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A Harvest of Hope: Roots of Peace Celebrates 10 Years

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A Harvest of Hope: Roots of Peace Celebrates 10 Years Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction Volume 11 Issue 2 The Journal of Mine Action Article 30 April 2008 A Harvest of Hope: Roots of Peace Celebrates 10 Years Heidi Kuhn Roots of Peace Follow this and additional works at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal Part of the Defense and Security Studies Commons, Emergency and Disaster Management Commons, Other Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration Commons, and the Peace and Conflict Studies Commons Recommended Citation Kuhn, Heidi (2008) "A Harvest of Hope: Roots of Peace Celebrates 10 Years," Journal of Mine Action : Vol. 11 : Iss. 2 , Article 30. Available at: https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cisr-journal/vol11/iss2/30 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Center for International Stabilization and Recovery at JMU Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction by an authorized editor of JMU Scholarly Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Kuhn: A Harvest of Hope: Roots of Peace Celebrates 10 Years Geneva Diary: A Harvest of Hope: Roots of Peace Report from the GICHD Celebrates 10 Years Roots of Peace focuses on clearing mined farming areas and specializes in rebuilding these areas for farmers. The Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining provides To aid this process, the organization promotes the growing of sustainable and high-value crops. This article operational assistance to mine-action programmes and operators, describes some of the organization’s successful efforts in Afghanistan and argues the effectiveness of its creates and disseminates knowledge, works to improve quality approach for future mine-action efforts. management and standards and provides support to instruments of by Heidi Kuhn [ Roots of Peace ] international law. by Ian Mansfield [ Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining ] Land Release Workshop was released in Arabic at the Eighth Meeting linkages between mine action and develop- On 20 and 21 June 2007, a workshop focus- of States Parties in Jordan in November 2007, ment to key target audiences. A couple of ing on the topic of “Land Release” was held and the French and Spanish editions will be specific regional issues were also identified. at the GICHD and attended by experts from available in early 2008. Full details of the Linking Mine Action and all sectors of the mine-action community— The GICHD also released the Guide to Development project can be found on the national, United Nations, nongovernmental Cluster Munitions in November 2007. This GICHD Web site at www.gichd.org. organisations and commercial.1 new booklet explains in plain language the See Endnotes, page 112 The workshop drew on the diverse experi- types and characteristics of cluster munitions, ence of the attendees to develop a clearer per- their implication for clearance programmes spective of the issues related to land release and the needs of victims. It also addresses the policies. This relates to land that had previ- current, ongoing efforts in international law to ously been thought to be suspect, but upon ban or restrict the use of cluster weapons. further investigation, can be released with- out full clearance. Government officials and Linking Mine Action to Development practitioners who have already developed and In June 2007, the GICHD co-organised implemented clear methodologies for use in a two-day workshop in Cambodia, in coop- their countries, as well as those with political, eration with Austcare and the United Nations operational and implementation experience, Development Programme, bringing together shared their knowledge with the workshop around 40 mine-action and development prac- participants. The subject was discussed in the titioners from the region. A similar workshop Ian Mansfield is Operations Director at the GICHD and is responsible for context of risk management and its applica- was held in Yemen in November. The aims of all operational, technical and research bility to these processes. the meetings were to: activities of the Centre. He is also responsible for analysing existing The consensus was clear that more efforts • Deepen understanding of the rationale Heidi Kuhn checks out the grapevines in Afghanistan in October 2006. and potential areas of activity for the need to be made to speed up and legitimize for and benefits of linking mine action ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF ROOTS OF PEACE Centre, as well as all evaluation, as- with development cooperation methodologies and principles for land release. sessment and consultancy activities. These may assist mine-affected countries to • Share experiences and lessons learnt Mansfield holds a Master of Business oots of Peace is an humanitarian nonprofit organization that funds to demine in Vukovar, Ilok, Karlovac, Ciste Male, Ciste Velika, improve their processes and provide a more from relevant programmes and proj- Administration and a bachelor’s de- was founded in fall 1997 with a simple toast