 2001, Jody Williams
encouraged members of the SMSU community to get involved in global issues.
After her lecture, she discussed her involvement in the mine action
community with a group of interested students.
Off-Campus Activities
Off-campus activities have been perhaps the most influential for those
involved in Landmine Studies. So far, students have made two trips to
Washington D.C. where they saw and spoke with speakers such as Queen Noor
of Jordan, Croatian Ambassador Ivan Grodesic and Pat Patierno of the U.S.
Humanitarian Demining Program (PM/HDP). Additionally, students attended a
Congressional meeting, a prayer service honoring landmine victims and
survivors, a “Mines to Vines” dinner reception, a large shoe pile
commemoration and a demining demonstration. After these trips to DC, four
graduate students from mine-torn countries helped the ICBL develop parts
of the Landmine Monitor Report and another graduate student has continued
focusing on the landmine crisis.
One of the favorite activities of the Landmine Studies program has been a
two-day visit to Fort Leonard Wood, a nearby Humanitarian Demining
Training Camp (HDTC). On this trip, 22 students and two faculty members
woke up at 6:00am, ate breakfast with soldiers in training, learned about
the different types of landmines/UXO, dressed up in demining gear, and
prodded for artillery in an inactive minefield. Many of the students
earned an even higher respect for deminers across the world as they
experienced firsthand how dangerous and frustrating demining can be.
Internship Experience
Several SMSU students wanted to gain further experience in the mine
action community and decided to intern at landmine-related organizations
in the United States. During the summer of 2001, four students
participated in internships at the Center of International Rehabilitation
(CIR), Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), the United Nations Development
Program (UNDP) and the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (VVAF). Of
these four, at least two plan to continue working in the mine action
field. In addition, two other Landmine Studies students are currently
working at LSN.
University of Denver’s Landmines: Exploring the Hidden Crisis
Background
The best time to get people involved in global issues is at an early
age. As a result, a number of faculty members from the Center for Teaching
International Relations at the University of Denver—supported by a grant
from the U.S. PM/HDP—have put together Landmines: Exploring the Hidden
Crisis educational packets for upper elementary school-, middle school-
and high school-age students. These programs involve a series of extensive
activities that not only make students more aware of the landmine crisis
but also demonstrate how the United States interacts on a global level.
Each packet includes instructions for in-class activities as well as a
number of handouts and other valuable resources. (Packets can be
downloaded or ordered for free online at
http://www.du.edu/ctir/pubs_free.html)
The First Day: A Discussion of the Present
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Sophomore Fabiola Gagliardi uses a metal rod to detect one of three trip wires. c/o Ken Rutherford |
The Upper Elementary Program correlates with a Social Studies class and is designed to teach students about politics, geography, international affairs, current events, analytical thinking and problem solving. The curriculum includes up to 10 hours of in-class education with three major activities: a presentation on a specific landmine-related topic, a persuasive letter to a government official or publication editor and a poster related to mine action. To assess the students’ understanding of the global landmine crisis, the course concludes with a final persuasive speech, where students "will pretend that [they] have been asked by the United Nations Fact Finding Committee to testify before their committee as an expert on landmines" (p. 6).
Middle School Program
The Middle School program is also geared towards a
Social Studies class, focusing on geography and civics, and it involves up
to 13 50-minute class periods of instruction to complete (if the teacher
chooses to complete all activities). For the final assessment, students
should complete an essay based on the "My Turn Essay" portion of
Newsweek.
In this essay, students discuss the landmine situation in a designated
country, describe the United States’ contributions to demining in this
country, take a stand on the landmine crisis and suggest methods for
spreading the word about the landmine crisis. In-class activities include
watching landmine-related videos, learning to create maps that demonstrate
specific mine action statistics, studying and discussing the Global
Landmine Treaty and the Korea Exception, examining mine awareness
techniques, and reading fiction stories about middle school-aged children
growing up with the horror of landmines.
The High School Program can be used in Geography, International Relations or other related courses and is designed to show students how geography, politics, sociology, economics and technology are applied to real life situations. To assess the students’ understanding of the curriculum, they are asked to act as United Nations Mine Action Services (UNMAS) representatives in prioritizing six countries, by writing a needs assessment report, comparing each country’s needs and developing a mine action plan for the country with the greatest needs. Other suggested activities cover various aspects of mine action, including production trends, the Ottawa Treaty and the Global Landmine Treaty, the Korea Exception and U.S. involvement in the mine action world, and the Adopt-A-Minefield campaign. The program can be altered to include all or some of the activities (completing all nine activities involves nine 50-minute class periods).
