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Clear a Path to a Safer World: Addressing the Tragedy of Landmines

Lincoln P. Bloomfield, Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs and Special Representative for Mine Action
Remarks to Smith College, Polus Center
Northampton, Massachusetts
November 15, 2003

Good morning and thanks so much for being here. I appreciate the efforts of our co-hosts and co-sponsors, especially President Carol Christ of Smith College, the Five College Consortium, and The Polus Center for Social and Economic Development, in setting up this important conference.

I commend all of the participants at this Conference: the students from over 30 colleges and universities, some of whom are on panels or presenting papers; the representatives of international and non-governmental organizations who have come from North America, Central America, Asia and Europe; and members of the Pioneer Valley community.

I congratulate Michael Lundquist and Stephen Meyers of the Polus Center, the Student Steering Committee, and the Rotarians who are facilitating the activities of the conference throughout the weekend.

I also want to acknowledge the participation last night of Mary Jean Eisenhower, President and CEO of People to People International, and Tony Lake, former national security advisor and now Chairman of the Marshall Legacy Institute. Both are valued partners in mine action. Colin King is here today; he is the world's top expert on landmines. Each of these distinguished individuals sets an example and adds critical support, expertise, and encouragement to the efforts in which we are all engaged -- to help make the world safe from the dangers posed by persistent landmines in over 60 countries around the world.

Let me define the challenge of this Conference.

Humanitarian mine action is not about persistent landmines and other unexploded ordnance as much as it is about the effects of these "hidden killers" on the non-combatants whose lives are forever changed when they explode.

Humanitarian mine action furthers the cause of peace and stability. It helps secure workers and other civilians from harm, restores land to productive use and offers something essential for communities ravaged by war: HOPE.

Many of the non-governmental and international organizations and experts with us today are engaged in at least one of the three main pillars of humanitarian mine action: 1) mine clearance - including detection, removal and research; 2) mine risk education; and 3) landmine survivor assistance to those who have survived a landmine accident and to their families.

In raising the awareness of Americans to the realities of life in mine-affected regions - and in taking positive steps to assist communities and individuals there - you CAN make a difference and demonstrate the power of citizen action.

After listening to and learning from both the experts and your peers this weekend, we want you to consider how you can extend your reach beyond the classroom. How to bring mine action into your communities with creative ideas and commitment to the task of eradicating the threat of landmines to people around the world.

This country has a long and honorable tradition of global philanthropy and citizen diplomacy. The free flow of people, ideas, and goods have made this country strong and successful. And so it is also in our own interests to find common cause with people around the world, not only at a national level but also, at the most fundamental human level.

We want you to take action. You have a voice, and banding together, you have the power. You CAN make a difference. There are people all over the world without a voice or the power to change their lives. This is your challenge: to take what you will have learned here at Smith College and to translate that into action once you return to your campuses and communities.

I've briefly defined the challenge. Now I will lay out the U.S. Government's role and record in tackling this issue for over a decade.

Since the United States first began providing humanitarian demining assistance to Afghanistan beginning in late 1988, the U.S. has been among the leading nations in efforts to make the word mine-safe. Since 1993 alone, the United States has invested over $700 million in humanitarian mine action in 43 countries.

Thanks to the efforts of the United States -- and the U.S. taxpayers -- along with the generosity of other donor nations, the United Nations, and non-governmental organizations, I can report that great progress HAS been made in mine action over the past 10 years. Two examples are:

• reported civilian casualties are down from an estimated 26,000 annually in the late 1990s to less than half that number in 2002; 
  
  
• Impact surveys have advanced what we call "area reduction," more precisely pinpointing where the landmine infestation is greatest as opposed to where there are few or no landmines and human impact. This has helped to better prioritize the areas that need to be demined and increased cost-efficiencies.

[End]