that the world go Biblijne and Dragalic—strategic zones where deadly seeds of terror effective environment in which to undertake ects in the region gree in civil engineering. “from mines to vines.” During the past 10 years, we have turned lurked beneath the once fertile soils. clearance. A handbook documenting best • Discuss what is needed to strengthen Rour vision into reality by replacing the scourge of landmines with the Roots of Peace’s demine-replant-rebuild program model links mem- Ian Mansfield practices was released in late 2007, and the those linkages further and to examine Operations Director nectar of fresh grapes. Roots of Peace has recently partnered with the bers of the mine-action and development communities to orchestrate GICHD will continue to work in these areas the feasibility of and opportunities for GICHD United Nations Environmental Programme to expand the definition of programs that allows for a more rapid and comprehensive return to to provide further guidelines. replication and expanding the projects Avenue de la Paix 7bis “landmines as an environmental concern;” to this end, a proclamation stability and prosperity. Roots of Peace has fostered many partnerships • Identify the main obstacles for success- CH-1211 Geneva / Switzerland was signed aboard the Queen Mary 2 in the New York harbor, symbol- over the years. Our partnerships in the mine-action community include Tel: +41 22 906 1674 New “Guides” Published ful cooperation and linkages in the past Fax: +41 22 906 1690 izing our efforts to turn “swords into plowshares.” The HALO Trust, Mines Advisory Group, Croatian Mine Action Centre In April 2007 the GICHD published its • Identify what needs to be changed, E-Mail: [email protected] Our pioneering efforts for peace have resulted in innovative part- and the United Nations Mine Action Services, among others. We’ve also revised and updated Guide to Mine Action and improved or done differently in the Website: http://www.gichd.org nerships to put down sustainable agricultural roots on former battle- partnered and coordinated with many organizations and development ERW. Building on previous editions, this latest future, and how fields. Our initial footsteps into the new millennium began with a joint agencies such as U.S. Agency for International Development, the Asian version includes references to explosive rem- The discussions and presentations at the Roots of Peace-U.S. Department of State visit to Croatia with legendary Development Bank and European Commission, University California, nants of war and also includes new chapters workshops emphasised the need for basing Napa Valley vintner Miljenko “Mike” Grgich, who led the charge among Davis, Afghans for Afghans, IF Hope, Catholic Relief Services, Planning on development approaches to mine-action decisions on evidence and the importance California vintners to transform toxic minefields into bountiful vine- and Development Collaborative, Development Alternatives Inc., in- planning, as well as evaluation. The Guide of demonstrating and advocating for greater yards in his homeland. Roots of Peace has since raised the necessary country governments and many others. 0 | notes from the field | journal of mine action | spring 2008 | 11.2 Published by JMU Scholarly Commons, 2008 11.2 | spring 2008 | journal of mine action | notes from the field | 1 1 Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction, Vol. 11, Iss. 2 [2008], Art. 30 ROOTS OF PEACE PROGRAM MODEL $524 million/year.3 The current and soon-to- DEMINE: Clear landmines and unexploded ordnance be-implemented developmental projects in from agricultural lands and access roads. Afghanistan will assist the agricultural sector, especially the horticulture and livestock subsectors, in growing by an estimated 6 to 8 REPLANT: Assist small landholder farmers to move from percent per year, a growth rate necessary for low-value to higher-valued, perennial crops in varieties significantly improving the livelihood of the demanded by the local, regional and export markets. This average rural Afghan.3 includes technical training, nursery systems, post-harvest Developmental efforts are focusing on processing and association support. decreasing post-harvest losses and product deterioration, integrating cleaning, sorting, and grading activities to meet the specific REBUILD: Develop all aspects of the farmer-to-market demand of the processors and buyers, improv- value chain by establishing the links to processing and ing storage and transport to maintain the markets, and meeting international quality and phytos- product quality, processing and packaging, anitary standards. and marketing of agricultural products. For Afghanistan to reach its growth potential in commodity processing and packaging, much Heidi Kuhn in Afghanistan with the Manager of Afghan Programs for The HALO Trust in October 2006. of the value added by agribusinesses is taking place as a result of increased mechanization The concept of restoring vineyards to war-torn lands was expanded Nearly an hour later, our four-wheel drive vehicle headed up a winding Following our tour of the nursery, the vil- stakeholders. Despite the decades of war that and economies of scale.
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