Messiah College’s Landmine Action Project
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The MCLAP Robotics Team hope to design a low budget robotic vehicle that can safely and effectively deliver tools into minefields. c/o MCLAP |
Background
Since 1997, students and faculty of Messiah College in Grantham, PA have
actively researched Landmine issues, and a number of students have used
this research to design low-budget detection and clearance techniques for
countries that cannot afford other machinery. In the fall of 2001, a group
of students, with the help of Dr. Donald Pratt, enacted the Messiah
College Landmine Action Project (MCLAP). Through this project, students
hope to increase awareness in the Messiah community, to further research
on the global landmine crisis and to design more projects to enhance the
mine action community. Currently, there are nine students actively
involved in MCLAP. During the summer of 2001, Aaron Dahsltrom, student and
co-facilitator of MCLAP, conducted extensive research on the landmine
issue and the number of resources available. This research has provided a
foundation for future efforts at the College.
Senior Engineering Design Projects
In order to fulfill graduation requirements, students in the Engineering
Department at Messiah College must complete a Senior Engineering Design
Project. A number of these projects have dealt specifically with the
landmine issue. Related projects have included using acoustic sound waves
and infrared photography to detect buried landmines, training ferrets to
sense landmines, building a device to contain shrapnel while it is
detonated and designing an enhanced flail system that is more efficient
and less costly.
MCLAP Activities
The MCLAP team is divided into three separate teams: the Vapor Detection
Research Team, the Robotics Team and the Education Team. The Vapor
Detection Team is continuing work with ferrets by training them to work in
the field. The Robotics Team is designing a robotic vehicle that will
deliver tools into minefields. This robotic vehicle is geared towards a
desert environment, and students hope that it will be inexpensive and easy
to use. The Education Team will focus on providing awareness to fellow
students and faculty members. In mid-September, students will host a mine
awareness week, which will include games, displays and a shoe-pile
commemoration. Additionally, students will take a day trip to Fort
Belvoir, VA to watch a Landmine Technology demonstration.
Newsweek’s Issues Today Map “Landmines: Eliminating the Hidden Threat”
Background
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A sample of the information available
on the “Landmines: Eliminating the Threat” wall map. |
Issues Today Map
The “Landmines: Eliminating the Hidden Threat” wall map not only color
codes each landmine-affected country by severity, but also provides brief
profiles of Afghanistan, Angola, Columbia, Croatia, France, Jordan and
Vietnam. Other information provided on the map includes descriptions of
different aspects of mine action, pictures of common AP mines, a list of
basic statistics about the landmine threat and a graph outlining Mine
Action Funding by country. This map provides a valuable resource to both
the mine action community and educators interested in covering the global
landmine crisis. NGO’s can obtain a copy of the map by contacting the U.S.
Department of State Humanitarian Demining Program; interested schools and
teachers who are not a part of the Newsweek Education program should
contact them for a copy of the map and related activities
(1-800-256-2595).
Related Activities
Along with the “Landmines: Eliminating the Threat” wall map, Newsweek
also created a Study Guide with information and discussion questions about
the landmine issue and additional online activities that could be used in
a Social Studies classroom. The Study Guide includes an overview of the
landmine crisis, survival stories of a person, a minefield and an entire
nation, descriptions of the different demining techniques, and a look at
future mine action endeavors. Discussion questions in the guide include
finding out different world leaders’ opinions of the landmine crisis,
researching opportunities for landmine survivors and profiling the
landmine crisis in a specific country. The online portion of the program
(http://www.newsweekeducation.com/landmines) includes a list of useful web links and two intensive
activities that correspond with the Issues Today Map and mine awareness
programs.
Tenafly Middle School and Global Care Unlimited
Background
Students at Tenafly Middle School (Tenafly, NJ) were first introduced
to the global landmine crisis during an inspiring speech from Ken
Rutherford at a student-organized Human Rights Day. As a result,
interested students, with the help of middle school teacher Mark Hyman,
organized a Student Landmine Awareness Club and started taking steps to
sponsor demining in a sister city in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Once fundraising
efforts began, students and other interested parents and community members
formed Global Care Unlimited, a separate non-profit organization that
receives donations and handles all paperwork. Students used butterflies to
demonstrate how much money had been raised (the butterfly was chosen as a
symbol because the butterfly-shaped landmine, which can easily be mistaken
for a small toy, is most harmful to children).
Previous Accomplishments
By October 2000, the group had raised $17,000 (U.S.), and they
received a matching grant for $15,000 from the U.S. Department of State as
part of an agreement with the Slovenian International Trust Fund. (They
saved the additional $2,000 for future projects.) The funds were handed
over to the Slovenian International Trust Fund at a signing ceremony in
February 2001, and demining was conducted by a local NGO.
