"What If..." A Multimedia Competition on Landmines and Cluster Munitions for Young Adults

Mines Action Canada, a member organization of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, is calling on young people to enter short multimedia presentations on the theme of "What If...", as it relates to landmines and cluster munitions. There are only 12 days left in this competition -- the top three winners will receive a camcorder. The winning presentation will be shown at the international conference marking 10 years of the antipersonnel landmine ban in Cartagena, Colombia in November. The competition is only open to young people, 18 to 30 years old, who live outside Canada.  For more information on the competition, click here.

The competition organizers offer a few suggested questions to spark your inspiration:

"What if…

• …the movements to ban landmines and cluster bombs did not exist?
• …my country was free from landmines and cluster bombs?
• …my country was contaminated with landmines and cluster bombs?
• …no one cared about ridding the world of landmines and cluster bombs?
• …everyone cared and contributed to ridding the world of victim-activated weapons?"

Landmines, cluster munitions and other unexploded shells kill and injured some 5,000 people every year, prevent refugees from returning home, keep farmers from farming their fields and block roads to commerce and humanitarian aid.

If you are interested in getting more involved in the campaigns against landmines and cluster munitions, check out the websites of the US Campaign to Ban Landmines, Mines Action Canada, the Cluster Munition Coalition, or my personal blog, Political Minefields.

-Matthew Bolton