2005 - 2006 Landmine/UXO Victims in Central Vietnam

As I opened up some excel books and stare at the figures laying neatly in rows and columns, I realized that there is a better way to view them.

I hope the charts will help you understand better the situation at present time in central provinces of Viet Nam. It is noteworthy that the figures here are just the ones that were reported to our office and we have responded to, not the official total number.


Download the PDF file here.

BBC Series: Life on the Burma-Thai border

The BBC is running what promises to be a great series on life on the Thai Burma border. Clear Path supports the Mae Tao Clinic's work with Burmese refugee landmine survivors in Mae Sot and at a number of other locations on the border.

You can read CPI blog postings from the Thai Burma here:
http://cpi.org/cpiblog/archives/cat_thaiburma.php

Life on the Burma-Thai border

...Burma is ruled by a repressive military junta, which is showing little desire to improve the rights and living conditions of its poverty-stricken people.

Not only is it hard for ordinary citizens to earn a living, it is becoming increasingly dangerous for some people to continue living there at all.

Members of certain ethnic groups are particularly at risk - especially the Karen, who live in areas of conflict between the military and rebel fighters.

Many people from these groups have fled across the Thai border, and are now living in refugee camps.

There are three main camps around Mae Sot - Mae La, Noe Po and Umpium. Together, they are home to about 97,500 people.

Many camp residents - particularly the recent arrivals - are just grateful for a safe place to stay and food to eat.

"I'm so happy I'm here," said 50-year-old Naw Saw Mu, who fled from a village near Taungoo after being forced to work without pay and seeing surrounding villages being burned down by the government army.

Read the rest of the article here.

Clear Path YouTube Video Reaches 10000 Views

Ok, actually right now it is 9,991 views, but today it should reach 10,000.

We produced this 7 minute video a few years ago with NPR's Corey Flintoff as narrator and the Grateful Dead's Mickey Hart donating the music. We have shown it countless times at donor events and featured it on our DVD. Our programs have matured quite a bit since then... and the video is becoming a bit out of date... but it is still a good introduction to Clear Path.... so in hopes of pushing this out to another 10,000 people, here it is:

Thai Burma Border: Recreational Therapy At Care Villa

I had heard them singing before. I had heard them talking before. I had heard them praying before. But I had never heard them laughing. The guys of the Care Villa; a special group of mostly young men, severely handicapped due to landmine accidents.

Last week, Astrid and I went back to the Care Villa in Mae La refugee camp to start a program of physical activities. The atmosphere was different than usual; the bamboo hut was filled with excitement. The guys were ready for some fun and so were we.

Within no time the balls with bells were being exchanged between arms and legs, forces were measured by pulling ropes and I could only smile from satisfaction when I saw how much fun they had. How much fun we had. Although I had met them many times before, and had intensive interviews with every one of them, it was as if I got to know completely different people. I discovered a whole new side of the Care Villa that I had never seen before. The joy and excitement, it is a true motivator to continue this program. Astrid�s enthusiasm, her exuberance is just what we needed here.


Lobke Dijkstra,

Physical therapist and country rep in Thailand

CNN and YouTube: Cambodia's poor scavenge for mines

This story is not news to anyone who reads this blog, or folks who have seen Skye Fitzgerald's film BOMBHUNTERS. CNN is reporting on unexploded ordnance scavengers in recognition of LANDMINE AWARENESS DAY in Cambodia.

Watching him work is unnerving. Alerted by the detector, he digs with his hoe and finds the broken tail of a mortar shell.

Picking it up with his bare hand, he tosses it into his bag and calmly carries on scanning the ground.

"I usually don't know if it is a land mine, bomb or unexploded ordnance," he said. "But one thing I am sure of is there must be some metal."

If lucky, he said, he can collect 10 kilograms (22 pounds) of scrap metal a day; on a bad day he might fetch 2 kilograms (4 pounds).

One kilogram (2.2 pounds) of scrap steel sells for 1,000 riel (US$0.25; euro0.20), but aluminum and bronze pieces fetch 3,000 riel (US$0.75; euro0.60) and 5,000 riel (US$1.2; euro0.90) respectively.

"This is a very dangerous occupation that we have constantly tried to prevent," said CMAC's Khem Sophoan. He said scavengers often try to evade authorities.

Read the rest of the article on CNN.com here.

This is not a practice exclusive to Cambodia by any means... I blogged a couple years ago about a boy we ran into scavenging metal along the highway in Vietnam here.

Below is a trailer for Skye Fitzgerald's BOMBHUNTERS on YouTube featuring a group of men unearthing a bomb to dismantle for scrap:

Remnants of War: Sara Smits in Syracuse University Magazine

Source:Syracuse University Magazine on our good friend Sara Smitts

	Remnants of War
		Sara Smits (left), at a beach in Vietnam with Phuong, an amputee and Clear Path International outreach worker who was a gold medalist in the Asian Paralympics

Ty, a 23-year-old man, shows off his disfigured hand, the result of ccidentally hitting a cluster bomblet while hoeing in a field.

Roped-off munitions

Billboard warning people to stay clear of munitions they find

A Clear Path International vehicle en route to a de-mining site in Quang Tri Province

Display of Vietnam War bombs, outside the office of the Mines Advisory Group, Dong Ha Town

In a crowded hospital in Dong Ha, Vietnam, a 5-year-old boy is among the latest victims of a war that ended more than 30 years ago. A phosphorus mine he innocently picked up and placed in his pocket burns a hole through his thigh. Once exposed to air, the chemical burns until it is completely consumed. Sociology doctoral student Sara Smits G’02 saw the tragedy unfold at the hospital and heard the boy’s story, as well as the stories of many other victims in the Quang Tri Province who have been maimed and scarred by weapons left over from the Vietnam War. In her dissertation, Smits seeks to tell their stories and raise awareness about the ongoing suffering. “I’m examining the boundary between the end of war and the war that still continues for people in that area,” she says. “I want to show there are social consequences of war beyond combat casualties and environmental concerns.”

Her research into the effects of landmines and other unexploded ordnances (UXOs), such as cluster bombs and grenades, stems from her interest in social movements and war and peace. In 1997, Smits, who earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and psychology at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, and a master’s degree in sociology from the Maxwell School, attended a conference about UXOs in Washington, D.C. During that same time, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) won the Nobel Peace Prize, and Princess Diana adopted the cause. Since Princess Diana’s death, the issue’s prominence decreased, Smits says. “I wanted to revive awareness that this is still a problem and people are still working on these issues.” 