Since then, students have formed the Youth Coalition for
Mine Action with the hopes of spreading awareness to other schools in the
area and eventually across the United States. On March 8, 2002, the Youth
Coalition for Mine Action held a countywide landmine conference with
student representatives from 16 other middle schools and high schools in
the area. The conference included a number of speakers such as Ken
Rutherford and other landmine survivors, deminers and U.N.
representatives. At this event, the group donated $1,300 to the
Organization of American States (OAS) to support landmine survivors in
Nicaragua and $5,000 towards another small ($9,000) demining project in
Bosnia.
Future Endeavors
During the upcoming year (2002, 2003), six other schools in the
community will contribute to the Youth Coalition for Mine Action’s
fundraising efforts. Most likely, donations will be geared towards
operations in Nicaragua. The activities of these children will be
recognized in an upcoming Hallmark Entertainment Channel film on landmines
in Nicaragua, The Garden. Mark Hyman hopes to distribute this film, along
with an educational guide that he created for the March landmine
conference, to other middle schools throughout the United States.
(For more information see Mark Hyman’s contact information
below.)
Additional Programs
United Nations CyberSchoolBus: Schools Demining Schools
In an effort to spread awareness to students around the world and
encourage schools to support the clearance of mine-infested schools and
play areas, the UN CyberSchoolBus program has created the Schools Demining
Schools initiative. Participating schools have been able to correspond
with deminers in Afghanistan and Mozambique through e-mail, allowing
students to ask specific questions about the deminer’s job and how to
answer common questions that have arisen during fundraising efforts. Some
of the students have even made pen pals with young landmine survivors in
their adopted country.
The Schools Demining Schools program also includes three in-class teaching
units covering the scope of the landmine crisis and different aspects of
mine action. These activities, as well as sample correspondence between
students and deminers/survivors, can be found on their website (http://www0.un.org/cyberschoolbus/banmines/index.asp).
Schools can register with this project by sending an email with the
subject “Ban Mines” to cyberschoolbus@un.org.
Creativity-Action-Service Landmines Removal Project
As a part of the Creativity-Action-Service requirement for the
International Baccalaureate diploma, high school students from Oregon and
Washington have decided to adopt a minefield in Cambodia. Efforts include
spreading awareness to the local community and raising money for the
adoption. As of April 7, 2001, the goal for each participating high school
was to raise $1000. Since then, the designated minefield has been cleared
and over 100 schools across the United States and Canada have joined the
effort to adopt additional pieces of land.
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SMAP members discuss the landmine
problem with interested students during Landmine Awareness Week. |
Shenandoah Minefield Adoption Project
A group of student employees from the MAIC, along with a number of
volunteers from the JMU community, have developed the Shenandoah Minefield
Adoption Project (SMAP) in order to promote awareness in the JMU community
and surrounding areas. This past spring, SMAP members sponsored a
landmines awareness week where they passed out statistics and discussed
the landmine problem with interested students and faculty members. In
addition, Ken Rutherford from LSN shared his story, and Amelia Kahaney
from Adopt-A-Minefield presented the logistics of minefield adoption. SMAP
participants were amazed by their fellow classmates’ enthusiasm towards
the subject. This following year, SMAP will further their efforts by
adopting a minefield in a country that will be selected by interested
community members in September. Planned fundraising activities include a
Field Fest with food and music, a raffle, and an International dinner.
Eventually, the students hope to expand involvement to other nearby high
schools and Colleges.
Useful Resources
There are a number of useful resources available for educators interested
in adding the global landmine crisis to their curriculum. Listed below are
a few of the ones recommended by the programs mentioned in this article.
Articles
“A Time to Plant Mines, a Time to Make Amends”: This article, originally
published in Siem Reap Journal, tells the story of a man who planted mines
for a guerrilla movement as a child and has since dedicated his efforts to
clearing his native land. This article is available for $2.50 from the New
York Times (http://query.nytimes.com/search/).
“Connecting Global Education with Activism: Building A Local and Global Community”: This article, written by Education Liaison for Mercy Corps Marta Colburn, describes methods for getting students involved in global activities. It also includes a Landmines In Afghanistan classroom activity for students in 4th–12th grade. The article and activity were published in issue 6.1 of the Journal (http://maic.jmu.edu/journal/6.1/features/colburn/colburn.htm).
“One Step at a Time: A Landmine Removal Initiative”: This article, written by Mark Hyman of Tenafly Middle School and Global Care Unlimited, Inc., describes the steps that his middle school went through in developing a Student Landmine Awareness Club and adopting a minefield in Bosnia-Herzegovina. It was published in the May/June 2001 issue of Middle Level Learning and can be ordered for $7.50 (while supplies last) through the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) publication services at 1-800-683-0812. Copies of Middle Level Learning may also be available at your local University library, and free online copies are available to members of NCSS (sign up at http://www.socialstudies.org).
