ADOPT A MINEFIELD

Resolution - WHEREAS, Heather Mills McCartney joined forces with the United Nations Association of the USA and the Adopt-A-Minefield (AAM) campaign in 2001, helping to form AAM-UK; and WHEREAS, as Goodwill Ambassadors and Patrons of AAM worldwide, Heather and her husband Paul McCartney, have been instrumental in keeping AAM and the land mine issue in the press and before the public; and WHEREAS, through fund-raising events, media interviews, and direct appeals to governments and the public, they have been a key to AAM's success; and WHEREAS, AAM is a campaign of the United Nations Association of the USA, which engages individuals, community groups, and businesses in the United Nations effort to resolve the global landmine crisis. The AAM campaign helps save lives by raising funds for mine clearance and survivor assistance and by raising awareness about the landmine problem; and WHEREAS, 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; WHEREAS, every dollar raised for Adopt-A-Minefield is earmarked for mine clearance projects. AAM is the leading NGO funder for mine action in our 6 main program countries - Afghanistan; Bosnia & Herzegovina; Cambodia; Croatia; Mozambique; and Vietnam; and WHEREAS, AAM works with and provides funding to every leading mine action organization working in our program countries, and are recognized by the mine action community, the US government and governments around the world as a leader in the global fight against land mines; and WHEREAS, the global landmine crisis is one of the most pervasive problems facing the world today. It is estimated that there are between 45 and 50 million land mines in the ground in at least 70 countries. Land mines reportedly maim or kill 10,000 civilians every year. Those who survive endure a lifetime of physical, psychological, and economic hardship; and WHEREAS, tragically, local communities in mine-affected countries often do not have the resources to clear their own land and to provide adequate care for their land mine survivors. They depend primarily upon financial assistance from governments and international and non-governmental organizations. AAM is a grassroots effort to provide this aid and help revive communities; and WHEREAS, economic development is a key issue in the fight against land mines, because as mined land is cleared, farmers can return the land to productive use, roads and irrigation systems can be built or rebuilt, development projects including housing, schools and workplaces can be constructed, and people can be trained or retrained to be productive contributors to their societies; and WHEREAS, the AAM campaign seeks national and international sponsors to adopt minefields that the United Nations and our partners in the field have identified as being in urgent need of clearance. The cost of clearing selected minefields ranges from thousands to millions of dollars, depending on the size and type of minefield and the complexity of the task. WHEREAS, AAM is designed to move beyond the political and policy debates typically associated with banning the use of land mines. It is a grassroots effort to provide aid to mine-affected countries that do not have the resources to clear their own land and care for their landmine survivors. NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that, subject to the concurrence of the Mayor, by the adoption of this Resolution, the Los Angeles City Council hereby declares Tuesday, November 15, 2005 as "Adopt-A-Minefield Day" and pledges its support for the AAM cause locally in order to help make a difference internationally and to establish long-lasting bonds with the mine-affected communities that benefit directly from the efforts of AAM.