MLI's Landmine Education
Getting the word out proves to be a success!
The Marshall Legacy Institute's Children Against Mines Program "CHAMPS" has been launching many successful campaigns this year and raising awareness among kids all over the United States about the worldwide problem of landmines and their victims. One such campaign in Vermont has been recently highlighted in a wonderful video. Please take a moment and watch this incredible story of how a group of kids can come together and change a young victim's life from accross the world!< click here to watch the video >
< CHAMPSkids.org >
Program Launched in Iraq
In early August 2008, MLI sent 3 MDD teams from the Mine Detection Dog Center in Konjic, Bosnia to Erbil to begin a nine month project in northern Iraq. The teams will work in conjunction with Mines Advisory Group (MAG), who has conducted demining operations in northern Iraq for over 6 years. The utility and efficiency of mine detection dogs will demonstrate that they are a necessary component to the ‘deminer’s toolkit’ in demining operations in northern Iraq. This project is funded by the U.S. Department of State.
MLI hits 100 !
"Parky" and "Connecticut" 100th and 101st MLI-Provided Dogs
Mine Detection Dogs Parky and Connecticut became the 100th and 101st MLI-provided dog in June 2007. Parky, a German shepherd, was sponsored by the Geoffrey Parkinson Family, who have been instrumental in leading the CHAMPS Connecticut Campaign.
Connecticut, a Belgian Malinois, was sponsored by the schoolchildren of Greenwich, CT in a campaign led by Elizabeth Parkinson and Carole McIvor. Both MDDs were trained at the Mine Detection Dog Center (MDDC) in Konjic, Bosnia Herzegovina. They are currently bonding & training with their assigned indigenous handlers working with the office of Bosnian Civil Protection.
MLI Donates a 6-Pack
Enhanced Six-Pack goes to Afghanistan and Azerbaijan
As part of its Mine Detection Dog Partnership Program with the US Department of State, MLI recently provided three mine detection dogs (MDD) to Afghanistan and four to Azerbaijan.
MDDs "General" and "Dynamic",
sponsored by corporate defense giant General Dynamics, and MDD "Cowboy",
sponsored by the Wyoming Association of Broadcasters, completed initial
training at Global Training Academy in Somerset, TX and arrived in
Afghanistan on 19 October to begin bonding and training with their
local handlers at the Demining Agency For Afghanistan (DAFA). Four
other MDDs completed initial training at the MDDC in Bosnia and deployed
to Baku in August 2007 to begin their lifesaving work with the Azerbaijan
National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA). The Baku International Rotary
Club (BIRC), supported by ‘sister’ Rotary Clubs throughout the US,
is seeking matching grants to sponsor three of ANAMA’s newest MDDs,
named "Gaga", "Gavran" and "Guru". The fourth dog is sponsored by
the children from Browne Academy in Alexandria, VA, who have named
their MDD "Brownie".
MLI travels to the balkans
Leads Donor Delegation, June 2007
MLI organized a donor delegation to Slovenia, Bosnia/Herzegovina, and Croatia from 17-23 June 2007. The group included student and adult leaders from CHAMPS Campaigns throughout the US, namely Bianca Streep and Beth Scanlon from New Hampshire, Geoffrey Parkinson, Jr. from Connecticut and Paula Dukehart of Trinity Episcopal School in Austin, Texas.
The delegation gained a firsthand account of the landmine situation. Donors visited the International Trust Fund for Demining and the Institute for Rehabilitation in Ljubljana, Slovenia, where they met with young landmine survivors receiving treatment.
In Bosnia they visited the Mine Detection Dog Center in Konjic and observed a demining operation along a city street in Sarajevo.
The group also
had the opportunity to meet the donated MDDs working with local landmine
clearance NGOs.
MLI completes year-long study
MLI Leads Department of State-Funded Global Estimates Study
MLI, in conjunction with the James Madison University Mine Action Information Center (MAIC) and Survey Action Center (SAC), is currently completing work on a year-long study to determine the current scope of landmine contamination and the resources required to achieve a global mine-free end state.
This study, familiarly known as “The
Big Bang”, examines the suspected hazardous areas, rates of land
release and current assets for mine action in 24 highly mine-affected
countries. The goal is to project the amount of time and funding
needed to achieve several benchmarks along the continuum of reaching
status free of the impact of mines. An international advisory panel
of experts is providing guidance and support for the study. It is
an objective of the study team that the results will not only provide
insight as to the remaining extent of landmine contamination and
a realistic estimate of resources required to free the world of the
scourge, but will also enable the donor community to see that the
fight against landmines is a battle that can be won.
dogs in training
Four CHAMPS-sponsored dogs in training at the MDDC in Bosnia
Four German Shepherds are currently training at the MDDC in Konjic, BiH, to conduct lifesaving work in either Bosnia or Lebanon.
Mine Detection Dogs were sponsored as follows:
"Shadow"- sponsored by the New Lebanon School, CT & The John Vrabek Shadow Foundation.
"Tornado" is sponsored by Trinity Episcopal School in Austin, TX.
"Vermont" is sponsored by the CHAMPS-VT Campaign
"Stitch" is sponsored by the Michael Lazar Family.
< CHAMPSkids.org >
MLI's 10th Anniversary
The Marshall Legacy Institute Celebrates 10th Anniversary
MLI celebrated its Tenth Anniversary on 30 October at its 2007 Clearing the Path Gala. Held at the Willard Intercontinental Hotel, the annual dinner was co-chaired by Nicholas Chabraja, Chairman and CEO of General Dynamics, Platinum Sponsor for the event. ABC’s Jonathan Karl served as emcee for the gala, which honored individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to save and improve the lives of people and animals living in mine-affected nations around the world. General (Ret.) Gordon R. Sullivan, MLI Founder and Chairman Emeritus, received the Founder’s Award. In his name, MLI will sponsor MDD Sully to “sniff out” landmines and save and improve lives in Bosnia.
Other honorees
included Elizabeth and Geoffrey Parkinson, who received MLI’s Community
Service Award; Joan Wismer, recipient of the CHAMPS Patron Award;
Patty Praytor, who received the CHAMPS Teacher of the Year Award;
and Lebanese handler Ali Sharaf El Din with his MDD Barry, who received
the MDD Team of the Year Award. Thank you to all our sponsors and
guests who made the evening such a wonderful success!!
Big Bang Study
Focusing In On the Worldwide Landmine Problem
MLI and its partner organizations, the Survey Action Center and James Madison University’s Mine Action Information Center, completed an 18 month study, funded by the US Department of State, to try to determine how worldwide how big the landmine problem is, how long it will take the world to become landmine free and how much it will cost. The Big Bang research team and the State Department plan spend the summer obtaining feedback from key mine action players on the report, and to release a version of the report as well as commentary on the report to the public this fall in a special edition of the MAIC Journal of Mine Action. Stay tuned…
