The Ottawa Work Group (GTO-14)*, comprised by 14 Organizations from the civil society that work on mine action met on Wednesday, September 2nd, at the Carmen de Bolívar municipality (Bolívar) in order to gather opinions and experiences from the communities affected by the issue of anti-personnel mines.
The meeting, led by the National Coordinator of the Colombian Campaign against Mines (Cccm), Alvaro Jimenez, and by Catalina Cock, Head of the Mi Sangre Foundation, had the active participation of survivors, affected communities, Government entities, department operators, non-government organizations and the overall community.
“The idea of these Forums is to gather all the opinions and comments regarding victims’ assistance, mine risk education, humanitarian demining, promotion and public defence, as well as destruction of arsenal. The results of the forums will be compiled in a document to be submitted at the Cartagena Summit on behalf of the civil society”, Catalina Cock indicated during the installation of the first regional Forum.
The discussion was moderated by the representative of the Colombian Centre for Integrated Rehabilitation (Cirec), Jorge Enrique Quesada, who stated that he was satisfied with the participation by the population and the organizations working in the matter.
“We celebrate that the ONGs have come together at this crucial juncture”, pointed out Arnol Gomez, who worked as a facilitator at the Montes de María region in a mine action project two years ago.
At the end of the event, the National Coordinator of the Cccm, Alvaro Jimenez indicated that these forums “are nothing but discussion notes so that when the Summit arrives, and during this road to Cartagena, we are filled with reasons and arguments that might explain to the international community, our own Government and ourselves where we should make the adjustments so that the public policy of the Colombian people is resolved and meets the national community’s requests regarding the relevant and significant matter of anti-personnel mines”.
The Regional Forums are part of the preparatory activities by the GTO-14 in the context of the Second Review Conference of the Mine Ban Convention, which will summon the Convention’s 156 State Parties and the Organizations related to this matter to Cartagena de Indias from November 29th to December 4th, 2009.
The next forum will be held on Friday the 4th of September at the Cardioneuromuscular Rehabilitation Centre in Cucuta, Norte de Santander (Check the conference schedule) and will take place in most parts of the country until the Cartagena Summit. It will be broadcast live for Colombia by the regional channel Teleantioquia and to the world through www.teleantioquia.com.co.
* The Ottawa Work Group of 14 Organizations from the civil society (GTO-14) is made by the Permanent Assembly for Peace, the British Council, the Colombian Campaign against Mines (Cccm), the Colombian Centre for Integrated Rehabilitation (Cirec), the Retorno y Vida Corporation, the Colombian Red Cross, the Mi Sangre Foundation, the REI Foundation, the Restrepo Barco Foundation, Handicap International, Mercy Corps, Moviment Per la Pau, Pastoral Social and United for Colombia.