JOIN US FOR LEND YOUR LEG!
LEND YOUR LEG is being held in anticipation of The United Nations’ International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action which is observed on April 4th each year. LYL aims to raise awareness about landmines and progress toward their eradication. “Mine action” refers to a range of efforts to clear landmines and explosive remnants of war and to mark and fence off dangerous areas. It also includes assisting victims, teaching people how to remain safe in a mine-affected environment, advocating for universal participation in international treaties related to landmines, explosive remnants of war and their victims, and destroying landmines stockpiled by governments and non-state armed groups. “Lend Your Leg” is a campaign that encourages people worldwide by a simple but symbolic gesture of rolling up a pant leg or sleeve to encourage all to stop the damage landmines still cause while showing solidarity with all survivors of landmines and other explosive remnants of war.”
LEND YOUR LEG VIDEO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdJtGWbNT4s
What is “Lend Your Leg”? Long after wars are waged some weapons remain a lurking threat to civilians in the peacetime that follows. Landmines are indiscriminate weapons that wait underground for years and sometimes decades maiming and killing children, farmers and everyday citizens who happen upon them.
In 2011 in Colombia, a small group of motivated citizens rolled up their pant leg in a symbolic gesture of solidarity with landmine survivors across the globe that have lost limbs to this deadly device. What began as a grassroots campaign to raise awareness of this ongoing humanitarian crisis soon spread via social media and gained support from celebrity endorsements, NGO’s and government officials including Colombian President, Juan Manuel Santos.
Marking the anniversary of the Landmine Ban Convention has entered into force (this year is the 15th anniversary) and inspired by LEND YOUR LEG COLOMBIA, PSALM/WVCBL sponsored a LEND YOUR LEG SOLIDARITY DAY. The aim of the campaign is to draw attention to the consequences of mine presence around the world as well as to provide assistance to victims of landmines during the recovery and integration process. PSALM students are working with ROOTS OF PEACE (www.rootsofpeace.org), an international humanitarian organization working to unearth dangerous landmines in war-torn countries and empowers the local communities scarred by these indiscriminate weapons.