mag-blog:

Derek and me

 

By Pam Steele, Supply Chain Consultant

 

This is me with ‘Derek’ the deminer in full gear at MAG’s HQ in Manchester, where I’m providing consultancy.

 

Early in my career I worked for World Vision in southern Sudan where some of the ground was filled with landmines. I recall an incident when a convoy of trucks that I had dispatched to Bahr el Ghazal with seeds and tools hit mines.

 

Some convoy members lost their lives and others were badly hurt and lost limbs. That was when I came to understand the devastating nature of this hidden evil.

 

I was recently privileged to hear a presentation by MAG Chief Executive Nick Roseveare on his recent programme visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo, which gave me much insight.

 

What appeals to me most about MAG is the humanitarian aspect of the work.

 

Removing the mines impacts whole communities by restoring safe access to water, shelter, food, and provision of emergency aid and essential life-saving information.

 

People can walk without fear to fetch water from rivers and children can go to school and play in the fields once ‘owned’ by landmines.

 

I hope that our consultancy over the next three months will contribute to the impact of MAG worldwide.

 

Pam is a Supply Chain Consultant, humanitarian and development, and an Executive Doctorate (DBA) Researcher at Cranfield University, researching public health supply chains in developing countries.

Her previous roles include Supply Chain Specialist (Capacity Development) for UNICEF, Humanitarian Logistics Specialist for UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) and Deputy Head of Logistics & Supply at Oxfam Great Britain.

MAG America met with Secretary of State Hilary Clinton in December 2011 to commence the “To Walk the Earth in Safety” where the US State Department pledged the United State’s humanitarian commitment to rid the world of landmines that are threatening civilians to this day. 

Secretary Clinton recently visited Laos and Cambodia, in which she nobly stated in her remarks,

“I hope others in the international community will join us in our efforts to bring this legacy of the Vietnam War era to a safe end and give the people, particularly the children of this nation, the opportunity to live their lives safe from these unexploded bombs.” (via State Department)

This was the first time since 1955 a US Secretary of State has visited Laos, marking the trip an integral component for the hope of any US-Laotian future relationship. 

twentyfoursunsblog:

SIMON NORFOLK

A De-mining Team From The Mine Detection Centre In Kabul , 2010

Archival pigment ink print

Today is not just another day, today is World Refugee Day. UN General Ban Ki-Moon set the tone for the day in a special message, stating simply this year alone, over a million refugees were forcibly displaced due to a wave of conflicts in Libya, Syria, Cote D’Ivoire, Mali, Somalia and Sudan. He then concluded, “These numbers represent far more than statistics; they are individuals and families whose lives have been upended, whose communities have been destroyed, and whose future remains uncertain,” (Voice of America).

These displaced people are forced to pick up their lives and move to unknown territory, where unknown dangers wait for them in hiding. Although MAG cannot prevent wars and conflict from arising, it can do everything in its power to make sure civilians are safe from landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO), cluster munitions, and other legacies of war. 

In honor of World Refugee Day, MAG America wants to share this photo of a woman carrying the “heavy load” she brings with her on her way back to Angola from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she fled to when the war started again 1999 and ravaged the village of Luau. Her “heavy load” represents everything she left behind and everything she is bringing back when she regains her life back in Angola. MAG has worked in Angola since 1994 to remove landmines and UXO that remain from a 27 year conflict. Explosive remnants of war (ERW) continue to threaten people’s lives and livelihoods as they return home and begin rebuilding their lives. Like this woman, the other displaced villagers need to go home and resettle into their lives in order to build a better future for themselves and their families. MAG’s work abroad helps litterally pave the way for refugees to safely return home and regain their livelihoods. 

The impact of war doesn’t end when immediate conflict subsides. Scenes like this in Libya demonstrate the need for mine clearance activities to remove not only landmines, but other explosive remnants of war.

The International Day for Mine Awareness is April 4th. Are you willing to help?

(Photo Credit: Sean Sutton/MAG)

Mine Risk Education (MRE) is an essential component to conflict response, as communities, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and refugees attempt to return to their livelihoods.

(Photo Credit: J.B. Russell/MAG)