Red Cross to continue land mine education in ChechnyaTimur Aliyev, North Caucasus - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) will continue its program to educate the population on mine dangers in Chechnya, announced Luiza Khazhgeriyeva, coordinator of ICRC's mine awareness programme in the North Caucasus.
"This year we will place more emphasis on providing support to local initiatives. The danger of land mines to civilians is closely observed not only by humanitarian organizations ... but also by those who work with children and can see the consequences for civilians.
These organizations would like to help in disseminating information about this danger as they have very good ideas, but often don't have the means to do so," stated Khazhgeriyeva.
"Last year the Red Cross undertook a similar project. A local art school wanted to organize a poster contest on land mine awareness and they asked us to supply the prizes and poster material. So, of course, we were more than happy to help them with this," she added.
And this year the Red Cross will continue supporting similar activities. "Different groups have suggested to us several land mine awareness projects such as the Children's Creative House of Achkhoi-Martan who would like to present a Land Mine Awareness Festival for the children. And then there is Tamara Guzuyeva who would like to direct a play about land
mines, and also Imran Usmanov who is planning on composing music around this theme.
And composer Ali Dimayev and poet Kosum Uspayev want to write a song about mine threats to children and teenagers. It's even possible that a TV clip will come out of this."
The Red Cross has not yet made a final decision which of these activities to finance. "We will support only those projects we think will have a long-term impact," declared Khazhgeriyeva.
(S/E,T) RELATED ARTICLES:
· Chechen press to help Red Cross with mine risk education (PW, 29.12. 2003)
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