Afghanistan's adopt a-minefield campaign most successful in the world

Islamabad (Office of the United Nations Co-ordinator for Afghanistan), 2 Jul 2001 - "The Adopt-A-Minefield Campaign in Afghanistan has been the most successful in the world," said Oren Schlein, Executive Director of the Adopt-A-Minefield Campaign. Schlein arrived in Islamabad on 28 June.
Adopt-A-Minefield, a campaign of the United Nations Association of the USA, raises funds for mine clearance and survivor assistance programs and raises awareness about the landmine problem.

So far, Adopt-A-Minefield has raised over $620,000 in funds to clear 22 sites in Afghanistan. These adoptions represent the efforts of community groups, high-end donors and businesses, foundations, and the U.S. Department of State. The community groups spent on average four months raising funds in their local commu-nities among up to 500 people each and dozens of community-based organisations, including civic clubs, relig-ious organisations, and schools. Part of each fundraising campaign included public awareness projects to raise consciousness among donor communities about the landmine problem.

Schlein will travel to Afghanistan on 3 July, where he will spend almost two weeks visiting four re-gional mine action centres to review the Adopt-A-Minefield Campaign in Afghanistan. Since most funding for mine action comes from governments, Schlein noted that the Adopt-A-Minefield Campaign is a very significant source of non-governmental funding. Since its launch in March 1999, the campaign has raised $3.5 million for demining. Individuals, com-munity groups, and businesses at an average cost of between $25,000 to $30,000 have adopted more than 90 minefields in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Croatia, and Mozambique. Over 20,000 people have participated in Adopt-A-Minefield around the world.

The campaign seeks national and international sponsors to adopt minefields that the United Nations has identified as being in urgent need of clearance. Sponsors raise funds in their communities to clear their adopted minefields and return land to productive use. The cost of clearing these areas ranges from thousands to millions of dollars, depending on the size and type of minefield and the complexity of the demining task. Sponsors may adopt entire minefields (typically between $25,000 and $40,000) or contribute smaller amounts (as little as $5), which are pooled with other contributions. Ted Turner's Better World Fund provides Adopt-A-Minefield with a 25-cent match for every dollar raised, which pays for the administrative and programming costs of the Campaign. This arrangement makes it possible for Adopt-A-Minefield to forward every dollar raised to the United Nations for mine clearance. In June 2001, Adopt-A-Minefield hosted its first annual benefit dinner in Los Angeles. The event, which was hosted by Heather Mills and Paul McCartney, raised $500,000 for the campaign. The Adopt-A-Minefield Humanitarian Award was presented to Radosav ika ivkovi, a landmine survivor from Bosnia and Herzegovina who runs one of his country's three demining NGOs.

The evening concluded with a perform-ance by Paul McCartney and Paul Simon. On November 30, 2001, the Canadian Landmine Foundation and the United Nations Association of the USA are combining their efforts to launch the Night of a Thousand Dinners (N1KD) initiative to benefit the Adopt-A-Minefield Campaign. N1KD will involve thousands of people around the world in the common goal of raising funds for mine action projects, including specifically mine clearance, survivor assistance, and mine awareness activities. These dinners will be a mix of intimate gatherings, flamboyant galas, potlucks and catered events. To date, over 400 groups have offered to host dinners in 35 countries. Schlein received his law degree from the Boston University School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts de-gree in international relations, with a specialisation in Chinese studies, from Johns Hopkins University. Prior to running Adopt-A-Minefield, Mr. Schlein directed a UN Procurement program, which instructed small and me-dium-sized companies on how to do business with the United Nations. He has also worked as an attorney in New Zealand and Hong Kong, with the United Nations Centre for Human Rights in Geneva and with ABC News.

For more information, please contact: Stephanie Bunker, Public Information Officer and Spokesperson, Office of the United Nations Co-ordinator for Afghanistan 92 51 2211451 x415; mobile 0320 4261325451