“Schools Demining Schools: A Global Teach-In”: This article, published the
September 1998 Issue of Social Education, provides a number of materials
for teaching the landmine crisis in the classroom and for getting students
more involved in the mine action community. A copy of this article can be
ordered for $7.50 (while supplies last) through the National Council for
the Social Studies (NCSS) publication services at 1-800-683-0812. Copies
of Social Education may also be available at your local University library
or high school Social Studies department, and free online copies are
available to members of NCSS (sign up at
http://www.socialstudies.org).
Books
The Cinnamon Tree: This 208-page novel tells the story of a young girl
who loses a leg in a landmine accident and how she struggles to regain her
life and to help spread awareness to those around her. This novel can be
ordered for $7.95 (list price) or less from Amazon.com: (http://www.amazon.com).
Videos
Documentary Film on K-9 Demining Corps by the Marshall Legacy
Institute: This documentary provides an overview of mine dog teams and can
be ordered by contacting the Marshall Legacy Institute:
info@marshall-legacy.org (http://www.marshall-legacy.org/).
The Menace of Landmines: This documentary, created by UNMAS, provides graphic footage of mine-torn countries, an overview of the global landmine crisis, and descriptions of the different areas of mine action. It can be downloaded from the Adopt-A-Minefield website (http://www.landmines.org/Multimedia/index-mm.asp).
The Silent Shout: This animated video, created by the United Nations
International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), illustrates four
children injured by landmines and how it affects their lives. The video
also demonstrates various mine awareness techniques and precautions that
should be taken in a mine-affected area. It can be downloaded from the
Adopt-A-Minefield website (http://www.landmines.org/Multimedia/index-mm.asp).
Websites
ICBL Media Reports (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/icblmedia/messages/)
contains a collection of news articles on recent activities in mine
action. Interested users can also subscribe to the ICBL Media Report
mailing list at http://www.icbl.org/media.
Oneworld.net Full Coverage: Landmines (http://www.oneworld.net/themes/topic/topic_126_1.shtml) contains over 100
documents related to landmine topics as well as a number of useful guides
and links to other affiliated organizations.
U.S. Department of State Humanitarian Demining Program (http://www.state.gov/t/pm/hdp/) contains information about U.S.
involvement in demining including their policy and budget as well as fact
sheets and reports on recent activities.
U.S. Department of State Office of Mine Action Initiatives and
Partnerships
(http://www.state.gov/t/pm/maip/) contains information about U.S.
involvement in other areas of mine action including detection and
clearance, awareness, survivor assistance, and research and development.
Glossaries and Abbreviations
MAIC:
http://maic.jmu.edu/research/glossary2
http://maic.jmu.edu/research/acronyms/public.asp
U.S. Department of State:
http://www.state.gov/www/global/arms/rpt_9809_demine_nxf.html
University of Denver:
pp.133–137 of the Landmines: Exploring the Hidden Crisis High School
packet
Contact Information
Susanna Sprinkel
Mine Action Information Center
Tel: 540-568-2810
E-mail: sprinksl@jmu.edu
Pat Patierno
U.S. State Department (PM/HDP)
2201 C Street NW
Rm 1829-NS
Washington, D.C. 20520
Tel: 202-647-1110
Fax: 202-647-4537
E-mail: patierno@hdp.org
Kenneth R. Rutherford, Ph.D.
Department of Political Science
Southwest Missouri State University
901 South National Ave.
Springfield, MO 65804
Tel: 417-836-6428
Fax: 417-836-6428
E-mail: kenrutherford@smsu.edu
Mark A. Montgomery, Ph.D.
University of Denver
2201 S. Gaylord St.
Denver, CO 80208
Tel: 303-871-3106
Fax: 303-871-2456
E-mail: mmontgom@du.edu
Donald G. Pratt, Ph.D.
Messiah College
Grantham, PA 17027
Tel: 717-766-2511 x7169
Fax: 717-691-6002
E-mail: dpratt@messiah.edu
Barbara E. Lundberg
Education Program Newsweek
612 Illinois St.
Arlington, VA 22205
Tel: 888-639-6589
Fax: 703-908-0896
E-mail: barbara_lundberg@newsweekmag.com
Mark Hyman
Global Care Unlimited
P.O. Box 923
Tenafly, NJ 07670
Tel: 201-816-1653
E-mail: markbhyman@aol.com
Nicole
Kreger
Project Coordinator
Shenandoah Minefield Adoption Project
Tel: 540-568-2810
E-mail: kregernx@jmu.edu
Website: www.geocities.com/shenandoahmap
  Publisher: MAIC Contact: MAIC@jmu.edu |
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