RTW club member Patti Lee gave a presentation today on the impact of landmines, globally and in the country of Cambodia. Her opening statement was attention grabbing:
"You are going to find this ... disturbing".
She was right.
Cambodia has been the target of cluster munitions and landmines as the legacy of decades of war; estimates for the unexploded ordinance range from 4 million to 10 million. An estimate of the number of people living with landmine-related amputations is approximately 40,000 - one of the highest rates in the world.
Patti explained the history of landmine activism in Canada, dating from the development of the Ottawa Treaty as an outcome of the October 1996 conference on the global landmine crisis during which then Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy challenged a delegation of 50 governments and 24 observers to bring about an international ban on landmines. While international support for the treaty has waxed and waned over time, Rotary's support has remained steadfast.
Please watch these short videos to gain a better understanding of the impact of landmines on the people of Cambodia: