| Land Mine Project |
Gandhi Alliance for Peace
Board of Directors: Deb Sawyer, president; Allan Smart, vice-president; Boyer Jarvis, treasurer; Sarah Smith, secretary; Rolf Kay;
Catherine Kreuter; and Sharon Odekirk
Board of Directors: Deb Sawyer, president; Allan Smart, vice-president; Boyer Jarvis, treasurer; Sarah Smith, secretary; Rolf Kay;
Catherine Kreuter; and Sharon Odekirk
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Land Mine Project Donations Surpass $168,000
Since the first donations in March of 2002, the Gandhi Alliance for Peace (GAP) Land Mine
Project has raised over $168,000 for the clearing of mine fields in Afghanistan.
The Project was born in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. Gandhi Alliance
leadership wanted to contribute, on a global scale, to creating conditions which would
prevent future 9-11s.
"Clearing mine fields in Afghanistan seemed critical," says Deb Sawyer, GAP president. "We
felt we needed to go to the places of chaos and help provide healing."
Effective use of contributions was also a factor in the decision. GAP board members wanted
assurance that money raised would be used for its intended purpose. The United Nations
Association of the USA Adopt-A-Minefield program offered that assurance, guaranteeing
that 97 percent of donations goes to Afghanistan for land mine removal.
So far, the GAP has sponsored six de-mining teams; plans for a seventh are well underway.
Between five and ten Afghans, half of them children, are injured or killed by land mines
every day; more than half of the victims die before reaching a medical facility. Mines also
inflict social damage, rendering farmland useless and, therefore, villages uninhabitable.
Although a weapon of war, land mines victimize more civilians than soldiers.
The Night of 1000 Dinners is the major Land Mine Project fund raising effort. This annual
event brings together friends, neighbors, and colleagues for a meal and silent auction to raise
funds for land mine removal. Last March, in Salt Lake City, the event was staged jointly by
the Gandhi Alliance, the United Nations Association of Utah, and the Calvary Baptist Church.
Globally, dinners hosted by citizens in over 50 countries raise millions of dollars annually to
support the Adopt-A-Minefield (AAM) program. In 2006, AAM raised $5 million to clear
mines in six nations and to help tens of thousands of victims maimed each year by the
devices. To date, AAM has reclaimed over 5,000 acres of land worldwide.
Since the first donations in March of 2002, the Gandhi Alliance for Peace (GAP) Land Mine
Project has raised over $168,000 for the clearing of mine fields in Afghanistan.
The Project was born in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks. Gandhi Alliance
leadership wanted to contribute, on a global scale, to creating conditions which would
prevent future 9-11s.
"Clearing mine fields in Afghanistan seemed critical," says Deb Sawyer, GAP president. "We
felt we needed to go to the places of chaos and help provide healing."
Effective use of contributions was also a factor in the decision. GAP board members wanted
assurance that money raised would be used for its intended purpose. The United Nations
Association of the USA Adopt-A-Minefield program offered that assurance, guaranteeing
that 97 percent of donations goes to Afghanistan for land mine removal.
So far, the GAP has sponsored six de-mining teams; plans for a seventh are well underway.
Between five and ten Afghans, half of them children, are injured or killed by land mines
every day; more than half of the victims die before reaching a medical facility. Mines also
inflict social damage, rendering farmland useless and, therefore, villages uninhabitable.
Although a weapon of war, land mines victimize more civilians than soldiers.
The Night of 1000 Dinners is the major Land Mine Project fund raising effort. This annual
event brings together friends, neighbors, and colleagues for a meal and silent auction to raise
funds for land mine removal. Last March, in Salt Lake City, the event was staged jointly by
the Gandhi Alliance, the United Nations Association of Utah, and the Calvary Baptist Church.
Globally, dinners hosted by citizens in over 50 countries raise millions of dollars annually to
support the Adopt-A-Minefield (AAM) program. In 2006, AAM raised $5 million to clear
mines in six nations and to help tens of thousands of victims maimed each year by the
devices. To date, AAM has reclaimed over 5,000 acres of land worldwide.