UXOs are in more than 80 countries and cause more than 15,000 casualties a year, according to ICBL. “In Quang Tri Province, you can guarantee that every day or every other day someone is a victim of these munitions,” Smits says. Situated along the demilitarized zone during the war, the province sustained the heaviest bombing, and, consequently, has the most unexploded devices. To gather personal stories of victims and see what is being done to combat the problem, Smits ventured to Vietnam for several weeks in 2005 through a Goekjian Summer Research Grant (see related story), and in March with funding assistance from the sociology department. She worked with Clear Path International (www.cpi.org), a Vermont-based nonprofit organization that assists UXO victims with medical costs and programs to sustain them for the future. Smits visited hospitals with Clear Path workers and saw victims who suffered such injuries as loss of limbs and shrapnel wounds. She encountered the 5-year-old burn victim on one of her final visits. “He’ll be able to walk again,” Smits says. “But seeing his pain and the difficult conditions of the hospital, where there are three to four people to a bed, was one of the harder parts of being there.”

After receiving approval from the local Vietnamese government, Smits made home visits to interview UXO victims about their lives before and after their accidents. Ty, a 23-year-old man, told her of the injuries he sustained at age 16 when a metal object he tapped while hoeing exploded. He has shrapnel in his eye, scarring on his face, and a disfigured hand. He spoke of the difficulties of participating in activities with friends and his low expectations for getting married. However, assistance from Clear Path enabled him to get trained in repairing motorbikes, ensuring opportunities for his future. Smits also met a woman named Phuong, who lost a leg, but achieved her dream of having a child and won gold medals in the Asian Paralympics. “The most important thing that stood out to me is that they are moving on,” says Smits, who is also impressed by the support victims receive from family and community members. “This is what they have been given, and they are trying their best to persevere.”

Smits is also researching other groups working on the issue, including ones raising awareness to stop the use of landmines. “I’m trying to understand the social movement with its number of different networks,” says Smits, who spent time watching the Mines Advisory Group, a British organization, clear mines. She also met many U.S. veterans revisiting Vietnam. “I’d like to do some research with veterans and examine their connection to Vietnam,” she says.

Reflecting on her international experiences reinvigorates Smits as she works on her dissertation. “The best way to learn is to live among the people and create connections,” she says. “I’m fueled by the memories and knowing there are people who are struggling with the issues surrounding landmines.” She finds purpose in her research and does speaking engagements to raise funds for Clear Path. “They do amazing work,” Smits says. “I want to somehow give back to the people who gave me so much information and so much inspiration.” 

—Kathleen Haley

The World's Most Dangerous Weapon: A letter from the Oslo Conference on Cluster Munitions

note: Three representatives of CPI are attending the conference below and they are also working on a film about CPI and unexploded ordnance called EPILOGUE OF WAR (working title) . They are Dr. Joan Widdifield, her daughter Natalie Johnson (15 years old and has been to Vietnam, Cambodia, and Burma-Thai border twice with CPI), and Skye Fitzgerald, the Director of Photography for the film and Producer-Director of BOMBHUNTERS about scrap metal collectors in Cambodia.


Hi All,

This meeting, co-sponsored by Norwegian People's Aid and Cluster Munition Coalition is for the the purpose of beginning the process of getting a treaty passed to stop the production, use and trade of cluster munitions. The meeting is focused and inspiring. We spent all day yesterday at the Nobel Peace Centre here in Oslo. We got excellent footage from these meetings. We attended a press conference and later back to back presentations from noon until 18:30.

The presentations were informative and moving. Mr Steve Goose, Executive Director of the Arms Division, Human Rights Watch/Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC) called cluster munitions "The Word's Most Dangerous Weapon." He said that this treaty will prevent a humanitarian disaster because there are billions of cluster submunitions stockpiled in 75 countries. Countries that claim to be the guardians of International Human Laws are the biggest violators.

Nobel Laureate for Peace, Prof Jody Williams said that it is time for governments to protect citizens, not the cluster munitions stockpiles. She said governments need to stop spending financial resources on war and destruction and start spending it on Human Security. Mr Erik Solheim, Minister of Development of Norway, said that all movements start with one person, and that now it is just a dream to ban cluster munitions, but like slavery, apartheid, and landmines, we will see the day that they are no longer accepted. He said that those of us from Civil Society are the only ones who can begin to make this happen. Mr Jean-Baptiste Richardier, Director General, Handicap International gave an impassioned speech about the inhumanity of cluster bombs. Mr Thomas Nash, Coordinator of CMC, clearly articulated the mission ahead of us.

We met a cluster munitions victims from Serbia, former deminer, Mr Branislav Kapetanovic, where NATO dropped cluster munitions in 1999 (American, British and Dutch) with 11,000 casualties. Recent victims from Lebanon are also here.

Mr Reuben Noguirera McCarthy, Programme Officer, Landmines and Small Arms Team, UNICEF gave a moving presentation about children and cluster munitions. He mentioned only a few NGO's for their good work, and Clear Path International was among them. Later I thanked him for his presentation and introduced myself. I also thanked him for the beautiful mines risk education billboards newly erected in Central Vietnam by UNICEF, and told him we are featuring them in our film.

Mr Kevin Bryant, Senior Technical Advisor (and also former military man/clearance specialist and lanmine victim while conducting work in Lebanon) gave an informative presentation about clearance.

The room is filled with about 100 NGO's, passionate about banning cluster munitions. Some legislators showed up from France and Norway and told us that they are very influenced by what NGO's report to them from the field, and they depend on us for their decisions.

It seems that everyone here knows about Clear Path's good work in victim assistance! Steve Goose (who I've been reading for years as a big part of my reasearch for the film) lit up with recognition when I talked about Clear Path with him.

I believe we got excellent footage from yesterday's meetings. We shot almost the whole day.

Today we will be attending workshops in the same venue as 48 invited government representatives (the U.S. wasn't invited because only those interested in working in earnest toward a ban are invited). We will have the opportunity to lobby the representatives.

I hope Senators Feinstein and Leahy are successful with their ammendment. We need to push our country to join Belgium and Norway, the two countries that have already banned cluster munitions! Thank you, Senators! Your work is so important.

More later.

Best,

Joan

Countries head to Norway for cluster bomb talks

Source: CBC News

"Certain types of weapons, such as landmines and cluster munitions, affect civilians particularly severely, both during and after armed conflicts," it said.

"Agricultural areas cannot be cultivated without risk to life and health, and refugees are unable to return to the homes from which they fled."

