December 3, 2001

FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF OTTAWA CONVENTION HIGHLIGHTS CANADA'S COMMITMENT TO LANDMINE SURVIVORS

Foreign Affairs Minister John Manley's Special Advisor on Landmines, Senator Sheila Finestone, today marked the fourth anniversary of the signing of the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines by highlighting Canada's commitment to landmine survivors and announcing funding for an innovative survivor assistance project.

"I am proud that the country that provided crucial leadership in banning anti-personnel mines has, since 1998, made more than $16.5 million in commitments to programs that will benefit landmine survivors," said Senator Finestone. "Today, I am reaffirming Canada's commitment to landmine survivors by announcing a further $125 000 contribution to the Landmine Survivors Network's Raising the Voices of Landmine Survivors initiative."

Senator Finestone was joined in making her announcement by Jerry White, a landmine survivor from the U.S. and co-founder of the Landmine Survivors Network, and Porfirio Gómez Zamora, a landmine survivor from Nicaragua and a participant in the Raising the Voices initiative.

Launched in May 2000, Raising the Voices has enabled eight landmine survivors from five mine-affected countries in the Americas to attend training sessions in Geneva, participate in meetings related to the Ottawa Convention and develop advocacy projects within their home countries. The Landmine Survivors Network anticipates that future cycles of the program will involve survivors from Africa and Asia. Total Canadian commitments to the initiative to date exceed $345 000.

"Raising the Voices plays an important role in increasing the capacity of landmine survivors to represent, organize and advocate on behalf of all survivors and other persons with disabilities in mine-affected countries," said Mr. White. "Support from the Government of Canada will help in the expansion of this program beyond its initial base in Latin America and reinforce our efforts to highlight the human faces behind the ban on anti-personnel mines."

"Raising the Voices has enhanced my ability and that of my fellow survivors to build regional networks of landmine survivors and raise awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities," added Mr. Zamora. "While much work remains, this project is making a difference in deepening the participation of landmine survivors in matters that affect us."

Senator Finestone's announcement was made at Ottawa's Karsh-Masson Gallery at the official opening of an exhibition of photos of landmine survivors by Italian photographer Giovanni Diffidenti. The exhibition, which was produced by UNICEF, can be viewed at the Karsh-Masson Gallery until January 5, 2002, when it will begin a cross-country tour.

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Jennifer Sloan

Director of Communications

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(613) 995-1851

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(613) 995-1874

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