6 SUIT Ortila: October 28,1997 f

The reality of landmines

By Kerry Maze and Jolyn Campbell (co-chairs of Wusc)

Wednesday, Oct. 1, our local WUSC committee (World University Service of Canada) had the honour of presenting guest speaker Sharon Carr to a very touched crowd. Sharon, an orthotist at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, travelled independently to Vi- etnam intending to focus on patients with cerebral palsy forathree month period. Over that period, Sharon became heavily involved working with the victims of landmines and volunteered for the Vietnam- ese Assistance for the Handi- capped. Becoming a strong activist against landmines, she has since worked alongside the Red Cross to educate about and speak out against the un- necessary and cruel effects caused by landmines.

Landmines killormaim over 26,000 innocent civilians each year - 500 people each week. There are 110 million landmines in the world today, and according to Sharon Carr, it would take 1100 years to rid the earth of the mines. De- spite many de-mining programs

landmines are found in areas least able to cope with the disasters the mines bring forth. Intended asamilitary weapon, it is the poor rural areas who are the most affected and are devastated by the loss of their only cow or the unaccessible land. Furthermore, poor fami- lies must look after the injured while having one ormoremem- bers who cannot help with the chores or income. The planted mines also make transporta- tion slower and more difficult and therefore a village or re- gion may notreceive, inocula- tions, vaccinations or other outside aid which they are needing.

Only recently have landmines received such at- tention and taken a centre stage as an important activist movement. And yet, as we learnt from Sharon Carr, it will take constant attention and continued support to at long last ban the mines and pursue acomplete clearing away proc- ess. Ejighty-nine countries, Canada leading the way, have recently agreed to ban the us- age and construction of

Application Deadline is Friday, November 7th, at 4:00 pm.

sabi Kintiait

VOLUNTEER POSITIONS

Applications are available at the Student Union Office, I Floor of the Barn

found throughout many ofthe landmines. With thanks to ;

affected countries, between people like Sharon Carr, who CIMN Station Manager Volunteer tegen a Dae are educating and speaking out CIMN Program Director Volunteer are being planted every year. against mines, the achieve- IMN ic Promotions Volunteer See pant eee eer etna a Librarian Volunteer

dollars, found readily on the black market, and sold by lead- ing countries, mines are an easy and accessible weapon. Thede-mining process is long, expensive and dangerous. Removing one mine can cost between $300 to a $1000. Left behind long after the conflicts have ended,

and the future success’ are made possible. On behalf of WUSC at UPEI, we would again like to again thank Sharon Carr for coming to our campus and sharing with us her expe- riences and the astonishing realities of landmines.

Technical difficulties held this story back. The Cadre apologizes for the delay. - Ed.KR

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