It said some countries, such as Laos and Vietnam, continue to have problems with cluster bombs more than 30 years after they were dropped in their territories.

The bombs have also killed or injured civilians in the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan and Lebanon.

According to the United Nations Development Programme, 23 developing countries are currently affected by cluster bombs.

Norway believes a ban on cluster bombs is possible given that the world was able to sign the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty, which bans the use of landmines. A total of 152 countries have ratified the treaty.

Read the rest of this article here.

Pollution: Landmines Are a Global Health Problem

Pollution. Consider for a moment what the word means. If it's defined as "the presence in the environment of any substance of sufficient concentration to be harmful to humans or cause long-term damage to the natural environment," landmines fit the bill.

In fact, some consider landmines as the most toxic and widespread pollution in the world. It's important to remember that even as we mark the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Ottawa Convention on Dec. 3 this year.

I made those points during a presentation Sunday at the 5th Annual Western Regional International Health Conference at the University of Washington campus. The conference is a brainchild of the Puget Sound Partners in Global Health, which include the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, PATH, UW School of Medicine, UW School of Public Health & Community Medicine, Seattle Biomedical Research Institute and others.

Puget Sound Partners for Global Health (www.pspgh.org) is a collaboration of Seattle-area researchers, healthcare professionals, students and non-governmental organizations committed to improving global health. It links the Seattle global health community by sharing information; funding international training, education and research opportunities; and holding events focused on global health.

I was invited to speak on the health and development problems caused by landmines. They are numerous. But before I get into that, let's look at some global statistics:



The world has roughly 110 million landmines spread among 80 countries, mostly in the developing world. More than 140 million people live in areas where their lives or livelihoods are threatened by landmines or unexploded ordnance (UXO).
About 20,000 to 30,000 people are killed or injured by mines each year with as many as two out of every three victims being civilians and one in every four being children.
Of course, the number of casualties and the burden of the treatment on already challenged health care systems in the Third World is just that part of the landmine problem that sticks up above the surface.
Let's go back to the notion of landmines as pollution. That breaks down into two parts: the danger and the damage. The danger obviously comes from the threat they cause to life, causing people to alter their behavior.
One big problem in places like Africa is that the presence or even the fear of landmines means local villagers avoid getting their drinking water from sources that are relatively clean and get them from polluted rivers instead. Add to that the danger of collecting firewood in mined areas and they do not even boil the water for consumption.
This leads to serious health conditions such as diarrhoeal diseases. Another one is malnutrition caused by the presence of mines and UXO in areas that could otherwise yield food crops.
In Libya, heavily mined during World War II, two thirds of the arable land is confirmed or suspected of being contaminated. Locally, they are known as "fields of the devil" and have killed 125,000 sheep, goats, cattle and camels since the 1940s, further reducing their use as a source of food.
In Afghanistan, already anemic in its ability to produce food crops, 20 percent of all farm land was taken out of circulation by landmines and UXO. Farm output is still only at 45 percent of prewar levels.
The damage landmines cause comes from the explosions and the chemicals inside them. Detonations destroy the top soil. In the former DMZ districts of Gio Linh and Vinh Linh, central Vietnam, a 50 percent drop in the rice production per hectare has been blamed on regular explosions from ordnance left by years of warfare.
Even lurking quietly on or under the surface, landmine and UXO affect the soil. Their poisonous insides containing TNT, RDX & cyclonites or tetryl leach out and soluble in water, causing toxicity to humans and mammals even in small quantities.
But the nightmare doesn't end there. During conflicts, mines are typically placed near roads, airfields, bridges, power stations, irrigation systems and other elements of a country's infrastructure.
This means that in peacetime such places are equally inaccessible to aid workers providing food supplies to refugees or villagers, immunization or foods rich in iodine lacking in many communities. Entire vaccination campaigns in Angola and Zambia were called off because public health workers found antitank mines on their routes. Health experts have pointed to a correlation between mined communities and the recurrence of polio.
And the presence or fear of mines causes problems in areas that are considered safe, such as crowded living conditions, sanitation breakdowns and a burden on existing services, further leading to the health crisis posed by the other conditions already mentioned.
I haven't even touched on the ripple effects of landmine injuries themselves, such as the spread of HIV infection through the regular need of blood transfusions among amputees in hospital with poor quality controls on their donated blood supplies; or the indirect effects of survivors' post-traumatic stress syndrome on their families, such as substance abuse and domestic violence -- not to mention the high rate of unemployment among persons with disabilities in mine-affected communities.
These observations concluded the first part of my presentation at the conference. In the second part, I focused on the solutions, some of which are provided by Clear Path and other humanitarian mine action organizations. More about that in Part 2.

Thai Burma Border: The Circle of Inspiration

To inspire or to be inspired, that�s the question�

Is it?

Or is it a self-sustaining system?

When I brought Astrid, a physiotherapist from Italy, into Mae La refugee camp today, the circle of inspiration showed some nice piece of work again. The situation on the Thai/Burma border is complicated, to say the least. When you�re here for a while, you get to face more and more difficulties, problems, limitations. The official regulations, mutual relations between ethnic groups, military groups and aid organizations, safety issues-both visible and underground. Sometimes it�s tempting to put your hands in the air and desparairingly say �I can�t change the world�. But in fact, you can. You can change personal worlds, one at a time, a little bit at least.

The preparations were done: through intensive interviews I assessed the handicaps, possibilities, limitations, needs and interests of the landmine accident survivors in the Care Villa. Many of them lost their hands and eyes on a landmine, which makes up for one of the most extensive limitations you can get.

The idea was there: we cannot give these guys back their hands, their eyes, their lives the way it used to be. But we can encourage them to bring back a little joy, a bit of fun, some challenges and to make one day a bit different than the other.

At first, Astrid wasn�t so sure. �What can I do?� she wondered, when I had asked her to go with me to the Care Villa. I knew that the guys would catch her heart, would stay in her mind, when only she had a chance to get to know them. So I suggested: �Let�s just go and meet, and then we�ll see�.

And so we went, in the local sawngtaew, we jumped off a dirt road, and walked into the camp. I had visited this place so many times before, but for Astrid it was the first time. As I remembered my first visit, we passed the bridge. My favorite site of the camp: here you can see a little joy. The kids are playing, the women gossiping, the man smoking and watching the river go by.

Within a short while, my plan worked out. As we talked to the people in the Care Villa, Astrid�s eyes started to sparkle. Mordecai began to smile. Not because of fun, satisfaction or happiness. It was this typical sparkling out of inspiration. Inspiration to literally bring back some life in the camp, and some joy in life. A fresh breeze blew through the Care Villa, the guys got excited when we told them about our plans: we will try to do some kind of sports acitvity with teams of 1 blind and 1 seeing person (a friend, relative or neighbour). That way, hopefully the guys will be challenged to be both physically and socially active. Let�s break down this negative circle of limitations and replace it by the positive circle of inspiration. Mordecai�s smile, Astrid�s sparkling eyes and the excitement of the Care Villa men, brought back the enthusiasm, the challenge, the dedication that I felt so strongly, especially in my first weeks here.
On the way back, I have this song in my mind:
�I can give you reasons why
this sounds so good,
if you just try
just step into our world with me
then you will see
Just for one day in my life,
Just for one day if you try
And you would see the difference�
History repeats itself and a circle wouldn�t be a circle if it wasn�t round. For me, it all started when I got in touch with Imbert. Pat wrote about it in one of her great blogs: Imbert is the one to blame; the one who got both of us into this work, into this world. Since I got to know more people involved with CPI, I got more and more inspired by their dedication to the work we do. Regularly I receive emails from them, telling how much they appreciate the work I do here at the border. It�s very nice to hear, a welcome support, but it always gives me this out-of-place kind of feeling. It should be the other way around. Without them, there was no CPI. The same goes for the donors: they are the one to be thankful to. Without them, there would be no way to do this job. So thank you very much for inspiring me; I hope I can keep inspiring you, so we could keep the circle going together.
Lobke Dijkstra,
physical therapist and CPI representative at the Thai/Burma border

Thank you, Senator Leahy

A letter my mother sent to Patrick Leahy in support of a new bill he is co-sponsoring restricting the use of cluster munitions. We blogged about the accident she mentions here.

Dear Senator Leahy,

Yet again I am so proud to be a constituent of yours. As a volunteer for Clear Path International, I have witnessed first hand the devastating effects of cluster bombs. Two years ago, just after the Tet holidays, I accompanied our staff on a visit to a village in Viet Nam where three young boys had been injured on their way home from school.
Although I could not understand the language being used by our staff as they handed the young mother funds with which to bury her son, I understood the sigh that emanated from her as we sat side by side in her home. My son James immediately crossed the room and stroked her hand to comfort her. As we were about to leave, I found this brave, helpless young mom in my arms and we wept together at the senselessness of weaponry that continues to hurt and main long after wars have ended.

Thank you for introducing legislation to restrict federal funds for the use, sale or transfer of cluster bombs unless specified that they will be used only against clearly defined military targets and not where civilians are known to be present (or in areas normally inhabited by civilians).


Sincerely,


Terri Hathaway

Thai - Burma Border: At 21 Years Old, Another Life Shattered

It�s 6 am, the usual time to take off, as the military checkpoints are not too tough in the early mornings. It�s going to be a long and hot day; we�re heading to Colonel J�s headquarters. I jump into the dusty pick-up truck, and settle myself among 2 boys, 2 girls, 25 bags of rice and 50 mosquito nets. 3 hours and 438 curves in the road later, we reach the boat that takes us across the river. There, at the top of the hill, the colonel is already at guard, two soldiers with big guns along his side.


Again I am surprised by how quiet it is. It�s hard to imagine that this beautiful picture above is the theatre of an indescribably cruel civil war in Burma. Sometimes you can hear the shootings, explosions, panic, but today it is very quiet. That doesn�t necessarily mean any good. We drink Burmese tea, my thoughts drift away on the soft sounds of a language that I do not understand. I picture myself sitting there, surrounded by all this army-green. A remarkable appearance: a Dutch girl, amongst all those real-life Rambo�s, somewhere in the Burmese jungle� sometimes I wonder if it�s not just a movie scene. Just when I think the conversation has reached a dead end, we get permission to build a new medical clinic and prosthetics workshop. Finally! After months of negotiations, building relationships with both the Thai authorities and the Burmese leaders, it�s finally going to happen! We leave the rice and mosquito nets behind for one of the refugee camps, and the team of 4 sets off into the jungle. They will be running a 6-weeks mine risk education program in the villages. They�re so young, yet so devoted. And so much needed. The backpack teams are my heroes.

It�s late at night when we arrive back in Mae Sot; a quick noodle off the street suffices for dinner. A meeting with a general of a different area is on schedule for the next day. A journalist who recently wrote a fantastic book about life in and around Mae Sot accompanies us. Phil Thornton�s �Restless soles�: a must-read when you want to get a glimpse of life on the border.

Again we find ourselves back at a place that could easily be the set of a bizarre movie. The headquarters is lined with coconut- and banana trees, overlooking a rapid in the river. Under a large mango tree, we meet the general, this time with 4 guards. Half a year ago, I didn�t think I would get used to all these weapons around me. The general is famous for his disciplined troops and when we shake hands, that doesn�t surprise me.

A quiet man, with a battered face and eyes hard as stones. His mouth is red with betelnut and for a second I get goose bumps when I imagine what this man must have seen and done in his life. What am I doing here?! I remind myself: �He�s a good guy, not a bad one�. And again there is some tumult about �the white girl�. I decide to walk around a bit in the camp, while Phil starts his interview.

Then we receive a phone call. One of the girls that we dropped yesterday for the mine risk education mission has stepped on a landmine. I remember her face; she was sitting next to me in the truck. No details are known yet, but �the damage seems limited�. Those words mean just as much as: �she survived�. Later that day, they amputate 1 leg below the knee. They have to wait and see if the metal scraps that the blast of the landmine forced into her body, will bring infections or other complications. She�ll have to go through a rehabilitation process, including prosthetics care and if needed, Clear Path will support in any other possible way. 21 years old; again a young life destroyed. Of course you can do a lot with prosthesis. But when you have to run and hide in the jungle, a handicap could be a life-threatening condition. Unfortunately is this the every-day reality.

Before I fall asleep that night, I can�t help to wonder once more: �How many victims, how many lives, how many innocent people must we sacrifice before this war is coming to an end?�

Lobke Dijkstra,
Physiotherapist and CPI country representative on the Thai Burma border

One Boy Killed, One Man Loses Hand In Accidents Involving Ordnace in Vietnam

This from the weekly report from the Clear Path staff in Vietnam:

1. (Ho Van Vua, born in 1982) An accident happened to a man at noontime on Feb 7th 2007 in Huong Hiep commune of Dakrong mountainous district of Quang Tri province when he was searching for scrap metal in an area which is 2km far from his house. Unknown ordnance suddenly exploded upon being hoed. The man lost his left hand and received a lot of fragments in entire body. He was then taken to Quang Tri General Hospital for first aid and intensive treatment.

2. (Mai Thanh Cuong, born in 1993) An accident happened to a man in Cam Thanhf commune, Cam Lo district, Quang Tri province at 8am on Feb 8th when he was looking after buffaloes in an hilly area. While the buffaloes were eating, he took a large knife and cut the bush. A cluster bomb detonated upon being smash and killed him on spot.

Year of the Pig: A Year of Ease?

Tet, the traditional Vietnamese lunar New Year, is coming. For Vietnamese, the most important thing this occasion brings is Family Reunion. This, thus, pushes the pace of living fastest than ever. People try to finish whatever possible to finish before heading home. On Highway N# 1, the traffic goes like crazy. Buses and trucks driving none stop to make as many rounds as possible.

There is a number of families, in contrary to all those busy and happy-oriented activities, seem having no Tet this year. The thousand-year old traditional festival simply can not overcome their family catastrophe.

During the first 39 days of 2007 (from Jan 1st thru Feb 8th, 2007), explosive remnant of war related accident have taken away 8 dear members away from their families forever. Seven of those were fathers � the families� breadwinners, the ones who supposed to be busy preparing Tet for their families these days. Five other families were lucky enough to have their member survived from the accident. However, four families are preparing to celebrate New Year�s Eve at Hospitals since their dear member still in critical conditions.

The Lunar New Year�s Eve is on February 16th, 2007. February 17th is the first day of the year of the Pig. Many Vietnamese believe that this would be a year of ease. Hope that is what the Pig would bring for 2007.

The Not So Funnies: Mary Worth On Dioxin and the Legacy of The Vietnam War

I am not a regular reader of Mary Worth... actually more of an occasional accidental one... so I did not realize that for the past few weeks there has been a storyline around Agent Orange in Vietnam.



Read the rest of the series by date here.

For What It's Worth: Landmines Video from YouTube

In one of my routine searches on YouTube for landmine related videos I found this short piece that is nicely done. The last line in the video is off of one of our t-shirts.

Fund Reviewing Investments in Companies that Manufacture Cluster Bombs

Source: Newswire.co.nz

The New Zealand Super Fund says it will be reviewing its investments in companies making cluster bombs.

A Green party report comparing the fund to Norway's pension fund, shows Norway boycotts 12 companies on ethical grounds, that this country invests in.

And it highlights millions of dollars which are being invested in companies manufacturing nuclear weapons and cluster bombs.

The head of responsible investment at the fund, Anne-Maree O'Connor, says all investments are reviewed annually.

She says the fund has already divested in companies involved with landmines and whaling, due to New Zealand's stance against those issues.

Ms O'Connor says the fund follows the United Nations principles for responsible investment.

U.S. gives Vietnam $400,000 to plan clean-up of Agent Orange hotspot

By: BEN STOCKING - Associated Press

HANOI, Vietnam -- The U.S. government will give Vietnam $400,000 toward cleaning up a former U.S. military base contaminated by Agent Orange, its biggest step yet toward resolving one of the most contentious legacies of the Vietnam War, the U.S. ambassador said Friday.

The money will be used to help pay for a $1 million study on how to remove dioxin from the soil at the former U.S. base in Danang, one of three Agent Orange hotspots recognized by the U.S. government. Dioxin is a highly toxic ingredient of Agent Orange, an herbicide U.S. forces used to strip away foliage from jungles during the Vietnam War.

"I want to make clear that the United States government understands the concerns of the government of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people about the impact of dioxin on the environment and human health," U.S. Ambassador Michael Marine said.


The grant marks an important symbolic step toward resolving an issue that has long divided the two former foes, whose relationship has grown steadily closer in recent years

Read more here.

My first Cambodian birthday party, with Arn Chorn Pond

When I was invited to a birthday party last Thursday night, I knew this was something not to be missed. (I have been told that its only a matter of time before I am extended an invitation to a wedding, although for that I am still waiting.) The birthday party was for Arn Chorn Pond. If you don't know who Arn is, then you need to Google him immediately (seriously, run don't walk to your browser and plug in his name)! I had met him briefly the week before and knew very little about him. I knew he survived the Khmer Rouge, I knew he eventually was adopted by an American and moved to the US, I knew there is a movie documenting his life story, called The Flute Player, although I have not yet seen this movie. And, I knew that he founded CVCD, my partner organization in Cambodia.

This first thing I noticed about him, long before an introduction had been made, is the calm confidence he exudes. It is the sort of self-assurance I attribute to rock stars and other celebrities when you see them out of context, mixing with regular people as opposed to being on the stage or in the movie. Arn was an oasis of tranquility and quiescence amid a sea of energetic CVCD staff rushing around to prepare for the day. It only takes a moment of conversation to become captivated with Arn. He is warm and kind with an infectious smile. He lights up when he talks, which lights up the room around him.

Any excuse to witness a real Cambodian birthday event was enough for me. It only enhanced my anticipation to know it was for such an amazing individual. Of course, it would be unfair to say that Arn is a typical Cambodian. He lived in the US for about 20 years and still spends some of his time there. He is a product or both cultures, and I immediately recognized that portion which is western, as I was greeted with a hug, my first since being here. If you haven't been to SE Asia or Cambodia, let me just tell you that hugging does not happen between men and women. I have had long discussions with my co-workers on this topic and it is strictly reserved for spouses or family. Men can hug men and women can hug women, but that is where the line is drawn. (Some other time I'll discuss the perils of trying to hug a monk. Definitely do not do this as a woman!!) Culturally speaking - this has been the hardest difference for me to adapt to so far. I'm a hugger at home, a chronic toucher. It�s only a matter of time before I make some wildly inappropriate error along these lines.

Arn is a musician. He loves the arts and currently works to support and revitalize the Khmer arts community that was virtually destroyed by the Khmer Rouge. It should have been no surprise when we pulled up to his home, several kilometers out of Phnom Penh and down a dusty little road, to see (and hear) the wall of speakers. I suspect this is not present at every Cambodian birthday party. Getting out of the car, I detect some Eminem blaring from the sound system, and know I am going to enjoy this party.



I learned that Arn is not one to celebrate birthdays. Because his is essentially a date invented by his adopted father, he has never found it terribly meaningful. But, a good friend talked him into having a party, so he decided to spend it, in a way that only Arn could. He invited local teenagers, boys he said who were starting to get in trouble. He invited two women from the area who are very poor. In a country where poverty is widespread, being among the poorest of the poor is not an enviable position to be in. Arn did not want gifts, he just asked his guests to contribute money to the women in need. He made a video of them and showed it to us. He talked at length about the problems facing the country he loves and he told us about some of his projects, including bringing Sesame Street to Cambodia! (sadly - it still struggles to compete with Chinese Kung Fu movies and American WWF). He is willing to jump into a conversation about almost anything, including all of the political questions I want to ask. I get the sense he would rather focus on the future than rehash the history of his country, but he humors me anyhow, speaking thoughtfully on every subject I bring up, appeasing the political junkie within me. Considering his past, I am amazed at how little anger or bitterness he shows. He is passionate about the plight the poor and disenfranchised, but never disparages the rich and powerful. He seems unable to muster a bad word about anyone. If you didn�t know better, you might call him unrealistic, quixotic, or even Pollyanna. But, knowing only the slightest information about his past, you are aware that he has not been shielded from the harshest realities of this world. He simply believes in people. He has hope for the future. And, his hope gives me hope.
The party was essentially made up of our small group of westerners - various Americans affiliated with CVCD in some capacity- and the local teenagers. The speakers cranked out music all evening, and we danced, altering our routines between the very traditional Khmer style circle dancing that I still don't fully understand, and what I believe to be Cambodian techno-pop in which everyone was jumping around at frenetic western paces. Let me tell you - those kids were lighting up the dance floor!
It was definitely the best birthday party I've been to in Cambodia. And, not just because its also the only birthday party I've been to.

Washington & Oregon Students Learn About Landmines

They don't let me out in public too often, but once in a while these days I get to tell the story of our work, show a DVD and answer questions. This Saturday, I was at Thomas Jefferson High School in Auburn in a speaker series with some big names in humanitarian mine action. The audience was a group of about 80 high school students from Washington and Oregon who are pursuing an International Baccalaureate, a demanding two-year curriculum that paves the way for students to study internationally.

I followed Pat Patierno, formerly with the State Department and now with the International Trust Fund for demining, and Jim Lawrence, deputy director of the State Department's Office of Weapons Abatement and Removal. Pat and Jim, whom I have known for years and who have been extraordinarily supportive of our work in Southeast Asia, outlined the general problem of landmines.

Since this year marks the 10th anniversary of the Ottawa Treaty, it doesn't hurt to recite some of the statistics. Roughly 80 countries in the world have a problem with landmines and unexploded ordnance. About every 30 minutes someone somewhere in the world gets killed or injured by a landmine or UXO. It's easy to make and place a landmine or antipersonnel device (costing as little as $3), but expensive, painstaking and dangerous to remove (costing as much as $1,000 per mine or bomb).

The IB students were intrigued by the extent of the problem and the profound impact on a developing country's prospects for economic progress. As one speaker pointed out, you may be in a country where villagers can see the mangos hanging plumb and ripe from the trees beyond a minefield but they would get killed if they tried to pick them.



My talk covered our approach to survivor assistance, one of the three pillars of what's called "humanitarian mine action.� The other two are demining (removal) and risk reduction education (awareness of the dangers among impacted communities). Our philosophy has always been holistic. We look at all the needs of the survivors and their families, plus try to help their communities however we can. This starts with emergency medical care and goes all the way to vocational skills training.
The way we help survivor communities is through capacity building projects, such as large donations of medical equipment and supplies to their local hospitals, setting up prosthetics fabrication shops and physical rehabilitation facilities, supporting training fellowships for doctors from their region, etc.
I showed a DVD about our outreach work among survivors in central Vietnam. It features our young friends Lai (injured by a cluster bomb) and Ha (burned severely by a phosphorous grenade). It moves me every time I see them tell the story of their accidents and how it changed their lives, then how our involvement changed things again. It brings back all the memories from meeting them in person. Ha, who was forced to get around on her knees until she received support for surgery from CPI, now has a baby!
The students were equally moved by their stories and by the other presentations which included a demonstration by Perry Baltimore of the Marshall Legacy Institute of a Belgian shepherd trained to help find landmines for demining projects worldwide. Several of the students came up to the speakers after the event to thank us for inspiring them to look for ways to help fundraise for humanitarian mine action.
One of the students, Elana Ilioi from Beaverton High School in Oregon, gave us each a personalized note.
To me she wrote: �It seems that most efforts are concerned with removing landmines and preventing future injuries, but your work seems unique in not abandoning the victims whose lives have already been changed. I am extremely motivated to start fundraising for this organization.�

Welcome to Phnom Penh - I blame Imbert for this!

Somehow Imbert has talked me into getting on a plane, flying to Phnom Penh, and doing volunteer work for CPI for the next 6 months. As I wander around the city for the first few days, I try to reflect on exactly how he was able to do that. Sure � I take some responsibility. I wanted to do volunteer work. I�ve been to Cambodia a number of times and definitely have an affinity for the people and the country. I�ve been a huge fan of CPI since I was introduced to them a few years earlier, always admiring the work they do. Still, I am not unconvinced that Imbert hasn�t cast some magical spell on me as well.

I meet my new co-worker on my 3rd day here. I use the word co-worker because I don�t really know what else to call him. He is the Executive Director of CVCD, my partner organization, and who I will spend a lot of time with for the next 6 months. At the time, I am unaware of what an amazing person Sarath is or how much I will come to admire him. I just know I need to meet him, and hopefully we will find that we don�t hate working together. Within 10 minutes, and possibly less, he has invited me to spend the following Sunday with his family, visiting his home province. I accept without thinking. This seems like a huge honor and how could I possibly turn it down?

I wake up early Sunday. Sarath said they would probably leave early. I nodded eagerly. Of course, I think, I�m up at like, 7:00am or 8:00am every day, no problem. Sarath says, "Is 6:00am OK?" Note to self: early means early here. When Sarath drives up, the sweetest woman jumps out of the cab to greet me (I soon find out this is his wife), and the pick-up portion of the truck is filled with women of varying ages. I find out later, both his mother and aunt are in the back and spend the duration of the ride there, while I am comfortably seated inside the cab of the truck. (I am still a little haunted by this guilt).

However, I have a pressing concern. I am a caffeine addict. I'm not proud of this. But, I'm a Seattleite. Coffee is what I do. I consider it both a hobby and a pastime. I had intended to slowly ease back, eliminate the addiction in a nice timely sort of fashion, avoiding any undesirable side effects. Except, I didn't. And now, at 6am, there is no coffee. I am spending the day with people who I essentially would like to like me, and in about 4 hours, I am going to have a raging headache. Why did I let Imbert talk me into this?? And just like that - in something I can only describe as serendipity - Sarath's wife asks if I would like coffee. I almost break my neck nodding. It turns out she has a coffee addiction too. I am going to love these people!



The day is great. I cannot believe I even doubted joining on this adventure. Sarath and his wife are two of the sweetest people I have met. They have an infant son who is happy, adorable, and not afraid of blond white strangers. Sarath's uncle, in the cab with me, speaks almost no English - but this doesn't stop us from sharing a few moments pouring over my Lonely Planet book, while he finds an appropriate map to point out where we are going today. The village is a real treat. I have done a fair amount of traveling, and I've wandered through countless villages in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and China. But, this is my first time as a guest. I get to see the insides of these houses on stilts that have always intrigued me. I spend some of the day swinging in the hammock underneath. I am served food cooked in a fashion that I can only describe as "not up to US Health Department standards". It is delicious. I have chickens running between my legs, and puppies chasing after them. I witness the process of feeding the pigs that are behind the house. And only for a moment do I wonder about the incubation period for the bird flu.
Throughout the day I hear the word farang more times than the culmination of every previous trip I've taken to Asia. On a rational level I know it means foreigner. But, I'm not convinced they aren't really using it to mean beautiful stranger. That is at least the definition I decide is intended.
By the time I get home that evening, I cannot even believe I could have considered missing this. If their goal was to coerce me into falling in love with this country, then mission accomplished. But, just out of curiosity... does anyone know the actual incubation period for the bird flu?

Lobke is Home Again on the Myanmar Border

I came back from my trip to Vietnam, happy to be �home� again. It was early morning, 5.30 am, the best time of the day in Mae Sot. When it�s still quiet, the sun slowly rising, the rice fields covered under a mystic dew, the barefoot monks walking the streets for their daily alms. That�s Thailand at its best. I decided to work on some reports before taking off to the Mae Tao clinic, and as always time flew by.

A quick coffee, breakfast and once more I questioned myself how life can be so good here for me, while the people I share the streets with face problems we can hardly imagine. I tell myself to do what I can, which is a lot more than most people think themselves being capable of. Being around people with the same motivation is a great support; fortunately Mae Sot sees quite some dedicated people.

With this thought in mind, I joined a meeting at the clinic when a tall, healthy looking young woman walked in the room. Soon I understood: this must be Astrid, freshly arrived from Italy. She came here by an other organization. A moment of recognition, although I had never met her before. Did I instinctly recognize her as a colleague physical therapist, or was it her enthusiastic, ready-for-some-action expression? Eitherway, I was relieved to hear her speak the words �it doesn�t matter which organization brought me here, we work all together for the same people, right?�. Right!

After learning about CPI�s activities in the area, Astrid offers her two hands, her knowledge, her skills to use as much as possible. She starts to pick up some things in the Mae Tao Clinic, that I had been preparing over the last months. This is great! Unfortunately, my hands have not been touching patients too much lately, but even so more the computer�s keyboard, meeting tables and all sorts of vehicles in order to reach the remote sites where we plan the new projects.

Organizing, preparing, breaking ground and paving the roads is important and so far very rewarding, but in the end a physio�s hands are made to work with patients. And there they were: a good pair of Italian hands! Within no-time she sets up the rehab-room (a space where the amputees can go to exercise), refreshes the medics� knowledge and skills I thought them in a course a few months ago, mobilizes people in the inpatients department, spreads out her energy over the clinic.

She�s interested to volunteer in some more projects for CPI, like the Care Villa in Mae La camp. Talking over dinner about her experiences and impressions, reminds me of my own first few weeks here. What started for me as a comparable volunteer project, got a bit out of hand. Here I am, 7 months later, not at all ready to go �home�. Who knows where we will see Astrid in half a year?

Clear Path's Burmese Refugee Program Rep Visits CPI Vietnam

As to renew my visa for Thailand, I planned a trip to Vietnam and took the chance to visit some of the CPI colleagues. Although I had been in Vietnam before, the different culture (and cold weather!) still surprised me. Some days of hassle and struggling with officials passed by before I finally got that new sticker in my passport. It was a strange feeling, leaving my base in Mae Sot (Thailand), while there�s so much going on. It doesn�t feel right to look from the sideline, forced to leave my hands in my pockets, while there�s so much to pick up. Again I realized how much I got into this work, this world. How much I got attached to these people, attracted to their culture. The situation sometimes seems perspectiveless, the problems unsolvable, but somehow people manage to continue their fight for a better future. To be working, eating, sleeping, dreaming, thinking� living within such an intense environment is a lifechanging experience. Getting involved with CPI is like getting adopted by a new family. A group of strongly motivated people, connected by the same devotion. Meeting the CPI-staff in Dong Ha was like meeting some brothers, sisters, cousins that I hadn�t met before. I knew they were there, I knew what they were doing, but to meet with them brought up that great feeling of connection. Of sharing the same dreams. The same goals. And of encountering the same difficulties, facing comparable challenges.

The clear presentation of Dong Ha�s CPI-staff drags me into their projects and for a moment I forget that I�m part of the same organization. I am amazed by the difference they make in peoples lives; it deserves great respect. I see pictures of amputee-athletes, people challenging themselves and each other, building up their lives again. I hope there will be a time that I can take these sort of pictures in the Thailand or Burma. For now, we�re still in the struggle to survive; a primar goal of providing a prosthesis is to increase the chance to escape in case of an attack by the Burmese soldiers. Knowing that there�s so much more possible is sometimes frustrating, but to see what the people in Vietnam are working on just revives my dream of getting to that point one day too, with the amputees in the Thai/ Burma area.

A visit to the Othopedic Center in Da Nang was yet another experience. I was quite surprised by how big a place it is! Very busy, people working hard to rebuild what was destroyed. It takes blood, sweat and tears, and I almost want to scream �Keep on going, it�s a pain now, but a gain later.� The problems are big, but the results are great.

Going to different places refreshes the view on your own daily environment. Looking around, I silently made my wish-list: a knee joint in the upper leg prosthesis, proper training material, sufficient and well-trained personnel. Material things are important, but what�s high up at the top of my wish-list: a safe environment where people can actually stay as long as needed for treatment, not being on the run or hide, concerned about their families. Getting the health care that they need so desperately, still puts the people from Burma at great safety risc: the patients themselves, but also their families that they have to bring or leave behind, the backpack medics, the care providers and many others.

Vietnam or Thai/Burma border, two different places that cannot be compared. Let alone Cambodia, Afghanistan, United States, Canada and all the other places where the CPI family spread itself out. Let�s continue all together making a difference in people�s lives (not only in the landmine survivor�s).

A big thank you to the Vietnam staff! I learned a lot from the short visit and have great respect for what you all do. Keep up the good work!

Clear Path Welcomes the New Year with a New Team

Just a couple of weeks after she arrived in Phnom Penh as our Cambodia representative, I asked Pat Roe if she could help me with information for a final report on our program in Kampong Cham province where we have helped 150 landmine accident survivors in the past five years with our partner, Cambodian Volunteers for Community Development.

She was already swamped trying to catch up on the very complicated and demanding new rice mill project in Battambang, where we will be training and employing landmine survivors. She was poised to go to Battambang within a few days of my surprise request. It was quiet for a while on the other end of the Internet and I was afraid I had just overwhelmed her. But I had little choice. The report needed to be submitted to the donor within a few days.

Then I received a string of emails from her with great photo portraits of our beneficiaries, their stories and more information on the vocational training program we have just wrapped up in Kampong Cham -- all by her own hand. Unbeknownst to me, she had taken the four-hour ride in a Khmer taxi first on the hairy highways to Kampong Cham city, then on the deeply rutted dirt roads along the Mekong River to Stoeung Trung, the project site.

It took two more hours to stop and interview several of our far-flung beneficiaries who had just participated in a follow-up assistance program to get their home businesses off the ground. And she spoke to Kim Dovorn, the former training center director who conducted the technical and financial assistance in the villages around Stoeung Trung.

She had jumped right in there, taking the initiative without any prompting, producing results beyond my wildest expectations!

Pat is one of several great people who have joined the Clear Path team with a big passion for the cause. Working with her in my new position as the U.S.-based Cambodia program manager will be an awesome experience.

This year marks the biggest addition of staff since James & Martha Hathaway, Kristen Leadem and I started the organization six years ago. Late last year, Lobke Dijkstra, a physical therapist from the Netherlands, joined us as our Thailand representative working along the border with Burma bringing great insight and enthusiasm.

Earlier this year, Diana Cazaudumec from Manchester, Vermont, became our new financial manager at the Dorset office. Mark Kruse was elected as our new board treasurer and Melody Mociulski became our new part-time projects coordinator at the office on Bainbridge Island.

This great new group of people adds to the current team -- equally impressive -- that includes the founders, our other existing board members, Francesca Thompson, Nancy Norton and Lori Trieu, our five fulltime employees in Vietnam -- Tran Thi Thanh Toan, Tran Duc, Le Thi Yen Nhi, Trang Hong Chi & Phang Thi Ai Phuong and our partner organizations in Cambodia and along the Thai-Burma border.

To introduce the new members of our team, I will list their short bios and pictures. I am grateful to each one of them for helping us grow our organization, manage our projects and bring new ideas to our work. I am proud to be working with all of you.

Diana Cazaudumec, Finance Manager (Vermont)

Every successful nonprofit needs a good finance manager and in Diana Clear Path has found an excellent one. In addition, Diana has had a strong interest in Southeast Asia for years. A certified public accountant (1991), Diana received a Master's in Accountancy from the University of Denver (1988) and a BA in Business & Economics from Colorado College (1986). She worked for Price Waterhouse in Hong Kong and Vietnam; was involved with development projects in Nha Trang; served as controller for Louis Vuitton's operations in South America and was director of operations at Art & Auction in New York. Since she moved to Vermont in 2004, she is the owner of the Manchester Highlands Inn and business manager at the Long trail School.

Pat Roe, Cambodia Representative (Phnom Penh)

Pat already had a strong interest in Cambodia before she joined Clear Path International. She is secretary for the board of Stop Exploitation Now, a Seattle-based nonprofit that fights neglect of women, children and the disabled in the developing world. Most of its projects are in Cambodia and Pat has been actively involved in them. A graduate of Seattle University with a degree in Political Science (1994), Pat worked for most of her career at ATT Wireless Services (now Cingular Wireless) as customer care representative, customer care supervisor and team manager. Her managerial skills are very welcome as CPI and its Khmer partner, Cambodian Volunteers for Community Development start up their rice mill training and employment project for landmine accident survivors in Battambang Province.

Lobke Dijkstra, Thailand Representative, Burmese Refugee Program (Mae Sot)

Lobke, born and raised in the Netherlands, has long had a passion for helping persons with disabilities. She received a BA in Physical Therapy from the University of Higher Professional Edcuation in Nijmegen (2002) and went straight to work for Fokus Exploitatie which provides care and nursing to the disabled in that city. After serving as a physiotherapist at a private practice and the Ministry of Defense, she went to work at Groot Klimmendaal, a large rehabilitation center in Arnhem. Lobke joins Clear Path at a time when the organization is expanding its activities producing prostheses, physical therapy and, in some cases, fulltime nursing care to landmine amputees from Burma.

Melody Mociulski, Projects Coordinator (Bainbridge Island)

Melody had a long career at the City of Seattle, serving in various functions in finance, human resources, organizational development and communications. Among other positions, she was director of purchasing, procuring $150 million in goods and services for 26 departments annually. She also served as a consultant to Washington State's Department of Transportation, Chugach Electric Utility and Safeco Corp. Her background will help organize procurement and transportation of medical relief goods for Clear Path's hospital consignees overseas and prepare its special fundraising events in the Seattle area. Melody has also offered to help raise money from institutional donors. She received a BA from the University of Washington and has long had an interest in travel and international humanitarian causes.

Mark Kruse, Treasurer (Bainbridge Island)

A financial expert for much of his career, Mark joined Clear Path because of a growing passion for humanitarian relief work. For 11 years, he worked as a portfolio manager for a variety of financial firms and independently at to the Chicago Board of Trade and Chicago Board Options Exchanges. After he moved to the Seattle area in 2001, he began a financial consulting firm for individual and small-enterprise clients. But his heart was with those in need, volunteering on Habitat for Humanity projects, tutoring inner-city youths and working on Katrina relief. Mark received a BA in History from Southern Methodist University and is currently pursuing a Master's in Theology at Seattle University and Fuller Theological Seminary.

Welcome to the family!!